April 10, 2025 • 8 mins
Standing at the edge of Island in the Sky, you'll understand why Canyonlands deserves to step out from Arches' shadow.
Full Canyonlands Guide for Adventurers 👉 https://thebucketlistmermaid.com/canyonlands-guide-for-adventurers/
The 34-mile Island in the Sky scenic drive offers the perfect introduction to this often-overlooked national park.
What makes this district special is how it balances accessibility with raw wilderness.
You can experience jaw-dropping vistas like Schaefer Canyon Overlook, where a dirt road zigzags impossibly down steep cliffs, and Mesa Arch, which frames distant mountains in what becomes a photographer's dream at sunrise. The mysterious Upheaval Dome presents a geological puzzle scientists still debate, while the Grand Viewpoint delivers a finale worthy of its name.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 0 (00:00):
Welcome to Canyonlands National Park, where
the world stretches beneathyour feet in one of the most
jaw-dropping landscapes in theUnited States.
Today, I'm going to be takingyou on a scenic drive through
the Island in the Sky district,which is the most accessible and
arguably the most stunningsection of the park, Whether you
have a few hours or a full day,I'm going to be breaking down
everything you need to know,including must-stop viewpoints,
(00:21):
best short hikes, how much tospend here and a little hack
that'll make your visit evenbetter.
Now, the Island in the SkyScenic Drive is a 34-mile round
trip from the entrance at thevery end of the Grand Viewpoint.
Without stops, it takes aboutan hour to two hours, but trust
me, you will want to stop a lot.
What I really liked about thisis it felt big, but it didn't
(00:43):
feel so big that you wereoverwhelmed, and I just love
national parks where you have aroad that starts at one end and
ends at the other.
It just feels nice.
I also have to give a shout outto Canyonlands, because Moab
and Arches just seem to get allof the attention in this area,
but I was so shocked andsurprised at how cool
Canyonlands actually was.
Give it a chance.
(01:03):
Let it be the star of your show.
You will not be disappointed,Trust me.
Plus, it's literally rightthere.
It is so accessible Well, kindof so in order to get here.
It is near Moab and ArchesNational Park.
Now, it is a little bit of adrive to get there, and you do
pass Dead Horse State Park,which is another thing that I
would suggest if you do havetime.
Although the road is a littlelong to get into the park, it is
(01:24):
absolutely stunning, so youwill not be lacking on views
here at any point in time.
Now some must-stop viewpointsthat let's talk about.
The first one is the SchaeferCanyon.
Overlook this.
Is only about a five-minutewalk, and this is your first
holy wow moment.
You'll get an epic view of thefamous Schaefer Trail, which is
a dirt road zigzagging down intothe canyon, and if you ever
(01:49):
want to feel tiny compared tonature, this is the spot.
Now, if you don't know me, I runan adventure and photography
blog and I do this all as amermaid and funny story.
I actually got in a little bitof trouble with my family here
because I thought it would be agreat idea to put my mermaid
tail on here and it drew a crowd.
I'm on the side of a cliff andpeople were like taking pictures
and my whole family.
I sent it to them and they werelike what were you thinking?
And I was like I don't think inthese situations.
(02:10):
So please be careful.
Here.
There aren't a lot ofguardrails, so just use your
common sense.
Unlike this mermaid, Do as Isay, not as I do.
Next one you will definitelywant to hit is the Mesa Arch.
This is a short hike.
It's about 0.7 miles round tripand it's only about 30 minutes.
If you've seen a photo ofCanyonlands, it was probably
taken here.
It's a super short hike thatleads to a picture-perfect arch
(02:31):
framing the canyons.
Now, pro tip, this isabsolutely unreal at sunrise.
In fact, when I did my sunriseguide at Arches National Park on
the best spots to see in Moaband Arches, I actually put this
one because, although it's alittle bit of a drive, the
sunrises here are absolutelyinsane and it's not as crowded
as the Moab and Arches area.
Now the next one is the GreenRiver.
(02:53):
Overlook.
Now, this is a quick stop.
It's only about five minutesand you get an insane view of
the Green River just carving itsway through the canyon.
This one just looks straightout of a Wild West movie.
I could not believe it was real.
Now, the next stop that you aregoing to want to hit is the
Upheaval Dome.
Now, it is a short hike it'sabout a mile round trip and 45
minutes if you're just going tothe first part of the hike,
(03:14):
which is what I did.
This one is just a mystery.
Scientists aren't sure if itwas caused by some meteor impact
or a collapsed salt dome, buteither way, it's really worth it
just to see this weird colorfulcrater.
And last but not least, you aregoing to want to go to the
Grand Viewpoint.
Now, you can just kind of stopand see the view, or you can go
on a short hike, which is abouttwo miles round trip and it
(03:35):
takes about an hour.
This is the Grand Finale.
It's the furthest point on thescenic drive and you can hike
along the rim rim and it'sliterally nothing short of
legendary.
If you only do one hike and youonly have time for one, make it
this one.
Now let's talk really quicklyabout crowds and parking.
Although it is definitely lesscrowded than Arches National
Park, it definitely has itsmoments where it can be a little
(03:59):
hectic.
Now I drive a fifth wheel.
I live in it full time, so Ihave a big, massive truck and it
was a little stressful tryingto get around in this thing.
However, it was only stressfuland crowded on those really,
really big points like I've beentalking about, but there's
several points where you canjust stop off.
You can stop on the side of theroad.
There's like little tinypull-off points where you can
just take some photos, and Iwould 100% recommend this.
(04:22):
Bring a camera, just go at yourown pace and enjoy Canyonlands.
I do have to recommend stoppinginto the visitor center and
seeing if there are anyranger-led events.
For example, we went in thereand they were doing a moonlight
hike when we were there and wehiked with nothing but the moon.
We did have some redflashlights just in case, but I
was so shocked that I couldactually just hike through this
park with nothing but themoonlight.
(04:43):
We learned some stories aboutthe constellations, how the park
was formed.
We got to ask rangers questions.
So if you are here for morethan one day or a long period of
time, I would recommend tryingto go and learn about the park
as much as you can Now if youare driving on this scenic road
and you are passing through,here is my pro tip, and that is
get an audio guide.
I had no clue that these existeduntil I got to Moab and I
(05:06):
actually ended up doing one forArches National Park and loved
it so much that I bought anotherone for Canyonlands.
Now this park doesn't have alot of signage explaining what
you're seeing.
That's where the audio guidescome in.
They'll give you history,geology, fun facts as you drive.
Now the one that I used.
I'm going to go ahead and linkin the description that you can
go ahead and go grab that.
(05:27):
I would 100% recommend this.
I learned so much about thepark and it was way cheaper than
going on an organized tour witha guide.
Plus, I could do it at my ownpace and that's what I loved
about this.
So how much time do you actuallyneed at Canyonlands National
Park to do the Island of the Sky?
Now?
First off, we do have tomention that Canyonlands is huge
(05:47):
.
I might've said that this roadis really nice and it feels big,
but it's really notoverwhelming.
That is because it's onesingular district.
There are actually three otherdistricts in addition to Island
in the Sky.
However, Island in the Sky isthe one that is the most
touristy and it is the one wherethe most visitors go, frankly,
because the other sections arejust pure adventure wilderness.
So if you are interested inthat, I love you, that's great
(06:10):
for you, let's be friends, butit's going to take a lot more
effort to get there.
If you do want more informationabout all the districts in
Canyonlands, as well as a full,in-depth adventurer's guide, I'm
going to link the fullCanyonlands guide in the
description.
Make sure to go check it out,book some tours, learn a lot and
really check Canyonlands off ofyour bucket list.
If you're just driving throughwith some quick stops, plan for
(06:33):
three to four hours.
However, if you're doing somehikes, give yourself a full day,
five to six hours, if you trulywant to soak it in.
Trust me, you don't want torush, and if you are coming in
peak season or even shoulderseason, you might have to wait
for parking spots.
So make sure to add some extratime in for finding those
parking spots and also some timeto do some hiking.
(06:53):
I really liked this section ofCanyonlands because you did have
the opportunity to go on theseshort, little quick bursts of
hikes.
It was so fun.
It was like, instead of one bighike, it was just like a bunch
of little ones and I loved it.
Now, me, I am a slow adventurerand I also need to stop and
nerd out on photography, so Ispent about eight hours here and
then I drove back to my RV spotand then I drove back for the
(07:15):
Moonlight hike.
Now, some things to know beforeyou go.
There is no gas in the park, somake sure you fill up in Moab,
and there's also not really alot of food options, so make
sure to bring a snack, maybe anice picnic.
And if you are looking for thatbest time to visit, I would
avoid summer like the plaguebecause it's so hot.
I went in early September, soit's just the start of the
(07:36):
shoulder season.
It was still a little crowdedand hot.
However, I can't even imagineit during the summer.
So Canyonlands it's big, it'sbreathtaking and it is totally
worth the drive if you are inthe Moab area.
If this helped you plan youradventure, definitely hit that
like button and the subscribefor more epic road trip guides.
As I said, I live full-time inan RV and I adventure full-time
(07:57):
as a mermaid, if you do want anyof those guides, or you do any
more adventure or photographyguides, make sure to check out
thebucketlistmermaidcom.
I will see you there.
Until next time, keep chasingthose bucket list adventures.
Welcome to Canyonlands National Park, where
the world stretches beneathyour feet in one of the most
jaw-dropping landscapes in theUnited States.
Today, I'm going to be takingyou on a scenic drive through
the Island in the Sky district,which is the most accessible and
arguably the most stunningsection of the park, Whether you
have a few hours or a full day,I'm going to be breaking down
everything you need to know,including must-stop viewpoints,
(00:21):
best short hikes, how much tospend here and a little hack
that'll make your visit evenbetter.
Now, the Island in the SkyScenic Drive is a 34-mile round
trip from the entrance at thevery end of the Grand Viewpoint.
Without stops, it takes aboutan hour to two hours, but trust
me, you will want to stop a lot.
What I really liked about thisis it felt big, but it didn't
(00:43):
feel so big that you wereoverwhelmed, and I just love
national parks where you have aroad that starts at one end and
ends at the other.
It just feels nice.
I also have to give a shout outto Canyonlands, because Moab
and Arches just seem to get allof the attention in this area,
but I was so shocked andsurprised at how cool
Canyonlands actually was.
Give it a chance.
(01:03):
Let it be the star of your show.
You will not be disappointed,Trust me.
Plus, it's literally rightthere.
It is so accessible Well, kindof so in order to get here.
It is near Moab and ArchesNational Park.
Now, it is a little bit of adrive to get there, and you do
pass Dead Horse State Park,which is another thing that I
would suggest if you do havetime.
Although the road is a littlelong to get into the park, it is
(01:24):
absolutely stunning, so youwill not be lacking on views
here at any point in time.
Now some must-stop viewpointsthat let's talk about.
The first one is the SchaeferCanyon.
Overlook this.
Is only about a five-minutewalk, and this is your first
holy wow moment.
You'll get an epic view of thefamous Schaefer Trail, which is
a dirt road zigzagging down intothe canyon, and if you ever
(01:49):
want to feel tiny compared tonature, this is the spot.
Now, if you don't know me, I runan adventure and photography
blog and I do this all as amermaid and funny story.
I actually got in a little bitof trouble with my family here
because I thought it would be agreat idea to put my mermaid
tail on here and it drew a crowd.
I'm on the side of a cliff andpeople were like taking pictures
and my whole family.
I sent it to them and they werelike what were you thinking?
And I was like I don't think inthese situations.
(02:10):
So please be careful.
Here.
There aren't a lot ofguardrails, so just use your
common sense.
Unlike this mermaid, Do as Isay, not as I do.
Next one you will definitelywant to hit is the Mesa Arch.
This is a short hike.
It's about 0.7 miles round tripand it's only about 30 minutes.
If you've seen a photo ofCanyonlands, it was probably
taken here.
It's a super short hike thatleads to a picture-perfect arch
(02:31):
framing the canyons.
Now, pro tip, this isabsolutely unreal at sunrise.
In fact, when I did my sunriseguide at Arches National Park on
the best spots to see in Moaband Arches, I actually put this
one because, although it's alittle bit of a drive, the
sunrises here are absolutelyinsane and it's not as crowded
as the Moab and Arches area.
Now the next one is the GreenRiver.
(02:53):
Overlook.
Now, this is a quick stop.
It's only about five minutesand you get an insane view of
the Green River just carving itsway through the canyon.
This one just looks straightout of a Wild West movie.
I could not believe it was real.
Now, the next stop that you aregoing to want to hit is the
Upheaval Dome.
Now, it is a short hike it'sabout a mile round trip and 45
minutes if you're just going tothe first part of the hike,
(03:14):
which is what I did.
This one is just a mystery.
Scientists aren't sure if itwas caused by some meteor impact
or a collapsed salt dome, buteither way, it's really worth it
just to see this weird colorfulcrater.
And last but not least, you aregoing to want to go to the
Grand Viewpoint.
Now, you can just kind of stopand see the view, or you can go
on a short hike, which is abouttwo miles round trip and it
(03:35):
takes about an hour.
This is the Grand Finale.
It's the furthest point on thescenic drive and you can hike
along the rim rim and it'sliterally nothing short of
legendary.
If you only do one hike and youonly have time for one, make it
this one.
Now let's talk really quicklyabout crowds and parking.
Although it is definitely lesscrowded than Arches National
Park, it definitely has itsmoments where it can be a little
(03:59):
hectic.
Now I drive a fifth wheel.
I live in it full time, so Ihave a big, massive truck and it
was a little stressful tryingto get around in this thing.
However, it was only stressfuland crowded on those really,
really big points like I've beentalking about, but there's
several points where you canjust stop off.
You can stop on the side of theroad.
There's like little tinypull-off points where you can
just take some photos, and Iwould 100% recommend this.
(04:22):
Bring a camera, just go at yourown pace and enjoy Canyonlands.
I do have to recommend stoppinginto the visitor center and
seeing if there are anyranger-led events.
For example, we went in thereand they were doing a moonlight
hike when we were there and wehiked with nothing but the moon.
We did have some redflashlights just in case, but I
was so shocked that I couldactually just hike through this
park with nothing but themoonlight.
(04:43):
We learned some stories aboutthe constellations, how the park
was formed.
We got to ask rangers questions.
So if you are here for morethan one day or a long period of
time, I would recommend tryingto go and learn about the park
as much as you can Now if youare driving on this scenic road
and you are passing through,here is my pro tip, and that is
get an audio guide.
I had no clue that these existeduntil I got to Moab and I
(05:06):
actually ended up doing one forArches National Park and loved
it so much that I bought anotherone for Canyonlands.
Now this park doesn't have alot of signage explaining what
you're seeing.
That's where the audio guidescome in.
They'll give you history,geology, fun facts as you drive.
Now the one that I used.
I'm going to go ahead and linkin the description that you can
go ahead and go grab that.
(05:27):
I would 100% recommend this.
I learned so much about thepark and it was way cheaper than
going on an organized tour witha guide.
Plus, I could do it at my ownpace and that's what I loved
about this.
So how much time do you actuallyneed at Canyonlands National
Park to do the Island of the Sky?
Now?
First off, we do have tomention that Canyonlands is huge
(05:47):
.
I might've said that this roadis really nice and it feels big,
but it's really notoverwhelming.
That is because it's onesingular district.
There are actually three otherdistricts in addition to Island
in the Sky.
However, Island in the Sky isthe one that is the most
touristy and it is the one wherethe most visitors go, frankly,
because the other sections arejust pure adventure wilderness.
So if you are interested inthat, I love you, that's great
(06:10):
for you, let's be friends, butit's going to take a lot more
effort to get there.
If you do want more informationabout all the districts in
Canyonlands, as well as a full,in-depth adventurer's guide, I'm
going to link the fullCanyonlands guide in the
description.
Make sure to go check it out,book some tours, learn a lot and
really check Canyonlands off ofyour bucket list.
If you're just driving throughwith some quick stops, plan for
(06:33):
three to four hours.
However, if you're doing somehikes, give yourself a full day,
five to six hours, if you trulywant to soak it in.
Trust me, you don't want torush, and if you are coming in
peak season or even shoulderseason, you might have to wait
for parking spots.
So make sure to add some extratime in for finding those
parking spots and also some timeto do some hiking.
(06:53):
I really liked this section ofCanyonlands because you did have
the opportunity to go on theseshort, little quick bursts of
hikes.
It was so fun.
It was like, instead of one bighike, it was just like a bunch
of little ones and I loved it.
Now, me, I am a slow adventurerand I also need to stop and
nerd out on photography, so Ispent about eight hours here and
then I drove back to my RV spotand then I drove back for the
(07:15):
Moonlight hike.
Now, some things to know beforeyou go.
There is no gas in the park, somake sure you fill up in Moab,
and there's also not really alot of food options, so make
sure to bring a snack, maybe anice picnic.
And if you are looking for thatbest time to visit, I would
avoid summer like the plaguebecause it's so hot.
I went in early September, soit's just the start of the
(07:36):
shoulder season.
It was still a little crowdedand hot.
However, I can't even imagineit during the summer.
So Canyonlands it's big, it'sbreathtaking and it is totally
worth the drive if you are inthe Moab area.
If this helped you plan youradventure, definitely hit that
like button and the subscribefor more epic road trip guides.
As I said, I live full-time inan RV and I adventure full-time
(07:57):
as a mermaid, if you do want anyof those guides, or you do any
more adventure or photographyguides, make sure to check out
thebucketlistmermaidcom.
I will see you there.
Until next time, keep chasingthose bucket list adventures.
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