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Although Needles Canyonlands is in the same Canyonlands National Park as the Island in the Sky, these two regions are geographically and visually distinct. Like two different parks really. And that’s the way you should treat them when planning your time. They are also at a distance from each other, since the park is so large, so it is best to plan your visit with a dedicated day for each area.
Getting to Needles Canyonlands
The closest towns to Needles Canyonlands are Monticello and Moab. Moab is a larger center, and allows easy access to both Arches and the Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands. Needles Canyonlands is about 1.5 hours drive south from Moab. Monticello, located to the south of Moab is still about 1 hour away.
On the road to Needles Canyonlands.
If you are staying in Moab, it’s best to get an early start. But don’t be in such a rush that you miss stopping at Bear Ears National Monument, along the way.
Bear Ears National Monument
Driving to Needles Canyonlands, you will pass through Bear Ears National Monument, a federally protected area. Bear Ears has been the focus of political ping-pong in recent years, with Obama having designated the land a national monument in 2016, Trump cutting the 2,100 Square mile monument size by 85%, and Biden restoring it in 2012. The monument is currently co-managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the USDA Forest Service, and the Bears Ears Commission, representing five Native American tribes.
Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs
Newspaper Rock Petroglyphs are within Bear Ears National Monument, and an easy road side stop on your way to the Needles. They are a must see. Why? Because the rock petroglyphs will absolutely blow your mind!
The rock is called “Tse Hane”, meaning “the rock that tells a story” in Navajo. Unfortunately we do not know if the figures represent storytelling, doodling, hunting magic, clan symbols, ancient graffiti or something else, but they are fascinating to observe and speculate the meaning.
The wall contains over 600 petroglyphs, the largest known collection in the US. Newspaper Rock is a petroglyph panel etched in sandstone that records approximately 2,000 years of early human activity. Prehistoric people from the Archaic, Basketmaker, Fremont and Pueblo cultures, etched on the rock from B.C time to A. D. 1300. Ute and Navajo people, as well as European Americans made their contributions.
You’ll be able to easily pick out bison, deer, warriors and curiously – wheels, plus figures with six-toe feet. It’s truly worth a stop to look and wonder.
Needles Canyonlands
Needles Canyonlands falls within a preserve of wilderness rock at the heart of the Colorado Plateau.
Having visited Bryce Canyon, I was curious about the structure of the needles columns, how they were created, and how they might differ from the hoodoos in Bryce. Turns out, they are quite different indeed. Here’s what I learned while chatting up a park ranger at the visitors center.
The Needles
The surprising secret to this striking landscape is the presence of salt. 300 million years ago an immense salt layer was left by ancient seas. Today that salt lies 1,000 feet below the surface. Over time, coastal sand dunes and sediment from eroding mountains buried the salt. The crushing weight of overlaying rock caused the salt to flow like cold molasses. This movement fractured brittle sandstone into a grid-like pattern, shown in the illustration below. Erosion along these fractures slowly created spires, fins, buttes and canyons of rugged landscape present today.
Be sure to stop at the visitor center for a hiking trail map, plus updates on current conditions. The visitors center guides are also a wealth of knowledge if you’re curious to learn more about the geology of the park.
The Elephant Hill Trail Trail was recommended to me for a longer day hike, and it was stunning.
Touring Needles Canyonlands
This map will help you get oriented to the area, noting the main road towards the campground and the extensive network of hiking trails, plus the dirt road out to Elephant Hill, as well as the drive to Pothole Point and Slickrock hike, both of which I did after completing the Chesler Park Viewpoint Trail.
The balance of this article takes you on this journey, the perfect itinerary for seeing Needles Canyonlands, while also experiencing an amazing hike among the needles.
Elephant Hill and Chesler Park Loop
A friend who had visited Needles Canyonlands during Covid, recommended any of the trails south of the campground. Really, I don’t think you could go wrong with that suggestion. But upon the suggestion of the park ranger at the visitor center, I did the Chester Park Loop just to the viewpoint (5.8 miles) which was amazing. My initial plan was to complete the entire 8 mile loop, but I elected to spend an hour sketching from the viewpoint. The Needles area offers some stunning visuals, and it can be very grounding to slow the pace, while taking in a new experience. I often find sketching is a great way to just be, while enjoying an area through all the senses.
The Needles viewed in the distance, approaching from the visitors center.
Chesler Park Viewpoint Trail
The Chesler Park Viewpoint trail begins at Elephant Hill trailhead. The out and back route gains over 1,000 feet in elevation, crosses Elephant Canyon, which leads to a scenic expanse of desert grasses and shrubs surrounded by rock spires.
Parking for the hike
To access this trail, you’ll need to park at Elephant Hill trailhead, which is 3 miles from Squaw Flat Campground. The gravel road access is easy in a 4×4, but suitable for a sedan in good conditions. It is sandy, rutted and wide enough in places for just one car. It’s best to arrive early, since the parking lot does fill in. I arrived at the visitors center by 9:30am, and the park ranger suggested that I go there directly if I was going to hike Chesler Park, which was a great tip.
The trail can be rough, uneven and requires walking and scrambling on rocky slopes at times, plus walking through a long narrow canyon passage, which was actually really cool.
Canyon passage
There’s an unofficial self regulated red light/green light system for being mindful of other hikers having entered the canyon passage from the other side, since space for passing is pretty tight.
This hike takes you deep amongst rock spires, which are the namesake needles of the park. You will feel fully immersed.
The trail undulates over slickrock towards the spires. The Chesler Park Viewpoint climbs 100 feet topping out on the rocky pass and spires. The 5-mile Chesler Park Loop starts from this point. There are five campsites at the trail junctions for backpackers, but sites must be booked in advance. The day I was hiking I saw numerous folks hiking in to camp with all their gear, tents food, and water.
The joy of sketching
While I love capturing photos while traveling, sketching brings a different kind of joy. Choosing to pause at Chesler Park Viewpoint allowed me to slow down and be aware will all my senses while drawing.
You are able to observe so much more while drawing, since you’re aware of all senses, and being fully present.
Slowing down to sketch heightens all the senses.
See
- Sketching allowed the eye to follow different geological layers across the needles, and fully appreciate the layers in formation
- Witnessed the smoothness of the rock, shadows, and how it was worn over time
- The orange rock with while layers along it drew attention to how the white layer was on the flatlands where the trees where growing, and how consistent that was across the whole landscape
- Comparing geological similarities to other national parks in Utah. It felt similar to being on top of Angels Landing, surrounded with red rock in the distance, while sitting on the white slab rock at a level with trees
Hear
- A consciousness of the wind blowing in the trees, and up through the valley
- People were talking and walking as they came up through the canyon. There was a conversation between two families from Florida meeting as neighbors, surprised at the encounter so far from home. They kept saying, “what are the chances” as they marveled at having met here
- An awareness of the sounds of hiking poles “clanking” on the rock as climbers approached the area
- Individual footsteps on the rock became audible once time was take to notice
- At one point there was a jet plane overhead – not visible to the eye, but an audible sound
Touch
- While seated on the porous sliprock there was an awareness of the rocks texture, how it felt like sandpaper
Smell
- There was a distinct dry dusty smell from the rock and parched land
- This dry dusty smell was punctuated with a faint sweet smell, similar to the Grand Canyon, likely coming from the Canyons Juniper trees
Sketching causes you to not only see more intently, but it also heightens all the other senses, allowing the viewer to connected to the land in a magical way.
I found myself constantly taking photos, since at every turn the scenery seemed to change, and there was a different view from every 360 degree angle.
The different layers of rock, and the utter harshness of the land in terms of heat and desolation, was somehow softened by the curves and weathering of the rock needles over time.
Elephant Hill parking lot viewed from above on the return path.
Pothole Point
After returning to the car parked at Elephant Hill, I drove out towards Big Spring Canyon Overlook, and stopped off at Pothole Point. There’s a short 0.6 mile walk around pothole point to observe dimpled pockets called potholes, and to also get a view of the rock spires, called needles.
The potholes are sensitive ecosystems, so visitors are encouraged to not walk in them, wet or dry.
Slickrock Trail
There is a 2.4 mile round trip hike out towards Big Spring Canyon Overlook, called Slickrock. It’s a loop, so it is possible to just hike the 1.0 mile in and out return to the viewpoint, which is what I did.
The viewpoint features 360-degree views of Big Spring Canyon and Little Spring Canyon, with the La Sal and Abajo mountains in the background. Slickrock is a general term for any bare rock surface, and dominates the landscape in Canyonlands.
Big Spring Canyon Overlook
There is a hiking trail down into Big Spring Canyon with begins at the Needles Campgroud trailhead. It is 7.5 miles and considered challenging. But you can walk out to the overlook from the parking lot area for the view. This is one of those hikes which would be amazing to do had I had an additional day in the park.
The takeaway when visiting any Utah National Park for the day is to select one primary extended hike, and then see as many sites as possible before and after that. Then note what you would love to return for on a future trip.
Since the drive back to Moab was 1.5 hours, it was best to depart by 4:30 for a 6pm return. While summer days have longer daylight, in the spring it was important to not be driving in remote areas in the dark. Wildlife love bright lights and fast cars on rural roads, and that’s not a combination to be messed with.
Other sites and hikes
With multiple days in the park, there are a number of options for longer and more challenging hikes. Check out this listing for options.
Accommodations in Moab
Moab is a great town to base out of if you plan to visit Canyonlands National Park. Both the Island in the Sky area and The Needles District are within reasonable driving distance for day trips.
Although Moab is a great little town, it is popular, so we’d recommend securing accommodation reservations early. Prices certainly vary, and can be steep during peak season, but use this map to search out and compare options.
Camping
There are a number of options for camping in Needles Canyonlands. Link here for information and booking details.
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