Canyonlands invites you to explore a wilderness of countless canyons and fantastically formed buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Rivers divide the park into four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves. These areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, but each offers different opportunities for sightseeing and adventure.
The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome disease in bats has been found in Utah at Canyonlands National Park (Needles district). At this time, there is no evidence of white-nose syndrome or bat mortality from the disease in the park or in Utah.
A new National Park Service report shows that 2.4 million visitors to national parks of the Southeast Utah Group in 2023 spent $397.6 million in communities near the parks. That spending supported 5,122 jobs in this region and had a cumulative benefit to local economies of $486.1 million.
On Friday July 12, 2024, a 911 text initiated a search operation for two individuals at the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park. When found, they were already deceased. San Juan County Sheriff's Office and the National Park Service are investigating the incident.
The National Park Service (NPS) appreciates the public's participation in the first round of civic engagement for Canyonlands National Park’s comprehensive river management planning (CRMP) process, which occurred in spring 2024. A public comment summary report is now available online.