Island in the Sky Shorter hikes:
Several short trails exist along the scenic drive at the Island.  These include Aztec Butte, Grand View Point, Mesa Arch, Whale Rock and Upheaval Dome (to the first overlook). Each of these trails highlights some aspect of the park’s natural or cultural history. Guides are available for some of the trails at trailheads and in the visitor center. To view the Island in the Sky map click here.
Aztec Butte Trail
Length: 2 mi/3 km round-trip
Start: Aztec Butte parking area
Time: 1.5 hours
Elevation Change: 225 ft/69 m
A steep climb up a slickrock dome leads to some ancestral Puebloan granaries and outstanding views of Taylor Canyon.
Grand View Point Trail (see photo above)
Length: 2 mi/3 km round trip
Start: Grand View Point
Time: 1 hour
An easy walk out to the very end of the Island in the Sky mesa. Panoramic views.
Mesa Arch
Length: .5 mi/.8 km round trip
Start: Mesa Arch parking area
Time: 30 minutes
A mild walk out to an arch perched right on a cliff edge. A great sunrise hike.
Upheaval Dome Overlook Trail
Length (round-trip): 1 mi/1.5 km to first overlook
Start: Upheaval Dome parking area
Time: 30 minutes
Elevation Change: 50 ft/15 m
Good view of a very intriguing rock formation. Hiking to the second overlook adds 1 MI/1.5 km and at least 15 minutes.
Whale Rock Trail
Length (round-trip): 1 mi/1.5 km to main overlook
Start: Near Upheaval Dome parking area
Time: 1 hour
Elevation Change: 100 ft/30 m
Handrails provided for the steep climb up Whale Rock. Good views of upheaval dome area.
Island in the Sky Longer hikes:
The longer hiking trails at the Island generally begin on the mesa top and descend via switchbacks to the White Rim bench. A few trails continue down to one of the rivers. Most are considered strenuous, with an elevation change of 1,000-2,000 feet, and require negotiating steep slopes of loose rock as well as sections of deep sand. Water is scarce in most areas. Trails are marked with cairns (small rock piles).
Lathrop Canyon
Length: 17 mi/27 km round-trip to the Colorado River
Start: Lathrop Trailhead
After crossing grasslands on the mesa top, this trail descends via steep switchbacks to a boulder-strewn wash that leads to the White Rim Road. Hikers can follow the spur road down into Lathrop Canyon. Three at-large camping permits are available. Groups may encounter significant traffic on the roads as well as on the river.
Murphy Loop
Length: 9 mi/14 km round-trip
Start: Murphy Point Trailhead
A few miles of hiking on the mesa top leads to a steep descent down a cliff face to a bench where the trail divides. One fork continues along Murphy Hogback, a slim mesa with great views of the White Rim Formation and the surrounding canyons. At Murphy camp, hikers follow the White Rim Road south for about a mile, then follow a rock-strewn wash back up onto the hogback. At-large backpacking only. No water.
Syncline Loop
Length: 8 mi/13 km round-trip
Start: Upheaval Dome Trailhead
This strenuous trail follows the washes on either side of Upheaval Dome, forming a loop that provides access to both the crater and the Green River near its midpoint. Total elevation change is roughly 1,300 feet. The north side of the loop passes through a riparian area where water and shade are usually available. There is one designated campsite along the trail.
Taylor Canyon
Length: 20 mi/32 km round-trip
Start: Alcove Spring Trailhead
Trail descends via steep switchbacks to a rocky wash that leads into this broad, steep-walled canyon. Hikers can follow the four-wheel-drive road to the Green River. Four at-large camping permits are available. Groups may encounter significant traffic on the roads as well as on the river. Returning to the trailhead via Upheaval Canyon reduces the round-trip mileage.
The Needles District Shorter Hikes:
There are four short, self-guided trails along the scenic drive. Each trail highlights different aspects of the park’s natural and cultural history. Trail guides are available at the visitor center and at the trailheads. For a map of The Needles click here.
Cave Spring Trail
Length (round-trip): .6 mi/1 km
Start: Cave Spring parking area
Time: 45 minutes
Trail features a historic cowboy line camp and prehistoric pictographs. Two wooden ladders must be climbed.
Pothole Point Trail
Length (round-trip): .6 mi/1 km
Start: Pothole Point parking area
Time: 40 minutes
Uneven slickrock surface. Trail leads to pothole communities and views of the Needles.
Roadside Ruin Trail
Length (round-trip): .3 mi/.5 km
Start: Roadside Ruin parking area
Time: 20 minutes
Trail features an ancestral Puebloan granary.
Slickrock Trail
Length (round-trip): 2.4 mi/4 km
Start: Near Big Spring Overlook
Time: 2 hours
Uneven slickrock surface. Several viewpoints and sometimes bighorn sheep.
The Needles District Longer Hikes:
The Needles District offers over 60 miles of interconnecting trails as challenging as they are rewarding. Many different itineraries are possible, but some of the more popular ones are listed below.
Conditions are primitive. Most trails traverse a mixture of slickrock benches and sandy washes. Longer trails are especially rough and require negotiating steep passes with drop-offs, narrow spots, or ladders. Water in the backcountry is unreliable and scarce in some areas. Trails are marked with cairns (small rock piles). Although most trails can be hiked in a day by strong hikers, many form loops and may be combined with other trails for longer trips. Net elevation change is generally several hundred feet or less, except for the Lower Red Lake Trail, which drops 1,400 feet to the Colorado River.
Chesler Park Loop / Joint Trail
Length: 11 mi/18 km round-trip
Start: Elephant Hill Trailhead
Hiking three miles along this trail brings visitors to a saddle overlooking Chesler Park, a scenic expanse of desert grasses and shrubs surrounded by colorful sandstone spires. The loop around Chesler is fairly level and winds through a series of deep, narrow fractures called the Joint Trail. Five backpacking sites. No water.
Elephant Canyon / Druid Arch
Length: 11 mi/18 km round-trip
Start: Elephant Hill Trailhead
This trail offers one of the most spectacular views in the Needles. It follows the Chesler Park access trail to Elephant Canyon, then travels along the canyon bottom across a mixture of deep sand and loose rock all the way to its upper end. The last .25 mile is a steep climb involving one ladder and some scrambling. Three backpacking sites. Water available seasonally.
Confluence Overlook
Length: 11 mi/18 km round-trip
Start: Big Spring Canyon Overlook
Unlike other hikes in the district, this trail traverses mostly dry, open country along the northern edge of the geologic faults that shaped the Needles. Trail ends at a cliff overlooking the junction of the Green and Colorado rivers. At-large camping only. No water.
Big Spring to Squaw Canyon
Length: 7.5 mi/12 km round-trip
Start: Squaw Flat Loop “A” Trailhead
A great introduction to the landscape of the Needles, connecting two canyons for a loop across varied terrain. The route between the canyons climbs steep grades that are dangerous when wet and may make people with a fear of heights uncomfortable. Two backpacking sites in each canyon. Water available seasonally.
Lower Red Lake Canyon
Length: 18.8 mi/30 km round-trip
Start: Elephant Hill Trailhead
The hike from Elephant Hill to the Colorado River is very strenuous, with an elevation change of 1,400 feet. There is little shade along the way as the trail climbs in and out of the Grabens and then descends the steep talus slope of Lower Red Lake Canyon toward the river. This trail is recommended as a multi-day hike. At-large camping only. No water before reaching the river.
Salt Creek Canyon
Length: 22.5 mi/34 km one-way
Start: Peekaboo or Cathedral Butte
The trail follows the main drainage of the canyon past cottonwood groves, through thick brush, and down an old four-wheel-drive road. The trail is often obscured by dense vegetation. Many archaeological sites and arches can be seen. Four designated campsites in upper section. Lower section (along the old road) is at-large camping only. Water is usually available.
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