Canyonlands National Park

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Canyonlands National Park

| iucn_category = II

| photo = Green River Overlook Ekker Butte.jpg

| photo_caption = Looking over the Green River from Island in the Sky

| image_map = {{maplink-road|from=Canyonlands National Park.map|zoom=5}}

| relief = 1

| map_caption = Location in United States##Location in Utah

| location = San Juan, Wayne, Garfield, and Grand counties, Utah, United States

| nearest_city = Moab, Utah

| coordinates = {{Coord|38.16691|-109.75966|format=dms|display=inline, title}}

| area_acre = 337598

| area_ref = {{NPS area|year=2011|accessdate=2012-03-06}}

| established = {{start date|1964|9|12}}An Act To provide for establishment of the Canyonlands National Park in the State of Utah, and for other purposes. {{USPL|850|590}}. 12 September 1964.

| visitation_num = 733,996

| visitation_year = 2019

| visitation_ref = {{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Annual%20Park%20Recreation%20Visitation%20%281904%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year%29?Park=CANY |title=Canyonlands NP Recreation Visitors |website=irma.nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |date=n.d. |access-date=February 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208230436/https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Annual%20Park%20Recreation%20Visitation%20%281904%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year%29?Park=CANY |archive-date=February 8, 2017 |url-status=live }}

| governing_body = National Park Service

| website = {{official URL}}

}}

Canyonlands National Park is a national park of the United States located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab. The park preserves a colorful landscape eroded into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their respective tributaries. Legislation creating the park was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 12, 1964.{{cite web|title=Canyonlands Visitor Guide 2014 |url=http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/2014CANYVisitorGuide_forWeb.pdf |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=September 25, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014051447/http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/2014CANYVisitorGuide_forWeb.pdf |archive-date=October 14, 2014 }}

The park is divided into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the combined rivers—the Green and Colorado—which carved two large canyons into the Colorado Plateau. While these areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character.{{cite web |title=Canyonlands |publisher=National Park Service |url=http://www.nps.gov/cany/index.htm |access-date=2011-06-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619093141/http://www.nps.gov/cany/index.htm |archive-date=2015-06-19 |url-status=live }} Author Edward Abbey, a frequent visitor, described the Canyonlands as "the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere."{{cite book |last=Abbey |first=Edward |title=Postcards from Ed: Dispatches and Salvos from an American Iconoclast |year=2006 |publisher=Milkweed Press |isbn=1-57131-284-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/postcardsfromedd0000abbe/page/175 175] |url=https://archive.org/details/postcardsfromedd0000abbe/page/175 }}

History

In the early 1950s, Bates Wilson, then superintendent of Arches National Monument, began exploring the area to the south and west of Moab, Utah. After seeing what is now known as the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Wilson began advocating for the establishment of a new national park that would include the Needles. Additional explorations by Wilson and others expanded the areas proposed for inclusion into the new national park to include the confluence of Green and Colorado rivers, the Maze District, and Horseshoe Canyon.{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/historyculture/bateswilson.htm | title=National Park Service: A Conversation with Bates Wilson | access-date=2017-08-16 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817080623/https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/historyculture/bateswilson.htm | archive-date=2017-08-17 | url-status=live }}

In 1961, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall was scheduled to address a conference at Grand Canyon National Park. On his flight to the conference, he flew over the Confluence (where the Colorado and Green rivers meet). The view apparently sparked Udall's interest in Wilson's proposal for a new national park in that area and Udall began promoting the establishment of Canyonlands National Park.

Utah Senator Frank Moss first introduced legislation in Congress to create Canyonlands National Park. His legislation attempted to satisfy both nature preservationists' and commercial developers' interests. Over the next four years, his proposal was struck down, debated, revised, and reintroduced to Congress many times before being passed and signed into law.{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Thomas|date=1991|title=The Canyonland National Park Controversy|url=https://historytogo.utah.gov/canyonlands-park-controversy/|access-date=2020-11-12|website=History To Go}}

In September 1964, after several years of debate, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed {{USPL|88|590}}, which established Canyonlands National Park as a new national park. Bates Wilson became the first superintendent of the new park and is often referred to as the "Father of Canyonlands".{{Cite web|title=Bates E. Wilson (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/people/bates-wilson.htm|access-date=2020-11-06|website=www.nps.gov|language=en}}

Recreation

Canyonlands is a popular recreational destination. Since 2007, more than 400,000 people have visited the park each year with a record of 776,218 visitors in 2016, representing a 22 percent increase from the prior year. The geography of the park is well suited to a number of different recreational uses. Hikers, mountain bikers, backpackers, and four-wheelers all enjoy traveling the rugged, remote trails within the Park. The White Rim Road traverses the White Rim Sandstone level of the park between the rivers and the Island in the Sky. Since 2015, day-use permits must be obtained before travelling on the White Rim Road due to the increasing popularity of driving and bicycling along it. The park service's intent is to provide a better wilderness experience for all visitors while minimizing impacts on the natural surroundings.{{cite web |url=http://home.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/dayusepermits.htm |title=Day-use permits |publisher=National Park Service |date=2016-01-26 |access-date=2016-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128025650/http://home.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/dayusepermits.htm |archive-date=2016-01-28 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_3110401c-d3cb-11e4-9477-878fc6fa1139.html |title=NPS proposes permit system for White Rim and Elephant Hill |publisher=Moab Sun News, Moab, Utah |date=2015-03-26 |access-date=2016-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212120747/http://www.moabsunnews.com/news/article_3110401c-d3cb-11e4-9477-878fc6fa1139.html |archive-date=2017-02-12 |url-status=live }} Canyonlands National Park upholds a strict no-hunting policy.

File:IslandInTheSky.JPG from the Needles district]]

{{As of|2016}}, the Island in the Sky district, with its proximity to the Moab, Utah area, attracts 76.7 percent of total park visitors. The Needles district is the second most visited, drawing 20.7 percent of visitors. The remote Maze district accounts for only about 1.5 percent of visitors, while river rafters and other river users account for the remaining 1.1 percent of total park visitation.{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Park%20YTD%20Version%202?Park=CANY |title=Park Specific Reports/Park YTD/Canyonlands NP/Report Date: Dec 2016 |website=irma.nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |date=n.d. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208232430/https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Park%20YTD%20Version%202?Park=CANY |archive-date=2017-02-08 |url-status=live |access-date=2017-02-08}}

Rafters and kayakers float the calm stretches of the Green River and Colorado River above the Confluence. Below the Confluence, Cataract Canyon contains powerful whitewater rapids, similar to those found in the Grand Canyon. However, since there is no large impoundment on the Colorado River above Canyonlands National Park, river flow through the Confluence is determined by snowmelt, not management. As a result, and in combination with Cataract Canyon's unique graben geology, this stretch of river offers the largest whitewater in North America in heavy snow years.

Political compromise at the time of the park's creation limited the protected area to an arbitrary portion of the Canyonlands basin. Conservationists hope to complete the park by bringing the boundaries up to the high sandstone rims that form the natural border of the Canyonlands landscape.{{cite web |first=Robert B. |last=Keiter |author2=Stephen Trimble |title=Canyonlands Completion report: Negotiating the Borders |publisher=University of Utah |year=2008–2009 |url=http://www.canyonlandscompletion.com |access-date=2011-06-09}}

On March 27, 2020, Canyonlands National Park was closed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5812065/glacier-arches-canyonlands-national-parks-closed-coronavirus/|title=3 More National Parks Close to Prevent Coronavirus Spread|magazine=Time|language=en|access-date=2020-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406214622/https://time.com/5812065/glacier-arches-canyonlands-national-parks-closed-coronavirus/|archive-date=2020-04-06|url-status=dead}}

Geography

File:Chesler Park - Flickr - brewbooks (3).jpg

The Colorado River and Green River combine within the park, dividing it into three districts called the Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze. The Colorado River flows through Cataract Canyon below its confluence with the Green River.

The Island in the Sky district is a broad and level mesa in the northern section of the park, between the Colorado and Green rivers. The district has many viewpoints overlooking the White Rim, a sandstone bench {{convert|1200|ft}} below the Island, and the rivers, which are another {{convert|1000|ft}} below the White Rim.

The Needles district is located south of the Island in the Sky, on the east side of the Colorado River. The district is named for the red and white banded rock pinnacles which are a major feature of the area. Various other naturally sculpted rock formations are also within this district, including grabens, potholes, and arches. Unlike Arches National Park, where many arches are accessible by short to moderate hikes, most of the arches in the Needles district lie in backcountry canyons, requiring long hikes or four-wheel drive trips to reach them.

The Ancestral Puebloans inhabited this area and some of their stone and mud dwellings are well-preserved, although the items and tools they used were mostly removed by looters.{{cite web |title=Native Americans |publisher=National Park Service |url=http://www.nps.gov/cany/historyculture/nativeamericans.htm |access-date=2008-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612153725/http://www.nps.gov/cany/historyculture/nativeamericans.htm |archive-date=2008-06-12 |url-status=live }} The Ancestral Puebloans also created rock art in the form of petroglyphs, most notably on Newspaper Rock along the Needles access road.

File:Chocolate Drops in Evening Light (14365503801).jpg

The Maze district is located west of the Colorado and Green rivers. The Maze is the least accessible section of the park, and one of the most remote and inaccessible areas of the United States.{{cite web |title=Maze |url=http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/maze.htm |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=2008-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924134714/http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/maze.htm |archive-date=2008-09-24 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/cany/index.cfm |title=Geology Footnotes |work=Explore Nature |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=2011-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926052005/http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/cany/index.cfm |archive-date=2011-09-26 |url-status=live }}

A geographically detached section of the park located north of the Maze district, Horseshoe Canyon contains panels of rock art made by hunter-gatherers from the Late Archaic Period (2000–1000 BC) pre-dating the Ancestral Puebloans.{{cite web |first=Phil R. |last=Geib |author2=Michael R. Robins |title=Analysis and Dating of the Great Gallery Tool and Food Bag |url=http://www.nps.gov/cany/historyculture/pouchreport.htm |access-date=2011-06-11 |publisher=National Park Service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109214105/http://www.nps.gov/cany/historyculture/pouchreport.htm |archive-date=2011-11-09 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |first=Robert |last=Hitchman |title=The Great Gallery of Horseshoe Canyon |publisher=Apogee Photo Magazine |url=http://www.apogeephoto.com/mag1-6/mag2-4rh.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304011138/http://www.apogeephoto.com/mag1-6/mag2-4rh.shtml |archive-date=2008-03-04 |access-date=2011-06-11}}{{cite web |title=The Archeology of Horseshoe Canyon |publisher=National Park Service |url=http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/HorseshoeBook.pdf |access-date=2011-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515194747/http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/horseshoebook.pdf |archive-date=2011-05-15 |url-status=live }} Originally called Barrier Canyon, Horseshoe's artifacts, dwellings, pictographs, and murals are some of the oldest in America. The images depicting horses date from after 1540 AD, when the Spanish reintroduced horses to America.

Since the 1950s, scientists have been studying an area of {{cvt|200|acres}} completely surrounded by cliffs. The cliffs have prevented cattle from ever grazing on the area's {{cvt|62|acres}} of grassland. According to the scientists, the site may contain the largest undisturbed grassland in the Four Corners region. Studies have continued biannually since the mid-1990s. The area has been closed to the public since 1993 to maintain the nearly pristine environment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2019/10/26/20927793/canyonlands-park-government-secret-utah|title=Hiking into a place so undisturbed that it's a government secret|last=Hollenhorst|first=John|date=2019-10-26|website=Deseret News|language=en|access-date=2019-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191027172844/https://www.deseret.com/utah/2019/10/26/20927793/canyonlands-park-government-secret-utah|archive-date=2019-10-27|url-status=live}}

Nature

= Fauna =

File:Pronghorn in Canyonlands National Park.jpgs are colloquially referred to as antelope due to their resemblance, but are not closely related to Old World antelopes]]

Mammals that roam this park include black bears, coyotes, skunks, bats, elk, foxes, bobcats, badgers, ring-tailed cats, pronghorns, desert bighorn sheep, and cougars.{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Reports/SpeciesList/Species%20Full%20List/CANY/1/true |title=Species List – Mammals – Canyonlands National Park |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916002117/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Reports/SpeciesList/Species%20Full%20List/CANY/1/true |url-status=dead }} Desert cottontails, kangaroo rats and mule deer are commonly seen by visitors.{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/mammals.htm |title=Mammals – Canyonlands National Park |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715065741/https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/mammals.htm |url-status=dead }}

At least 273 species of birds inhabit the park.{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/birds.htm |title=Birds – Canyonlands National Park |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=July 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715065732/https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/birds.htm |url-status=dead }} A variety of hawks and eagles are found, including the Cooper's hawk, the northern goshawk, the sharp-shinned hawk, the red-tailed hawk, the golden and bald eagles, the rough-legged hawk, the Swainson's hawk, and the northern harrier.{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Reports/SpeciesList/Species%20Full%20List/CANY/2/true |title=Species List – Birds – Canyonlands National Park |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916054041/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Reports/SpeciesList/Species%20Full%20List/CANY/2/true |url-status=dead }} Several species of owls are found, including the great horned owl, the northern saw-whet owl, the western screech owl, and the Mexican spotted owl. Grebes, woodpeckers, ravens, herons, flycatchers, crows, bluebirds, wrens, warblers, blackbirds, orioles, goldfinches, swallows, sparrows, ducks, quail, grouse, pheasants, hummingbirds, falcons, gulls, and ospreys are some of the other birds that can be found.

Several reptiles can be found, including eleven species of lizards and eight species of snake (including the midget faded rattlesnake).{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Reports/SpeciesList/Species%20Full%20List/CANY/4/true |title=Species List – Reptiles – Canyonlands National Park |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915233551/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Reports/SpeciesList/Species%20Full%20List/CANY/4/true |url-status=dead }} The common kingsnake and prairie rattlesnake have been reported in the park, but not confirmed by the National Park Service.

The park is home to six confirmed amphibian species, including the red-spotted toad,{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/286798 |title=Species Profile – Bufo punctatus – Canyonlands National Park (CANY) – Present |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915225350/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/286798 |url-status=dead }} Woodhouse's toad,{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/341889 |title=Species Profile – Bufo woodhousii – Canyonlands National Park (CANY) – Present |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916021524/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/341889 |url-status=dead }} American bullfrog,{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/191198 |title=Species Profile – Rana catesbeiana – Canyonlands National Park (CANY) – Present |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916054046/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/191198 |url-status=dead }} northern leopard frog,{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/386043 |title=Species Profile – Rana pipiens – Canyonlands National Park (CANY) – Present |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916022501/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/386043 |url-status=dead }} Great Basin spadefoot toad,{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/400272 |title=Species Profile – Spea intermontana – Canyonlands National Park (CANY) – Present |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916004016/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/400272 |url-status=dead }} and tiger salamander.{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/236418 |title=Species Profile – Ambystoma tigrinum – Canyonlands National Park (CANY) – Present |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916054049/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/236418 |url-status=dead }} The canyon tree frog was reported to be in the park in 2000, but was not confirmed during a study in 2004.{{cite web|url=https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/333402 |title=Species Profile – Hyla arenicolor – Canyonlands National Park (CANY) – Unconfirmed |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=July 30, 2016 |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915235854/https://irma.nps.gov/NPSpecies/Species/Profile/333402 |url-status=dead }}

= Flora =

File:Juniperus Osteosperma in Canyonlands National Park, Utah.jpg]]

Canyonlands National Park contains a wide variety of plant life, including 11 cactus species,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/cacti.htm|title=Cacti / Desert Succulents – Canyonlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617094523/https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/cacti.htm|archive-date=2018-06-17|url-status=live}} 20 moss species,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/mossesandliverworts.htm|title=Mosses and Liverworts – Canyonlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617094532/https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/mossesandliverworts.htm|archive-date=2018-06-17|url-status=live}} liverworts, grasses{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/grasses.htm|title=Grasses – Canyonlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617094556/https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/grasses.htm|archive-date=2018-06-17|url-status=live}} and wildflowers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/wildflowers.htm|title=Wildflowers – Canyonlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617100100/https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/wildflowers.htm|archive-date=2018-06-17|url-status=live}} Varieties of trees include netleaf hackberry, Russian olive, Utah juniper, pinyon pine, tamarisk, and Fremont's cottonwood.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/treesandshrubs.htm|title=Trees and Shrubs – Canyonlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617115537/https://www.nps.gov/cany/learn/nature/treesandshrubs.htm|archive-date=2018-06-17|url-status=live}} Shrubs include Mormon tea, blackbrush, four-wing saltbush, cliffrose, littleleaf mountain mahogany, and snakeweedInterpretive signs. National Park Service, Canyonlands National Park. Viewed 14 March 2023.

Cryptobiotic soil is the foundation of life in Canyonlands, providing nitrogen fixation and moisture for plant seeds. One footprint can destroy decades of growth.{{cite book |last1=Schneider |first1=Bill |title=Best Easy Day Hikes: Canyonlands and Arches National Parks |date=2017 |publisher=Falcon Guides |location=Guilford, Connecticut |isbn=978-1-4930-2737-8 |page=9 |edition=4th |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c7hJDwAAQBAJ&dq=canyonlands+cryptobiotic+soil&pg=PA9 |access-date=November 26, 2020}}

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Canyonlands National Park has a cold semi-arid climate ("BSk").{{Cite web |title=Climate Canyonlands National Park: Temperature, climate graph, Climate table for Canyonlands National Park – Climate-Data.org |url=https://en.climate-data.org/north-america/united-states-of-america/canyonlands-national-park-10297/ |access-date=2022-04-10 |website=en.climate-data.org}} The plant hardiness zones at the Island in the Sky and Needles District Visitor Centers are 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 4.0 °F (-15.6 °C) and 2.9 °F (-16.2 °C), respectively.{{cite web|url=https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/InteractiveMap.aspx|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=2019-07-03|title=USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704214427/https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/phzmweb/interactivemap.aspx|archive-date=2019-07-04|url-status=live}}

The National Weather Service has maintained two cooperative weather stations in the park since June 1965. Official data documents the desert climate with less than {{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=off}} of annual rainfall, as well as hot, mostly dry summers and cold, occasionally wet winters. Snowfall is generally light during the winter.{{Cite web |last1=Moab |first1=Mailing Address: 2282 Resource Blvd |last2=Us |first2=UT 84532 Phone: 435-719-2313 Contact |title=Weather – Canyonlands National Park (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/weather.htm |access-date=2022-04-10 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}

The station in The Neck region reports an average January temperature of 29.6 °F and an average July temperature of 79.3 °F.{{Cite web |last=US Department of Commerce |first=NOAA |title=Climate |url=https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=slc |access-date=2022-04-10 |website=www.weather.gov |language=EN-US}} Average July temperatures range from a high of {{convert|90.8|F|C}} to a low of {{convert|67.9|F|C}}. There are an average of 45.7 days with highs of {{convert|90|F|C}} or higher and an average of 117.3 days with lows of {{convert|32|F|C}} or lower. The highest recorded temperature was {{convert|105|F|C}} on July 15, 2005, and the lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|-13|F|C}} on February 6, 1989. Average annual precipitation is {{convert|9.33|in|mm}}. There are an average of 59 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1984, with {{convert|13.66|in|mm|abbr=on}}, and the driest year was 1989, with {{convert|4.63|in|mm|abbr=on}}. The most precipitation in one month was {{convert|5.19|in|mm|abbr=on}} in October 2006. The most precipitation in 24 hours was {{convert|1.76|in|mm|abbr=on}} on April 9, 1978. Average annual snowfall is {{convert|22.8|in|cm|abbr=on}}. The most snowfall in one year was {{convert|47.4|in|cm|abbr=on}} in 1975, and the most snowfall in one month was {{convert|27.0|in|cm|abbr=on}} in January 1978.{{cite web |title=Canyonlands The Neck, Utah |publisher=Western Regional Climate Center |url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ut1163 |access-date=2011-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321173612/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ut1163 |archive-date=2012-03-21 |url-status=live }}

The station in The Needles region reports an average January temperature of 29.7 °F and an average July temperature of 79.1 °F. Average July temperatures range from a high of {{convert|95.4|F|C}} to a low of {{convert|62.4|F|C}}. There are an average of 75.4 days with highs of {{convert|90|F|C}} or higher and an average of 143.6 days with lows of {{convert|32|F|C}} or lower. The highest recorded temperature was {{convert|107|F|C}} on July 13, 1971, and the lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|-16|F|C}} on January 16, 1971. Average annual precipitation is {{convert|8.49|in|mm|abbr=on}}. There are an average of 56 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1969, with {{convert|11.19|in|mm|abbr=on}}, and the driest year was 1989, with {{convert|4.25|in|mm|abbr=on}}. The most precipitation in one month was {{convert|4.43|in|mm|abbr=on}} in October 1972. The most precipitation in 24 hours was {{convert|1.56|in|mm|abbr=on}} on September 17, 1999. Average annual snowfall is {{convert|14.4|in|cm|abbr=on}}. The most snowfall in one year was {{convert|39.3|in|cm|abbr=on}} in 1975, and the most snowfall in one month was {{convert|24.0|in|cm|abbr=on}} in March 1985.{{cite web |title=Canyonlands The Needle, Utah |publisher=Western Regional Climate Center |url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ut1168 |access-date=2011-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321173621/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ut1168 |archive-date=2012-03-21 |url-status=live }}

{{Weather box|width=auto

|location = Canyonlands – The Neck, Utah, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1965–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 58

|Feb record high F = 67

|Mar record high F = 78

|Apr record high F = 84

|May record high F = 97

|Jun record high F = 102

|Jul record high F = 105

|Aug record high F = 101

|Sep record high F = 98

|Oct record high F = 89

|Nov record high F = 72

|Dec record high F = 62

|year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 48.0

|Feb avg record high F = 55.9

|Mar avg record high F = 68.5

|Apr avg record high F = 77.2

|May avg record high F = 86.5

|Jun avg record high F = 95.4

|Jul avg record high F = 98.8

|Aug avg record high F = 95.6

|Sep avg record high F = 89.9

|Oct avg record high F = 79.7

|Nov avg record high F = 63.1

|Dec avg record high F = 50.8

|year avg record high F = 99.4

|Jan high F = 36.8

|Feb high F = 43.2

|Mar high F = 54.2

|Apr high F = 62.0

|May high F = 72.4

|Jun high F = 84.6

|Jul high F = 90.8

|Aug high F = 87.8

|Sep high F = 79.0

|Oct high F = 64.6

|Nov high F = 49.1

|Dec high F = 36.9

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 29.6

|Feb mean F = 35.2

|Mar mean F = 44.5

|Apr mean F = 51.1

|May mean F = 61.3

|Jun mean F = 73.1

|Jul mean F = 79.3

|Aug mean F = 76.8

|Sep mean F = 68.0

|Oct mean F = 54.3

|Nov mean F = 40.8

|Dec mean F = 29.7

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 22.3

|Feb low F = 27.3

|Mar low F = 34.9

|Apr low F = 40.1

|May low F = 50.2

|Jun low F = 61.7

|Jul low F = 67.9

|Aug low F = 65.7

|Sep low F = 57.0

|Oct low F = 43.9

|Nov low F = 32.6

|Dec low F = 22.6

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 10.2

|Feb avg record low F = 14.2

|Mar avg record low F = 20.7

|Apr avg record low F = 25.8

|May avg record low F = 34.0

|Jun avg record low F = 45.5

|Jul avg record low F = 56.5

|Aug avg record low F = 55.4

|Sep avg record low F = 42.3

|Oct avg record low F = 27.0

|Nov avg record low F = 16.5

|Dec avg record low F = 10.3

|year avg record low F = 6.6

|Jan record low F = -7

|Feb record low F = -13

|Mar record low F = 0

|Apr record low F = 14

|May record low F = 22

|Jun record low F = 26

|Jul record low F = 41

|Aug record low F = 41

|Sep record low F = 25

|Oct record low F = 9

|Nov record low F = 6

|Dec record low F = -10

|year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.55

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.58

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.75

|Apr precipitation inch = 0.68

|May precipitation inch = 0.87

|Jun precipitation inch = 0.36

|Jul precipitation inch = 0.91

|Aug precipitation inch = 1.16

|Sep precipitation inch = 1.00

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.22

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.55

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.70

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 4.4

|Feb precipitation days = 4.5

|Mar precipitation days = 4.6

|Apr precipitation days = 5.2

|May precipitation days = 5.4

|Jun precipitation days = 2.4

|Jul precipitation days = 5.9

|Aug precipitation days = 6.4

|Sep precipitation days = 6.2

|Oct precipitation days = 5.7

|Nov precipitation days = 4.3

|Dec precipitation days = 4.4

|year precipitation days =

|Jan snow inch = 6.1

|Feb snow inch = 3.5

|Mar snow inch = 3.0

|Apr snow inch = 0.3

|May snow inch = 0.1

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.1

|Nov snow inch = 3.2

|Dec snow inch = 6.5

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 3.8

|Feb snow days = 2.5

|Mar snow days = 1.7

|Apr snow days = 0.5

|May snow days = 0.1

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.3

|Nov snow days = 1.7

|Dec snow days = 3.6

|year snow days =

|Jan snow depth inch = 4.9

|Feb snow depth inch = 4.0

|Mar snow depth inch = 2.1

|Apr snow depth inch = 0.6

|May snow depth inch = 0.1

|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0

|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0

|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0

|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0

|Oct snow depth inch = 0.4

|Nov snow depth inch = 1.9

|Dec snow depth inch = 4.6

|year snow depth inch = 6.5

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gjt

| title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| accessdate = June 12, 2021

}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00421163&format=pdf

| title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| accessdate = June 12, 2021

}} }}

{{Weather box

|location = Hans Flat Ranger Station, Utah, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1980–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 55

|Feb record high F = 66

|Mar record high F = 75

|Apr record high F = 82

|May record high F = 92

|Jun record high F = 98

|Jul record high F = 101

|Aug record high F = 98

|Sep record high F = 95

|Oct record high F = 88

|Nov record high F = 70

|Dec record high F = 62

|Jan avg record high F = 47.1

|Feb avg record high F = 53.8

|Mar avg record high F = 65.3

|Apr avg record high F = 73.8

|May avg record high F = 82.9

|Jun avg record high F = 92.1

|Jul avg record high F = 95.8

|Aug avg record high F = 93.2

|Sep avg record high F = 87.5

|Oct avg record high F = 76.7

|Nov avg record high F = 61.2

|Dec avg record high F = 49.3

|year avg record high F = 96.3

|Jan high F = 35.0

|Feb high F = 40.3

|Mar high F = 50.1

|Apr high F = 57.3

|May high F = 67.8

|Jun high F = 80.2

|Jul high F = 86.6

|Aug high F = 83.7

|Sep high F = 74.9

|Oct high F = 60.9

|Nov high F = 46.5

|Dec high F = 35.1

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 28.2

|Feb mean F = 32.8

|Mar mean F = 41.3

|Apr mean F = 47.3

|May mean F = 57.7

|Jun mean F = 69.5

|Jul mean F = 75.6

|Aug mean F = 73.1

|Sep mean F = 65.0

|Oct mean F = 51.6

|Nov mean F = 38.7

|Dec mean F = 28.2

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 21.4

|Feb low F = 25.2

|Mar low F = 32.4

|Apr low F = 37.2

|May low F = 47.5

|Jun low F = 58.8

|Jul low F = 64.5

|Aug low F = 62.6

|Sep low F = 55.0

|Oct low F = 42.3

|Nov low F = 30.8

|Dec low F = 21.3

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 9.1

|Feb avg record low F = 12.5

|Mar avg record low F = 19.1

|Apr avg record low F = 23.8

|May avg record low F = 32.1

|Jun avg record low F = 42.9

|Jul avg record low F = 54.9

|Aug avg record low F = 54.0

|Sep avg record low F = 40.5

|Oct avg record low F = 25.9

|Nov avg record low F = 14.8

|Dec avg record low F = 9.0

|year avg record low F = 5.6

|Jan record low F = -5

|Feb record low F = -12

|Mar record low F = 9

|Apr record low F = 16

|May record low F = 20

|Jun record low F = 31

|Jul record low F = 40

|Aug record low F = 41

|Sep record low F = 31

|Oct record low F = 6

|Nov record low F = 3

|Dec record low F = -10

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.70

|Feb precipitation inch = 0.67

|Mar precipitation inch = 0.84

|Apr precipitation inch = 0.67

|May precipitation inch = 0.72

|Jun precipitation inch = 0.37

|Jul precipitation inch = 0.87

|Aug precipitation inch = 1.09

|Sep precipitation inch = 0.96

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.16

|Nov precipitation inch = 0.76

|Dec precipitation inch = 0.77

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 5.7

|Feb precipitation days = 6.2

|Mar precipitation days = 5.8

|Apr precipitation days = 4.9

|May precipitation days = 5.3

|Jun precipitation days = 2.7

|Jul precipitation days = 6.2

|Aug precipitation days = 7.4

|Sep precipitation days = 5.6

|Oct precipitation days = 5.8

|Nov precipitation days = 4.5

|Dec precipitation days = 5.6

|Jan snow inch = 9.2

|Feb snow inch = 7.4

|Mar snow inch = 5.2

|Apr snow inch = 2.9

|May snow inch = 0.3

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.7

|Nov snow inch = 4.5

|Dec snow inch = 8.3

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 4.8

|Feb snow days = 4.9

|Mar snow days = 2.8

|Apr snow days = 1.9

|May snow days = 0.2

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.4

|Nov snow days = 2.7

|Dec snow days = 4.6

|Jan snow depth inch = 7.6

|Feb snow depth inch = 6.6

|Mar snow depth inch = 3.7

|Apr snow depth inch = 1.5

|May snow depth inch = 0.3

|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0

|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0

|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0

|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0

|Oct snow depth inch = 0.6

|Nov snow depth inch = 3.4

|Dec snow depth inch = 5.7

|year snow depth inch = 9.6

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00423600&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Hans Flat RS, UT

|access-date = February 20, 2023

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=slc

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Salt Lake City

|access-date = February 20, 2023

}}

= Climate change =

National parks in the Western United States are more affected by climate change than the country as a whole,{{Cite journal |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Patrick |last2=Wang |first2=Fuyao |last3=Notaro |first3=Michael |last4=Vimont |first4=Daniel J. |last5=Williams |first5=John W. |date=24 September 2018 |title=Disproportionate magnitude of climate change in United States national parks |journal=Environmental Research Letters |language=en |volume=13 |issue=10 |pages=104001 |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/aade09 |bibcode=2018ERL....13j4001G |s2cid=158665235 |issn=1748-9326 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Monahan |first1=William B. |last2=Fisichelli |first2=Nicholas A. |date=2014-07-02 |title=Climate Exposure of US National Parks in a New Era of Change |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=9 |issue=7 |pages=e101302 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0101302 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=4079655 |pmid=24988483|bibcode=2014PLoSO...9j1302M |doi-access=free }} and the National Park Service has begun research into how exactly this will affect the ecosystem of Canyonlands National Park and the surrounding areas and ways to protect the park for the future.{{Cite web |title=Responding to Climate Change in the Southeast Utah Parks (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/responding-to-climate-change-in-the-southeast-utah-parks.htm |access-date=2022-03-09 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}} The mean annual temperature of Canyonlands National Park increased by 2.6 °F (1.4 °C) from 1916 to 2018.{{Cite web |title=Happy Birthday National Parks |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/gallery/graphics/happy-birthday-national-parks-2019 |access-date=2022-02-26 |website=www.climatecentral.org |language=en |archive-date=2022-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226172550/https://www.climatecentral.org/gallery/graphics/happy-birthday-national-parks-2019 |url-status=dead }} It is predicted that if current warming trends continue, the average highs in the park during the summer will be over {{cvt|100|F|-1}} by 2100.{{Cite web |title=National Parks – Climate Matters – Climate Central |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/outreach/alert-archive/2016NationalParks-TVM.html |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=www.climatecentral.org}} In addition to warming, the region has begun to see more severe and frequent droughts which causes native grass cover to decrease{{Cite journal |last1=Witwicki |first1=Dana L. |last2=Munson |first2=Seth M. |last3=Thoma |first3=David P. |date=8 November 2016 |title=Effects of climate and water balance across grasslands of varying C3 and C4 grass cover |journal=Ecosphere |volume=7 |issue=11 |doi=10.1002/ecs2.1577 |issn=2150-8925|doi-access=free |bibcode=2016Ecosp...7E1577W }} and a lower flow of the Colorado River.{{Cite web |title=Traveler Special Report: How Climate Change Is Redesigning Canyonlands National Park |url=https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2020/02/traveler-special-report-how-climate-change-redesigning-canyonlands-national-park |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=www.nationalparkstraveler.org |language=en}} The flows of the Upper Colorado Basin have decreased by {{cvt|300000|acre-feet}} per year, which has led to a decreased amount of sediment carried by the river and rockier rapids which are more frequently impassable to rafters. The area has also begun to see an earlier spring, which will lead to changes in the timing of leaves and flowers blooming and migrational patterns of wildlife that could lead to food shortages for the wildlife, as well as a longer fire season.{{Cite journal |last1=Monahan |first1=William B. |last2=Rosemartin |first2=Alyssa |last3=Gerst |first3=Katharine L. |last4=Fisichelli |first4=Nicholas A. |last5=Ault |first5=Toby |last6=Schwartz |first6=Mark D. |last7=Gross |first7=John E. |last8=Weltzin |first8=Jake F. |date=6 October 2016 |title=Climate change is advancing spring onset across the U.S. national park system |journal=Ecosphere |volume=7 |issue=10 |doi=10.1002/ecs2.1465 |issn=2150-8925|doi-access=free |bibcode=2016Ecosp...7E1465M |hdl=10150/622065 |hdl-access=free }}

The National Park Service is currently closely monitoring the impacts of climate change in Canyonlands National Park in order to create management strategies that will best help conserve the park's landscapes and ecosystems for the long term.{{Cite web |title=What We're Learning and Why it Matters: Long-Term Monitoring on the Northern Colorado Plateau (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/ncpn_changes.htm |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}} Although the National Park Service's original goal was to preserve landscapes as they were before European colonization, they have now switched to a more adaptive management strategy with the ultimate goal of conserving the biodiversity of the park.{{Cite web |title=Climate Smart Conservation Planning for the National Parks (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/climatesmartconservation.htm |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}} The NPS is collaborating with other organizations including the US Geological Survey, local indigenous tribes, and nearby universities in order to create a management plan for the national park. Right now, there is a focus on research into which native plants will be most resistant to climate change so that the park can decide on what to prioritize in conservation efforts. The Canyonlands Natural History Association has been giving money to the US Geological Survey to fund this and other climate related research. They gave $30,000 in 2019 and $61,000 in 2020.

Geology

File:Upheaval Dome Canyonlands.jpg is an impact structure, the deeply eroded bottom-most remnants of an impact crater]]

A subsiding basin and nearby uplifting mountain range (the Uncompahgre) existed in the area in Pennsylvanian time. Seawater trapped in the subsiding basin created thick evaporite deposits by Mid Pennsylvanian. This, along with eroded material from the nearby mountain range, became the Paradox Formation, itself a part of the Hermosa Group. Paradox salt beds started to flow later in the Pennsylvanian and probably continued to move until the end of the Jurassic.{{cite book |last=Harris |first=Ann C. |title=Geology of National Parks |publisher=Kendall Hunt Publishing Co. |year=1998 |isbn=0-7872-5353-7}} Some scientists believe Upheaval Dome was created from Paradox salt bed movement, creating a salt dome, but more modern studies show that the meteorite theory is more likely to be correct.

A warm shallow sea again flooded the region near the end of the Pennsylvanian. Fossil-rich limestones, sandstones, and shales of the gray-colored Honaker Trail Formation resulted. A period of erosion then ensued, creating a break in the geologic record called an unconformity. Early in the Permian an advancing sea laid down the Halgaito Shale. Coastal lowlands later returned to the area, forming the Elephant Canyon Formation.

Large alluvial fans filled the basin where it met the Uncompahgre Mountains, creating the Cutler red beds of iron-rich arkose sandstone. Underwater sand bars and sand dunes on the coast inter-fingered with the red beds and later became the white-colored cliff-forming Cedar Mesa Sandstone. Brightly colored oxidized muds were then deposited, forming the Organ Rock Shale. Coastal sand dunes and marine sand bars once again became dominant, creating the White Rim Sandstone.

File:Canyonlands Needles.jpg

A second unconformity was created after the Permian sea retreated. Flood plains on an expansive lowland covered the eroded surface and mud built up in tidal flats, creating the Moenkopi Formation. Erosion returned, forming a third unconformity. The Chinle Formation was then laid down on top of this eroded surface.

Increasingly dry climates dominated the Triassic. Therefore, sand in the form of sand dunes invaded and became the Wingate Sandstone. For a time climatic conditions became wetter and streams cut channels through the sand dunes, forming the Kayenta Formation. Arid conditions returned to the region with a vengeance; a large desert spread over much of western North America and later became the Navajo Sandstone. A fourth unconformity was created by a period of erosion.

Mud flats returned, forming the Carmel Formation, and the Entrada Sandstone was laid down next. A long period of erosion stripped away most of the San Rafael Group in the area, along with any formations that may have been laid down in the Cretaceous period.

The Laramide orogeny started to uplift the Rocky Mountains 70 million years ago and with it, the Canyonlands region. Erosion intensified and when the Colorado River Canyon reached the salt beds of the Paradox Formation the overlying strata extended toward the river canyon, forming features such as The Grabens.{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/articles/cany-grabens.htm |title=The Grabens: Canyonlands National Park |website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |date=2018-01-08 |access-date=2020-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226062840/https://www.nps.gov/articles/cany-grabens.htm |archive-date=2020-02-26 |url-status=live }} Increased precipitation during the ice ages of the Pleistocene quickened the rate of canyon excavation along with other erosion. Similar types of erosion are ongoing, but occur at a slower rate.

Gallery

{{Gallery

|footer=See additional images at [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Canyonlands_National_Park Wikimedia]

|align=center

|height=250

|mode=slideshow

|noborder=yes

|File:Mesa Arch Canyonlands sunrise.jpg|Mesa Arch at sunrise, Island in the Sky district

|File:WhiteRimSandstone.jpg|The White Rim Sandstone

|File:Canyonlands by snowpeak (1).jpg|Canyonlands at daybreak. Washer Woman and Monster Tower in foreground, Airport Tower behind. La Sal Mountains in background

|File:False Kiva.jpg|False Kiva stone circle

|File:Petroglyphs, Horse Canyon, The Maze.jpg|Petroglyphs, Horse Canyon, The Maze. 1962 photo

|File:GreatGalleryedit.jpg|The Great Gallery, Horseshoe Canyon

|File:Canyonlands The Maze Aerial.jpg|Aerial view of the Maze

|File:WhiteRimRoad.jpg|The White Rim in Canyonlands National Park

|File:Islandintheskywithcoloradoriver.jpg|The view from the Island In The Sky overlooking the Colorado River

|File:Druid Arch. Needles District. Canyonlands UT. (9862534466).jpg|Druid Arch in the Needles district

|File:Cataract Whitewater.jpg|Raft in the Big Drop Rapids, Cataract Canyon

|File:Canyonlands NP Grand View Point Overlook.jpg|A view from Grand View Point Overlook toward Monument Basin

|File:Shafer Canyon Road as seen from Shafer Canyon Outlook, Canyonlands National Park 20110815 1.jpg|Shafer Canyon and Trail

|File:The Molar and Angel Arch.jpg|The Molar and Angel Arch

}}

References

External links

{{official website|http://www.nps.gov/cany/}} by the National Park Service
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060826225430/http://www.canyonlandsfieldinst.org/ Canyonlands Field Institute] (a non-profit support group)
[http://www.cnha.org/ Canyonlands Natural History Association] (a non-profit organization established to assist the scientific and educational efforts of the NPS)
[http://www.gigapano.net/pano/canyonlands Spherical panoramas of Canyonlands]
[http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/crc_research/ DigitalCommons@USU] (Canyonlands Research Publications from Utah State University)