Grandview Point

Canyonlands: Island in the Sky

Difficulty

Easy

Length

2 Miles

Time

1-1.5 Hours

Trail Type

Out and Back

Pets

Required Gear

Standard Day Hike Gear

Rating

★★★★★

Season

All Year

Fees

$30/vehicle (Canyonlands entrance)

About This Trail

An easy rim walk to the very tip of the Island in the Sky mesa, with hundred-mile views over the canyons of the Colorado and Green rivers.

Local Tip

Everyone lines up for sunrise at Mesa Arch, but sunset at Grandview is the better show and a fraction of the crowd. The point faces south so both sunrise and sunset light rake across the canyons — bring a headlamp for the walk back and you can stay for the first stars.

Trail Description

Grandview Point is where Canyonlands earns its name. From the parking area at the literal end of the Island in the Sky road, an easy rim trail follows the mesa edge to the southernmost tip of the plateau, with the White Rim, the Needles, the Maze, and three mountain ranges spread out below and beyond.

The paved overlook a few steps from the car gives you most of the view, but the mile-long walk along the rim to the actual point is what makes it: constant 1,500-foot drops off your shoulder, gnarled junipers, and the canyon system unrolling in every direction.

Flat, easy, and spectacular the entire way — this is the walk to give someone who wants maximum Canyonlands for minimum effort.

Trailhead Info

Drive to the far end of the Island in the Sky scenic road in Canyonlands National Park, about 45 minutes from US-191 north of Moab (12 miles past the visitor center). Park at the Grand View Point lot. Park entrance fee $30/vehicle (7 days).

Trail Info

About 2 miles round trip along the rim, mostly level slickrock and packed dirt with a couple of short rocky steps. Allow an hour plus gawking time. The trail is exposed to sun and wind with no railings along the rim — keep kids close. Turn around at the point; the route does not descend.