June 18, 2026
Canyonlands was the second stop of our Utah adventure, close enough to day trip from our base in Moab. This national park will always be special to Aaron Henry because we visited on the day of his 11th birthday!
It’s easy to contrast Canyonlands with Arches because they’re in the same general vicinity. It almost feels like there was a net around Arches that tightened everything into a smaller and closer area. The rock formations are so close to the road, you can practically reach out and touch them. Canyonlands is much more spread out – while there are rock formations, they are farther away, more of a background. It is unique for having four distinct sections that are quite distant from each other: Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the Rivers. We decided to visit the Needles district (named for distinctive pointy rock features) which is directly south of Moab, a little further than Island in the Sky but with the added attraction of a “more backcountry experience,” according to NPS, and “requiring some hiking or four-wheel driving to see the area.” My husband, in possession of a rented Jeep Wagoneer, could not wait for the chance to get out there and explore.
After a lengthy stop at Horsethief Coffee in Moab (great coffee but slow service), we breezed through the Canyonlands visitor center and set out on our first trail, Pothole Point. This was probably our favorite trail at Canyonlands and the top reason the berries voted this park better than Arches. It’s a gorgeous, wide open space, there was no one around, and there are endless boulders to climb on. Claire especially loved the cairns used for trail markers. Even at two years old, she knows to practice “leave no trace” and not disturb the rock towers.
Without crowds, the national park experience becomes delightfully calm and carefree. This was one of our most relaxing park days in Utah, just a casual stroll through the Needles with pleasant detours for climbing and jumping off rocks. After Pothole Point, we moved on to the Slickrock trail which had similar terrain but more elevation. It’s all rock, so there’s no established trail to follow, just little rock cairns every few feet. Just like following breadcrumbs.
We headed out on the Colorado Overlook 4WD road without a lot of information (like how long it is), just a plan to find a scenic spot for lunch. The dirt road started off innocently smooth, but after a couple miles we were bouncing over small rocks, and then bigger rocks, and then there came a point when Greg’s parents’ Toyota gave up the ghost and refused to go any further. We fit them into our Jeep by folding a few children into the trunk, and made it a little further on what became a thrilling ride toward the Colorado River. You know it’s quite the adventure when Mom and Dad start praying out loud!
In the shadow of a rock overhang, we spread our blanket and picnicked just as the early Utah explorers must have – alone as far as the eye could see, nothing but a rocky paradise spread out around us.
Back in one piece from our off-roading experience, we tackled our last hike, a fascinating exploration of Cave Springs trail. The trails in Canyonlands are more kid-friendly than the Arches trails, not in the sense of safety but in the sense that they really hold a kid’s attention. We walked through multiple caves on this trail, climbing up and down over rocks, and at one point we came to a ladder and – just like in an old school video game – went up an entire level! It was awesome.
Back at Entrada, we had a quick swim and then a fun pizza dinner for our birthday boy, complete with Pellegrino, cake, and a few presents smuggled across the country from Charlotte. Once the berries were safely tucked in bed, Gregory and I left Mom and Dad in charge and walked over to a charming place in Moab called Moyo, where the cash register was broken but we did finally end up with a serving of frozen yogurt and the chance for a quiet chat. Moab is an earthy, dusty, active place, filled with advertisements for Jeep tours. It doesn’t have the artisan coffee, e-bike, more upscale vibe of Springdale (outside Zion), but it’s a fun place and we loved our time there.
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June 18, 2015 was one of the happiest days of my life. I love you Aaron Henry! I am so proud to be your mother. 11 years ago I couldn’t have imagined that we would be hiking around a national park in Utah together. I’m grateful for all the memories I have with you!
