Canyonlands National Park

Infinite Canyons: A Driving Tour of Canyonlands

Continuing our Summer 2025 Road Trip through the "Mighty 5," we headed into Canyonlands National Park. Since we were already camped at Dead Horse Point State Park, we were perfectly positioned to explore the park's Island in the Sky district, which sits on a massive mesa just minutes away.

Beating the Heat

After the physical exertion of our Arches hike, Canyonlands was a different kind of day. The desert heat was intense—likely pushing triple digits—so we made the executive family decision to swap long hikes for the comfort of the camper van's air conditioning. It turned into the ultimate scenic drive, hopping from one incredible viewpoint to the next without exhausting ourselves (or the kids).

Island in the Sky

The geography here is mind-boggling. We drove along the mesa top, which serves as a massive observation deck looking down thousands of feet into a wilderness of rock. Because we weren't doing long treks, we could hit all the major overlooks efficiently.

We stopped at Grand View Point, where you can see the white rim of the canyon tracing the landscape for miles. We also peeked over the edge at Shafer Canyon, spotting the crazy switchback road that winds all the way down to the bottom. Even without hiking deep into the canyon, the sheer scale of the place—carved by both the Green and Colorado Rivers—was humbling. It feels endless, a jagged ocean of red rock stretching to the horizon.

A Day of Perspective

While we missed out on the backcountry, seeing Canyonlands from the rim was spectacular in its own way. It gave us a chance to rest our legs while still soaking in world-class scenery. We left with a newfound appreciation for the vastness of the American West, all witnessed from the cool safety of our van.