Home Album Guide to the Needles District of Canyonlands Topo No Story
| Distance: | NA |
| Difficulty: | NA |
| Hike Time: | NA |
| Elevation: | 4888 ft. at the Visitor's Center |
| Season: | Year Round |
| USGS Maps: | The Loop, Druid Arch, North Six-Shoot Peak, South Six-Shoot Peak |
| Directions: From: Monticello |
Drive approximately 14.4 miles North from Monticello on US191 to the junction with State Road 211. Turn West on 211 and drive approximately 34 miles to the Visitors Center. |
Canyonlands National Monument is a use fee park - the usual fees apply and some areas within the Monument require an additional Backcountry Use Permit which can be purchased at the Visitor's Center.
Canyonlands is divided into three districts; the Needles District, the Maze District and the Island in the Sky District. The Colorado river and the Green river join together within the Monument to form the boundaries between these three districts. The Needles district is East of the Colorado River and makes up the South Eastern corner of the Monument.
The main road in the North Eastern Corner of the Needles District is paved and is good for all vehicles in all weather. However, most of the side roads to the rest of the District require high clearance, 4 WD vehicles. Elephant Hill is the gateway to the Western portion of the District and it is limited to experienced drivers only. The road over Elephant Hill is considered to be one of the most challenging technical driving roads in Utah. And, reportedly it is not uncommon for the less experienced 4 WD drivers to find that towing fees begin at $1000 to $3000 to have their vehicles retrieved from the hill and other challenging parts of the district. For all practical purposes, the Western half of the District is limited to hikers and bikers, but despair not for there is plenty to see and do in the Eastern half of the District.
The Monument is crisscrossed with trails that can be driven, biked or hiked - although some of the trails are too sandy for mountain bikes. I purchased a Backcountry Use Permit which allowed me to drive the 4-Runner down to the end of Horse Canyon. The 4 WD trail travels along canyon bottoms where deep sand, deep water and quicksand are common (although the trail was completely dry for my trip). It is too sandy for mountain bikes. My trip down Horse Canyon and Cave Spring took a little over a full morning and then I went to the Needles Outpost for lunch. The Outpost is privately own and located just north of the entrance but outside of the park boundary. It is pricey! The rest of the day I spent exploring around Elephant Hill and Wooden Shoe overlook before heading back to the motel.
Enjoy,
Trekker