What's on in Canyonlands National Park, United States through the year

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Rule

  White Rim day-use permits

  1 Jan – 31 DecBook early

  Driving or riding the White Rim or Elephant Hill roads in a day needs a permit, released online one day ahead with fifty a day for the White Rim and half held back for the visitor centre counter. In spring they go within minutes. Source ↗

Still on: Gold-tier dark skies (1 Oct – 31 Mar (usually))

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Gold-tier dark skies (1 Oct – 31 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Spring desert season, Spring break in United States

• Season

  Spring desert season

  15 Mar – 25 MayTrail seasonCrowdedBook early

  The best weeks for the White Rim and the Needles backcountry, and the reason permits sell out the day they release. Island in the Sky takes the day-trip traffic; the Needles, two hours further round, stays quieter.

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Gold-tier dark skies (1 Oct – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Spring desert season

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Spring desert season (15 Mar – 25 May)

Busy — Spring desert season

• Nature

  High water on the rivers

  10 May – 20 Jun · usuallyRisk

  Snowmelt off the Rockies turns Cataract Canyon into big-water class V for a few weeks and floods the west end of the White Rim, which can strand a loop trip. How big and how early depends entirely on the winter's snowpack. Source ↗

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Spring desert season (15 Mar – 25 May)

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Summer heat

  10 Jun – 5 Sep · usuallyExtreme heat

  No shade, no water and no phone signal below the rim, and the Maze district is a long way from any help. Rangers treat heat cases here every summer; walk at first light and be back up by mid-morning. Source ↗

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), High water on the rivers (10 May – 20 Jun (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Monsoon flash floods

  1 Jul – 20 Sep · usuallyFlood seasonClosures

  Afternoon storms fill the canyons from rain that fell miles upstream, and the dirt roads into the Needles and the Maze turn to impassable clay within minutes. Check the forecast for the whole watershed, not the trailhead. Source ↗

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Summer heat (10 Jun – 5 Sep (usually))

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Summer heat (10 Jun – 5 Sep (usually)), Monsoon flash floods (1 Jul – 20 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Autumn desert season, Summer break in United States

• Season

  Autumn desert season

  20 Sep – 5 NovTrail seasonCrowded

  The heat has gone, the monsoon has finished and the light on the Green River overlook is at its best. Slightly quieter than spring, and the last few weeks before the dirt roads start freezing overnight.

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Summer heat (10 Jun – 5 Sep (usually)), Monsoon flash floods (1 Jul – 20 Sep (usually))

Busy — Autumn desert season

• Nature

  Gold-tier dark skies

  1 Oct – 31 Mar · usuallyDark-sky season

  A gold-tier dark sky park with almost nothing on the horizon in any direction, and the long clear nights of the cold half of the year are when it shows. Mesa Arch and the Green River overlook are the usual spots; the road out is unlit. Source ↗

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Autumn desert season (20 Sep – 5 Nov)

Peak crowds — Autumn desert season, Thanksgiving break in United States

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Autumn desert season (20 Sep – 5 Nov), Gold-tier dark skies (1 Oct – 31 Mar (usually))

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: White Rim day-use permits (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Gold-tier dark skies (1 Oct – 31 Mar (usually))