While every attempt has been made to ensure the greatest degree of accuracy of the contents within, 20 States on Wheels makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this book and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this book. No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed or statutory, including but not limited to the warranties of non-infringement of third party rights, title, contents of this book or its URLs to other Internet resources. Reference in this the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by 20 States on Wheels. Many of the photographs used in this book were taken directly by team members of 20 States on Wheels. All photographs not taken by our team members were posted online under Creative Commons 2.0 copyright licensing, and an attribution to the photographer is listed.
for Haley Rue, fellow adventurer, whose spirit lives on.
Canyonlands National Park, UT by Kunho
Oh no. We were lost again. We were using the Ford’s built-in navigation system called NeverLost, but of course it was not as accurate as GoogleMaps. It was
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and a not very helpful map. We were blindly following the directions from NeverLost. After losing our way and heading blind down the road for over an hour in what we hoped was the right direction, we found ourselves on top of a red mountain on a two-lane highway to what seemed like the end of the world. I had no clue whether we were getting any closer to Canyonlands National Park. Everyone was tired after sitting in a car for hours and hours and anxious from not knowing our location. Everywhere we could see was red desert, like pictures taken on Mars, and there wasn’t a car to be seen for miles at a time. I felt like we were in Star Wars’ podracing park. After a while, I just wanted to get out of the car. “Let’s park our car somewhere and just get out since we have no idea where we are!” We stopped the car and got out and stood in the middle of the road. As we piled out we took a long look around us. I suddenly realized how beautiful this desert was. The sky and the red peaks along the horizon were just mesmerizing. It felt like we were at the center of the world. It was so serene even a cricket could not disturb us. Everyone was speechless. Brad lay down in the middle of the road and asked us to take a photo of him. Cyn jumped raised my arms to the sky, each of us taking photographs sitting in the middle of the deserted road. Maybe we really were “NeverLost.” In a special way, we found a bit of ourselves in the middle of nowhere on our way to the Canyonlands.
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Basics About the Park Canyonlands National Park, located in southeastern Utah, attracts over 400,000 visitors annually to its strange, incredible scenery. While Canyonlands is known yonlands National Park is divided into three districts - the Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze - of which two are ADA compliant, the Island in the Sky and the Needles. The Island in the Sky is the most-visited and most accessible district, offering several scenic viewpoints. The Needles also offers wonderful scenery.
Weather Canyonlands National Park is located in southeastern Utah, an arid desert region sometimes as much as 40 degrees from noon to midnight. Be sure to bring layers in any season. Here are some basic guidelines:
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Spring A great season to visit, with highs from 60s to 80s and lows from 30s to 50s. Bring a light jacket for the day and layers for the cold night.
Autumn Another great season to visit, with temperatures similar to those in the spring. Bring a light jacket for the day and layers for nighttime.
Summer Temperatures during the summer often exceed triple digits, with lows at night around 50s to 60s. Frequent storm cells can bring heavy rains that ing. Bring a rain coat and umbrella, as well as sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen.
Winter Winter in the Canyonlands can be very cold, with highs from 30s to 50s and lows from 0 to 20 degrees. Visiting during the winter is not highly encouraged, as even a small amount of ice accumulation will render the roads impassable.
20 States on Wheels Canyonlands, UT
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Park Entry and Services Pricing: FREE entry for life: if you are a US citizen or permanent resident, pick go in person and bring proof of disability. This pass will let you and accompanying passengers in one vehicle enter any national park in the US for free for life. Fees for visitors without an Interagency Access Pass: Individuals: $5.00 (Good for 7 Days) This fee applies to motorcycles, bicycles and walk-ins (per person). Vehicles: $10.00 (Good for 7 days) This fee includes all occupants of a vehicle. Local Passport: $25.00 (Good for one year) Good for entrance to the Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep and Natural Bridges.
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Private Tour Companies The park service does not offer tours inside the park. Instead, private companies offer a variety of their own services. Water Rafting Splore: (801) 484-4128 www.splore.org Splore is one of the very few whitewater rafting companies that specializes exclusively in accommodating wheelchair users. Canyon Voyagers: (435) 259-6007 www.canyonvoyages.com Canyon Voyagers is able to accommodate wheelchair users on their rafts. 4-Wheel Drive Touring The following companies do not have special 4 Wheel Drive vehicles equipped with ramps, but staff can help assist wheelchair users with transferring into the vehicle. Canyonlands Fields (800) 860-5262 NAVTEC Expedition (800) 833-1278 www.navtec.com
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Basics Visitor Centers Island in the Sky Visitor Center Directions: Note that GPS is unreliable in the park, which has unconventional addresses. From Highway 70, take Route 191 south, turn west on 313 and follow the road to Grand View Point Road south. Call the number below with any questions about directions to the visitor center. Phone: (435) 259-4712 Entrance Bathroom Parking Hours
fully accessible main entrance accessible restroom beside visitor center lot with designated handicap parking 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Island in the Sky is one of the two areas of Canyonlands National Park that are the ADA complaint. Exhibits, publications and information about Island in the Sky are available at the visitor center. A park orientation video is also available by request. Note that the visitor center may not have water available depending on the season. Some areas in the park do not provide water, so make sure to bring all the water you anticipate needing during your stay here. All scenic viewpoints in Island in the Sky are wheelchair accessible.
Needles Visitor Center Directions: Note that GPS is unreliable in the park, which has unconventional addresses. From Highway 70, take Route 191 south, and turn west on 211. The Needles visitor center is located at the end of Highway 211. Call the number below with any questions. Phone: (435) 259-4711 Entrance Bathroom Parking Hours
fully accessible main entrance accessible restroom available by visitor center lot with designated handicap parking 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
The Needles is the second area of Canyonlands National Park that is ADA compliant. Interpretive programs are offered at the Needles visitor center from March through October. 148
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Campgrounds The Needles (Squaw Flat Campground) Reservation Price Accessible Sites Accessible restroom
$15/night 6,7 by sites 6 and 7
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for parties exceeding 11 people. Fees are $15 per night per campsite, or $3 per person per night for group sites. Sites number 6 and 7 in the A loop are accessible with paved camping grounds and an accessible restroom and water pump. These sites are typically held for wheelchair users until around 4:30 p.m. daily if demand is high, so show up early if you are concerned about being able to secure a campsite. The visitor center, restrooms and Wooden Shoe Overlook are accessible.
Island in The Sky (Willow Flat Campground) Reservation Price Accessible Sites Accessible restroom
$10/night 7 by campsite 7
The Island in The Sky Visitor Center and restrooms, Buck Canyon Overlook, Green River Overlook, and Grand View Point Overlook are all accessible. There is also one accessible campsite at the Willow Flat Campground with a nearby accessible restroom. The campsite fee is $10 per night.
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View Points
Buck Canyon Overlook is accessible and offers a great view to the east.
Island in the Sky Viewpoints An aerial view of the Upheaval Dome, a perplexing geological feature that is 170 million years old.
Canyonlands is primarily known for its hiking trails, but for wheelchair users, it is a wonderful place to cruise around enjoying the scenic drives and their glorious views of the desert landscape. The Island in the Sky, at an elevation over 1000 feet above the surrounding terrain, offers the most scenic viewpoints. The following is a list of these scenic viewpoints:
Courtesy of Doc Searls
Courtesy of Scott Teresi
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Green River Overlook is accessible and offers a beautiful view of the river.
Canyonlands, UT Courtesy of Rick
The Mesa Arch offers a nice view but is unfortunately not accessible.
Grand View Point
Courtesy of Myrabella
Grand View Point is accessible and offers a panoramic canyon view.
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The most famous panoramic view of the comsidewalk from the parking lot up to the viewpoint.
Green River Overlook
This overlook offers a spectacular view of the
Upheaval Dome
Geologists do not know what made this odd geological formation! There is a road up to the foot of the dome, and an accessible restroom facility by the parking lot, but no accessible path to the top of the dome.
Buck Canyon Overlook
This overlook offers a nice view to the east.
Mesa Arch
This pithole arch spans across the mesa’s edge, framing a scenic canyon vista. Unfortunately, the trail up to the Mesa Arch is not accessible.
the parking lot up to the viewpoint.
lot up to the viewpoint.
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Attractions The Needles Viewpoints The Needles is mostly known for its backpacking trails, which are not friendly to wheelchair users, but it still offers great views of many fascinating rock formations and other desert landscapes. Wooden Shoe Overlook Wooden Shoe Overlook is a small parking area off of the main road that provides a place to stop the car and appreciate the Canyonlands landscape. This overlook is named for a particular rock, visible in the distance, that looks just like a wooden shoe. The view is visible from the parking lot.
Can you spot the wooden shoe?
Courtesy of Robin Stevens
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