RV Tour Leg 29 – Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point State Park

Out here in the desert, some parks have you staring up in awe (hello, Zion), while others pull your gaze downward into dramatic, dizzying depths (looking at you, Grand Canyon). Canyonlands National Park manages to do both—just not all at once.

We spent 11 days split between two very different sections of the park: first, The Needles District, where you hike among towering spires and look up at red-and-white sandstone marvels; then, The Island in the Sky, where you perch on the edge of a mesa and gaze down into a canyon so vast it seems to belong to another planet. It’s all one national park, but the two areas are nearly two hours apart—a reminder that the Colorado Plateau plays by its own rules.

Standing in the Needles District, we had a nice view of The Needles and "Island in the Sky" - our next stop in the distance

Standing on the Mesa from Island in the Sky, we could view The Needles District in the distance

We kicked things off in The Needles. Our camper was too large for the tiny in-park campground, so we boondocked at a rustic outpost just outside the entrance. No electricity, no water, no trash service—but one of our most beautiful campsites yet. Totally worth trading amenities for silence, solitude and beauty.

Our beautiful campsite outside of Canyonlands - The Needles District

Exploring The Needles properly requires a high-clearance vehicle and a bit of grit, and we were glad to have The Beast (our trusty Ford F-350) for some gnarly dirt roads.

A video on our off-road trip to the Colorado River Overlook - the little purple dude on the dashboard has been a travel companion since our kids were little.

We hiked deep into the red-and-white striped spires, formed by alternating sand layers from ancient oceans to the west and eroding sandstone from the east. All of it uplifted and shaped by time, weather, and tectonic drama. From several spots, we could see The Island in the Sky off in the distance—a massive mesa calling our name.

Views of The Needles

Hiking in The Needles District

Once again, our camper didn’t fit the Island in the Sky campground, so we booked a site at nearby Dead Horse Point State Park. And honestly? What a bonus. The hiking and biking trails there were spectacular—twisting along the edge of the mesa with jaw-dropping views at every turn.

Wonderful and challenging bike trail at Dead Horse Point State Park

Most of our hikes were along the canyon rim, looking down at the snaking Colorado and Green Rivers far below.

Views of the Canyons from Dead Horse Point State Park

View of the Canyons from Canyonlands - Island in the Sky

We did take on one particularly tough trail that dropped down into the canyon itself. That one earned us both bragging rights and a lesson in pacing—I had a mild run-in with heat stroke on the climb back up. I made it out slowly and safely, but let's just say I had no interest in making the headlines for needing a helicopter lift.

Murphy Trail - down into the Canyon

Down on the first floor of the canyon on Murphy Trail - some of the fallen rocks defy gravity. Can you spot David in the distance?

One Arch at Canyonlands - a hint of our next stop at Arches National Park!

The Colorado River has become a sort of travel companion on this leg of the trip. We saw it at Lake Mead, in Page, through the Grand Canyon, and again here in Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point. And we’ve crossed paths with its tributaries more times than we can count. These rivers have carved out some of the most unforgettable scenery in the desert Southwest. Towering cliffs, dizzying canyons, and rock formations that seem plucked from a dreamscape. We're feeling deeply grateful—and a little dehydrated —to be witnessing all this glory firsthand.

Next up: we head to Arches National Park, where the rock formations go full drama queen—with gravity-defying arches, fins, and towers waiting to impress. Stay tuned!