Arches and Canyonlands in One Trip
Arches and Canyonlands share one gateway town, Moab. Here is how the roads reach each park and each Canyonlands district.
- Route
- Drives Between Parks
- Mapped
Two parks, one town
Arches National Park is in southeast Utah, and both parks have the same town. Visit Utah lists Moab as the town for Arches National Park, and it lists Moab as the town for Canyonlands National Park too.
Arches National Park is 5 miles north of Moab. Canyonlands is Utah's largest national park.
Getting to each park
From Moab, drivers go north on US 191 for five miles to reach the Arches entrance.
Canyonlands is different. The Green and Colorado rivers split Canyonlands into three major districts. No roads inside Canyonlands cross the rivers to link its districts. There are no bridges either. Traveling between Canyonlands districts requires two to six hours by car.
The three districts of Canyonlands
Each district has its own road in.
From US 191 north of Moab, UT 313 leads to Island in the Sky. The Island in the Sky is the most accessible district of Canyonlands.
From US 191 south of Moab, UT 211 leads to The Needles.
Only unpaved roads reach The Maze in Canyonlands.
Planning your route
Start from Moab. Go north on US 191 for Arches. Go north on US 191 to UT 313 for Island in the Sky. Go south on US 191 to UT 211 for The Needles.
Check each park's own website before you go for current road news and entry details. Road conditions can change, and the park pages have the latest word.
Where this trip fits
Both parks are part of Utah's Mighty 5, and they pair well with a longer Utah national parks road trip. They can also be part of a wider Grand Circle road trip.
Flying in
Canyonlands Field (CNY) is 16 miles from Moab. Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) is 113 miles from Moab. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) is 237 miles from Moab. There is no public transportation to Canyonlands.