Hiking the Grand View Point Trail in Canyonlands National Park
Distance: 1.8 miles / 2.9 km
Floating atop the endless miles of remote drainages, rivers, and towering buttes below, the Grand View Point Trail is, without a doubt, one of the best, most widely-loved, and renowned day hikes in all of Canyonlands National Park!
Eluded by the awe-inspiring name, the Grand View Point Trail is often seen as the crown jewel of the Island in the Sky District, making it one of the park’s must-see destinations.
Furthermore, this relatively quick and easy day hike is a local and visitor favorite alike, especially if you plan to hike the Grand View Point in the late evening for sunset!
Grand View Point Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Grand View Point Trail is located at the very end of Island in the Sky Road.
This is the same parking area as the Grand View Point Overlook, and for this reason, parking here can be one of the more challenging places in the park during the peak morning and afternoon hours of the day.
However, if you decide to hike the Grand View Point Trail for sunset, parking is typically much easier to come by, as opposed to earlier times throughout the day.
Google Maps Directions: Grand View Point Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Canyonlands
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Canyonlands National Park.
Hiking the Grand View Point Trail
The Grand View Point Trail begins on the same path as the Grand View Point Overlook, located a short distance ahead.
Grand View Point Overlook
After a very short walk, the path ends at the Grand View Point Overlook, which is where most people turn back, as opposed to hiking further.
Grand View Point Trail
From the Grand View Point Overlook, the trail continues to the right of the lookout, out toward the Grand View Point, located about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) away.
For the most part, the Grand View Point Trail is a relatively flat hike, with very little elevation change.
That being said, the exposure off the side of the trail is one of the most extreme of any trail in Canyonlands National Park, which I mention for the sake of hiking with young kids.
It may be best to keep young ones nearby!
This is the view looking south toward The Needles District.
This is the view looking back toward the Grand View Point Overlook and the La Sal Mountains to the east of Moab.
Overall, the Grand View Point Trail is a very straightforward hike, as it simply traverses the southernmost tip of the Island in the Sky Mesa toward one of the park’s most panoramic viewpoints.
This is where the end of the Grand View Point Trail—the highest rock formation in the photo below—begins to stand out from the surrounding landscape.
At the very end, the Grand View Point Trail scrambles up this final rock formation before reaching the panoramic overlook just beyond.
Grand View Point
Standing at roughly 1,200 ft. (366 m) above White Rim Road down below, the Grand View Point is one of the most spectacular overlooks in all of Canyonlands National Park.
The Grand View Point is also a park favorite for watching the sunset, which I personally could not recommend any more highly!
That being said, be sure to come prepared with a quality headlamp, like the ones I’ve trusted and used below, if this is something that you’re considering.
