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Backpacking Canyonlands National Park | Needles District

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Canyonlands National Park: Needles District Virtual Trail Guide

During my first trip to Canyonlands National Park, I checked out the Needles district hiking over 19 miles of the beautiful district. I started at the Elephant Hill TH, hiked over to Chesler Park to the Druid Arch through the Big Spring Canyon and back to the car. It was an AWESOME day!

Read a full trail guide on this hike here:

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Hiking to Druid Arch and Chesler Park at Canyonlands National Park (Needles District)

In this adventure we bring y'all along as we hike an unexpected 17.3 mile day hike to Druid Arch and Chesler Park in the Needles District, plus visit a super cool historic trail, and then give dutch oven cooking another try (will it turn out like the cornbread?! You'll have to watch to find out! ????). It was an epic, exhausting, and long day!

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Hi y’all! We’re Adam, Kathryn, and Kona, an adventurous married couple (+ pup!) living on the road in our self-converted sprinter van! You can often find us driving all around the US and Canada, scoping out the best coffee shops, eating tacos and ice cream (we're a 5+ taco and 2+ scoop household), and enjoying nature.

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Backpacking Canyonlands-Needles District and Druid Arch

December, 2022. On a short winter trip to Utah, we finally made it to the Needles District of Canyonlands National forest for a two day backpacking trip. Day 1 began at Elephant Hill Trailhead, and we camped in Chesler Park at campsite number 4. Day 2 began with an out and back hike to Druid Arch, one of the most impressive arches we’ve seen, and ended hiking back out to Elephant Hill.

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The most AMAZING place in Canyonlands you've NEVER heard of

The most AMAZING place in Canyonlands you've NEVER heard of

Canyonlands National Park is relatively well known. Most people who go to the Moab, Utah area at least make a stop at Canyonlands National Park to see the overlooks at Island in the Sky or to get that iconic photo at Mesa Arch.

And then there's the Needles District. Definitely not the most popular area in the park. When I heard about Salt Creek Trail, no one I talked to knew what I was talking about. The logistics of the Salt Creek Trail were confusing. Permits are required and only go on sale at certain times of the year. The Salt Creek Trail also generally requires a shuttle. And you should probably backpack it. Oh, and then there are bear canisters and water to worry about.

So it sounds like a little too much trouble, huh? Well, as with many outdoor adventures, some of the biggest payoffs require a little more effort than normal. And the Salt Creek Trail is no exception. But it is so worth it. This trip through Canyonlands National Park isn't a backpacking trip. It's an adventure. The first major sight is Kirk's Cabin. This is one of the most well preserved cabins I've seen, including a broken wagon, fireplace and lots and lots of nails, cans, glass and other relics left behind from long ago. No graffiti and no one seems to take anything. It's all there for you to see.

Then you are rewarded with countless ruins. We spotted 7 or more, and only knew about 3 going in. Big Ruin is the largest Native American ruin site in Canyonlands National Park. You can't reach the main site, but there are pottery shards, corn and arrowheads everywhere. You'll surely find a few more surprise ruin sites - including several graineries - as you continue walking to the next major sight; All American Man. All American Man is a red, white and blue pictograph that....well, it looks fake. But it's not. Maybe I should mention here that there are some strange pictographs along this hike. There is a little man with antenna, All American Man and two figures who appear to be in.....all I can think is spaceships. Strange.

After All American Man, you come up to Four Faces. Four Faces is another amazing pictograph set right above yet another ruins site.

Oh, and did I mention the arches? There are nearly as many random arches as there are ruins on this section of the trail. Many were not named on my Gaia.

Then we were at our camp for the night. Luckily there was water just beyond it at Upper Jump.

The next day, we headed to Angel Arch. I won't lie, I was pretty excited. Angel Arch is an enormous natural arch set high up on a cliff. As you can see in the video, Angel Arch appears to have an angel leaning up against one side of it. It's extremely unique. But like many things on the Salt Creek Trail, that's not enough. There is also a stone pillar called Molar Rock at the base of Angel Arch. Honestly, it looks like a heart to me, but I don't get to name it. The combination of Angel Arch and Molar Rock makes for an amazing and other wordly scene, not to mention some really cool pictures.

Then it was back to camp for night two.

Day 3 was mostly walking as fast as we could. The scenery was still spectacular, but we were tired and still had to drive home, so it was heads down and walk forward. We hit Peek A Boo (a cool hole through the rocks complete with pictographs), and then, after a short 3 miles down a sandy road, we were back at the truck.

Canyonlands is amazing. And the Salt Creek Trail gives you some of the most rugged, unique and beautiful sights in the park. If you haven't heard of it, I recommend you check it out. You will not be disappointed.

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TOP 10 PLACES TO VISIT IN CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK, UTAH

The best of Canyonlands National Park- in this video, I show you guys my top 10 favorite hikes and places to visit here. This video is the ultimate travel guide so you can see the best of Canyonlands National Park, and know everything you need for a great visit!

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The Needles District of Canyonlands - Utahs Least Visited National Park

In this video I continue my sojourn in Moab with a day trip to the Needles District of Canyonlands. The Needles is located about 2 hours south of Moab and has even more unique and wild geologic features and ancient history. Join me for one day hiking and exploring some of the park from the Cave Creek Trail to Chesler Park.


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???? Backpacking Canyonlands - The Amazing Needles District

In this video, we go backpacking on memorial day weekend to Canyonlands National Park in Utah. More specifically the Lost Canyon Loop Trail in the Needles District.

Canyonlands is a national parks located in the south eastern side of Utah, near Moab City.It is located in the desert and temperatures can be very hot starting mid May.

The Lost Canyon Loop Trail is a roughly 9 miles trail and it can be technical in some parts as it involves some rock climbing. Good gripping shoes and at least 4 liters of water per day per person is required in hotter temperatures.

We truly enjoyed our adventure at Canyonlands and hope to be back soon.

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#ultralightbackpacking #canyonlands #backpacking #theneedledistrict

Canyonlands - The Needles District

There are multiple areas/entrances to this park spread out. This entrance and area is about an hour outside of Moab. This is also the less traveled part of the Canyonlands park, probably due to how far away it is and also how small the drive through it is. Still beautiful (of course)! This video is a lil short also, due to the fact i didn't realize i had a crack on one of my lenses on my camera... so alot of my footage I couldn't use. But thank goodness i was able to still show the beauty of this place. Once this weather warms up, this will be the first place I go hike!

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Backpacking at Canyonlands National Park | Chesler Park and Druid Arch

On October 27th and 28th Angie and I did an overnight hike at Canyonlands National Park in the Needles District camping at Chesler Park. The overall mileage on the hike was around 17 miles, we were able to do the Chesler Park Loop, Joint Trail, and make it out to Druid Arch for a side hike. We were lucky and got some snow that made the scenery even more majestic!

Don't forget to like and subscribe if you haven't already, thanks ror watching!!

The Complete Expert Guide to the White Rim Road

Thanks for watching this two-minute tour about how to experience the White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park like a seasoned pro!

Canyonlands National Park is the ancestral homeland of the Ute, Navajo, Hopi, and Paiute people. Keep in mind that native histories are nuanced and there are many claims to this ancient land. Do your part and learn some native history.

Antiquities and relics of the past can be found all over Moab, Utah. It is a federal offense to deface, take, or ruin any of these precious windows into the past. Look with your eyes and take only photographs.

As always, it’s important to visit these places with respect and leave it better than you found it.

Dogs are not welcome along the White Rim Trail.

Big horned sheep use the area around the White Rim Road as calving ground and home. If you’re lucky (like we were) you may spot them! They are magnificent creatures, but they have very little access to food and water. Disturbing them means they use precious energy.

Drones are not allowed in Canyonlands. Leave your drones at home.

Rule number 1 when visiting the desert is DON’T BUST THE CRUST! That weird, raised, bumpy soil you see is alive. It’s called cryptobiotic soil and it is an integral part of preventing erosion and allowing for plant life to thrive in the desert. It is fragile and stepping on it will ruin years of development.

Stay on marked trails when possible. If you do venture into the backcountry, pay attention to where you’re walking. Camp and walk on hard surfaces where possible. See all of my amazing resources down below for how to have a safe, respectful visit to the White Rim Road!

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✨ Additional Resources ✨
The complete guide to visiting Moab, Utah:

Backcountry permit info for Canyonlands National Park:

Hot Tip: Book all permits and timed entry well in advance - right when you are able to. Backcountry permits fill up almost immediately in spring, summer, and fall!

Your Resource List for the White Rim Road:

The Ultimate Guide to the White Rim Road:
GPS Location of a small slot canyon:

Practice Leave No Trace:
Hiking Safely in the desert:
Desert Camping Hacks:

Other Things to do in Canyonlands National Park:
Visiting Mesa Arch for Sunrise:
The Grand View Point is a photographer’s dream:
The complete pro guide to Island in the Sky:
How to have an awesome trip to the Needles:
Backpacking the Needles in Canyonlands - what to know:

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I intentionally use photos and videos that have been edited for color and lighting, and ones that haven’t.

All the photos and videos you see of the White Rim Road were taken by me or a friend. I rarely edit other people out of photos (and I would make a note here if I did!).

Time stamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:14 - Basic info about how to drive the road
00:25 - Permit information
00:35 - Best time to go
00:47 - Biking and driving requirements
00:59 - What to pack for the White Rim Road
01:08 - Best camping on the White Rim Road
01:18 - How long does the White Rim Road take?
01:46 - Difficulty level
02:14 - Outro
02:30 - Bloopers
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Solo Backpacking Canyonlands National Park Needles District

Solo backpacking Canyonlands National Park Needles district. A visit to Chesler Park and the Joint Trail in 100 degree weather over Labor Day weekend. A great trip but the hot weather and lack of water shortened my original plan.

SOLO OVERNIGHT in CANYONLANDS National Park

Come along as I hike out to Murphy Point in Canyonlands Island in the Sky District for a solo overnight camping trip. The weather makes this trip a bit of a challenge as I deal with freezing temps, strong winds and even snow flurries. All of that is worth it for the jaw dropping views from my camp on the mesa overlooking the vast red rock canyons.

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Overnight Hike in the Needles District | Canyonlands National Park

Angie and I had permits for a 4 day hike at Salt Creek in Canyonlands National Park's Needles District for October 12th. The day before our hike was planned we stopped at the Needles Visitor Center to get any helpful info the rangers might have on the trail. While doing that they let us know that there was a chance of snow at the trailhead which was down a dirt road that can get pretty bad when it's wet. Because of this info we decided to opt out of that hike so we wouldn't end up getting stranded on a messy mountain road. Thankfully we were able to pop in at the backcountry office to change our permits up.

The backcountry ranger was super helpful when it came to changing up our plans, there was a large detailed map that showed where all the campsites were. He listed off the available campsites and let us know that Lost Canyon 1 was available and that it's a decent site that sits on some pretty hiking trails so we decided to go with that one. Instead of a 4 day 20+ mile out and back we would be doing a 2 day 8 mile hike. Better than totally cancelling though!

The route we picked was known as the Lost Canyon/Squaw Canyon Loop and we parked at the Squaw Flat Campground Trailheads. There is likely to be some name changes in the near future with the places with squaw in the title. Recently Interior Secretary, Deb Haalland, announced that the term will be removed from any trails, mountains, lakes, etc on federal lands. Before that announcement I didn't know it was an offensive slur (although not surprised that the NPS would use a derogatory term). While like the case with many other name changes I'm sure this will spark controversy for those that want to keep the names for nostalgia sake but for me being inclusive to Indigenous People and their culture that has been on this land much longer than mine is more important.

Overall the hike was lovely and nothing to hard, there were a couple scramble but nothing too tricky, this could easily be done in a day but we enjoyed it as an easy backpacking trip.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah- Needles District, Backpacking, Druid Arch, 2 Utah Hikers

The Needles District of Canyonlands is more remote than Island in the Sky. There is a Visitor Center, Campground and campsites in the back country for backpackers. Permits are required for the back country. This area is vast and needs days to explore all its hidden gems.
The hike to Druid Arch is strenuous. Scrambling, heights, slick rock and loose rock. Don't count on there being water. Pack all the water you will need for your trip. Hope you enjoy our video. Please give us a thumbs up and subscribe! Thanks so much!

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Solo Backpacking the Needles District in Canyonlands National Park

The Utah series kicks off with a 12 mile overnight hike at the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. No water sources means carrying in a gallon and half of water through layers of otherworldly rock formations. Will Joe overcome the first night's fatigue and find the perfect spot for ramyun? Will he survive the severe wind gusts through the night? Or is the dry and dusty desertscape too much to bear?

Needles to say, theres only one way to find out.



Next up -
Reflection Canyon

0:00 intro
0:27 hike in
2:07 kobe
2:30 dinner quest
3:58 exploration
5:37 hike out








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CHESLER PARK is like another WORLD! Backpacking the Needles District | Druid Arch & Joint Trail

Here is a complete overview of the Chesler Park Loop. It is located in the Needles District of Canyon lands National Park. In this video we complete the traditional Chesler Park loop trail with the Joint Trail. I also do a 6 mile side trip to Druid Arch. If you plan on exploring this area then watch this first.

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0:00 Intro
0:30 Elephant Hill Trailhead
1:04 The Hike
3:00 Into the Canyon
3:40 Climbing out of the Canyon
5:32 Entering Chesler Park
7:48 The Campsites
9:00 The Joint Trail
13:54 Jeep Trailhead Break
14:34 Jeep Road
15:45 The Climb back to Chesler Park
17:50 Back Into Chesler Park
19:48 Back at Camp
20:45 Druid Arch Hike
24:04 Druid Arch
25:55 Evening at Chesler Park
29:08 Morning Hike Out
30:19 Back at the Trailhead
3-:44 Outtakes

Backpacking Canyonlands National Park | Needles District

Two night backpacking trip in Canyonlands National Park in October 2018

Day 1: Backpack from Elephant Hill Trailhead to basecamp 3 mi
Day 2: Day hike to Druid Arch and around Chesler loop/Joint Trail 11mi
Day 3: Backpack back to Elephant Hill Trailhead 3 mi

This trip did require permit reservations months in advance. Please let me know if you have any questions about this trip! I'd also love to hear what you think/like about this video, since I plan on creating more like this in the future.

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Big Spring Canyon | Canyonlands National Park | Needles District | Slickrock is scary!

I thought I was gonna die! Okay, yes I really was scared at times on this hike, but I was okay. Ron and I hiked a 4 mile out-and-back in a beautiful area early on a Friday morning. Needles District of the Canyonlands National Park is a MUST DO hiking destination for any hiker or backpacker!

Lots of slickrock outcropping you must climb up and over, lots of incredible views.... this is one EPIC hike. We would go back tomorrow and do it again, but definitely go farther. We may have to start planning a return trip.

Videos in this series:
#1. Hiking Big Spring trail
#2. Needles campground, Squaw Flat, and camping outside park
#3. Hiking Squaw Canyon trail
#4. Canyonlands overview

☁️????️ Canyonlands: Exploring Island in the Sky AND The Needles | 51 Parks with the Newstates

Mesa Arch, Grand View Point, Cave Spring, Pothole Point, and more! We're sharing our favorites from both Island in the Sky and The Needles districts of Canyonlands National Park. Watch Arches NP (part of Utah's Mighty 5) :

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00:00 Introduction to Canyonlands National Park
00:43 Understanding Canyonlands NP Districts
01:31 Island in the Sky
01:47 Shafer Trail View Point
02:13 Overlooks at Canyonlands
02:44 Grand View Point
03:10 The Needles District
04:38 How did Canyonlands form? (Ranger Program)
08:22 Picnic in the park
09:04 Oh no! Stormy weather causes issues
11:28 Mesa Arch
12:31 Upheaval Dome Overlook Trail
13:50 Where to next?

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Backpacking Canyonlands NP Needles District | Elephant Hill, EC3, Druid Arch, Joint Trail, EC1 (HD)

Highlights from our two night backpacking trip in the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park, Memorial Day weekend of 2019.

In this video:
Backcountry Campsite Elephant Canyon 3 (EC3) @ 2:42
Druid Arch @ 3:53
Chesler Park @ 5:33
The Joint Trail @ 6:03
Backcountry Campsite Elephant Canyon 1 (EC1) @ 9:02

Fun facts:
- Laura sprained both ankles at the climbing gym a few months prior. This is why she hikes like a robot and why Andrew carried a 64lb pack :)
- We each had a gallon of water per person for every day we were there
- The first night at EC3 we were lucky enough to see the SpaceX satellite launch (crazy because we didn't know what it was at first!)
- It was H-O-T-T

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Music by HookSounds

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