Scenic USA on Facebook. The Isle of Skye Scotland is one of the most beautiful areas in the UK with dramatic landscapes surrounded by water. Just around 40 minutes away from the city of Moab, Island in the Sky is another sightseeing location you don't want to miss during your trip. Lemmon offers alpine skiing in the winter and an escape from the desert heat in the summer. We wanted to visit the Needles District, but there just wasn’t time to make that drive. Island in the sky is located a short drive north west of Moab and the roads and overlooks can get crowded. However, it is a vast area and even at the busiest times you should be able to find a parking space, a trail to hike, or just a view to take in. In the Needles district, the classic hike is a six-mile round-trip route from the Elephant Hill trailhead to Chesler Park, a vast sage-scented meadow edged by the park’s namesake sandstone spires. Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000 | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000 Start your journey among giant saguaro cacti of the Sonoran desert and climb to shady conifer forests at nearly 9,000 feet, passing biological diversity equivalent to a drive from Mexico to Canada in just 27 miles. The Sky Island Parkway provides a wide range of recreational opportunities, such as mountain-biking or horseback-riding on its many trails, or remote backcountry hiking in the Pusch Ridge Wilderness. A paved road with several scenic pullouts leads from Moab to Island in the Sky, making it one of the easiest areas to explore. The mesa, a unit of Canyonlands National Park, sits on a 1,000-feet-tall sandstone plateau, and gives travelers views of the scenic drive and all of Canyonlands, with pullouts along the way. Getting Here: The Needles is less visited than Island in the Sky because of its location. The mesa, a unit of Canyonlands National Park, sits on a 1,000-feet-tall sandstone plateau, and gives travelers views of the scenic drive … Everything you need to know about Island in the Sky Park Road, from our travel experts. Enjoy spectacular views and recreational opportunities from hiking and camping to … It sits right next to Island in the Sky, but access is from US-191. Start first at the visitor … Along the way sightseers are introduced to the park's grand scenery. Canyonlands National Park is divided into 4 districts, Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the Rivers. Mt. On our first trip to Moab, we spent time in Canyonlands National Park Islands in the Sky District. How to Spend a Day at Canyonlands National Park. Use the Physiographic Provinces map to locate the Sky Island ranges and discover the biotic communities that live there. Home Archives Previous Next ☰ Photos by Andy Cook Andy Cook Photography Even though it's a good hour's drive from Moab to the Island in the Sky's most popular viewpoints, the ride into Canyonlands National Park is anything but ho-hum. The Needles district features unique sandstone rock formations and some very cool hikes. One evening in May, we decided to drive to the end of Rt 270 from Moab, Utah, to find a place to camp. A 34-mile roundtrip scenic drive through Island in the Sky is the best way to sightsee by car, with overlooks rising 1,000 feet above the surrounding landscapes. Scenic Drive/Tour Published 01/19/2016. Enjoy this (8 Hour) Tour of Canyonlands – Island in the Sky National Park starting from Moab, Utah. Scenic drives, overlooks, and short hiking trails all make the list of the best things to do here. Island in the Sky district can be explored in as little as an hour, by driving to Grand View Point and Green River overlooks for a broad view of Canyonlands National Park. The districts are separated by the Colorado and Green Rivers. From the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, it is a 2-hour drive (106 miles). The 34-mile round-trip scenic drive features awe-inspiring overlooks, from a 1,000 feet above, of the valleys below and the other districts of the park. This article focuses solely on visiting Island in the Sky. ), photos, video and and Isle of Skye Map to get your started. The Island in the Sky District offers the wonderful opportunities for sightseeing by car and is the most accessible. Canyonlands National Park Island in the Sky district, a mesa perched 1500 feet in the sky above surrounding canyon country, offers amazing panoramic vistas of this untamed landscape. However, to get here from Moab, it is an hour and twenty minute drive. On our most recent trip, we debated whether or not it was worth the 1 hour and 45 minutes drive … Island in the Sky: A beautiful scenic drive - See 649 traveler reviews, 714 candid photos, and great deals for Canyonlands National Park, UT, at Tripadvisor. Explore the Sky Islands with material from the Arizona Experience! ... Island in the Sky Park Road. Go here for great hikes, more scenic views, and to escape the crowds that flood Island in the Sky.