State: Utah
Location: Canyonlands National Park
Length, Round Trip: 2.4 miles
Trail Type: Loop
Minimum Elevation: 5040 feet
Elevation Change: 100 feet
Best Season: Spring, Fall
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Heavy
Mule Deer Fawn, Canyonlands Utah
Trail Information
The Slickrock Trail is a short nature trail heading over slickrock in a loop between Little Spring and Big Spring Canyons. This trail stays high giving you an incredible perspective of the entire southeastern corner of Canyonlands National Park. The loop is approximately 2.5 miles and takes less than two hours to complete. The far northern end of the loop overlooks the confluence of Big Spring Canyon and Little Spring Canyon. This is an easy hike with little elevation gain appropriate for families with small children.
A brochure is available for this hike. It describes much of the geology of the area and is keyed specifically to four viewpoints along the trail. Take the hike counter-clockwise about half a mile up the trail where the loop section of the trail begins.
Viewpoint #1 is just before you start of the loop. From this viewpoint, there is a nice panoramic view of the entire region and many of the major landmarks: Six-shooter Peak, Elaterite Butte, Cathedral Butte, the La Sal Mountains, Ekker Butte and the Needles.
The trail stays on the ridge between Little Spring Canyon and Big Spring Canyon. At Viewpoint #2, you can get a good view into upper reaches of Little Spring Canyon. After Viewpoint #3, the trail turns west and then south. You can take a long look at the region’s namesake, the Needles, as you walk along.
Locating Viewpoint #4 is more difficult than the first three. It’s about a quarter-mile walk to the viewpoint, where the first three were only 50-100 feet off the trail. At #4, you can look down into massive Big Spring Canyon. In spring, you can see a live stream flowing in the distance far below. The brochure gives you a great geology lesson from this viewpoint, so plan on spending extra time here.
After leaving Viewpoint #4, it’s another mile or so back to the trailhead, most of the trail following the east flank of Big Spring Canyon.
Directions
From Needles Visitor Center:
Drive 6.2 miles west on the main park road, past Squaw Flat Road, to the Slickrock Trailhead.
