State: Utah
Location: Canyonlands National Park
Length, One-Way: 2 miles
Trail Type: Out and Back
Minimum Elevation: 6100 feet
Elevation Change: 50 feet
Best Season: Spring, Fall
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Heavy
Trail Information
The Grand View Point Trail begins as the end of Grand View Road on the southern tip of Island in the Sky Mesa. It starts at an approximate elevation of 6,100 feet and heads one mile southwest along a level path. The trail ends on the edge of the mesa at a view point of the White Rim Road, the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers and the Maze district. Expect crowds at this site.
The Park Service has placed several interpretive signs at the Grand View Trailhead, including a panoramic sign naming many of the prominent features in the area such as the Totem Pole a 305-foot pillar formally called “Standing Rock” the highest such feature in Monument Basin, the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers and the White Rim Road winding its way around the Island in the Sky.
The trail is flat all the way, but it’s poorly defined in spots. There are lots of cairns but some are small. Be careful not to get too close to the cliffs. At the end of the trail, you can sit and absorb a grand view and contemplate on how nature transformed this formerly featureless plain into what you see today.
Directions
From Island in the Sky Visitor Center:
Drive for about 7.25 miles south on the Main Island Road. At the junction of Upheaval Dome/Grand View Roads bear left toward Grand View Point. Continue traveling six miles, past White Rim Overlook, to the Grand View Trailhead.
