Canyonlands National Park: A Wilderness Playground

IN the Parks·Allison Martin·Aug 26, 2026·20 min

Show Notes

My family and I are hitting the fourth of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks. We’re going to Canyonlands, not far outside Moab. It was certainly a wilderness playground between the hiking, canyons, and offroading opportunities.

We hiked trails at Grand View Point Overlook and Mesa Arch before driving the famous Shafer Trail. Driving the Shafer Trail means managing switchbacks, passing cars on narrow gravel trails, and making it 1,500 feet down to the bottom of the canyon. Then you have to come back up! An amazing trail!

One thing of note: From what I could tell, Canyonlands only has pit or vault toilets. Even the bathrooms at the nature center were outdoors, so be mentally ready for that!

You are going to learn about:

  • The difference between Canyonlands and the Grand Canyon
  • What makes this park more dangerous
  • Hiking to Grand View Point Overlook
  • The reason you should be careful at Mesa Arch
  • Why driving Shafer Trail is an absolute must

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Episode Details
Show
IN the Parks
Category
Travel & Outdoors
Topic
IN the Parks
Duration
00:19:51
Published
Aug 26, 2026
About the Host
Allison Martin
Allison Martin
Host · IN the Parks

Allison Martin tells the stories behind Indiana's state parks: the best trails, the campgrounds, the history and the corners worth the drive.

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Frequently asked

Quick answers.

Hiking, canyons, and offroading — Allison Martin calls it a wilderness playground. It sits not far outside Moab, Utah, and it is the fourth of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks that IN the Parks visits this season.

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