Grand View Point Trail – Canyonlands National Park

The Grand View Point Trail in Canyonlands National Park is one of the perfect locations to catch a sunset in Moab. It’s a very popular site throughout the day, so don’t plan on being alone. That said, the views are so grand and massive you’ll be able to feel alone and beautifully small even with people passing around you on the trail.

Quick Info About Grand View Point Trail

The Viewpoint – At the beginning of the hike, you’ll go down a 100 yard paved path, which is wheelchair accessible, and there is a viewpoint area that will be sure to impress you. It’s an easy way to get to take in a view if you’re on a time crunch.
Trail Mileage – 2 miles total, out and back trail. This trail is accurately rated easy.
Getting to the Trailhead – This trail is located in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. The trailhead is located at the very end of the road. Needless to say, it’s very easy to find this trailhead.
Best Time to Visit – This trail is very popular for sunset. However, it’s quite popular throughout the day. That said, we didn’t have any issue finding a parking spot.
Cost to Visit – For the standard weekly pass, the private vehicle Fee is $30, motorcycle fee is $25 and individuals pay $15/person if hiking or biking.
That said, if you frequent the national parks, I highly recommend the $80 investment in the America the Beautiful annual National Park Pass. There are actually spots for 2 names, so we share ours with my parents most years!
Who Can Hike It – This is a great trail for people of any age as long as you’re capable of walking a couple of miles. It’s quite level and I would say kids would easily be able to hike it. However, pets are not allowed on the trails in this section of Canyonlands National Park

Our Experience on the Grand View Point Trail

We capped off our first evening in Moab with sunset on the Grand View Point Trail. We didn’t time it perfectly, so we had an odd combination of rushing to try to see the sun dip beyond the canyon and also looking out over the beautiful overlooks of canyon after canyon. Even with the weird rush, though, we thoroughly enjoyed this hike.

This trail offers view after view after view. The “Island in the Sky” name is only made more evident on this trial because at different times, there are canyons on either side of you. These canyons each wind in different shapes, house formations and offer some spectacular views. Grand View Point Trail Overlook, indeed!

While we were in Moab, the smoke from several nearby wildfires was rolling in. This was on our first night when the skies were the clearest and you can already see just how thick it was. It made for moody photos and was an added element to the shapes and shadows the light made. That said, I’m sad that Matt didn’t get to see the La Sals in the background of many viewpoints the way that you normally can. Hopefully our next visit will give us even more stunning views!

The sun was hitting the horizon as we neared the very end of the trail. The smoke held the color in the sky for what seemed like a long time. Matt ran ahead of me since I was going a smidge slower being 5 months pregnant, and he wanted to catch the sun before it slipped below the canyon edges. Luckily, I was able to get there before then as well!

The end of the trail is actually up at the top of this big rock that I’m sitting/leaning against. There was a large group of people (probably 10-15) and since we were trying to keep out space, I just climbed over around this side and got the same view but Matt and I got to enjoy it just the two of us!

On the way back to the trailhead, we still took our time on the trail. Most people booked it back and passed us, so we had the beautiful overlooks all to ourselves. The landscape came across more purple-brown than oranges and reds. I love that a change in light can alter the look of the landscape. One of the magics of hiking is that no matter how many times you do the same trail, it’s never the same experience and the light plays a large part in that.

Booking.com

We didn’t do as many hikes as we would’ve liked to in Canyonlands because we did so many other hikes in Arches and around Moab, but I feel like we got to enjoy a beautiful and wonderful trail in the Grand View Point Trail.

Did You Enjoy This Post? PIN IT So Others Can Too!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a reservation with Booking.com or purchase a policy with WorldNomads.com through For the Love of Wanderlust, you will help me stay on the road + keep my site running at no additional cost for you.  
Be sure to read the terms + conditions of these sites when booking or purchasing!