the needles

TNF_12

I am sharing my experience on driving out of Needles along Hwy 211 and towards US190 after dusk. The mule deer are rampant and I came close to hitting deer no less than 6 times on the drive. They basically just stand in the middle of the road with little awareness of oncoming traffic. Please be very careful and drive a safe speed so that you can stop in time. The drive in the day is fine, watch out for range cattle though.The Needles were awesome, highly recommended.

ChristineR513

A long drive from Moab but when we had finished our day here we drove on to Monticello. However, Monticello is pretty quiet and doesn't have much to offer compared with Moab. Be sure to stop at Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument to see the petroglyphs. More stunning scenery at the Needles.

Mon55

Did this section first and it was a surprise package, as we thought we would be in and out in no time. The sights were amazing and kept getting better. Take water and enjoy nature in one of the most beautiful spots around. The drive in is fairly long which is probably why the other end, Island in the Sky is the most popular. However having done both this is my favourite. But everyone will have their own idea depending on what they want.

Will604

It was not as crowded as Islands in the Sky section of Canyonland NP. But it was worthwhile to visit the Needles. Mind you that some of the hikes could not be reached with a trailer/RV due to road conditions.

windgail

Hiking and mountain biking trails, as well as four-wheel-drive roads are all to be found in The Needles section of Canyonlands National Park. The two larger districts (The Needles and Island in the Sky) of this national park are not connected within the park and have two separate entrances. One is north of Monticello from the east via Hwy 211, and the other is north of Moab from the north via Hwy 313. These two entrances are approximately 65 miles apart. The Needles is about 35 miles from Hwy 191, once you turn onto Hwy 211. Once in the park, there are overlooks off the paved roads, and four short, interpretive trails if you don't have much time or don't want to hike very far. There are 60 miles of interconnecting hiking trails for heavy-duty hiking! A mixture of slickrock and sand over which to walk in The Needles, and wonderful rock formations upon which to gaze! This area is also more 'open,' and has a good amount of shrub. Another neat area!

jjkeyser

We visited the needles section of Canyonlands in late April. The weather was perfect, low 50's at night high 70s low 80's during the day. Any later and I think it would have been a little too hot for all the hiking we did. We spent 3 days hiking around the area doing 10-12 mile loops each time. The hiking ranges from moderate to strenuous at times but the views and changes in scenery are amazing. My favorite loop is the Chesler park-Joint Trail loop. The scenery changes so much on this loop and the narrow slots of the joint trail are amazing to witness firsthand. Once we were done hiking we headed back to our campsite at Squaw Flats. While the camp was completely booked, I hardly even noticed anyone else was around. Each site is fairly roomy and can easily fit up to 8 people. The needles are some of my favorite landscapes and I highly recommend a visit!

KnitPhit

We went on 2 hikes while here. 1: Big Spring Canyon to Squaw Canyon. The hike in the bottom of the canyon was nice but nothing overly exciting. Going up and over the big rocks to get to the next canyon was super cool! It was worth it to go up the rock, see the magnificent views, then back down. So beautiful!2. Slickrock trail. Nice fairly easy hike along the rock and overlooking some canyons. Beautiful views. It was about a 3 mile hike so something nice to do when you want something more sedate.

195amyw

-Oh this is what Mars looks like, right? I did an awesome hike here, around Elephant Hill. First we’ll talk about the road there, yeah…. It could dirt road off the main road was a bit sketchy for my two wheel vehicle. But if you take it really slow, it will be okay and be patient. Perhaps try to get there early in the morning when all of traffic is going in one direction. The hike itself was breath taking, seeing all the fins and mushrooms with different shades of red. I really enjoyed this scenic drive, soo many rock formations! -Pothole point, oh too bad the rain had dried up, I can see how this place would be a great setting for pictures if there was rain water. There are a few pools where I got to see ta-Do check out the visitor center when in the Needles, (I thought it was more informative then the Island’s visitor center)

Back_Road_Tours

It is hard to describe the incredible rock formations. At times it's like being surrounded by giant rock mushrooms. It is a great park to hike in as it is more remote and less covered with access roads. It also creates another challenge of trying to limit one's picture taking. This one is impossible as every turn presents new vistas that just beg to be recorded.

jbschaffer

If you have the time, be sure to take the marvelous hike at Elephant Hill. You have to drive three miles on an unsaved one lane road to the trailhead, but it is definitely worth it. The hike takes you across a one approach to the red needles canyon. From there you can spend hours walking thru slot canyons and marveling at the unbelievable rock formations. You feel you are truly transported to another planet. Try to go early in the day so you have time to meander around to see everything. Bring LOTS of water!

cestovatel25

Needles district of the Canyonlands is a bit of a drive from Moab (about 2 hours), but we enjoyed it because there were no crowds at all and it feels remote and that's what we wanted to experience. We did a nice little hike - The cave spring trail (1km round trip) and we were the only people on this hike! We loved it! Otherwise we just drove the scenic drive in the Needles and stopped at view points. We spent about 2 -3 hours here. I would recommend you visit the Needles district if you want to get away from crowds.

charlottej656

A simple drive past the needles is really all that you need to get a good look at these pillars. Simply stunning!

115kenb

The Needles section of the Park is great for hikers, mostly. We arrived here toward the end of an over-stuffed day of travel, and only managed to do the Slickrock trail, where we had hopes of spotting some elusive Big Horn Sheep in the hour before dusk on a still-hot July evening. That wish went unfulfilled. There are scenic overlooks along the park road for non-hikers; but the payoff may not be enough to justify the somewhat long trek in from the main highway.

palmierspirit

Quite far from Moab where we were staying, about 1h30.Bring food, lot of water (you could still buy some at the Needles Outpost, nice couple running a campground and a grocery store if you forgot something).And Hike. If you plan to do just "viewpoint hopping", it's not worth it, you would prefer go the Island in the Sky.We hiked cheslar + joint trail, it was one of the best hike we did in this trip (went to canyonlands, archers, zion, bryce ) Sometimes you hike through a nice meadow, and the through a big crack with wall 30meters high, then climb up to a dramatic panorama...And nobody will be there to bother you. We met maybe 6 ou 7 people there.It could be scary because you have no cell phone reception, but trails are well marked with cairns.Really worth it.

wayne1961

This is a very scenic drive going into this park. The canyons that you drive thru are so beautiful! And about halfway in, there's a stop off with petroglyphs. A family of Badgers crossed the road as we started the drive in. We did hike a few of the smaller trails, and saw an old cowboy camp. We also went off road, and the scenery is so Awesome. The campground is also very nice.