Grand View Point Trail (Canyonlands) Hiking Guide
Grand View Point is the end of the road at Island in the Sky, and the trail keeps going where the pavement stops, following the mesa's rim to a final perch high above the White Rim. It's an easy walk with a huge payoff, but the parking lot is mid-rebuild, so check the construction schedule before a summer visit.
Permit: Inside Canyonlands' Island in the Sky district, so the park entrance fee applies: $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle (7 days), $15 per person on foot or bike (16 and older), card only. An America the Beautiful pass or the $55 annual pass for the Southeast Utah parks covers it. No reservation or hiking permit is needed.
The Walk Along the Edge
AllTrails lists the out-and-back at 1.8 miles with 127 feet of gain, rated easy; the park gives the same 1.8 miles and suggests about an hour and a half. A paved sidewalk of roughly 100 yards reaches the first overlook. Past it the path turns to dirt and slickrock along the cliff edge, marked by stone cairns, past Sombrero Rock, and ends with a short scramble onto a rock point for the widest view in the district.
The Parking Lot Rebuild
The lot has only 44 formal spaces, and the park says 40 to 50 cars routinely end up parked along the road edge. It's rebuilding the area in phases during late summer, when visitation dips. In 2026 the overlook, trail and last 0.3 miles of road closed to all use, hikers included, from 6 a.m. Monday to 4 p.m. Thursday between July 27 and August 27, reopening for weekends. The park has scheduled the final phase for July to September 2027, so expect similar weekday closures then.
Island in the Sky Fee
You'll pay at the Island in the Sky entrance station, which doesn't take cash: $30 covers a private vehicle and its passengers, $15 a person on foot or bike. Your Arches receipt doesn't carry over, but the $55 Southeast Utah annual pass covers both parks, and America the Beautiful passes work at either. Lines at the entrance and full lots at overlooks are common between March and November.
Heat, Wind and the Cliff
There's no shade on the rim, and the park's high-desert summers often pass 100 degrees, so go early or near sunset. Spring and fall bring highs in the 60s to 80s and the most visitors. The edge is unfenced for most of the walk; the park cautions that slickrock is easier to climb up than down, which applies to that last scramble, and wet or icy rock near the drop-offs calls for extra care.
Bring What You Need
The district's lone drinking-water tap is at its visitor center, back up the scenic drive, so carry at least a quart each as the park advises for short trails. Cell service is unreliable across the mesa. The White Rim Overlook trail, also 1.8 miles round trip by the park's count, is nearby if you want to stretch the outing; the park says it's best in late afternoon and has very limited parking.
Hiking tips for Grand View Point Trail (Canyonlands)
- Check the park's Grand View Point construction page before a late-summer weekday visit; the trail has been closed midweek during rebuild phases.
- Go out past the first paved overlook; the best views are at the far end of the rim trail.
- Watch your footing on the final scramble, especially coming back down.
- Bring your own water; the visitor center is the only tap on Island in the Sky.
- Leave pets at home; Canyonlands prohibits them on trails and at overlooks.
Nearby trails to explore
- Mesa Arch Trail
- White Rim Overlook Trail
- Dead Horse Point East and West Rim Loop
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Grand View is an easy afternoon add-on to a Canyonlands day. Use TrailMates to find Moab hikers splitting the drive out to Island in the Sky. Download the TrailMates app to connect.