Download free topo maps of Canyonlands National Park. Use the adjoining 7.5 minute quadrangle legend to locate the Utah maps you need.
Canyonlands National Park is located in the state of Utah in an area where the geology of the region has exposed many millions of years of rock layers, leaving a vibrant multihued landscape which is capable of taking a nature lover's breath away. Canyonlands was established as a National Park to preserve this comparatively untouched primitive landscape; one of the last such regions in the world. The Park areas are divided into districts, each isolated from the other districts despite the relative nearness on a map. It can take two to four hours of terrain to traverse by car, from one district to the next, as they are separated by mesas, buttes, multiple canyons, the Colorado or Green River and their respective tributaries. The districts have colorful and descriptive names such as the Island in the Sky, the Needles and the Maze. Whether visiting one of the two rivers, White Rim Road, Horseshoe or Cataract Canyon, or the Orange Cliffs, each has amazing vistas. Some of the units have archeological finds, rock art and more to offer. This unique, remarkable region is "high desert" as it is anywhere from approximately 3,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level; and whose ecology supports habitats for a range of wildlife from lizards to desert bighorn sheep, while Peregrine Falcons and Mexican Spotted Owl may also be spotted. In 2005 a leather bag eroding from the sand was discovered by visitors; an archeologist's treasure trove containing several smaller bags and artifacts, all dating back approximately 2,000 years ago. The bag was found in Horseshoe Canyon at the Great Gallery where a life-sized panel of figures with elaborate patterns painted from 2,000 to 7,000 years ago covers the canyon wall. Information at each of the Vistor's Centers relates the age of Native American habitation from their rock art to the Tower Ruins where stone and mud dwellings were built. Ranger guided tours, boating, hiking and four-wheel drives may be required to visit some areas. Recreational camping, backpacking, horseback riding and auto touring are also popular. Whether visiting one or many of the districts, Canyonlands Park is an incredible journey.