Get incredible views of Utah’s Island in the Sky region in Canyonlands National Park when you visit the Green River Overlook. Just a 1-hour drive from Moab, the overlook features majestic views of the triangular mesa and two mighty rivers of the Island in the Sky district. This vast chasm of canyons, mesas, buttes and arches is the most accessible area of the national park.
The land you’ll view from the Green River Overlook has been carved over the centuries by the once-mighty waters and silt of the Colorado and Green rivers, as they have cut through layers upon layers of sedimentary rock. Stand at 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) and look out over the Soda Springs Basin toward the Green River. The seemingly unending views are among the best in all of Canyonlands National Park. For an even more dramatic view, visit just after sunrise or before sunset.
The viewing area, which is dotted with Utah juniper, is at the canyon rim, above a 2,200-foot (670-meter) drop to the river below. The White Rim Road is a fascinating four-wheel drive trail about halfway down the canyons and follows the edge of the Green River for 100 miles (160 kilometers).
If you want a close-up view of the arches, Native American petroglyphs, Anasazi granaries, towers and buttes of the land, take a four-wheel drive tour of the area.
While in the area, stop at other key lookout points, including Grand View Point, Buck Canyon Overlook and White Rim Overlook. For information on the region, including exhibits, books, maps, drinking water and an orientation film, stop at the Island of the Sky Visitor Center.
Find the Green River Overlook at the end of the road past the Willow Flat campground in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. A pit toilet is available. There is no running water. Pay the park’s weekly or annual entrance fee for access to this and other overlooks and trails.
