Edward Abbey described the Canyonlands country of south-eastern Utah best when he called the place the least inhabited, least developed, least improved, least civilized, most arid, most hostile, most lonesome, most grim bleak barren desolate and savage quarter of the state of Utah – the best part by far.

In terms of sheer acreage, Canyonlands is the largest of Utah’s five national parks. Fist designated as a park in 1964, it was expanded to its present size in 1971. It is the least developed and most difficult to tour.

The park is divided into three principal districts. Island in the Sky is a broad, level mesa wedged between the Green and Colorado rivers. It serves as a king of observation platform for the other two wards of this rugged park: the Needles District and the Maze District. A separate chunk of parkland, the Horseshoe Canyon Unit, lies northwest of the main body of the park.