Management

About Us

The purpose of Canyonlands National Park is to preserve striking geologic landscapes and associated ecosystems in an area encompassing the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers possessing superlative scenic, scientific, and cultural features for the inspiration, benefit, and use of the public.

Canyonlands National Park consists of four districts:

• Island in the Sky, north of the confluence of the two rivers
• The Needles, east of the Colorado River
• The Maze: west of the Green River
• the rivers themselves

Canyonlands National Park is part of the Southeast Utah Group of parks, sharing staff and administrative offices with Arches National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, and Natural Bridges National Monument. The Southeast Utah Group headquarters is in Moab, Utah.

Our Staff & Offices

Visitation Statistics

Laws & Policies
Find park regulations, the Superintendent's Compendium, and other guidance documents on park regulations and policies.

 

Do Business With Us

Companies or individuals wishing to provide commercial services in the park such as guided hiking, tours and transportation, or photography tours, must have a commercial use authorization with our concessions and permit office. Read more about commercial services.

 

Founding Documents

"That in order to preserve an area in the State of Utah possessing superlative scenic, scientific, and archeologic features for the inspiration, benefit and use of the public, there is hereby established the Canyonlands National Park..."

This passage from Public Law 88-590 passed by Congress in 1964 set aside a remarkable landscape containing much of the Colorado and Green River basins around their confluence. Public Law 92-154 revised the boundaries of Canyonlands in 1971.

Those interested in a comprehensive account of the park's beginnings may request a copy of From Controversy to Compromise to Cooperation: The Administrative History of Canyonlands National Park. This document offers an in-depth look at how the park was created and the events that shaped it (311 pages).

The park completed a General Management Plan in 1978. [4.5 MB PDF]

In 2013, the park developed a Foundation Document to update a shared understanding of the park's purpose, significance, resources, and values. This document can serve as a foundation for future planning and management decisions.