NationalParkEntry

UT · Southwest

Canyonlands National Park entry requirements

Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycle applies at Canyonlands every day of 2026. Entrance is $30 per vehicle. Check any visit date against the official 2026 rules.

The 2026 season at Canyonlands

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycle applies on every date in 2026. Some activities need their own permit.

An entrance fee or accepted pass is required on every visit, separately from anything below.

  1. Park entrance

    Required

    You must pay the park entrance fee or show an accepted pass.

    • Private vehicle: $30, valid for 7 days.
    • Motorcycle: $25.
    • Per person on foot or bicycle: $15.
    • An America the Beautiful pass covers this entrance fee. It does not cover any reservation or permit below.
    • The $55 park annual pass is a Southeast Utah Group pass: it admits one vehicle or its holder to Arches AND Canyonlands national parks plus Natural Bridges and Hovenweep national monuments, US residents only. Youth 15 and under are free. No non-US-resident surcharge is listed for Canyonlands.

  2. Timed entry

    Not required

    Nothing here is required in 2026.

    • No timed-entry reservation is required to enter Canyonlands. Unlike neighbouring Arches, Canyonlands runs no timed-entry pilot.

  3. Vehicle, road, or corridor

    Required all year

    Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycle applies on every date in 2026.

    • Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycle

      Dates
      Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
      Hours
      All day
      Fee
      $6
      Opens
      Rolling window · 8 a.m. Mountain Time

      Applies to White Rim Road (Island in the Sky); Elephant Hill, Lavender Canyon and Peekaboo/Horse Canyon roads (The Needles)

      • There is a non-refundable $6.00 reservation fee (Recreation.gov), in addition to the park entrance fee.
      • Not needed to drive the paved Island in the Sky or Needles scenic drives.
      • Not needed for hiking - only for four-wheel-drive, motorcycle and bicycle travel on the listed roads.
      • A campground reservation does not include a day-use road permit.
    • Backcountry road closures and impassable roads: Island in the Sky and Needles paved scenic drives remain open.
    Book on recreation.gov

  4. Shuttle

    Not applicable

    Canyonlands National Park has no shuttle system.

  5. Your campground or lodging

    Not required

    Nothing here is required in 2026.

    • The Needles campground reservations (seasonal booking window).

  6. Selected activity

    Required all year

    2 separate requirements apply all through 2026.

    • Overnight backcountry permit

      Dates
      Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
      Hours
      All day
      Fee
      Not published
      Opens
      Fixed date · 8 a.m. Mountain Time

      Applies to All park backcountry: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze

      • NPS does not publish the overnight permit fee on this page. Unknown.
      • Not needed for day use.
      • NPS describes these as very competitive.
      • A developed campground reservation does not cover backcountry camping.

    • Colorado and Green river permit

      Dates
      Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
      Hours
      All day
      Fee
      Not published
      Opens
      Not published

      Applies to Green River and Colorado River within the park

      • NPS does not publish the river permit fee on this page. Unknown.
    Book on recreation.gov

Fees and passes

Private vehicle$30
Motorcycle$25
Per person, on foot or bicycle$15
Valid for7 days
Park annual pass$55

The $55 park annual pass is a Southeast Utah Group pass: it admits one vehicle or its holder to Arches AND Canyonlands national parks plus Natural Bridges and Hovenweep national monuments, US residents only. Youth 15 and under are free. No non-US-resident surcharge is listed for Canyonlands.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

A pass covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover the $6 Recreation.gov day-use permit reservation fee for 4WD/motorcycle/bicycle travel on White Rim Road, Elephant Hill, Lavender Canyon or Peekaboo/Horse Canyon, nor an overnight backcountry or river permit.

Fee-free days

  • Feb 16, 2026
  • May 25, 2026
  • Jun 14, 2026
  • Jul 3, 2026
  • Jul 4, 2026
  • Jul 5, 2026
  • Aug 25, 2026
  • Sep 17, 2026
  • Oct 27, 2026
  • Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

  • Island in the Sky and The Needles entrance stationsCanyonlands entrance fee (7-day pass) · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  • White Rim Road (Island in the Sky); Elephant Hill, Lavender Canyon and Peekaboo/Horse Canyon roads (The Needles)Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycle travel on named backcountry roads · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  • All park backcountry: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The MazeOvernight backcountry permit (seasonal four-month release windows) · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  • Green River and Colorado River within the parkRiver permit for the Green and Colorado rivers (day trips too) · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

  • Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycle travel on named backcountry roadsNot covered by an in-park booking. A campground reservation does not include a day-use road permit.
  • Overnight backcountry permit (seasonal four-month release windows)Not covered by an in-park booking. A developed campground reservation does not cover backcountry camping.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Canyonlands?
No. Nothing is required to enter Canyonlands National Park itself in 2026, but parts of the park are booked separately: Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycle. It applies to White Rim Road (Island in the Sky); Elephant Hill, Lavender Canyon and Peekaboo/Horse Canyon roads (The Needles). Not needed to drive the paved Island in the Sky or Needles scenic drives. You still pay the entrance fee ($30 per vehicle) or show an accepted pass.
Is there an entrance fee at Canyonlands?
Yes. A private vehicle pass is $30 per vehicle. An America the Beautiful pass is accepted for the entrance fee, and does not cover any reservation or permit.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

  • Canyonlands entrance fee
  • Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycleReleased on a rolling window. Release time: 8 a.m. Mountain Time. Day use permits can be reserved at 8 am mountain time the day before the trip on Recreation.gov, and remain available until 8:00 a.m. MT the day of the trip.
  • Overnight backcountry permitRelease time: 8 a.m. Mountain Time. Four seasonal windows, each opening four months before the season starts: Spring (March 10 - June 9) opens November 10 at 8 am MST; Summer (June 10 - September 9) opens February 10 at 8 am MST; Fall (September 10 - December 9) opens May 10 at 8 am MST; Winter (December 10 - March 9) opens August 10 at 8 am MST.
  • Colorado and Green river permit

Official booking and park information

What this does not cover

  • Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
  • Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
  • Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
  • Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.
  • Individual campsite and lodge availability, which is handled by the booking system.

Effective dates and sources

  • Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entranceAnnual Entrance - Park $55.00 Valid for one year through the month of purchase. Admits one (1) private, non-commercial vehicle or its pass holder to Arches and Canyonlands national parks, and Natural Bridges and Hovenweep national monuments. U.S. residents only.
  • Fees & Passes - Canyonlands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Canyonlands entrance feePrivate Vehicle $30.00 Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all its occupants. ... Per Person $15.00 Admits one individual with no car. ... Youth 15 and under are admitted free.
  • Permits & Reservations - Canyonlands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to No timed-entry reservation is required to enterTimed entry reservations are not required to enter Canyonlands National Park. The park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except in cases of severe weather.
  • Permits & Reservations - Canyonlands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Day-use permit for 4WD, motorcycle and bicycleYou must have a day-use permit for four-wheel-drive, motorcycle, and bicycle travel on: White Rim Road (Island in the Sky); Elephant Hill, Lavender Canyon, and Peekaboo/Horse Canyon roads (The Needles). Day use permits can be reserved at 8 am mountain time the day before the trip on Recreation.gov.
  • Permits & Reservations - Canyonlands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Overnight backcountry permitAll overnight trips in the park backcountry require an overnight backcountry permit. Overnight permit reservations are very competitive. ... Summer permits (June 10 - September 9) open February 10 at 8 am MST.
  • Permits & Reservations - Canyonlands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Colorado and Green river permitAll day and overnight trips on the rivers require a river permit.
  • Road Conditions - Canyonlands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Backcountry road closures and impassable roadsShafer Trail: CLOSED due to washouts and flood damage (Island in the Sky, updated July 22, 2026). Lavender Canyon: Road is currently impassable due to a creek crossing and deep sand. Lockhart Canyon: Road is impassable to all vehicles from the park boundary to the river.
  • Permits & Reservations - Canyonlands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to The Needles campground reservationsNeedles Campground Reservations. To make a reservation, visit Recreation.gov, or call 877-444-6777, 877-833-6777 (TDD), or +1 518-885-3639 (International).

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-26

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Canyonlands, not by editorial preference.