Hike through the mesmerizing Needles District over slickrock sandstone, through a slot canyon, and by mushroom-shaped rocks on the Chesler Park Loop Trail. Chesler Park is the best way to experience panoramic views of the Needles District in Canyonlands National Park between Moab and Monticello, Utah.
- Distance: 10.7 mile loop trail
- Time: 5-6 hours
- Elevation Gain: ~1800 feet
- Difficulty: Hard (primarily due to the distance)
- Cost: National Park Fees
- No water on trail
- Dogs are not allowed
Arguably the most exciting, unique, and fun trail in Canyonlands National Park, Chesler Park delivers on incredible views of rock formations, easy rock scrambling, and navigating slot canyons. It’s like a playground for hikers in an almost otherworldly environment. This was my favorite hike in Canyonlands, and here are some tips and advice so you can experience it too.
About Chesler Park in Utah’s Canyonlands
The rocks exposed in the Needles District span a vast expanse of geologic time, ranging from the Permian period (approximately 300 million years ago) to the Cretaceous period (approximately 100 million years ago). Each layer of rock tells a story of ancient environments, from ancient seas and deserts to lush tropical forests.
The most iconic geological features of the Needles District are the towering sandstone spires and needles that rise dramatically from the desert floor. These rock formations are composed of Cedar Mesa Sandstone, which was deposited during the Jurassic period and subsequently uplifted and exposed by erosion.
Chesler Park Campsites
Chesler Park has designated primitive campsites available for backpackers who are hiking the Chesler Park Loop Trail or exploring the surrounding area. These campsites do not have amenities such as running water or restrooms so you’ll need to practice Leave No Trace principles and bring all necessary supplies.
If you plan to camp in Chesler Park, you’ll need to get a backcountry camping permit from Recreation.gov. Permits can be obtained online or in person at the visitor center. It’s essential to reserve your permit well in advance, especially during the peak season.
When camping in Chesler Park, follow all park regulations and guidelines to minimize your impact on the environment and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for yourself and others. This includes observing quiet hours, properly disposing of waste, and respecting wildlife and other visitors.
One of the highlights of camping in Chesler Park is the opportunity for unparalleled stargazing. The remote location and minimal light pollution make for spectacular views of the night sky.
Trailhead Location
If you’re staying in Moab, plan for about a 1-1.5 hour drive to the trailhead. Begin heading south on US-191. Turn right onto UT-211 West for the entrance to the Needles District (you might pass by some signs for cows freely roaming).
Continue on this scenic road, enjoying the views of Indian Creek Canyon and Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument. After about 30 miles, you’ll come to the visitor center where you can speak with a park ranger, pick up park maps or purchase souvenirs.
Continue driving on UT-211 West until you see the turnoff for route 2444 to Squaw Flat Campground. Shortly after, turn right again onto Elephant Hill Road. This is a narrow, winding, 3 mile dirt road. However, you do not need a 4WD vehicle to get to the trailhead. I got there safely in a rented standard sedan.
The Elephant Hill trailhead (beginning point for Chesler Park Loop Trail) has a good amount of parking and a vaulted toilet.
Trailhead Coordinates: 38.103571, -109.866631
Hiking the Chesler Park Loop Trail
It’s important to know that this trail does have rock cairns along most of the path. However, it is EXTREMELY easy to still get lost! Download an offline map from AllTrails or bring a GPS device and printed map to play it safe and stay on the trail. In general, follow signs for Chesler Park, then the Joint Trail, and Elephant Hill on your return.
Views and Points of Interest Along the Trail
| Distance Into Hike | View/Point of Interest |
| 1.5 mi | Elephant Canyon Trail junction – stay on the path towards Chesler Park, which is another 1.4 miles away |
| 1.8 mi | Cross the sandy wash to continue towards Chesler Park |
| 2.8 mi | Arrive at the saddle and the Chesler Park Viewpoint |
| 2.9 mi | Chesler Park Loop begins – turn right to complete counter clockwise |
| 4.1 mi | Junction where you follow signs for the 4WD Jeep Road (0.4 mi ahead) |
| 5.3 mi | Joint Trail (1.5 mi section) |
The dirt trail begins with a gradual climb that snakes you around big rocks. Quickly, you’ll be on top of the rocks and surrounded by interesting knob-like rock formations that give off an alien-environment type of feeling. Not too long into the hike, you’ll have views of Elephant Hill and the rising Needle formations with yellow, orange, and rusted red strata. You’ll climb up a narrow staircase wedged between boulders. Around 1.5 miles into the hike, there will be a junction – stay right to continue onto Chesler Park Loop.
The trail levels out into a wash near a backcountry campsite (Camp EC1). There is another junction for the Druid Arch Trail here to the south. Druid Arch is another highly rated trail to an enormous sandstone formation with Star Wars vibes. Unfortunately, that is its own trail and not on the way to Chesler Park, so save that trail for another day. Continue hiking west as you make your way out of the wash section.
For the next 1.5 miles, you’ll traverse a few interesting sections, including another narrow slot canyon and short switchbacks and descents. These can get your blood pumping and do have some drop offs. Watch your footing and enjoy the unique challenges.
Crossing the Saddle and Onto the Loop Trail
Around 2.5 miles in, you will climb up through two tall spires and into the loop section for panoramic views of the Needles. This highpoint can also have strong winds but delivers amazing views. You can head back from this point or continue on to the loop section of the trail.
Head right to hike the trail counter clockwise. Hiking the trail in this direction allows you to complete the tougher, more demanding parts sooner and end on the easier sections.
The scenery of Chesler Park is incredible, with ice cream or mushroom top shaped rock formations, along with the signature towering spires of multicolored rock strata. There is another trail junction soon after dropping into the loop where you will head right. You’ll go up, over, through and around the rock formations along the area’s boundary, keeping an eye out for cairns and on your GPS.
There is another junction for the 4WD jeep road. Continue on that road until it ends at the Joint trailhead.
The Joint Trail
This 1.5 mile long portion of the Chesler Park Loop Trail is extremely fun and an unforgettable experience. It’s a short, steep climb through a dense section of sandstone spires and then an even steeper climb up a very narrow staircase into a cave!
This entrancing cave area has a couple large boulders and narrow squeezes to play around in. Take your time to enjoy this part of the Joint. Continuing left you’ll make your way through the long, skinny slot canyon with some areas for rock scrambling.
Coming out of the slot canyon, you’ll be deposited back into Chesler Park for a easy walk across a broad, grassy field. Soak in these views of the towering hoodoo needles as you approach the saddle of Chesler Park Viewpoint again with the La Sal Mountains in the distance. Return the same way towards Elephant Hill trailhead on this mostly downhill path.
More Tips & Advice for Hiking Chesler Park
- Be prepared with enough water for each hiker for the entire day (1 L per person, per hour). Pack some extra water and snacks in the car in case you go through all of your supply while on the trail.
- While this trail is popular, it’s typically not crowded so you’ll likely have many times where you have the trail all to yourself.
- Due to its length, this is a great choice for a full day hike. I wouldn’t advise adding other trails to your schedule for this day since it’s tiring.
- The trail is open year-round but the best times to visit are spring and fall. Temperatures will be more mild during these months, unlike the strong summer heat or cold, slippery conditions in winter.
- Leave No Trace, stay on the trail, pack out what you bring to the trail, and try to leave this place better than when you arrived.
- Wear comfortable, sturdy hiking boots with an appropriate amount of support and traction.
- Wear sun protection – sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, long sleeves and pants – as there is no shade (besides inside the Joint) and the desert sun is strong during all seasons.
- There is little to no cell service in the Needles District so don’t be dependent on your phone.
My Experience Hiking Chesler Park Loop Trail
I had high hopes for this hike and it far exceeded my expectations. I was constantly saying “oh my god look at that rock!” and had a smile plastered on my face the whole hike.
It is a tiring, full day hike and my legs were exhausted the last 2 miles back to the car. We brought plenty of water and snacks and took lots of breaks to sit and rest our legs. We were comfortable temperature-wise when hiking in mid-April. I’d recommend beginning your hike in the morning – we were on the trail by 8 am.
The portion of the trail between beginning of the loop and getting onto the 4WD road was challenging in regards to staying on the trail! We kept checking our map and looking out for cairns and other hikers. Thankfully, we didn’t get lost, but I can absolutely understand the high likelihood of that happening to people!
The area with the most focused amount of people was inside the Joint and exiting the slot canyon. We passed by several groups of people during this time, including one with a selfie stick video taping his hike.
Other Hikes and Things to See at Canyonlands
Needles District
- Druid Arch Hike: 10.8 mile trail to a sandstone arch. You could try combining this with Chesler park, or camp out and do them both over the course of 2 days.
- Confluence Overlook: 11 mile trail to a cliff overlooking the junction of the Green and Colorado rivers.
- Pothole Point: 0.6 mile easy trail along uneven slickrock with views of the Needles.
Islands in the Sky District
- Mesa Arch: Extremely popular 0.6 mile hike to a wide arch on the cliff edge with views of the canyon and La Sal Mountains.
- Upheaval Dome: Mysterious geologic feature with a couple overlooks.
- Shafer Canyon Overlook and Road: Historic road that descends 1,500 feet down sandstone cliff switchbacks. One of the first viewpoints after entering Islands in the Sky district.
Maze District
- Horseshoe Canyon: 7 mile trail through a deep, candy canyon to pictographs and petroglyphs sites.
- Maze Overlook: Climbing and navigating steep slickrock and unmarked routes down into a wash and onto the Land of Standing Rocks.
