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Contact: Angie Richman, 435-719-2140
MOAB, UT— Arches and Canyonlands national parks are open all year, but the parks’ visitor center operations change with the arrival of winter.
Arches Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. this winter, except for Christmas Day when it will be closed.
The Needles Visitor Center at Canyonlands National Park will be closed Thanksgiving Day; it will close for the winter at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, November 24, 2018, and will reopen in early March 2019.
Island in the Sky Visitor Center at Canyonlands National Park will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. It will be open daily through December 31. Beginning January 1, 2019, the visitor center will be open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday through Tuesday, and it will be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays until early March 2019.
Law enforcement staff will remain on duty in both parks throughout the winter.
Permits are required for all overnight backcountry use. Visitors wishing to stay overnight in the Island in the Sky backcountry can make advance reservations (and receive their permit two days or more before their trip) online at: www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm. Visitors can also get permits at Island in the Sky Visitor Center during its business hours or at the Backcountry Reservation Office weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except federal holidays. The backcountry office is located at 2282 Resource Blvd. just south of Moab, Utah.
Visitors wishing to stay overnight in The Needles district backcountry must obtain a permit from the self-registration station located on the front porch of The Needles Visitor Center.
Day-use permits are required for vehicle and bicycle travel on Elephant Hill Road at The Needles and White Rim Road at Island in the Sky. Permits for Elephant Hill Road may be obtained at the self-registration station at The Needles Visitor Center. Permits for White Rim Road are available online or at Island in the Sky Visitor Center up to 24 hours before the day of travel. Roads may be closed at any time due to poor conditions.
For information about backcountry use, call the backcountry office at 435-259-4351 or email us.
Visitor services (lodging, food, gasoline, etc.) are not available in the parks, so visitors need to be well equipped with all necessities upon arrival.
For additional information about the Southeast Utah Group of national parks visit our websites:
Arches National Park: www.nps.gov/arch
Canyonlands National Park: www.nps.gov/cany
Hovenweep National Monument: www.nps.gov/hove
Natural Bridges National Monument: www.nps.gov/nabr
Last updated: November 9, 2020