Mikjik86
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- Apr 22, 2018
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This is a 2 day backpacking trip in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park starting on Sunday November 2nd, 2025.
We drove out to the Canyonlands Needles District Visitor Center to grab our permits and headed to the Elephant Hill Trailhead to start the hike.
Day 1 we hiked South from the trailhead through Elephant Canyon to the trail junction with the Druid Arch Trail. We dropped our big packs and day hiked to Druid Arch which was well worth the detour. We hung around Druid Arch for a while soaking in its beauty. From there we headed back to our packs and hiked over to Chesler Park camping at CP5 for the night. The views Westward towards the horizon and setting sun was incredible. We enjoyed a great night at camp and a wonderful sleep.
Day 2 we made scratch breakfast burritos at camp packed up, and headed toward the Joint Trail for some exploring in some narrows. The Joint Trail is also another worthy detour, as its a quick hike and offers some very cool narrow stretches and rock formations to explore.From there we picked up the big packs again and made our way North and back to the trailhead. This was a quick one night trip, yet was surrounded by good company and stunning views.
The Needles district of Canyonlands is a special place and definitely worth visiting.