Having helped couples elope in Canyonlands National Park for several years now, I have kept my finger on the pulse of the constant changes in rules, locations, oversight, and area concerns to ensure your elopement and visit are smooth and stress-free! Now I’m giving that insight to you here in my complete guide to eloping in Canyonlands National Park.
About Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is one of Utah’s most spectacular natural wonders, covering 337,598 acres of colorful canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches, and spires in the heart of southeast Utah’s high desert. The park is divided into three districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles & The Maze.
Island in the Sky is the most accessible and most visited district, sitting atop a massive mesa with stunning panoramic overlooks of the surrounding canyonlands below.
The Needles district is characterized by colorful spires of sandstone, offering excellent hiking and backpacking opportunities for desert enthusiasts.
The Maze is the most remote and challenging district, requiring serious preparation and a high-clearance 4WD vehicle to access, and canyoneering experience to enjoy.
You are allowed to get married or elope at Island in the Sky or The Needles districts only, with Island in the Sky being most popular.
When to Elope in Canyonlands
Best Time of Year to Visit Canyonlands
The best time of year to elope in Canyonlands National Park is the spring and fall, followed by winter. Moab is a high desert area with scorching summers and mild winters. The “on” season in Moab is April through October – while Canyonlands doesn’t have timed entry like its sister Arches National Park does, it also stays very busy in those months.
The spring weather in Canyonlands is very windy, but with mild and warm temperatures beginning in March and April. May starts to get hot and by June many days are in the 90s and above. Fall, similarly, begins to cool down a bit in September with highs in the 80s and 90s, and October/November just gorgeous and warm with a little chill in the air.
Winter can offer a lesser-known view of Canyonlands and Moab with a blanket of white snow on the red rock canyons – a real unique treat for your elopement backdrop!
When to Avoid Canyonlands National Park
Summer in Canyonlands is hot – the kind of hot not to be taken lightly. People pass out and have health emergencies regularly here in the summer. Highs will be consistently above 100 degrees, and hydration and timing is essential. If you cannot avoid summer months in Moab, you need to prepare to be out only at sunrise, and if not sunrise then sunset.
Legal Requirements for Eloping in Canyonlands
For legally getting married at Canyonlands National Park, you’ll need your permit with the park and a Utah marriage license. The Utah marriage license is not hard to get but requires some background knowledge to make your process easy – the officiant you hire will help take care of the nitty gritty things!
Canyonlands Special Use Permits
As for permits for eloping in Canyonlands, couples will need a Special Use Permit or their ceremony activities in the park. The couple themselves must apply for this permit, not a third party like their planner or photographer. You can apply for your wedding or elopement up to a year in advance, and you need to apply at least four weeks before your date for processing.
Permits do not close down a certain area, so it’s important to understand that other visitors to the park will be allowed to be around the area. Many couples choose to elope at sunrise or sunset for this reason, as those times of day are the most private.
The permit is $185 and there may be additional fees involved for Park Rangers that oversee ceremonies. You and your guests will also be responsible for paying the park entrance fees.
Your permit does not guarantee you or your guests any parking inside the park, which is why it’s SO important to carpool. Not only do you lessen your impact on others but it makes it easier to find that one last space that might be open. For these reasons, it is so important to work with professionals who know the area and know how to navigate these issues to make your experience easier and less stressful. We can help you know when and where to go to have fewer crowds to contend with.
Rules for Wedding Permits in Canyonlands National Park:
From the park website:
Bouquets: To prevent the introduction of invasive species into the park, dried plants, including grasses, are prohibited in bouquets.
Releases: Butterfly releases, and all other living and/or inanimate object releases or dispersal, including birdseed and rice, are prohibited. The permittee is responsible for site cleanup.
Decorations: The use of balloons, arches, or any other type of decorations will not be authorized.
Obstructions: Permittees may not obstruct sidewalks, trails, parking lots, or other visitor facilities. This includes the use of tents, tables, or other furniture. The park will evaluate folding chairs on a case-by-case basis.
Food: The establishment of caterers or any food service is prohibited.
Audio Disturbance: No public address system is permitted and music volumes are highly regulated (Re: 36 CFR 2.12). Noise levels must not exceed normal speaking volumes.
Vehicles: All vehicles must be parked in designated areas only; no off-road traffic. Carpooling is recommended and may be required at specific locations.
Pets: Pets are typically not allowed at ceremony sites, particularly those areas off pavement or in other undeveloped locations.
Drones: Operating a drone is prohibited.
Monitor: Activities will be monitored or spot checked by NPS personnel for compliance with the terms and conditions of the permit and to ensure that no resource damage or visitor conflicts are occurring. A cost recovery monitoring fee will be charged to the permit holder. Monitoring fees are based on the employee’s salary, time spent on site, and travel to/from duty location and permit site.
Time limit: All permits will be written for one hour.
Parking Plan: Groups larger than 25 participants will be required to create a parking plan.
Photography: The permit holder and ceremony participants can take photos at all locations in the park and are not limited to the locations listed above. This activity is not monitored because it is not part of the permitted activity.
Leave No Trace in Moab
Moab is a unique area with delicate systems that need our protection. Before you visit, be sure you understand how to do your part in taking care of this beautiful desert. In general, the Leave No Trace guidelines apply here:
- Plan Ahead & Prepare
- Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
In more detail specific to Moab, there’s a saying “Don’t Bust the Crust” that is so important to be aware of before visiting. In the Moab area, there are extremely delicate soil crusts all throughout the desert, sometimes called “Cryptobiotic Soil.” Be sure to take into consideration the surfaces you are stepping on! A single step off trail can destroy SO many years of growth for these biological soil crusts that take decades to recover from that one footstep. Biological soil crusts are essential to growth in this desert and also help to reduce erosion and create helpful soil creation. It is crucial that we keep on trail and durable surfaces like slickrock when recreating in Moab.
Where to Elope at Canyonlands National Park
Between the Island in the Sky and The Needles districts, there are a handful of locations you can elope or get married at in the park. The park’s provided table is below:
| Locations at Island in the Sky | Group Size |
|---|---|
| Shafer Canyon Overlook | 25 |
| Green River Overlook | 25 |
| Grand View Point | 25 |
| Locations at The Needles | Group Size |
|---|---|
| Pothole Point | 15 |
| Needles Group Campsites | Dutch Oven Group Site: 50 Wooden Shoe Group Site: 25 Split Top Group Site: 15 |
That may seem pretty limited, but these are the spaces that are capable of hosting a group without harming the environment – so you should be able to come back on your 10th and 50th wedding anniversary to see a very familiar sight the same as the day you were married.
Let’s break down each of these locations for eloping at Canyonlands:
Shafer Canyon Overlook:
This daring overlook sits above the famous Shafer Canyon Road aka Shafer Trail – a popular and well-known Jeep and OHV road that winds its way down into the canyons below for miles and miles. It is best used at sunrise or after sunset during blue hour.
Green River Overlook:
This is the easiest location for accessibility and its 100% wheelchair accessible if desired. You can walk off the main overlook for a ways on the slickrock without harming sensitive soils, so you can find some privacy. It is still the smallest space with the most visitors, so it’s a good plan to go at sunrise or sunset.
Grand View Point:
Grand View Point requires some light hiking with a set of stairs down from the trailhead, so the couple and their guests must be physically able to navigate that kind of path for this location. You get similar views of the amazing canyons below, plus some of the protruding mesas and plateaus that stand along the horizon.
Pothole Point:
https://www.nps.gov/places/pothole-point.htm
This elopement location is in The Needles district of Canyonlands. It’s important to realize how far out of Moab this district is located. It may not seem far, but it is over an hour’s drive from Moab. If you plan on using this space (which as you can see is very pretty and much more private!) you should plan on your whole day being out that direction or plan on plenty of travel time in your schedule.
Needles Group Campsites
This location is also, obviously, at The Needles. These spaces are for group camping and can make a fun destination for anyone looking for a camping wedding setup in Moab.
Getting to Canyonlands National Park
If you’re driving to Canyonlands National Park, you’ll likely take interstate I-70 (East/West) to highway 191 (North/South) which leads to Moab from the interstate and from the South. Before you get to Moab itself you’ll take Hwy 313 out to Island in the Sky. For The Needles district, you would stay on 191 south of Moab where route 211 will take you west to the park.
To fly to Moab, you have a few options. If you want to fly into a large international airport, you can fly into Denver or Salt Lake City and drive the rest of the way (about 4.5 hours from SLC or 5.5 hours from DEN). You can also find a connecting flight to Grand Junction and drive from here – about 2 hours, or fly into the little regional airport at Moab.
If you want a more unique way of getting to Canyonlands and you’re coming from Colorado, there’s a train route on the Rocky Mountaineer that takes you across the Rocky Mountains of Colorado over to the red rocks of Moab.
Photo from Glamping Canyonlands Website
Where to Stay When Visiting Moab
Camping & Glamping
If you’re up for some fun, unique lodging in Moab, consider camping or glamping in the area. The BLM lands around Moab offer established campgrounds and group camp sites if you’re planning to stay with a group. For Glamping, there’s a few really cool options. Ulum Moab is a newer unique lodging offer where you can stay in luxurious glamping tents in the desert. Glamping Canyonlands offers safari style tents and more south of town by The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park if your elopement will be based that direction. If you’re familiar with the Under Canvas company, there’s an Under Canvas Moab near to the turn off to Canyonlands National Park as well.
Hotels & Resorts
Moab has a range of hotels to stay in, from traditional and familiar franchises, to more local hotels with all the charm of Moab. Hoodoo Moab is a popular hotel by Hilton in the area, with sleek, modern Moab vibes. Red Cliffs Lodge is a riverside ranch that offers 5-star lodging with a bunch of amenities on site. Sorrel River Ranch is a cool space outside of town if you want to stay closer to nature.
Vacation Rentals
Moab, as you can imagine, has a plethora of vacation rentals for tourists visiting the area. Some local favorites are Arches Vacation Rentals, Moab Springs Ranch, and those found on VRBO and Airbnb.
Vendors for Eloping in Canyonlands National Park
If you’re getting eloping in Canyonlands National Park, there are some standard vendors you’ll want for your big day. Beyond just a photographer to capture the moment, you’ll need someone to marry you as Utah requires an officiant of some kind to oversee your ceremony. You may also want a videographer, some kind of dessert and/or picnic to pack in and pack out with you, and if you’re bringing flowers to the park be sure you’re working with a local florist who knows what plants are safe and allowed to bring!
Your Canyonlands National Park Elopement Photographer
Hi! I’m Amanda, your Canyonlands National Park elopement photographer. I live under 2 hours away in Grand Junction, and frequently work (and play) in Moab.
I hold a permit for the area BLM lands, Dead Horse, and know and keep up-to-date with the parks regulations in town too. Having been at this for 12 years now, I’m your go-to for help getting married in Moab. Contact me to start planning your Moab adventure!
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