Needles Overlook — Attraction in Spanish Valley

We would have driven right past this place, had our thoughtful hotel receptionist in Monticello not suggested it. It’s about a 40 minute drive west from the main road in the area, 119, across a fairly flat and boring landscape. Less than impressed when we first got here on a dreary spring (2013) morning, all we could see beyond the edge of the cliff was a wall of fog. So, with nothing but chilly whiteness to see, we climbed back into the car to plan our next stop (arches national park, also great).

About 10 minutes later, we looked up from our map gadgets, ready to leave, but the clouds were now almost gone. Walking to the edge of the cliff, we could see the last shreds of clouds dissolving, revealing a vista that stretches for scores if not, hundreds of miles. In three directions! I got a little vertigo when I discovered the cliff we stood upon was actually a quarter mile high. Unlike the Grand Canyon, the valley here is dozens of miles wide, but it is just as deep.

To the north you can see the Colorado snaking its way back up the valley it carved, towards Moab. To the west the Colorado is joined by the Green River which must be why the basin is so wide there. To the south-west, the wide canyon continued as far as we could see, eventually merging into the haze of distance.

We both agreed, the Grand Canyon was a bit disappointing after seeing this place! You read right, THAT is how awesome...

If you plan to travel south on route 191 from Moab, UT, and you have time, then I highly recommend you take route 133 west to the Needles Overlook (after Wilson Arch) that looks into Canyonlands National Park.

This road provides desert beauty along with outstanding geology. Just be aware that this stretch of road is remote and has no services {except for restrooms at the actual overlook).

Drive time (one way) from route 191 is approximately 40-45 minutes. Thus, plan for a round-trip of ~2 hours. We did it in June of 2017 (and was quite hot - over 100 degrees F). If you're lucky as we were, you may also see some Pronghorn along the way (the world's second fastest land animal). An awesome sight!

Once you arrive at the outlook, you will find that there are actually several observation points where you can peer south into the Needles District of Canyonlands, west towards the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands and due north towards Dead...

This is it's own road going into the park. Not the south Needles area or the North Island in the Sky. It is a Road in between by La Sal. Loved the overlook. It was vast and not very busy. So many vantage points to take advantage of. If you always take the road more traveled your experiences become average, it's basic math. At the top of the viewing are we found various little paths to walk around and get a few more vantage points. Some take you right to the edge without any railings. I find these points exhilarating. To each their own. You do not have to do a lot of walking to enjoy this overlook and a great place to grab a picnic table...