MOAB, UT- Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments are open all year, but the parks’ visitor center operations change with the arrival of winter.
Hovenweep Visitor Center and Natural Bridges Visitor Center are open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday through Monday, and closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will resume daily operation in mid-April 2020.
Arches Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and closed only on Christmas Day (December 25).
The Needles Visitor Center at Canyonlands National Park will only open for a half day on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. It will close for the winter at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, and will reopen March 1, 2020.
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 Jan. 1, 2020, the visitor center will be open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday through Tuesday, and closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays through February. It will resume daily operation on March 1, 2020.
Law enforcement staff will remain on duty 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 Canyonlands’ backcountry use, call the backcountry office at 435-259-4351 or email canypermits@nps.gov.
Visitor services (lodging, food, gasoline, etc.) are not available in the parks, so visitors need to be well equipped with all necessities upon arrival.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
