- Best time to visit Canyonlands: April, May, September and October. The weather is at its most comfortable then, and crowds are lighter than at the peak.
- Busiest month: May, with about 119,724 visits in a typical recent year. That is 2.9 times as many as November.
- Quietest month: January (8,714 visits), when weather or closures keep most people away.
- Cold: average highs stay below 40°F in January and December.
- Snow: January and December average 6 inches or more of snow at the station.
Bar height: visitors that month, compared with the busiest month. Temperatures: average daily high and low (°F); rain and snow: monthly averages. Best marks the months we suggest.
Month by month
| Month | Crowds | Visits (typical) | High / low (°F) | Precipitation | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 8,714 | 37° / 22° | 0.6 in | 6 in |
| February | Very quiet | 17,239 | 43° / 27° | 0.6 in | 4 in |
| March | Busy | 78,432 | 54° / 35° | 0.8 in | 3 in |
| April ★ | Busiest | 104,956 | 62° / 40° | 0.7 in | 0 in |
| May ★ | Busiest | 119,724 | 72° / 50° | 0.9 in | 0 in |
| June | Busy | 87,862 | 85° / 62° | 0.4 in | 0 in |
| July | Moderate | 69,116 | 91° / 68° | 0.9 in | 0 in |
| August | Moderate | 63,899 | 88° / 66° | 1.2 in | 0 in |
| September ★ | Busiest | 100,218 | 79° / 57° | 1.0 in | 0 in |
| October ★ | Busy | 94,108 | 65° / 44° | 1.2 in | 0 in |
| November | Quiet | 41,145 | 49° / 33° | 0.6 in | 3 in |
| December | Very quiet | 20,170 | 37° / 23° | 0.7 in | 6 in |
Weather figures are NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the Canyonlands-The Neck station (5,871 feet above sea level), 0 miles from Island in the Sky Visitor Center. Visitor numbers are the median of 2022 to 2025 monthly recreation visits from the National Park Service.
By season
- Spring (March to May): 38% of the year’s visits; average highs 54° to 72°F.
- Summer (June to August): 27% of the year’s visits; average highs 85° to 91°F.
- Fall (September to November): 29% of the year’s visits; average highs 49° to 79°F.
- Winter (December to February): 6% of the year’s visits; average highs 37° to 43°F.
Weekends and holidays
Even in a quiet month, holiday weekends fill parking lots and campgrounds. The 2027 federal holidays to plan around:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18
- Presidents Day: Monday, February 15
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 31
- Juneteenth: Saturday, June 19
- Independence Day: Sunday, July 4 (observed Monday, July 5)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 6
- Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day: Monday, October 11
- Veterans Day: Thursday, November 11
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 25
Entrance is free for U.S. residents on the park service’s fee-free days. The last one in 2026 is Veterans Day, November 11; the 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked. Free days are often busier. See the crowd calendar for all 64 parks.
Weather, in the park service’s words
Canyonlands is part of the Colorado Plateau, a "high desert" region that experiences wide temperature fluctuations, sometimes over 40 degrees in a single day. The temperate (and most popular) seasons are spring (April-May) and fall (mid-September-October), when daytime highs average 60 to 80 F and lows average 30 to 50 F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 F, making strenuous exercise difficult. Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 F, and lows averaging 0 to 20 F.
From the National Park Service (public domain).
Today at Canyonlands
LiveLoading the forecast…
Checking park alerts…
Alerts: National Park Service, checked hourly. Forecast: National Weather Service, for Island in the Sky Visitor Center. Always confirm on the official park site before you set out.
Sources
- National Park Service visitor use statistics (IRMA): monthly recreation visits, 2022 to 2025
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991 to 2020 (monthly)
- National Park Service Data API: weather overview (public domain)
Last checked 1 November 2026.