So similar is it in appearance to Arizona’s Grand Canyon that movie director Ridley Scott used Canyonlands National Park to film the closing scene in \”Thelma and Louise\” at Monument Basin. Canyonlands is a formidable place to navigate by road. It takes time to explore the 527 square miles of pristine wilderness, with its intricate pathways of ravines, arches, plateaus, and grottos.

At the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers, Canyonlands is the state’s largest national park. The rivers divide its 337,258 acres into three regions, with Island in the Sky, off Hwy 191, the most popular and accessible. As it takes several days to cover all of the major sites, this is the best place to view the park if time is restricted. The visitor center has hiking trail information, including the popular trek along Mesa Arch Trail.

Entering the park off US-313 from Moab, a panorama of mesas, spires, and ravines descending more than 2,000 feet to the river’s edge is unveiled. In the distance loom the snowcapped peaks of the La Sal Mountains. Where the serpentine rivers converge, they erupt into whitewater and begin a fast-paced trip through Cataract Canyon before reaching Lake Powell. Experienced rafters ride the rapids on the 14-mile stretch. The 5-mile trail back to the nearest road leads through sagebrush and cottonwoods, sprinkled across a horizon of serrated cliffs and mesas.

Another panoramic view of the Colorado River snaking its way through red-rock chasms, is at Dead Horse Point State Park, the spot where Thelma and Louise’s 1966 Thunderbird became airborne.

Cowboys used the table mountain to corral herds of mustang; its name derives from a group of horses which subsequently perished when left at the point.

Off US-211 is a rugged trail, suited to 4WD vehicles, leading to Needles. Several hiking trails weave around the hoodoos and jagged canyons. One of the best vantage points is at Confluence Outlook, which takes in a bird’s-eye view of Colorado and Green River tributaries. It is worth roaming around on foot to explore the colonnades of red sandstone pillars and canyons near the Colorado River, such as Lizard Rock and the Maze. At Newspaper Rock, petroglyphs weave an ancient story across the sandstone, featuring antelope and bear alongside soldiers with helmets—possibly the Spanish who blazed through the region nearly 600 years ago. The largest mass of ancient rock art is located near Horseshoe Canyon.

Inflexible entrance rules are in place to preserve the region’s geologic fragility. Only a limited number of visitors are permitted to camp. Backpacking permits must be purchased through the National Park Service in Moab. A small entrance fee is applicable between March and October and is valid for seven days at any of the entrances to Canyonlands.