The Needles is an attraction at Canyonlands National Park, which is located at SW Resource Boulevard in Moab, Utah. It can be reached on US Highway 191 by driving 40 miles south of Moab or 14 miles north of Monticello, then taking Utah Highway 211 approximately 35 miles west. Highway 211 ends in the Needles and is the only paved road leading in and out of the district.
The Needles District was so named for the colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that stand out in the southeast corner of Canyonlands. Here there is a long trail system offering visitors spectacular views as they take long day hikes and overnight trips. The trails and roads mean visitors can walk or drive to features as Tower Ruin, Confluence Overlook, Elephant Hill, the Joint Trail, and Chesler Park.
Created up to 286 million years ago, the red and white sandstone layer of the Needles spires was once a dune field on the edge of a shallow sea that covered what are now the states of California, Nevada and western Utah. Layers of red and white sand were laid down on top of each other and created the rocks now seen at The Needles. They occur in an area with many fractures carved out from the Colorado plateau, which was pushed up thousands of feet before being attacked through erosion.
There are up to 60 miles of interconnecting trails here with varying degrees of difficulty and include the Chesler Park/Joint Trail, which offers scenic views of colorful sandstone spires as well as desert grasses and shrubs. This is approximately an 11 mile round trip, but one of the shorter trails is the Big Spring to Squaw Canyon at about 7.5 miles. This also happens to be one of the steepest climbs and is not recommended for people afraid of heights.
The Visitor Center is open throughout the year from 9am to 4.30pm with some extended hours between March and October. Here visitors will find various exhibits and interesting information about The Needles. Interpretive programs are offered between March and October including most evenings at the Squaw Flat Campground, and visitors can check for presentation times at the Visitor Center.
Camping is very popular in this area and there are 26 sites available on a first come first served basis at the Squaw Flat Campground, which is a good base camp for hikers to seek out destinations like Chesler Park, Druid Arch and the Joint Trail. The sites are available throughout the year and feature bathrooms, fire grates, picnic tables, tent pads and water with a group size limit of 10 people and 2 vehicles. Three other campsites in the Needles district are the Squaw Flat Group Site, which can hold up to 50 people and 10 vehicles, the Wooden Shoe Group Site can hold up to 25 people and 5 vehicles, whilst the Split Top Group Site can hold up to 15 people and 3 vehicles.
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