Colorado River Overlook

4.8/5 (5 reviews)
Monticello, Utah (SanJuan County)
Last Updated: 02/04/2018

Trail Information

Highlights

Situated in the Canyonlands Needles District, this four-wheel drive road offers a quick trip to the cliffs overlooking the mighty Colorado River. The Overlook is the easiest of backcountry roads within the Needles District, which has over 50 miles of roads which all lead you through the natural wonders of the area. This road takes you through the high desert with wide open views and it ends with an amazing view of the Colorado River and its associated canyons. A great side trip for anyone visiting the park that wants to get off the pavement.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.8/5 (5)
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 10/09/2021
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Really fun trail. Could definitely be done with any 4x4 with a little clearance and some driver skill. Enjoyable drive and excellent payoff at the end away from the irritating crowds found in most national parks.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 09/04/2021
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

I had a blast on this trail. The ranger said this had just opened up two days prior since the monsoon season had been particularly wet. We found a few muddy spots in the first couple miles but it was manageable. The technical sections near the end were very manageable and would be fine for a stock vehicle, just keep in mind the pace is very slow since it's so bumpy. The view at the end is well worth it and you can get a great vantage point to the Colorado river below.
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 04/02/2021

Really neat trail, especially inside a national park. The majority of it is sand and flat slickrock but it gets interesting at WP7. Around there is where the majority of the other travelers stoped and walked in to the over look. WP 9 climb is very fun and not that steep. Made it all the way to the end in a stock grand cherokee trailhawk.
500
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 09/01/2020

Fun trail. Great to just get out and explore with no stress.
Official Crew
20300
Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 09/30/2017

While others were off hiking, we decided to run this trail, as it was only one of 2 trails in the park that were not closed due to the last storm. The trail started out very easy with dry sandy patches, and got much rockier the further in you got. The second half of the trail is slow moving until the end as it is rocky enough to slow you down to a crawl. There were few obstacles along this trail that are challenging, but enough to keep things fun and easy. I would certainly consider this trail to anybody who wants to get out and explore but not do anything too extreme.

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