Canyonlands self-guided audio tour: Mesa Arch Island Sky

Drive the Island in the Sky on your own schedule, with audio stories playing as you go.

A self-guided audio tour of Canyonlands National Park near Moab that plays automatically as you drive, covering over 62 miles with 37 stops including Mesa Arch, Dead Horse Point, and the Green River Overlook. Download the app to your phone, start at the designated point or anywhere along the route, and pause whenever you want to hike, photograph or rest. One purchase covers everyone in your car. The tour works offline with GPS guidance and stays yours for life.

Step-by-step itinerary

Self-guided Canyonlands driving tour

• Download Audio Tour Guide App
• Start at designated starting point
• Drive through Canyonlands National Park
• Stop at Mesa Arch and walk trail
• View Island in the Sky mesa
• Visit Green River Overlook
• Pull over at Plateau Viewpoint
• Stop at Dead Horse Point State Park
• See Cataract Canyon rapids
• Visit Corona Arch area
• Pause at Big Mesa Viewpoint
• Walk trail to Murphy Point Overlook
• Observe granaries on trail
• View Upheaval Dome from whale hike
• Rest and eat at picnic tables
• Stop at Visitor Center for supplies
• End tour and explore other parks

The experience

Mesa Arch sits at the heart of this drive: a short walk from the parking area, it's the landmark most visitors come for, especially at sunrise. But the audio tour builds the whole landscape around it: you'll pass the Green River Overlook, where the river cuts through canyon walls, and Dead Horse Point, named for wild mustangs that cowboys once corralled there in the 1800s. The route takes you through the Neck, a strip of land connecting the Island in the Sky mesa to the surrounding plateau, and past Candlestick Tower, a sandstone formation that rises in layers of white, reddish-brown and red.

The tour runs over 62 miles and includes more than 37 audio stories triggered automatically by GPS as you drive. You control the pace entirely: pull over at any viewpoint, take the Murphy Point Overlook trail (3.5 miles roundtrip), walk to the granaries left by Native peoples, or climb the one-mile hike up the whale-shaped rock formation to see Upheaval Dome. The Visitor Center sits along the route if you need water, supplies or a bathroom. Everything plays offline once you download it, so you don't rely on cell service in the canyon.

The app is straightforward: download it to your phone before you arrive, enter the password from your booking confirmation, and follow the GPS route from the starting point. The audio plays hands-free as you drive, and you can pause, rewind or skip ahead anytime. One purchase covers everyone listening in your car, not per person. You keep lifetime access, so you can revisit the tour on future trips to Moab or preview the stops and stories before you go.

What’s included

• Self-guided audio tour with GPS-triggered narration and route maps.
• 37 audio stories across over 62 miles of driving.
• lifetime access to download and use anytime on any trip.
• offline GPS guidance that works without cell service.
• one purchase covering everyone in your car.
• planning tools and scenic stop previews in the app.
• support via chat, email or phone if you need help.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Travel with Action

Is this one for you?Start from your own car parked at Canyonlands: no bus pickup, no group schedule, no waiting for others. If you're staying in Moab without a rental, you'll need to arrange a car separately, but once you have one, this tour lets you explore at your own pace, pause for hikes or photos whenever you want, and keep the audio guide for future visits to the park.

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Top questions

What is Mesa Arch and why is it the main stop on this tour?

Mesa Arch is a natural sandstone arch at Canyonlands that draws visitors for its iconic sunrise views. The tour guides you to it with a short walk from the parking area and explains the juniper and pinyon trees around it, making it the centerpiece of the Island in the Sky drive.

How long does the full tour take to drive?

The tour covers over 62 miles and takes 1 to 2 hours to complete if you drive straight through without stops. Most travelers pause at overlooks, hikes and viewpoints, so the actual time depends on how many stops you make.

Do I need a park entrance permit, and is it included?

Yes, an entrance permit is required to visit Canyonlands National Park, but it is not included with this audio tour. You'll need to purchase it separately when you arrive at the park.

Can I start the tour at any point, or do I have to begin at the designated starting point?

You can join the tour anywhere along the route shown in the app, or begin at the suggested starting point. The GPS guidance and audio stories work from wherever you enter the route.

What happens if I lose cell service while I'm driving?

The tour works completely offline once you download it. GPS guidance and audio stories play without Wi-Fi or cellular service, so you can drive through areas with no signal without interruption.

Does this tour include information about the cowboys and Native peoples in the area?

Yes. The audio covers the cowboys who ranched in Canyonlands, including the story of Dead Horse Point and the legend of wild mustangs, as well as the granaries and rock paintings left by Native peoples throughout the park.