Murphy Point, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

When to Go

We took this trip right in the middle of summer and if anyone out there has any doubts about how hot southern Utah is in the summer, I can assure you, we were cooked alive by the sun. On the bright side, the heat scared a lot of people away, so we were often the only hikers on the most popular trails in the park.

So — if you value solitude and don’t mind sweating through your eye balls, I would definitely recommend going in the summer. I really liked experiencing the desert at its full force and it made me appreciate how difficult life must be for the people and animals who live here full time.

On the other hand, if you want to enjoy yourself in more mild weather, spring and fall are the best times to visit. With good weather comes a lot of people, so make sure to reserve all your permits way before your trip.

One more thing to think about is that this region is prone to flash floods and they can be deadly. Keep a close eye on the weather before your trip and if you see any rain in the forecast, you may want to ask a Park Ranger if there are any flash-flood dangers along the trail. My guess is that there aren’t, because it’s a fairly flat trail with absolutely no choke-points for water to accumulate or gain speed, but I’m no flash-flood expert.

Trip Cost

Before You Go

Canyonlands National Park required that all backcountry travelers have a permit and carry it with them. You can get first-come-first-serve permits at the Island in the Sky Visitor’s Center at the entrance of the park, or you can reserve a permit online up to 4 months in advance. For spring and fall, I would definitely make a reservation because spots move fast. For summer, I would probably still do it (because that’s a core feature of my personality), but it doesn’t seem as urgent. The park ranger helping us with our permit said that all of their backpacking zones were available when we were there.

Epic sunset at Murphy Point.

Looking for animals at dusk.

Getting There

The trailhead is easy to find and along the way you’ll see almost all the main viewpoints of the Island in the Sky district. From Moab, drive north on Highway 191 and then turn left onto 313. Then continue on 313 until you get to the junction with Dead Horse State Park. At this point, 313 turns left into the state park. To get to Canyonlands, go straight at the junction onto Grand View Point Road and continue south to the park entrance and Visitor’s Center. You’ll have to stop at the Visitor’s Center to pick up your backpacking permit. After that, get back on Grand View Point Road and head south until you reach the Murphy Trailhead on the right side of the road.

The last chance to pick up last-minute supplies is Moab, so make sure you double check your food supplies before heading out. There’s absolutely no food inside the park, except for some stray trail mix at the Visitor’s Center store.

On the Trail

The trail is an easy 1.7 miles from the parking lot to some of the best camping in south eastern Utah. It’s a perfectly straight trail that starts out grassy and then opens up to reveal the buttes surrounding Island in the Sky. You’re allowed to camp after about a mile on the trail, but the best spots are all the way at the end of the trail, near Murphy’s Point. If you want an epic sunset, camp on the north side of the point.

We started the hike around 6pm to avoid most of the intense afternoon heat. We got to camp around 7 and had plenty of time to explore Murphy Point and cook dinner before sunset. The cliffs next to our campsite also seemed to be the type of place mountain goats would hang out, but sadly we didn’t see any.

After the Hike

There’s no real food in the park (other than the trail mix in the visitor’s center), so you’ll have to wait all the way until Moab for food. The good news is that there’s a lot of really good food in Moab. We spent a couple days eating in the area and ended up liking breakfast at Sweet Cravings Bakery + Bistro, ice cream at Moab Coffee Roasters, and a healthy lunch at 98 Center. We also spent a lot of time at Moab Made looking at local art and souvenirs.

Thinking about doing this trip? Have any questions? Comment down below!