Utah · Rock climbing · Moab

Island In The Sky

Island In The Sky in Utah has 20 climbing routes across 6 grades, offering mixed and traditional climbing.

Island In The SkyPhoto: au_ears, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
20 routes
5.9+ – 5.11
Trad · Mixed

Is Island In The Sky open right now?

Alert in the area

The National Park Service lists an alert for Canyonlands National Park.

As of · Source: NPS · Canyonlands National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Island In The Sky

Best months: April–June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    37° / 22°

    4 wet · 4 snow

  2. Feb

    43° / 27°

    4 wet · 3 snow

  3. Mar

    54° / 35°

    5 wet · 2 snow

  4. Apr

    62° / 40°

    5 wet · 1 snow

  5. May

    72° / 50°

    5 wet

  6. Jun

    85° / 62°

    3 wet

  7. Jul

    91° / 68°

    6 wet

  8. Aug

    88° / 66°

    7 wet

  9. Sep

    79° / 57°

    6 wet

  10. Oct

    65° / 44°

    5 wet

  11. Nov

    49° / 33°

    4 wet · 2 snow

  12. Dec

    37° / 23°

    4 wet · 4 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Canyonlands-The Neck, UT, 4.6 mi away at 5,871 ft. The station sits about 600 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Island In The Sky is a climbing area in Canyonlands National Park in Utah, managed by the National Park Service. It sits within the park's land, and a fee is charged for access. The climbing here is traditional, with 19 routes rated from 5.9 to 5.11 and one mixed route. The easiest is Boys' Night Out at 5.9, and the hardest is The Brave Little Toaster at 5.11. The Kor Route and Thar She Blows are both 5.10. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 72°F and October highs around 65°F, while July averages about 91°F. Several hikes start close by, including Aztec Butte Trail and Wilhite Trail, each about a mile away. Taylor Canyon, a climbing area, is about 3.3 miles off.

Routes (20)

Block Top Tower(1)

Block Top5.9+

Hardscrabble Tower(1)

Hardscrabble5.9

Horsethief Tower(1)

River Pirates5.10

Islet In The Sky(1)

Regular Route5.9+

Saddle Tower Buttress(1)

Saddle Tower Buttress5.11

Sandcastle(1)

Waves5.10

Facts about this crag

Rules & access

Fee
Yes

Source: National Park Service API

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Taylor CanyonPhoto: Frans-Banja Mulder, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Taylor Canyon

~6 min drive

Taylor Canyon in Utah has 6 traditional climbing routes across 5 difficulty grades.

Monument BasinPhoto: Peter K., CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Monument Basin

~13 min drive

Monument Basin in Utah has 6 trad climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.

Bird's View Butte / Crow's Head SpiresPhoto: BFS Man from Webster, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bird's View Butte / Crow's Head Spires

~14 min drive

9 traditional climbing routes at Bird's View Butte / Crow's Head Spires in Utah.

Hell Roaring CanyonPhoto: The Dye Clan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hell Roaring Canyon

~22 min drive

Hell Roaring Canyon in Utah offers 7 traditional climbing routes across 6 difficulty grades.

Maverick ButtressPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Maverick Buttress

~23 min drive

Maverick Buttress in Utah has 25 climbing routes across 14 grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Reptilian WallPhoto: runt35, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Reptilian Wall

~23 min drive

Reptilian Wall in Utah has 16 trad climbing routes across 6 grades.

Four Arch CanyonPhoto: runt35, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Four Arch Canyon

~24 min drive

Four Arch Canyon in Utah has 5 climbing routes across 5 grades, offering sport and trad options.

First SwitchbackPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

First Switchback

~24 min drive

First Switchback is a Utah climbing crag with 7 routes across 5 grades.

Forming ArchPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Forming Arch

~25 min drive

Forming Arch in Utah has 6 traditional climbing routes across 4 difficulty grades.

Long CanyonPhoto: RuggyBearLA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Long Canyon

~25 min drive

Long Canyon in Utah has 20 climbing routes across 13 grades, offering bouldering pads, mixed, and trad.