Island In The Sky (Willow Flat) Campground — Canyonlands National Park

There are only 10-12 sites and it's first come first served, so can definitely get busy. But if you come early in the am and just wait to poach a spot, that's the way to go (especially on a Friday).  Can't say enough about this location. Stunning in all aspects. The dark sky nights are unbelievable, and it's a short walk to one of the country's most breathtaking overlooks. Worth all the effort to get here. I'm a BLM dispersed camper by nature, but this is one official campground I'll go to.

My buddy and I camped here in February 2021 and had no issues finding a spot around 3:00 on a Friday. However, I imagine this will get very crowded during the busy season. There are very few sites and it is in a popular part of the park.

It is a great campsite thought. The toilets, picnic table, and fire ring were extremely nice to have

Staying at this little campground feels like you're on top of the world, which must be why this area of Canyonlands is called Island in the Sky. It made exploring this area of Canyonlands easy, and led to a very peaceful night.

The campground: With only twelve campsites, this campground has a slower and more intimate vibe. While it's not the highest elevation I have camped at, there's a feeling of being really high up, and because the trees in the campground are low shrub-y things, it also feels very wide open. (But still enough privacy to not see the campers on the other side of the loop.) Unless you stay here around a full moon, the stars are incredible.

My campsite had a parking spot I could pull in; the spot for the tent was dirt. It also included a small pavilion that provided a little shade for the picnic table below, and a fire ring with a grate. There was a vault toilet across the road from my site. There's no drinking water at this campground.

The area: There are multiple districts in Canyonlands National Park, and you have to go different ways to get to each of them. This area is called Island in the Sky; it has several hikes to scenic overlooks of the canyons. It's a bit of a drive to get to Island in the Sky if you're coming from Arches National Park, and I would recommend having all your supplies ahead of time; especially water.

Booking: First-come; first-served. I stayed here in November, arrived in the afternoon, and there were only three campsites open.

Cell service: None. Don't expect to have cell service in any part of this district of Canyonlands. I had some at the Visitor's Center right at the entrance to the Park.