Elephant Canyon 1 (EC1) — Canyonlands National Park

This is a backcountry campsite reachable by a 2 mile hike from the Elephant Hill Trailhead in The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. This is dispersed camping so there are no services nor amenities once you leave the trailhead. Leave No Trace principles apply. WAG bags required. Carry in any water that you might need because water is scarce or non-existant.

The hike to the campsite is over hills, down canyons, across slick rock and traversing sand. The trail is marked by cairns for most of the way, but it is highly recommended that you use a topo/trail map and compass or GPS to navigate. Along the way you will see a variety of rock formations such as joints, fins and spires.

You might catch site of the campsite from a hillside overlook, but you will need to cross the creek (often dry, sometimes flowing) to reach the site. Look for the post with EC1. The site is perched on a little ledge with room for 3-4 tents.

This is one of the first campsites when entering The Needles District from the Elephant Hill Trailhead. There are two additional site located within half a mile. This site has views of some needles, bluffs and the creek.