The Confluence Overlook – Green and Colorado Rivers

The Green and Colorado Rivers are the main forces behind the formation of some of the deepest canyons in the United States, including the Grand Canyon. They combine their powerful flows at a remote point in Canyonlands National Park, and can be seen from the Confluence Overlook over 1000 feet above the rivers.

The Confluence Hike Details

Distance – 10.4 miles roundtrip
Approximate hiking time – 6-7 hours
Elevation at trailhead – 4940 feet
Elevation at Confluence Overlook – 4920 feet
Elevation gain during  duration of hike – 220 feet
Difficulty – Moderate
Trail – dirt, slickrock, and sand
Amount of water recommended – 2 to 3 liters, there is no shade
Bathrooms – At the trailhead
Seasons to hike – Year around
Permits: Entrance fee to Canyonlands National Park is $10

How to get there:

This hike is located in the Needles District in the southern (lower) section of Canyonlands National Park. From Moab, UT, take US-191 south for 39.6 miles. You will see a sign for the southern section of Canyonlands National Park. Turn right on UT-211 and head west for 33.8 miles to the Needles Visitors Center. Stay on the main paved road of the Park for 7.0 miles, until the it ends at the parking area.

Hitting the Trail!

The Green River which starts in Wyoming,  flows 730 miles before joining the Colorado River in southeastern Utah. It’s one of the main tributaries of the Colorado River, which a couple of miles downstream has carved out the magnificent wonder of the Grand Canyon.  At the southwest edge of the parking area, you will see where the trail starts. The trail is well-marked.

Looking through a window along the trail

Not far from the trailhead, you will drop in and hike out of Big Spring Canyon, and which is  120 feet down and then back out.it’s nothing too difficult. Even though the elevation from the trailhead and elevation at the Confluence Overlook are the same, you will lose and gain 120 feet of elevation four or five times during the course of the hike. You’re essentially hiking through desert the entire way, but the trail is very clearly marked through the sand, and there are cairns along the parts of slickrock. The next 3.1 miles are across relatively flat desert, when you will then cross a sandy jeep road called Devil’s Lane. After o.7 miles you’ll cross the same 4WD road, now called Cyclone Canyon. As you cross the second sandy road, you’ll see that the trail follows and turns into another jeep road that heads west. This rough jeep road will continue heading west, then turn southwest for 0.7 miles, and ends. The trail continues and is less than half a mile hike to the edge of the cliff that overlooks the Confluence.

The scenery along the Confluence trail

It is about a one thousand foot drop down to the river, so don’t attempt to descend to the river from this point. Looking to the north from the overlook, you’ll see the Green River on the left, merging with the Colorado River on the right. The Green River is more silty than the Colorado River, and is a distinctively lighter brown color than the darker Colorado River.

The author at the confluence of the Green River and Colorado River

Near the edge of the overlook, a trail heads south for a hundred yards or so, and also gives a sightly different, and more photographic view of the Confluence. We had the place to ourselves the entire time we were there, with the exceptions of chipmunks scampering around. Once again, enjoy your lunch, take plenty of pictures and just retrace your steps back to the trailhead. Remember that there is no shade on this hike, so I would recommend starting early so the hike back won’t be miserable.

Canyonlands National Park is split into three sections, Island in the Sky, The Maze, and The Needles, (where the Confluence hike starts) and has some of the best hikes in Utah, but receives only 440,000 visitors each year. That may sound like a lot, but compared to Grand Canyon National Park’s 4.5 million visitors, it is a drop in the bucket. Some of the most isolated places in the lower 48 states are found in The Maze and The Needles. While Island in the Sky has dozens of breathtaking overlooks, The Maze and The Needles get you down on the desert floor, hiking among spires and hoodoos. If you can spend a week in Moab, I would dedicate a couple of days just to Canyonlands National Park, and even with that, you’ll only see a fraction of the Park.

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Typical landscape while hiking to the Confluence