Parking
Start at the Upheaval Dome parking area at the end of Upheaval Dome Road in the Island in the Sky district. The route begins from this trailhead; a restroom is listed at the parking area.
Overview
About Syncline Loop Trail
Why go
- Varied travel through slickrock, canyon walls and sandy washes.
- A full circuit without retracing the main route.
Heads up
- Steep scrambling and sparse markers make navigation demanding.
- No dependable water source is confirmed along the loop.
Syncline Loop is an 8.1-mile circuit around Upheaval Dome, starting and ending at the Upheaval Dome trailhead. Plan on five to seven hours for a strenuous day of steep switchbacks, sandy canyon floor and boulder scrambling. It suits hikers who are comfortable navigating a lightly marked route and carrying supplies for a long desert hike. The loop circles the dome but does not take you to an overlook or show you into the crater; if that view is your goal, make time for the separate overlook walk.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Canyonlands map
Full mapElevation4,265–5,725 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Canyonlands alerts
- ClosureRain-damaged Needles backcountry roads impassableRecent rains have made several Needles backcountry roads impassable; do not drive these routes.Official details
- CautionMaze access roads require high-clearance 4WDOnly use high-clearance 4WD to reach Hans Flat or Horseshoe Canyon in The Maze; low-clearance vehicles are not recommended on these damaged, rutted, muddy routes.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Canyonlands Tour Guide
Your drive to Syncline Loop Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Canyonlands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Canyonlands audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Upheaval Dome0:00 / 0:27
“You're coming up on the Upheaval Dome trailhead, for a short, steep hike to a basin of folded rock. Choose the first overlook for a six-tenths-of-a-mile round trip, allowing about an hour over uneven rock and steps.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Canyonlands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Whale Rock
- Alcove Spring and Moses and Zeus
- Wilhite Trailhead
- Aztec Butte Granaries
- 43 audio storiesacross Canyonlands’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Coyote, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 63 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Syncline Loop Trail
Take it clockwiseClockwise is the better way around for most hikers.
Clockwise is the better way around for most hikers. You get the steep descent near the start, while you are fresh, then climb back more gradually through loose sand. The uphill stretch also gets more afternoon shade in this direction. The descent is still hard on knees, and steep switchbacks demand care whichever way you travel. Start early enough to leave room for a slower pace through the rougher sections.
From rim to valleyThe route begins over open slickrock before dropping through long switchbacks toward Syncline…
The route begins over open slickrock before dropping through long switchbacks toward Syncline Valley. The rim and upper descent open onto broad canyon country; lower down, the walk changes to sandy washes and narrow rock corridors. Markers are sparse, so keep track of the line rather than assuming every obvious wash leads the right way. The route eventually joins the northern half of the loop, with branches for the separate Upheaval Canyon and Upheaval Crater spurs. Stay on the Syncline circuit unless you have planned extra distance and time.
The hard climb outThe most demanding stretch comes on the return from the valley: a short, steep climb over loose…
The most demanding stretch comes on the return from the valley: a short, steep climb over loose boulders and slickrock, with occasional rock steps and limited wayfinding. A rough section climbs nearly 360 feet in about 0.2 mile before the grade eases into a grassy wash. There is still another steep canyon ascent before the trail winds back toward the parking area. Take the scrambles slowly, watch for the next marker, and save energy for that final climb.
Bring water and a mapThere is no dependable water source confirmed along the loop.
There is no dependable water source confirmed along the loop. Carry at least one liter per person per hour, plus food, sturdy footwear, a map and a headlamp or flashlight. The route is a poor choice in peak summer heat. Shaded slopes can hold snow or ice in winter, which makes the steep descent slower and more demanding. Dogs are not allowed on the trail.
Keep the side trips separateThe Upheaval Crater spur adds about three miles round trip, and the Upheaval Canyon spur adds…
The Upheaval Crater spur adds about three miles round trip, and the Upheaval Canyon spur adds about seven; neither is included in the 8.1-mile loop. The Syncline route itself does not provide views into Upheaval Dome, so treat the overlooks as a separate, shorter visit rather than expecting the loop to deliver that view.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Canyonlands
48 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
47 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
30 sightingsWestern RattlesnakeMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
18 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
18 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Canyonlands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
