Chesler Park Gear Checklist

What shapes your gear on Chesler Park

Water at camp

There is none at Chesler Park. The park says water is the limiting factor on most Canyonlands trips, springs on topographic maps may be dry in a drought, and backpackers should pack in water whenever they can. Its planning minimum is 4 liters (1 gallon) per person per day, with more above 80 degrees.

From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): Backcountry Camping, Canyonlands National Park (NPS): Backpacking and ADVENTR.co

Permit and fees

Backcountry permits are booked on Recreation.gov four months ahead. The fee is $36 per permit plus $5 per person per night, and a party is limited to 7 people at The Needles.

From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): Backcountry Camping

Shoulder-season weather

Two groups camped in Chesler Park in early spring, one with mid-30s lows and a calm night, the other with a forecast near 20 degrees and blustery wind. One hiker found the calm night warm enough to overheat in a sleeping bag.

From ADVENTR.co and The Outbound

Route finding

The park warns that many trails are marked only by cairns, and that there is no reliable cell service. A forum poster who had been there found the paths well cairned and signed at junctions.

From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): Backcountry Camping and 14ers.com forum

What hikers carry on Chesler Park

• 6 to 8 liters of water at the start

  A forum poster who had camped there advised taking that much and not planning to refill, since there is no water in the park itself. A photographer who backpacked in carried everything for the first day and night and had heavy packs for it.

  From 14ers.com forum and ADVENTR.co

• Rocks, or a freestanding tent

  Posters said stakes work poorly in the sand and bedrock around Chesler Park, so one group used rocks as anchors. Someone planning to sleep under a tarp was told the ground is not easy to stake.

  From 14ers.com forum

• Trail runners, and a plan for sand

  A friend of one poster wore trail runners the whole way and was fine. Another poster says sand gets into everything, so you will be emptying out shoes and the tent.

  From 14ers.com forum

• An Ursack tied to a tree

  A photographer kept food in an Ursack clipped to a tree or to a person, because ravens had stolen food at the CP1 campsite. The ravens still got a dessert pouch set on a boulder for a minute.

  From ADVENTR.co

• Dry bags and a rodent plan

  A poster says mice get into gear at night looking for food, and one camper's dry bag became a nest. The park lends ratsacks and bear canisters to permit holders for exactly this reason.

  From 14ers.com forum and Canyonlands National Park (NPS): Backpacking

• A filter rather than a UV pen

  A poster who had visited in spring and fall says the potholes are usually dirty and a UV pen would struggle with the grit and taste, while a filter would cope. Either way, drinking water for the dry camp itself comes from your pack.

  From Backcountry Post

• A warm bag for a cold night

  One trip report planned for a 20 degree night and brought bags good to about 0. A calmer March trip saw lows in the mid-30s. Pack for the colder case in spring and fall.

  From The Outbound and ADVENTR.co

• A leak-checked water bladder

  One hiker's top bladder leaked inside the pack the morning of the trip and soaked a down sleeping bag, which went into a dryer before the 20 degree night. Test the bladder before you leave.

  From The Outbound

Gear questions for Chesler Park