Can anyone suggest hikes in Canyonlands for people who do not like trails that have dropoffs- even fairly small dropoffs? Steepness is not the issue as long as the trail does not have an open dropoff on either side.

In the needles district, the easy hike out to Cowboy Camp and Cave spring have no drop
offs up to the ladders, so you can just turn around and go back when you get there. It is quite short though.

Which unit of Canyonlands? For Island in the Sky there are some good short hikes (Mesa Arch, White Rim Overlook, Grand View Trail), but I think the better hikes close to this unit are in Arches NP.

For Needles district maybe Chessler Park or Druid Arch, or for a longer hike, Angel Arch. These are a good bit longer than hikes in Island in the Sky and I think the best months for these are March and April, before it's too hot. Beautiful places, especially the remote arches, and you won't see many people.

I have to wonder why, if you have such a severe aversion to edges, you would choose Canyonlands as a destination. All I can say is; stay away from Islands in the Sky and stick to the basic trails in Arches. You can walk out to Landscape Arch and do the Wall Street hike. Perhaps even the Tower Arch hike but you do have to scramble up a slope at the start of that hike...not sure if that will bother you...but after that it is pretty tame. What a shame to miss Delicate Arch though...here's the worst section of that trail; the rest is a flat uphill hike.

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/34945817

ooops...I mean the Park Avenue hike in Arches not Wall Street.

The two mile Grand View hike has some drop offs but you don't have to get near them if you don't want to. It's a great hike if you can get past the stairs at first, you will be good to go. I really love this hike.

Mesa Arch will be another good one, just don't go up to the opening of the arch!

Utahtea