Driving the White Rim Highway is among the greatest experiences in Canyonlands Nationwide Park. For 100 miles, this highway circles across the Island within the Sky mesa, taking you previous canyons, buttes, and the Colorado and Inexperienced Rivers. This drive takes most individuals two to 3 days. When you have much less time, it’s attainable to drive the White Rim Highway in sooner or later.
If you wish to drive the White Rim Highway in sooner or later, you’ve got two choices.
Possibility #1 is to drive a portion of the White Rim Highway. Beginning at Shafer Canyon Highway or Mineral Backside Highway, you’ll drive the primary part of the White Rim Highway, taking your time on the scenic viewpoints and detours. Noon, flip round and retrace your route again to the beginning or return to Moab on Potash Highway.
Your second choice is to drive all the 100 mile loop in sooner or later. This can be a BIG day and it isn’t to be underestimated.
On this information, get the complete particulars on each of those choices, with driving ideas and our suggestions so you’ll be able to have the perfect expertise.
About Our Expertise
We drove the entire White Rim Highway in early November. We did this drive over the course of two days, driving the loop in a counter-clockwise path. It was superior and certainly one of our favourite nationwide park experiences.
For individuals who need to journey under the rim of the Island within the Sky mesa and journey by way of among the most lovely landscapes in Canyonlands, it’s onerous to beat this expertise.
We wrote two posts about easy methods to drive the White Rim Highway. In case you are contemplating doing all the loop, or if you’re interested by what to anticipate, I like to recommend having a look at these, along with the knowledge offered on this information.
- Drive the White Rim Highway: Map, Pictures & Driving Suggestions
- White Rim Highway: Detailed Information and Guidelines
White Rim Highway in One Day
Overview of the White Rim Highway
What Sort of Car Do You Want?
What Sort of Allow Do You Want?
What A part of the White Rim Highway Ought to You Drive?
Shafer Canyon Highway & White Rim Highway East
Mineral Backside Highway & White Rim Highway West
Driving the Full Loop in One Day
When to Drive the White Rim Highway
Issues to Know Earlier than You Go
Overview of the White Rim Highway
Your entire White Rim Highway loop, beginning and ending on the Island within the Sky customer heart, is 100 miles lengthy. The vast majority of this loop is on tough, unpaved roads.
To do the complete loop, it takes a mean of two to three days.
There are some things you MUST have so as to drive the White Rim Highway, whether or not you might be doing the complete loop or simply spending a number of hours on the highway:
- A high-clearance 4WD automobile
- A allow
- Entrance payment into Canyonlands Nationwide Park
Map of the White Rim Highway
What Sort of Car Ought to You Drive?
With the intention to drive the White Rim Highway, a high-clearance 4×4 automobile is required by the Nationwide Park Service. It have to be a real 4×4 (not AWD) and have high-clearance. You’ll drive some very tough sections, over massive rocks and boulders, and on rutted roads.
We rented a Jeep Rubicon from Canyonlands Jeep Adventures in Moab. With the additional elevate and the rugged tires, it was an important choice. Our Jeep had zero points on the drive and dealt with the difficult hills and tough roads prefer it was nothing.
ATVs, UTVs, and OHVs aren’t permitted on the White Rim Highway. Motorbikes are permitted on the White Rim Highway.
What Sort of Allow Do You Want?
There are two completely different permits for the White Rim Highway: a day-use allow and an in a single day allow.
In case you are driving the White Rim Highway in sooner or later, you will want a day-use allow.
Day use permits are restricted to 50 automobiles per day. 25 of those permits can be found on-line as much as 24 hours earlier than your journey. They’re obtainable beginning at 8:00 am Mountain Time sooner or later upfront. The rest of the permits can be obtainable on the customer heart. Be taught extra right here.
If you’ll be doing this drive in a bunch, every automobile wants its personal allow.
For individuals who plan to spend two or extra days on the White Rim Highway, you will want an in a single day allow. With this allow, additionally, you will reserve your campsite(s) alongside the drive. In the event you plan to drive the White Rim Highway in sooner or later, you do not want an in a single day allow.
White Rim Highway in One Day
Beneath I cowl the completely different choices for driving the White Rim Highway in sooner or later.
The primary choice is to drive only a portion of the loop. And simply to maintain issues fascinating, there are two completely different sections of the highway you can drive: Shafer Canyon Highway and the jap portion of the loop or Mineral Backside Highway and the western portion of the loop.
The second choice is driving the complete White Rim Highway loop in sooner or later.
Shafer Canyon Path. On this picture, you’ll be able to see the Shafer Canyon switchbacks. Far off within the distance is the White Rim Highway and Lifeless Horse Level State Park.
Possibility #1: Driving a Portion of the White Rim Highway
In the event you solely have sooner or later, that is the choice that I like to recommend. You’re going to get to see some severely gorgeous surroundings, drive some loopy, white-knuckle roads, and get to expertise the remoteness of the White Rim Highway. And also you get to do all of this with out the stress that comes together with making an attempt to do the complete loop in sooner or later.
By driving a part of the White Rim Highway, you’ll do that out-and-back out of your place to begin.
What A part of the White Rim Highway Ought to You Drive?
You possibly can both drive Shafer Canyon Path to the White Rim Highway, skirting alongside the Colorado River on the east facet of the loop. Or, you’ll be able to take Mineral Backside Highway to the Inexperienced River after which drive a portion of the west facet of the loop.
Of those two choices, driving the Shafer Canyon Path to the east facet of the loop is the perfect choose, for my part. You get to drive the legendary Shafer Canyon switchbacks and you’ll have improbable views of Lifeless Horse Level State Park and the Colorado River. Additionally, you will get to drive proper up the sting of a number of canyons, which is a really cool expertise.
Since that is the preferred part of the White Rim Highway, you’ll encounter extra automobiles right here than on the west facet of the loop. Besides, due to the restrict on the variety of automobiles, it’ll nonetheless really feel splendidly uncrowded.
If you’d like a extra rugged, distant expertise, go to the western facet of the loop. You’ll nonetheless drive some loopy switchbacks to get under the rim. As you drive alongside the Inexperienced River, you’ll have views throughout the river to The Maze. There may be additionally a brief hike you are able to do on this part of the drive.
For my part, I feel the views and the expertise is best on the jap facet of the White Rim Highway, so that is the part that I like to recommend.
Shafer Canyon Highway to the White Rim Highway
Driving Distance: 72 miles if you happen to begin and finish on the prime of Shafer Canyon Highway and switch round at Monument Basin; 100 miles if you happen to begin on the prime of Shafer Canyon Highway and drive Potash Highway to Moab
Time: All day
Beneath I listing the overlooks and detours alongside the drive. The mileage markers embody the distances of the detours (for instance, the drive by way of Lathrop Canyon).
Map of the White Rim Highway. The orange route is what you’ll be able to cowl in sooner or later, beginning on the Island within the Sky mesa and turning round at Monument Basin.
Begin: Shafer Canyon Highway
Shafer Canyon Highway begins one mile north of the Canyonlands Customer Middle on Island within the Sky Highway. Flip onto the gravel highway. Reset your odometer to 0 and observe our mileage markers. Take into account that odometer measurements can differ between automobiles.
For the primary 5 miles, you’ll drive from the highest of the Island within the Sky mesa to the White Rim. This a part of the drive takes you down the Shafer Canyon switchbacks. For some, this would be the most hair-raising and thrilling a part of the drive.
Simply earlier than the switchbacks, the Shafer Canyon Highway heads alongside the rim. There are huge drop offs right here, which is thrilling, if you happen to like this form of factor.
The view from the highest of Shafer Canyon Highway
I feel that the Shafer Canyon switchbacks look much more harmful from the viewpoints than when you find yourself truly driving on them. This a part of the highway is comparatively clean and really nicely maintained. It is usually fairly broad, a minimum of in comparison with the White Rim Highway. There are various locations to tug over and permit oncoming visitors to go.
Take your time right here and scan the highway for oncoming automobiles. Automobiles driving uphill have the precise of method. In the event you see an approaching automobile, pull over and permit them to go.
As soon as previous the Shafer Canyon switchbacks, the highway ranges out. Now, you might be under the rim however the views are nonetheless fairly superior. For a cool view, flip round and search for on the rim. Although you simply did it, it’s nonetheless by some means unbelievable that you simply simply drove down that steep canyon wall.
The view again to Shafer Canyon and the Island within the Sky mesa.
Mile 5: Potash Highway and White Rim Highway Junction
On the 5 mile mark, you attain a highway junction. Proceed straight to drive the White Rim Highway. In the event you flip left, you’ll take Potash Highway to Moab. That is an choice for later within the day.
Mile 6.2: Gooseneck Overlook
Simply earlier than the posted signal for Gooseneck Overlook there’s a pullout on the precise for parking. It’s a 0.3 mile stroll to the overlook. The overlook doesn’t let you see the complete gooseneck of the Colorado River (you’ll must go to Lifeless Horse Level in Lifeless Horse Level State Park to see that), however you continue to get an important view of one of many horseshoe bends that makes up the gooseneck.
Gooseneck Overlook
One other view from Gooseneck Overlook.
Mile 8.0: Colorado River Overlook
Flip left on the posted signal and observe the quick however tough highway to the overlook.
Colorado River Overlook
Mile 8.3: Musselman Arch
Flip left into the parking space on the posted signal. It’s a quick stroll to the arch. Notice: don’t stand on the arch.
Musselman Arch
Mile 9.4: Musselman Canyon Viewpoint
For a surprising view of Musselman Canyon with the Island within the Sky mesa as a backdrop, cease right here.
Musselman Canyon
Mile 12.3: Little Bridge Canyon Viewpoint
This cease presents a view throughout the canyon with a mesa because the backdrop.
Little Bridge Canyon
Mile 15.9: Lathrop Canyon Highway Junction
This detour will take you 4 miles one-way by way of Lathrop Canyon, ending on the Colorado River. It’s a tough rocky descent that ultimately provides solution to a sandy monitor.
That is elective. The drive by way of Lathrop Canyon is barely tougher than the White Rim Highway, with narrower, rougher roads. Since you might be driving down right into a canyon, it’s a enjoyable drive, and because the canyon partitions shut in round you, this quick detour appears and feels so much completely different than being on the White Rim Highway. This detour provides about one to at least one and a half hours onto the drive.
The primary descent into Lathrop Canyon
Driving out of Lathrop Canyon
Notice, the mileage markers for the remainder of the drive contains the 8 mile detour into Lathrop Canyon. In the event you select to skip Lathrop Canyon, subtract 8 miles from the rest of those mileage markers.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: It can save you Lathrop Canyon for the second half of the drive, doing this on the best way again to Island within the Sky/Potash Highway.
Mile 23.9: Finish of the Lathrop Canyon Detour
When you emerge from Lathrop Canyon, flip left to proceed south on the White Rim Highway.
Mile 24.7: Airport Campground
At this level you’ll go Airport Campground. There’s a rest room right here if you happen to want one.
Our campsite at Airport Campground
Mile 27: Airport Tower Viewpoint
At this level you’ll have an important view of Airport Tower.
Mile 28.6: Monster Tower Viewpoint
Look again to see Monster Tower, which can be towering above you. The Center Fork of Buck Canyon is to your left. As you drive from this viewpoint to the Monument Basin viewpoints, you’ll go by two extra canyons, the South Fork of Buck Canyon and Gooseberry Canyon.
Mile 40: Monument Basin Overlook
That is certainly one of my favourite viewpoints on the White Rim Highway. This cease presents an important view of the Monument Basin Canyon. The Island within the Sky’s mesa with Grand View Level towers above you.
View from Monument Basin. The Island within the Sky mesa and Grand View Level loom overhead on this a part of the drive.
Monument Basin
At Monument Basin, I like to recommend turning round. At this level, you’ve got pushed 40 miles (if you happen to included the detour to Lathrop Canyon), and by now it’s almost definitely noon. There are nonetheless 56 miles to go on the White Rim Highway, if you happen to had been to drive the complete loop.
Mile 67: Potash Highway Junction
Now you might be again on the Potash Highway Junction. And you’ve got a option to make. From right here, you’ll be able to both drive up the Shafer Canyon switchbacks to get again to the Island within the Sky or you’ll be able to take Potash Highway again to Moab.
In the event you drive Shafer Canyon Highway to Island within the Sky after which drive to Moab, from right here it is going to be 37 further miles (5 of those on the switchbacks) and it’ll take about an hour.
In the event you take Potash Highway to Moab, it is going to be an extra 33 miles and the drive will take between 1.5 and a pair of hours. Most of this drive can be on a really tough gravel highway.
Potash Highway to Moab
Potash Highway weaves down by way of a canyon after which runs proper alongside the Colorado River.
You’ll go under Lifeless Horse Level. Additionally, you will go Thelma and Louise Level. The ultimate scene of the film Thelma and Louise, once they drove off of the cliff, was not filmed within the Grand Canyon. It was filmed proper right here, subsequent to the Colorado River, simply exterior of Lifeless Horse Level State Park.
The view from Thelma and Louise Level
Previous Thelma and Louise Level, the highway heads away from the Colorado River after which goes previous the Potash evaporation ponds.
Simply previous the evaporation ponds your tires will hit paved highway (UT-279). From right here, it’s a clean, simple drive again to Moab. Utah-279 ends at Freeway 191. Flip proper and in a couple of minutes, you’ll be in Moab.
For extra pictures and particulars concerning the drive alongside Potash Highway, learn our submit Drive Shafer Canyon Highway and Potash Highway from Canyonlands to Moab.
Mineral Backside Highway to the White Rim Highway
Driving Distance: 88 miles
Time: All day
In the event you like the thought of driving a portion of the western part of the White Rim Highway, here’s a temporary overview of the drive, with some pictures. For full particulars, you’ll be able to see this route in our submit Drive the White Rim Highway.
This drive can be extra technical and barely tougher than the jap part of the loop.
Map of the White Rim Highway. The orange route is what you’ll be able to cowl in sooner or later, beginning on Mineral Backside Highway and turning round at Soda Spring Canyon.
Mile 0: Flip onto Mineral Backside Highway. This can be a well-graded grime highway that’s comparatively flat and quick.
Mile 13.1: Mineral Backside Highway Switchbacks. Just like Shafer Canyon, you’ll drive a collection of switchbacks to get down onto the White Rim.
Mile 14.5: Finish of the Switchbacks. On the backside of the switchbacks, flip left on the junction onto White Rim Highway. The highway will now flatten out and can shortly start to observe alongside the facet of the Inexperienced River.
Mile 18.2 At this level you’ll enter Canyonlands Nationwide Park.
Mile 22.5 Hardscrabble Campground
Mile 24.1 Fort Backside Trailhead & Hardscrabble Hill. This quick and simple hike (distance: 3 miles, time: 1 to 1.5 hours) results in a viewpoint of the Inexperienced River.
This level can also be the beginning of the descent down Hardscrabble Hill. This is among the trickiest elements of the White Rim Highway. Scout the view down the hill for oncoming automobiles. It’s simpler to attend on the prime than attempt to go one other automobile on this stretch of highway.
Mile 26.0 Backside of Hardscrabble Hill & Potato Backside Campground. As soon as previous Hardscrabble Hill, the White Rim Highway runs alongside the Inexperienced River. This portion of the highway is noticeably rocky but it surely presents spectacular river views.
Mile 33.3 Holeman Canyon Viewpoint. That is your first alternative to look down into one of many decrease canyons.
Mile 36.4 Candlestick Campground & Viewpoint. That is one other place to look down right into a canyon.
Miles 40 to 44. Soda Spring Canyon viewpoints. Alongside this 4-mile stretch there are a number of nice views of Soda Spring Canyon.
At mile 44 you’ll be sitting slightly below Murphy’s Hogback, one of the difficult sections of the White Rim Highway, as you drive up a really tough and slender highway. I like to recommend turning round earlier than beginning this climb.
Driving the Full White Rim Highway in One Day
Are you able to drive the entire White Rim Highway loop in sooner or later?
Sure, you’ll be able to. However this isn’t to be underestimated. Driving 100 miles on tough, unpaved roads could be very completely different than freeway or metropolis driving. The terrain could be very tough and rocky and your speeds can be low for many of the drive.
When you have no expertise driving on gravel roads, then I don’t suggest trying this drive in sooner or later. There are difficult sections to this drive the place you’ll have to take your time. Plus, issues can go flawed. You might get a flat tire, you can have engine issues, otherwise you may run into obstacles alongside the highway that you simply don’t really feel snug navigating.
In the event you run into difficulties, there are only a few folks out right here to supply help. And with out mobile service you received’t be capable to name anybody for assist.
In the event you plan to drive the complete White Rim Highway in sooner or later, it’s best to have prior expertise driving on tough, unpaved roads, know easy methods to change a tire, and have expertise driving a automobile in 4WD.
Plus, I solely suggest doing this drive throughout the months the place the times are lengthy.
Once we did this, it took us 8 hours to drive 70 miles of this loop (Mineral Backside Highway to the Airport Campground). And we had been transferring fairly quick and never lingering lengthy at overlooks.
As a tough estimate, it’ll take you 12 to 14 hours to drive the complete loop. You’ll have to skip among the detours (reminiscent of White Crack and Lathrop Canyon) and perhaps even a number of of the overlooks. I solely suggest doing the White Rim Highway in sooner or later when you’ve got a minimum of 13 hours of daylight (mid-April by way of mid-August). This isn’t a drive you need to do at midnight.
In the event you can prolong your drive over two days, I extremely suggest it. Not solely do you get to decelerate and benefit from the expertise, however tenting alongside the White Rim Highway is superb. The campsites are nicely spaced out, so you’ll have some privateness. The night time sky is totally spectacular since you might be so distant from mild air pollution.
Tricks to Drive the Full Loop in One Day
You are able to do the drive in both path. Most individuals drive the loop in a clockwise path, beginning with the Shafer Canyon switchbacks. In the event you start to expire of daylight, it’s not a giant deal to be on Mineral Backside Highway (which might be the ultimate 13 miles in a clockwise path) since this highway is well-graded and simple to drive.
Begin at dawn. It’s essential to have as a lot daylight as attainable.
Skip the detours to Lathrop Canyon and White Crack. These will take up invaluable time.
Whether it is 2 pm, and also you haven’t reached the midway level, flip round and don’t attempt to drive the entire loop. There are two technical hill climbs and descents on the western facet of the loop and these take further time. To remain secure, you don’t need to rush by way of these sections.
In the event you plan to do the complete White Rim Highway in sooner or later, learn these posts first, which have many extra planning ideas and particulars about what to anticipate alongside the drive.
- White Rim Highway: Planning Information and Guidelines
- Drive the White Rim Highway: Map, Pictures & Driving Suggestions
When Can You Drive the White Rim Highway?
The perfect time to drive the White Rim Highway is the spring and fall seasons, when the temperatures are delicate.
Flood season is from early Could by way of late June, so count on moist circumstances throughout this time. Rain can quickly make the grime roads impassable, so maintain this in thoughts when selecting your journey dates.
In the summertime, daytime temperatures can soar, however the days are lengthy, which provides you extra time on the White Rim Highway.
Within the winter, be ready for snow and ice on the highway and below-freezing temperatures in a single day. Through the winter months, Shafer Canyon Highway can shut on account of snowfall. In the event you plan to do that drive throughout this time, get up to date highway circumstances on the Nationwide Park Service web site or on the customer heart.
Issues to Know Earlier than You Go
Earlier than you go, get an replace on present highway circumstances. Highway circumstances do change, so cease by the Canyonlands Island within the Sky Customer Middle and ask concerning the present circumstances of the roads earlier than embarking on this journey. You may as well get updates on the nationwide park service web site.
Earlier than you go, get updates on the climate. Some parts of this route could also be impassable when moist.
Mobile service on the White Rim Highway could be very spotty. We had minimal cell service close to the Gooseberry and Airport tenting areas. From Airport campground, we had simply sufficient service to ship a textual content and picture dwelling to Tyler and Kara. However for the rest of the White Rim Highway (all the western a part of the drive) we had no mobile service.
All the time maintain an eye fixed out for mountain bikers. We noticed extra mountain bikers than we noticed automobiles.
There is no such thing as a potable water alongside the White Rim Highway. Ensure you convey an satisfactory provide of water.
Bogs are positioned at every tenting space and tenting areas are roughly spaced out 15 miles aside.
Ensure you have a full tank of fuel. One tank is sufficient to drive all the White Rim Highway and to get to and from Moab.
Please observe the seven ideas of Go away No Hint: plan forward, keep on the path, pack out what you convey, correctly get rid of waste, depart areas as you discovered them, reduce campfire impacts, be thoughtful of others, and don’t method or feed wildlife.
