The White Rim Road Is 100 Miles Of White Knuckle Driving In Utah That's Not For The Faint Of Heart
By Catherine Armstrong|Published June 26, 2020
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Catherine Armstrong
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Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Canyonlands National Park is a vast, wild space that encompasses 337,598 acres. It’s absolutely stunning, but much of the park is also difficult to access. Guests will need four-wheel drive for many of the park’s roads, and should always be prepared with plenty of gas, water, and food before heading into the remote sections of the park.
The White Rim Road makes a loop around the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands. If you have the vehicle (and the nerve) to explore it, it’s an unforgettable adventure.
The beauty of Canyonlands National Park is unparalleled, and much of the park is truly wild. If you want to escape the huge crowds of tourists, this is place.
The park has four sections: Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the Rivers. Most visitors stick to the mesa, Island in the Sky, which is accessible with paved roads. But if you really want an adventure, you'll head for the backroads of Island in the Sky. Namely, White Rim Road.
White Rim Road is 100 miles long, and it makes a loop around Island in the Sky, and takes you down below it. The road includes several sections: Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon, Murphy Hogback, Mineral Bottom, and Hardscrabble Hill.
White Rim Road is not suitable for every visitor. To travel on this road, you must have a high-clearance vehicle with four-wheel drive. Motorbikes and bicycles are also allowed. ATVs and OTVs are not permitted.
Some spots along the road require some serious navigation around some rough road, and you might need a passenger to hop out and act as a spotter as you make your way around boulders and other impediments along the way.
You're on your own out here, far from civilization, and you don't want to mess around. If your vehicle is disabled, it can take a tow truck hours to reach you (assuming you have the cell service to call one). Tow fees from White Rim Road often exceed $1,000, according to the national park.
The narrow dirt road winds and loops around hairpin turns. There is no guard rail, and in most spots, if your tires slip off the edge, it's hundreds of feet down.
There are pullouts occasionally, and you'll want to watch for the clouds of dust ahead that alert you that another vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction, so you can find a spot to pull over and wait. Otherwise, one vehicle will have to back up along the road to a pullout spot.
As you travel along White Rim Road, you'll witness some of Utah's most majestic scenery. This place is almost untouched by humans, and it's vast and rugged. If you have the right vehicle, and nerves of steel you'll come away from White Rim Road with an experience you'll never forget.
For a challenging, but slightly less nerve-wracking experience, take a three-four day bicycle trip on White Rim Road. If you're an experienced backcountry camper, it's an adventure you'll love.
There are 20 campsites along the route for motorbike and bicycle campers.
To travel the White Rim Road, you'll need a day-use permit. Overnight permits are required for overnight trips along the road, and you'll want to make reservations in advance for those.
