Canyonlands National Park guide · 1 min read
Driving the White Rim Road
Running 100 miles of dirt, the White Rim Road circles beneath the Island in the Sky mesa. The route follows cliff edges and passes canyons the Colorado and Green Rivers have cut.
From different points on the loop, views rise toward the mesa top and drop into the canyons below. The loop is best treated as a multi-day journey rather than a quick outing.
Most people who drive the loop in a four-wheel vehicle spend two or three days on it, and when conditions are good, the route poses a moderate challenge to high-clearance vehicles. With less time, you can take just a section of the circuit. Two days leaves room for a slower pace, side detours, and a hike or two.
Riders who take on the loop by mountain bike often need three to four days, and some finish it in three to five days with a guide. Sections such as the Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill, and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks are steep and exposed, which makes cycling them demanding and calls for real caution. Cyclists are limited to designated roads and campsites, and the park has no single-track trails. Multi-day cyclists are advised to bring a support vehicle, since most roads have no water along them.
Multi-day trips on the route call for an overnight backcountry permit, while one-day drives on backcountry roads such as Elephant Hill, Salt Creek, and Lavender Canyon fall under day-use permits. Because overnight spots can run short, booking ahead is wise. Multi-day groups typically stay at designated campsites along the way. Before you set out, the park's backcountry orientation video is worth watching, since it covers trip planning and Leave No Trace practices.
