Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of them, I may receive a small commission (for which I am very grateful for) at no extra cost to you.

As one of the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks, Canyonlands is often overshadowed by nearby Arches National Park. Canyonlands National Park has three distinct sections: Island in the Sky, The Needles and The Maze. The most popular section to visit is Island in the Sky as it is closest to Moab, Utah. The White Rim Trail (also called White Rim Road) is a beautiful off-roading drive (or bike) within the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands. We were able to do this drive in mid-January and it was EPIC. If you want to experience incredible views, remote desert, and test your driving skills off-road, definitely check out this drive.

Note: This drive requires a permit for both day use and overnight use. These permits need to be booked significantly in advance depending on the season. You can find more information about day use permits for the White Rim Road here. You can find more information about overnight permits here.

How to get to the White Rim Trail

There are a few options to get yourself to the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands. The first is to fly directly into Moab (Airport Code CNY) and rent a vehicle. This airport is located approximately 20 miles north of the town of Moab itself. There are direct flights from Moab to Denver. Arranging a taxi or shuttle service to Moab and renting a vehicle in Moab will likely provide you with a more suitable vehicle for your trip.

Alternatively, you can fly into Salt Lake City (Airport Code SLC), rent a vehicle, and drive approximately 4 hours to Moab. If this is what you decide to do, consider renting a full overlanding setup in Salt Lake City from Utah Wanderlust Rentals before making the drive down to Moab. This was our second time renting from Utah Wanderlust Rentals and we had another fabulous trip.

You can read more about our first time renting with Utah Wanderlust Rentals when we did the Cathedral Valley Loop near Capitol Reef National Park in Utah here.

Our Overlanding Setup

You absolutely need 4WD high clearance to do the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands. There are also some pretty tight turns and narrow spots mkaing our F350 and truck camper not the best idea. Therefore we rented a Toyota 4Runner with a rooftop tent from Utah Wanderlust Rentals in Salt Lake City for this trip. This was our second time renting from Utah Wanderlust Rentals. If you are familiar with rooftop tents then this will be old news – but the tent is actually comfortable. It has a mattress inside it and it made for a side-sleeper’s paradise (normally even with an inflated pad it’s hard to side sleep).

The Toyota 4Runner from Utah Wanderlust Rentals was equipped with everything we could possibly need including: linens, pillows, blankets, cookware, stove, utensils, refrigerator, portable toilet, table, chairs and so much more. This makes it the perfect option to rent if you are coming in from out of town and don’t want to bring all of your equipment with you.

White Rim Trail Route

Most people take the Shafer Trail from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center and start the Whie Rim Trail clockwise. However, since we did the White Rim Trail in January, the Shafer Trail was closed. Instead we started on Potash Road which is not located in the park.

The Shafer Trail itself does not require a permit and it is definitely worth a drive when it is open. The Shafer Trail with an exit on Potash Road is a great alternative for more limited time or for someone who is not ready to commit to 100 miles of off-roading.

Daytrip vs Overnight

An important distinction when planning to drive the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands is whether or not you plan to do it in one day or over several days. This may be decided for you depending on the availability of permits (both require a permit), however here are some important considerations.

Daytrip

If you decide to daytrip, you will want to start very early. It is 100+ miles of off-road driving and the speed limit is 15 mph. Without stopping for pictures or taking any side drives or hikes, it would take about 7 hours. The only amenities on the entire drive are pit toilets at campsites. There is no food, gas, water, or cell service. If you are not interested in remote camping and would prefer to spend the night in your hotel in Moab, a daytrip on the White Rim Trail is for you. Even if you are only planning to daytrip, make sure your vehicle is equipped with emergency supplies in case you are forced to spend the night.

Overnight

If you decide to spend one or more nights on the White Rim Trail, you will have more time to enjoy the scenery. You should prepared with sufficient food, gas, and water for your trip and some extra to spare. Individual campsites must be reserved with your permit and there is no free camping allowed at unmarked sites.

White Rim Trail Campsites

We reserved two campsites on the White Rim Trail. The first was Whitecrack. The second was Murphy A. If you have the choice and you are taking the White Rim trail clockwise, the campsites between White Crack and the end of your drive are better than the ones before White Crack. White Crack was remote and worth the drive to visit (it is about 1.5 miles off the main road) even if you don’t stay there. Murphy A was much better than Murphy B and it felt like you were on top of the world. Many of the remaining campsites were beautiful as well.

Things to see on the White Rim Trail

So where should you stop while on the White Rim Trail? If you are anything like me, you will want to stop basically everywhere. The drive is incredibly beautiful. But here are some highlights:

• Musselman Arch – more like a bridge, but it’s just a short walk. Despite it being physically possible, you are not allowed to walk on Musselman Arch.
• Lanthrop Canyon Road – this road goes all the way down to the river. We started down this road but it got very icy so we decided to back up (turning around is not possible on many of these roads). We would have loved to go all the way down.
• White Crack – Even if you aren’t camping here, check it out.
• Muphy Hogback – There are switchbacks leading both up to and away from Murphy Hogback. It feels like you are on top of the world when you are in this area.
• Holeman Slot Canyon – Opposite the Wilhite Trail. Be cautious if there is any rain in he forecast and only go as far as you can get yourself out of – there are some pretty steep dropoffs that would require rope in order to exit.
• Fort Bottom Ruin – A beautiful trail that takes you out to the bend in the river to visit a ruin. There is no shade on this trail.
• Upheaval Canyon – Thought to be the site of a meteor impact. This can be accessed from the main road in Island in the Sky so this is something we did on a different visit and not on this trip.
• Moses and Zeus – A five mile drive each way to some cool protruding towers.

Important Considerations for the White Rim Trail

• A permit is required for every vehicle or bike on this trail whether you plan to overnight or just spend time on the road during the day.
• There are no pets allowed on this drive, even in the car.
• No drones allowed.
• Camp only at designated sites.
• There is no water, food, gas, or cell service on this drive. Plan accordingly.
• A 4WD high clearance vehicle is required. AWD or low clearance vehicles would not suffice.
• Driving the White Rim Trail in January is certainly a different experience than driving it in July. Plan according to the seasons.

White Rim Trail in Canyonlands

Is driving the White Rim road in Canyonlands on your Utah bucket list? Have you done it already? Let me know in the comments.

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

• Best Hikes in Utah
• 21 Places to Visit in Utah that aren’t National Parks
• 11 Things to do in Kanab
• Visiting the Utah Mighty 5 National Parks
• Best Scenic Drives in Utah
• Salt Lake City to Moab Road Trip Itinerary

Let’s Stay in Touch…

name:
email:

Sharing is caring!