White Rim

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5/5 (38 reviews)
Moab, Utah (San Juan County)
Last Updated: 05/12/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

Altitude Category Icon Altitude
Desert Category Icon Desert
Iconic Category Icon Iconic
Mud Category Icon Mud
Overland Category Icon Overland
Sand Category Icon Sand
Scenic Category Icon Scenic
The White Rim Trail is the premier multi-day trail in Moab, Utah. The entire route encompasses over 90 miles of off-road driving. On the White Rim, you’ll get to experience the beautiful scenery of the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park first hand while tackling the challenging terrain. The trail gets its name from the layer of white sandstone on which it sits. White Rim sandstone is considerably harder than the red Moenkopi Formation sandstone above or the Organ Rock Shale below. The differential erosion creates some of the very unique geological features along the trail. The trail was first created during the 1950s with the intent of mining uranium needed for the production of nuclear weapons for the Cold War. Though uranium was present, the mines produced little compared to others in the region. Thus they were abandoned. But the road remains. White Rim has something for everyone. Besides enticing driving, the trail offers numerous hikes, an abundance of stunning views, and many campsites with absolute solitude. Traveling along White Rim gives a whole new appreciation of Canyonlands and a perspective of the park that can’t be attained anywhere else.

Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Important: Always check the Island in the Sky Visitor Center for current conditions before heading out. The route is mostly dirt and sand, with a few small rocky stretches scattered throughout. Notable obstacles include a steep and rocky climb at Murphy Hogback at Waypoint 33, the Hardscrabble switchbacks at Waypoint 49, and the water crossing of Upheaval Bottom at Waypoint 55. You will also come across several blind turns and ascents, as well as plenty of cliffside driving. Expect many climbs and descents, as White Rim’s elevation ranges from 3,941 feet to 5,278 feet, with an overall ascent of 3,036 feet and descent of 3,645 feet. This is a straight-through trail, and the only points of entry are Shafer Trail, Potash Road, and Mineral Bottom Road. For all reasons mentioned, White Rim should only be attempted by SUVs with high clearance, aggressive tires, low range, and either extended range fuel tanks or jerry cans. Locking differentials would also be highly recommended, but not required. Additional recovery gear should also be considered mandatory on this trail. Be sure to check in with the Ranger Station, as a permit is required both for day trips and overnight camping trips. For this reason, it is recommended that you enter via Shafer Trail after stopping by the Ranger Station.

Trail Reviews

5/5 (38)
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 09/02/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Absolutely beautiful scenery around every turn. Trail was completely open and bone dry during our trip on Aug 31 - Sept 2 2023. Not sure there is a more scenic trail anywhere. The vehicles in our group (Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Ford Bronco Badlands) all handled the dry trail with no issues. 2 climbs (Murphy’s Hogback and Hardscrabble) were steep and fun to crawl up. 100% recommended!
Trail Review: White Rim - James Steel
Trail Review: White Rim - James Steel
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Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 08/31/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Wow. What a great trail. It was hot and dusty but still a great time. We camped at Airport D and Potato Bottom B. Airport D was open to the elements and hot, Potato Bottom was gorgeous with shade from some aspens near the Colorado river. The 2 climbs were great and tough. We drive a lifted gladiator with an Alu-Cab. No issues on the climbs. We were there 8/30-9/1.
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600
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 08/12/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Just did a 2 night trip on the White Rim. Easy trail for the most part, with only some steep/loose climbs where 4L helped. Difficulty of the trail is more related to the remote nature. We saw a handful of other people throughout each day. Make sure your spare is aired up. We did help someone air up their spare that was down to 10psi by the time they need it. Bring lots of water and fuel. I was able to do the full loop in my 2023 4Runner without getting into my spare fuel,but had anything fine wrong and we needed to turn around, I may have needed that spare fuel.
Trail Review: White Rim - Mike
Trail Review: White Rim - Mike
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200
Partially Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 08/03/2023

We only did the portion from Shafer Trail Road to the Airport D campsite (waypoints 1-13) for a one night stay. This portion was fairly easy, but I cannot speak to the rest. Gorgeous views and some fun viewpoints to checkout. You can hike to the Colorado River Overlook, or it can be driven if you’re ok with the mini-technical section right at the start (not sure if you’re supposed to, but it’s definitely well traveled, has a turn around, and has nothing there indicating not to like at Mussleman Arch). Portions of White Rim are heavily washboarded and sneak up on you. Also, Shafer Trail Road has fun and easy switchbacks that can be viewed from the viewpoint on the paved road just past the visitor center.
Trail Review: White Rim - Justin
Trail Review: White Rim - Justin
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Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/24/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Harder

Full trail is open as of 7/24/23 the upheaval wash is bone dry. I thought waypoint 33 Murphy hardback climb was the worst… man was I wrong. The climb up on waypoint 53 and the soft sand decent was by far the worst part of the trail… climbing up is a hard left turn that goes straight up. Soft sand and rutted out really good. Switchbacks are very tight. You are really ******* if someone was coming the other way… now the decent off the shelf road is all soft sand. DO NOT HOLD THE BRAKE. Let the low gear take you down. If you lock up the brakes and get sideways or loose control you risk going right over the edge. Other then that the mineral bottom switchbacks up the canyon out to Moab was surprising too. Think shafer switchbacks but half as narrow.

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