Back in July Shelley and I went on one of our “bucket list” off grid adventures. We had been hoping to do this trail for the last couple of years and the timing and logistics finally worked out this past summer. My biggest concern with completing it was that we are pulling a trailer and there are a number of switchbacks that I have heard were very tight and narrow.
Although I have gotten very good at navigating switchback, narrow primative roads, the reputation of the White Rim Road gave me concerns.
I spent a considerable amount of time researching the Road to make sure I was going to be safe with the trailer. However, finding objective and reliable information on the Road via social media was nearly impossible. I only found one review of the Road that was helpful.
I also contacted the National Park Service and spoke with the Rangers in Canyonlands. Even the Rangers I spoke with gave me mixed reviews. However, none of them said, “No, don’t do it.”
After looking at detailed satellite images off of Google Maps, finding some “street view images” and listening to the advice of the one person who gave me decent advice on the trail, we decided that we would plan to take the route clockwise. In order to give me a chance to reconnoiter over Hardscrabble without the trailer, we made our itinerary to stop for at Potato Bottom for one of our nights. If we were not able to get over Hardscrabble, we would turn around and go back out the way we came via a night at Airport Campground. We would then complete the Road clockwise back to the west side of Hardscrabble. We would take the truck over and not the trailer so we could at least claim having finished the Road in its entirety.
With that plan, we made reservations for our trip. The next hurdle to overcome was the logistics of food and fuel.
Since the White Rim Road is so far away from gasoline and our route was essentially going to drive it twice, we needed to have approximately 300 miles worth of gasoline in the truck. This would allow us to avoid having to drive back out to the nearest fuel at Archview RV Resort and Campground, which was 41 miles roundtrip from the intersection of Shafer Road and Grand View Point Road.
Food and water were not as significant a challenge since we have a very large fridge and can carry 56 gallons of water, 36 of which is in the trailer. Part of our long-term planning has always been extending the range with the truck in the back country. So over the past winter I added an auxiliary transfer tank to the bed of the truck. This gave me the capacity to carry an additional 44 gallons of gasoline beyond the 38 gallon stock fuel tank of the Tundra. This would be the second trip with the tank.
The auxiliary tank is completely lawful and abides by all federal regulations for the commercial transportation of gasoline. With that in mind, the private transport of gasoline is not regulated the same way as commercial transportation and doesn’t fall under the HazMat regulations by the Federal Government. I also have not tied it in to the fuel system of the truck. Essentially, it is just a very large Jerry can. I researched the Federal Regulations, just the same, and made sure the tank and installation comply with them so I know it’s as safe as I can make it. With all that in mind, your local laws may vary.
With that in mind, I knew we weren’t going to need 44 additional gallons of gasoline. I estimated needing no more than 25 extra gallons, or 63 total, giving us 378 miles of range at an estimated 6 mpg. This is what we have been getting on off grid trips in Death Valley and various BDRs.
So with the logistics out of the way and the reservations made it was time to get on the road.
Our trip to the White Rim Road and Island in the Sky was part of a larger trip that was bookend with mountain biking in Fruita Colorado and Moab Utah.
Being that we are National Park groupies (OK, maybe I am more so than Shelley) we had to start our trip at the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. I thought it was necessary to check in with the Rangers, show them our permit and to let them know that we were going to be on the trail. However, that is an unnecessary step on the White Rim Road. I did speak to the Ranger, the third ranger I had spoken to in my research, and he told me that we would have no problems on Hardscrabble.
We took our “trophy” starting photo and off we went.
Us above the Shafer Switchback outside the Island in the Sky Visitor Center.
The White Rim Road doesn’t actually start at the highway. You pull off Island in the Sky Road onto Shafer Canyon Road and follow it down the Shafer Trail Switchbacks where it intersects with the White Rim Road.
Airing down at the start of the Shafer Trail
One of the really nice things about the White Rim Road, and I was really impressed with how the National Park Service has this area set up, is that there are restrooms all over the place. Including at the intersection of Shafer Trail and the White Rim Road. And every one we went into was virtually spotless. Some of the nicest back country restrooms I have ever been in.
At the eastern terminus of the White Rim Road.
I planned for this first day to be a short milage day. We knew that we were going to get a late start having driven in from Fruita, Colorado. We planed our first night to be at Airport Campground. Airport A to be specific. It’s only a short 20 mile drive from the highway, but with all the stops we wanted to make along the way it took a few hours.
On the White Rim Road leading to Airport Campground.
We aren’t the kind of travelers that try to get as many miles in per day. We like to stop frequently to see what we are passing. So we stopped a number of times to take in the views of the area as well as at Musselman Arch. There is no toilet here, but it is a large cup-de-sac turnaround and a short walk out to the arch.
Musselman Arch.
Eventually we pulled into Airport A late in the afternoon and got set up. Airport Campground is a wide-open expensive campground with four designated sites.
Airport A.
Airport A and B have their own access road off the White Rim Road, and Airport C and D are about a quarter-mile away off of their own access road. Although you can see all four from the same vantage point they were very secluded and quiet. Especially at night. Maybe with larger crowds in each one of the campgrounds you might hear your neighbor, but Airport B was occupied by a solo driver and we didn’t even know he was there.
The moon over Airport Tower.
Airport Campground has two bathrooms. One for A and B and one for C and D. I guess the only critique I could give for Airport was the long walk to the bathroom. But that’s a pretty minor critique of a spectacular location.
Day 2 was set aside for a day hike in the area. Again, our philosophy when traveling in the back country has never been to see how many miles we could put down each day. This trip plan was to spend two nights at Airport A allowing us to see this area at a nice leisurely pace. Leaving the trailer at the campsite, we took the truck back down the way we came to hike Lathrop Trail. There is no parking at the trailhead from the Road. There is a spot further down where you can pull off. Lathrop Trail actually goes all the way up to Grand View Point Road above on the plateau. But it was never our intention to hike all the way up and come all the way back down.
Starting out on Lathrop Trail.
Somewhere on Lathrop Trail.
We hiked up enough to get a very nice view looking out over Canyonlands. Unfortunately the only wildlife we saw were lizards and birds.
Lathrop Trail overlook.
After coming back to the trailhead, we took the truck down Lathrop Canyon Road to the Colorado River. You could take a mountain bike down this route, which we considered. With only have one full day at this location, we took the truck. If you spend three nights at Airport Campground you could spend one day hiking all the way up to the pavement and then spend the second day mountain biking all the way down to the Colorado River. That would be a cool plan.
In Lathrop Canyon.
The drive down to the river was pretty uneventful. However, if you’re going to take a mountain bike, the first quarter mile is very steep. After that it was pretty chill all the way down to the river.
The Colorado River at the bottom of Lathrop Canyon Road.
There were some very spectacular views being down below the rim and looking back up. Seeing how the plateau is crumbling and eroding was quite interesting. It is a view that is a little bit more difficult to see from the White Rim Road itself because from the Road you are looking down on it.
The crumbling of the White Rim.
Down at the bottom of the Lathrop Canyon Road is a large cul-de-sac where large vehicles can easily turn around or if you’re pulling a trailer you can make a U-turn. And of course there’s even a restroom. We spent some time down by the river until a river rafting sightseeing group showed up.
The bottom of Lathrop Canyon.
When we realized the rafting boat was going to beach at our spot and how crowded and busy it was going to be we bailed and headed back to camp.
Leaving no trace was not in their vocabulary. They were running all about urinating everywhere except in the restroom. Based on the reactions of some of the rafters, I’m pretty sure someone took a dump behind the restroom because they couldn’t wait. Some of them didn’t even realize they were standing on a vehicle road, even though they walked right past our truck. As we were leaving we had to wait behind them in the truck while they finished pissing in the middle of the road.
Back at Airport A, we spent a nice evening making dinner and star gazing.
Day 3 was a travel day to Potato Bottom. On the map it showed approximately 46 miles. This is usually well within our drive time on a normal back country road. But the White Rim Road is not normal.
Views from the White Rim Road.
On the White Rim Road at the intersection with White Crack Rd.
Although lots of people do the White Rim Road in two days we were pulling a trailer. And when you have to clear every obstacle with three axles it adds some significant time to your travels. Add in all of our stops to take in the view and lunch at Murphy Hogback and the total drive time was nearly 8 hours for us.
Lunch at Murphy Hogback.
For most of the Road between Airport and Potato Bottom we were only traveling about 4 to 6 mph. In many areas we had to slow to a crawl. As we came down the west side of Murphy Hogback we ran into our only technical spot on the Road where we had to stop and build the road up in order to navigate it.
For those reading this who do not pull a trailer, you have to understand that we cannot take the same line a 2-axel vehicle. We may see a good line but cannot access it because the trailer will turn inside that line and either leave the road or hit its own obstacle. Which means that the trailer or the truck typically ends up not taking the best line. That was what we ran into as we came down Murphy Hogback. We ended up having to fill in some dips and ledges in the road in order to navigate those areas.
By the way, the pull up the east side of Murphy Hogback was easy. Yes, it is steep and narrow. Shelley went out in front to make sure anyone coming down could be stopped first as I came up, but it was a piece of cake. We found the approach to Murphy Hogback from the east to be more technical then the climb itself.
The road leading to the Murphy Hogback climb.
Thus this 46 miles took a lot longer than we anticipated. Neither of us were looking forward to having to come back out this route if we were not able to get over Hardscrabble the next day.
We met a number of people traveling the Road counter clockwise. We passed a 4 x 4 sprinter van that was on his second day. And we passed a couple of mountain bike outfitters who were also traveling counterclockwise. One of these mountain bike outfitters was clearly concerned about our safety on the Road pulling a trailer. She did not think that we would be able to even get up Murphy Hogback let alone get over Hardscrabble. She was concerned enough to give us advice that we should drop the trailer where we were at and finish the route without it. I try to take everybody’s advice into consideration, but this advice seem to be exaggerated. Especially since she just came from that route in a 3/4 ton full-size pickup.
Shortly after meeting her we passed a Park Ranger making his rounds and we had a really good conversation with him. He too was in a 3/4 ton full size truck and he was confident that if we took a good line up Hardscrabble that we would be able to navigate it. He told us that he had seen a number of people drive over Hardscrabble with trailers. In fact, his recommendation was to go over Hardscrabble and not come back as our original plan had been designed. He told us the worst part of the Road is going to be on the downhill side of Murphy Hogback, and not Hardscrabble. He told us that sometime in the past 12 months the National Park Service had scraped Hardscrabble and it was very level. It just had tight hairpin turns that he thought we would be able to navigate if we took our time.
His tips and advice was more consistent with what I have been reading and hearing from others.
We pulled into Potato Bottom late in the afternoon after a very long day. We immediately dropped the trailer and I took the truck to reconnoiter over Hardscrabble and see it first hand for myself. This had always been part of the plan and I was anxious to see what it really look liked first hand.
Potato Bottom C.
I was pleasantly surprised at how navigable Hardscrabble really was. The Tundra went right up and over without any issues whatsoever. There were only two switchbacks I was concerned about and I thought maybe the inside wheel of the trailer might have to drive over a rock to clear the first hairpin turn. The only other issue I had was a right hand turn after the second switch back. But other than that, Hardscrabble wasn’t that big of a problem. We had been on more difficult and tighter switchbacks on the Washington BDR. I returned to camp very excited with the knowledge that we would not have to drive back out the way we came. Even as large as our truck trailer combination was, I was very confident in our ability to get over Hardscrabble.
With that knowledge, Shelley and I relaxed for the evening in a very nice location. Potato Bottom consist of three separate designated spots, A, B and C. We were in Potato Bottom C which is furthest west and closest to Hardscrabble. Potato Bottom A has its own out house but it’s more of a pull out just off the side of the Road then an actual campsite. B and C share an out house but both are well off the road offering more privacy. Potato Bottom C has a trail that leads down to the Green River. Although parts of it are very overgrown, access is doable. This was a very nice campground with lots of trees and shade and a very large cul-de-sac to maneuver larger vehicles or trucks with trailers
If we were able to get over Hardscrabble the next morning, not having reservations on the other side would pose a logistical problem with our schedule. Since our reservations were for leaving back out the way we came, we did not have reservations at any of the campgrounds on the west side of Hardscrabble. We decided that if we got over Hardscrabble that we would make a decision after arriving at Labyrinth about where we would stay.
The next morning, Day 4, we hooked up and made our way over Hardscrabble. The first switch back we came to, the one I was most concerned about, actually turned into a breeze. I wasn’t able to make the U-turn in one movement due to the outside cliff wall. After gently placing the front bumper up against the cliff to maximize my turn, I only needed to back up about a foot to a foot and a half and then I was able to clear the switch back. Once I got the trailer around the the inside corner without it driving up and over the rock I was concerned about the day before, I knew that the rest of Hardscrabble was going to be a piece of cake.
And it was.
Making the first hairpin turn up Hardscrabble.
Somewhere up on Hardscrabble.
Don’t get me wrong, if you drop your guard going over Hardscrabble you’re going to screw up. There are a lot of very tight turns and the road is not very wide. When you’re pulling a trailer you’re always looking at the next turn ahead of you to set yourself up properly. But realistically, I could’ve taken a longer trailer over Hardscrabble.
On Hardscrabble leading to the second hairpin.
The sharp right turn above the second hairpin turn.
Once at the top of Hardscrabble there is a hike out to some old homestead ruins and Ancestral Puebloans’ ruins. There is plenty of places to park at the trailhead that puts you well off of the White Rim Road. We pulled over and spent a few hours exploring the trail out to the ruins. We found the side trip to be extremely well worth it. The hike is very simple with some switchbacks but the elevation and distance are insignificant.
Looking back at Hardscrabble from the Ancestral Puebloans’ ruins.
The Ancestral Puebloans’ ruins are up on top of a small peak with great views of the Green River. The homestead ruins are down on the Green River. If you’re going to travel the White Rim Road I would strongly recommend taking a few hours out of your trip to explore this short out-and-back hike.
Ancestral Puebloans’ ruins.
Old cabin homestead.
Once back at the truck, and using my binoculars to scout ahead on the road, I was able to observe a Toyota Tacoma coming up from the Hardscrabble Bottom side. Having reconnoitered it the night before I knew there was no way that we were going to pass each other on the Road. We sat tight at the trail head until the Tacoma passed. Then on our way down we came upon a group of mountain bikers who were coming up as well. We had some good conversations with them as they passed. Luckily their outfitter was waiting at the bottom of hardscrabble.
We stopped and spoke with the outfitter and found out that there is no common means of radio communications on the White Rim Road. I asked him about this because while waiting for the Tacoma I saw him coming as well. I had tried to call him on every radio I had, CB, GMRS and ham. He had stopped at the bottom and I was trying to reach him so he would let me come down before he started up. In the Pacific Northwest a lot of people use ham at 146.46 to communicate. But he had never heard of that. I asked him about CB or GMRS and he stated he wasn’t aware of any common radio frequencies or types anybody uses to communicate. He didn’t even use a radio to talk to his own guides who were with the mountain bikers out ahead of him. I found that kind of surprising. That he stopped was just luck on our part.
If you’re on Hardscrabble or Murphy Hogback there are very few locations where two vehicles are going to pass each other. With no way to communicate, you really have to use binoculars to scout your route to make sure nobody is ahead of you before you start up or down. On both of them, Shelley was out ahead of me scouting on foot around the hairpin corners for any oncoming traffic. He had stopped because he was letting the mountain bikes get to the top before he started up, which timed out perfectly for us. And by the way, he told us he had seen a number of people drive trailers up and over Hardscrabble as well.
Now it was on to Labyrinth Campground and a decision. We did not have reservations for either of the two campsites at Labyrinth and there was no way to know if anybody was going to show up or not. We knew that both of these campsites were reserved but we had no idea if anybody was going to show up. We had the option of hanging out and waiting to see if anybody showed. If there was a no-show, we could take one. Or we could drive out of the White Rim Road and Canyonlands and spend the night on BLM land. We chose to leave and spend the night on BLM land. The reason was we did not want to try to drive out and find a campsite in the dark. It’s just not something that we try to do. Our preference is to get to where we need to get to early so we have time to relax, cook dinner, smoke a cigar and have a beer. If we waited till 6 or 7 PM to do that then we would not have a lot of time to ourselves.
So we left the National Park a day early and found a nice spot of BLM land where we spent the night celebrating our completion of the White Rim Road.
Celebration cigar and beer.
We suffered no breakdowns, no injuries, and no damage to any parts of our vehicles. After hearing so much about the trail I was very pleased with our performance. We were equally impressed with the capabilities of the truck and trailer. The trailer just continues to impress me wherever we take it.
The morning of Day 5 saw us driving back into Canyonlands and we pulled into the Labyrinth B. It appeared to have not been used the night before. Oh well, hindsight is 2020.
Labyrinth B is a spectacular campsite. Of the two campsites at Labyrinth Campground, this is the one you want. Right on the Green River. We faced the kitchen at the river and that evening we set up our propane fire pit and chairs on our “deck” overlooking the river and just watched the world go by.
Looking down into Labyrinth B from the Road.
Labyrinth B.
After arriving and getting set up, we still had this entire day to explore the area. Right out of Labyrinth Campground is Taylor Canyon Road. We took that road up to Taylor Campground and a trailhead to Moses and Zeus.
I can’t recommend Taylor Campground. It’ll work in a pinch, but it is just a pull out spot along Taylor Canyon Road. Anyone driving to the trail head will drive right through your campsite. With that said, I doubt you’ll get many visitors. I would only use Taylor if you had to. By the way, it is not at the location you see on Gaia, Google or the NPS maps. That spot is the trailhead for the hike. The campsite is a few hundred yards prior to the trailhead. My hyperlink above drops right on it.
Moses and Zeus was a great hike that is not difficult at all. There is some confusion as to the exact name of this trail. The trailhead sign calls it Moses Trail and the Alcove Spring Trail intersects here too. Once up on rock feature, you can hike all the way around looking into the two different canyons the feature sits in the middle of. We had lunch up on the feature. We thought maybe we’d see some wildlife in the cooler shadows of the cliff sides, but not a thing.
Moses and Zeus.
Moses and Zeus with arches across the valley.
Rich hiking back down to the trailhead in the background.
Once back at camp, we spent the rest of the evening on our “deck” over the Green River.
Grilling on the Green River.
Watching the world go by.
The next day, Day 6, we drove back out of Canyonlands and headed back to Island in the Sky to complete our circumnavigation of the White Rim Road. The official western terminus of the White Rim Road is here.
The western terminus of the White Rim Road.
Now that we completed it, we could buy our “trophy” for ourselves and take some more time to visit the Visitor Center.
We spent the rest of the day on pavement within Island in the Sky District itself. We drove Grand View Point Road to the Mesa Arch. Then Upheaval Dome Road to the Syncline Loop Trail. Syncline Loop Trail goes all the way back down to the White Rim Road, but it also has some great overlook spots to view the Upheaval Dome.
Upheaval Dome from the Syncline Loop Trail.
Us on the Syncline Loop Trail near Upheaval Dome.
Then it was on to the Green River Overlook and the more spectacular Grand View Point. The Green River Overlook was very busy, but the views looking down onto the Road and Green River are worth the stop.
Green River overlook.
But the Grand View Point was the better of the two. A 1.8 mile hike out on Grand View Point Trail is worth every moment. It goes along the cliff side of the mesa and there are spectacular views all the way out to Grand View Point Overlook. If you have no issues with exposure, you can climb around the back side and you are on top of the world there. Absolutely amazing. You need to do it.
Shelley at Grand View Point Overlook.
Grand View Point with the White Rim Road below.
It was starting to get late in the afternoon so we started heading out of Canyonlands. We made one last stop at the Shafer Trail Viewpoint to collect our own iconic views of the Shafer Trail Switchbacks.
Our Shafer Switchbacks trophy shot.
From there, we said goodbye to Island in the Sky and found a nice spot off Dubinky Well Road for our stay in the Moab area.
Camping off Dubinky Well Road, Moab.
Thus closed our five nights and six days on the White Rim Road. So worth it. Personally, two more days (seven days and eight days) would allow for some extra days for some longer hiking and a mountain biking trip. There is so much to see on the Road. So much to do.
And that is just 1/3 of Canyonlands National Park.
Summit Ridge News 