Very High DemandReservation4 min read

Updated August 9, 2026

How to Get a Gooseberry A Permit

Mile 30, three hours in - one of two sites at Gooseberry, and the point where the loop stops being a day trip.

$36 non-refundable reservation fee per permit (includes the $6 Recreation.gov fee) plus $5 per person, per night. Park entrance fee is separate.

Permit Cost

2-4 days

Duration

100 miles

Distance

moderate

Difficulty

About Gooseberry A

Gooseberry A is one of two campsites in the Gooseberry camping area, 30 miles and about 3 hours of driving clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. One toilet serves the area. On a road with 20 campsites in 10 areas, Gooseberry is the third area you reach going clockwise and the last before the White Crack spur. NPS puts four-wheel-drive trips around the 100-mile loop at two to three days and mountain bike trips at three to four, with a minimum of 10 to 12 hours of driving or cycling. A permit runs up to 14 consecutive nights, but you may stay a maximum of three consecutive nights at a camping area before having to relocate. High-clearance four-wheel drive with low range is required, campfires are not permitted, pets are not allowed even in vehicles, and there is no potable water along the road. Canyonlands releases White Rim permits four months before each season starts, at 8 a.m. Mountain time on Recreation.gov, and NPS says outright that demand for overnight permits frequently exceeds the number available in spring and fall. The fee is a $36 non-refundable reservation charge plus $5 per person per night. Anything still unreserved becomes a walk-up, marked "W" on Recreation.gov and issued in person at a visitor center until 2:30 p.m. Mountain time.

Gooseberry is where the clock turns over. Three hours of driving from the visitor center is far enough that turning around is a worse idea than carrying on, and it is the last camping area before White Crack, which sits out on its own spur. Two sites share the area and one toilet serves them.

The Experience

Three hours of rock and sand and you are properly committed. The bench here is wide and the mesa rim is a long way up. What you notice at Gooseberry is how quiet it gets after the last day-use vehicle passes - no water noise, no trees, just wind over stone.

Gooseberry is at mile 30 clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, about 3 hours of driving, with two campsites and one toilet. Gooseberry A books as its own named site. Between here and the visitor center you will have run the Shafer Trail and passed the four-site Airport area at mile 19. Going on clockwise, White Crack at mile 39 is the next camp, then Murphy Hogback at mile 45 - and Murphy Hogback is one of the five steep and exposed sections NPS calls out on the whole loop.

What to Expect

Two campsites in the Gooseberry area, sharing one toilet

30 miles and about 3 hours of driving from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, clockwise

The last camping area before the White Crack spur at mile 39

No potable water, no shade, no campfires and no generators

A hard cap of 15 people and 3 vehicles on the site

A maximum of three consecutive nights before you have to relocate

Get Gooseberry A Alerts

Be first to know when cancellations happen.

Set Up Alerts

Permit Requirements

Each campsite accommodates up to 15 people and 3 vehicles; motorbikes and trailers count as vehicles for that limit

Keep all camp activities within the posts that mark the campsite boundaries

Campfires are not permitted anywhere along the White Rim Road, and generators are not allowed

Pets are not permitted, even inside vehicles

Your vehicle must have high-clearance, four-wheel drive with low range

ATVs, UTVs and OHVs are not permitted even if street legal; drones and other unmanned aircraft are prohibited

All vehicles and bikes must remain on designated roads

You may stay a maximum of three consecutive nights at a camping area before having to relocate, and an overnight permit runs up to 14 consecutive nights

Climbing, scrambling, walking or standing upon, or rappelling off any arch is prohibited parkwide

Recreation.gov books Gooseberry as a named campsite, not a zone - you are reserving this exact site for the night

Gear & Preparation

Required Gear

•All your water. There is none on the road, and 1 gallon per person per day is the NPS floor
•A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle with low range - this is a requirement, not a recommendation
•Full recovery kit and a spare: shovel, traction boards, air compressor, tire plugs
•A camp stove. Fires are not permitted at any White Rim campsite
•Shade you bring yourself - a tarp or awning; there is almost none on the bench
•Printed maps. Cell service is unreliable below the mesa rim

Hazards & Safety

No potable water anywhere along the road - NPS asks for at least 1 gallon (4 L) per person per day, more if you will be active

Long rocky stretches, deep sand and little shade; NPS says to plan on a minimum of 10 to 12 hours of driving or cycling for the loop

The steep, exposed sections at Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks demand extreme caution in bad weather

High water on the Green River can flood sections of road on the west side and make a complete loop impossible

A disabled vehicle out here is expensive: NPS warns of towing fees in excess of $1,000

Summer heat on an unshaded sandstone bench, with no water and no quick way out

Best Time to Visit

Spring and fall for the road and the temperatures, which is when NPS says permits run short. Gooseberry at three hours out is a reasonable first night for a slower party or a second night for a group that started at Shafer. Winter availability is real, but so is ice on the grades either side.

Pro Tips

Set an alarm for 8 a.m. Mountain time on the release date four months before your season opens. That first minute is when spring and fall dates go.

Gooseberry A is one of only 20 campsites on a 100-mile road, so a cancellation watch is doing real work here - there is no overflow.

Carry every drop of water you plan to drink. There is none on the road and no way to buy any.

Budget 3 hours from the visitor center just to reach camp, before you factor in stops.

If you are riding it, bring a four-wheel-drive support vehicle for water and gear. NPS recommends it directly.

Check current road conditions before you commit - high water on the Green River can close the west side and turn the loop into an out-and-back.

Cancel early if your plans change. The $5 per person per night fee is refunded for trips cancelled at least 3 days out, and someone else gets the night.

Written by

PermitSnag Team

100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience

This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a Gooseberry A permit?

Gooseberry A permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.

When is the best time to visit Gooseberry A?

How difficult is Gooseberry A?

Drivers with a genuine low-range four-wheel-drive vehicle, and cyclists who have a support vehicle carrying water. NPS highly recommends a four-wheel-drive support vehicle for mountain bike trips.

What gear do I need for Gooseberry A?

Essential gear includes: All your water. There is none on the road, and 1 gallon per person per day is the NPS floor, A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle with low range - this is a requirement, not a recommendation, Full recovery kit and a spare: shovel, traction boards, air compressor, tire plugs, A camp stove. Fires are not permitted at any White Rim campsite, Shade you bring yourself - a tarp or awning; there is almost none on the bench. Additional specialized gear may be required based on conditions.