How to Get a Shafer Permit
The first camp on the loop, 7 miles and half an hour below the visitor center - which makes it the single-night White Rim trip and the bailout when a plan falls apart.
Check Shafer permit availability$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 Shafer
Shafer is the first campsite on the White Rim Road going clockwise: 7 miles and about 30 minutes from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, with one campsite and one toilet. The 100-mile White Rim Road loops around and below the Island in the Sky mesa top, and NPS puts a four-wheel-drive circuit at two to three days and a mountain bike circuit at three to four. Being this close to the top changes what the site is for. It is the one White Rim camp that works as a single overnight, and it is the obvious fallback when high water on the Green River closes the west side and the loop becomes an out-and-back. It is also the site people book when they want the bench without committing three days to it. The rest is the same as everywhere out here: a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle 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.
Shafer is the only White Rim campsite you can reach in half an hour, and it is the only one of the ten camping areas with a single site. That combination makes it the most useful camp on the road for anyone who cannot spend three days out: you drop the Shafer switchbacks, camp on the bench, and climb back out in the morning. It is also the camp that gets grabbed when the west side floods and a loop turns into an out-and-back.
The Experience
You come off the Shafer Trail switchbacks and the mesa top is suddenly a thousand feet of cliff behind you. The traffic noise from the paved park road is gone within a mile. There is one site here, so once the day-use vehicles have run past on their way around the loop, the bench belongs to you and whatever wind is moving.
Shafer sits at mile 7 travelling clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, roughly 30 minutes of driving, and the drive is the interesting part: the Shafer Trail is one of the five steep, exposed sections NPS singles out on the whole 100-mile loop, along with Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks. There is one campsite in the Shafer area and one toilet. Note the gate at the Shafer Trail, Potash Road and White Rim Road junction by the vault toilet on the east side - if you enter or exit there, close and latch it behind you.
What to Expect
One campsite in the Shafer area, with one toilet
7 miles and about 30 minutes of driving from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, clockwise
The Shafer Trail descent, one of the five steep and exposed sections NPS names on the loop
No potable water, no shade, no campfires and no generators
A hard cap of 15 people and 3 vehicles on the site
A gate at the east-side junction that has to be closed and latched behind you
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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 Shafer 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 are when the road is best and when NPS says demand exceeds supply. Because Shafer is only 30 minutes from the top, it is also the most usable winter camp on the loop - you are not committing to a full circuit on icy grades to reach it. Summer is hot and shadeless, but it is the season with real availability.
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.
Shafer 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 30 minutes 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Shafer permit?
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Shafer permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Shafer?
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Spring and fall are when the road is best and when NPS says demand exceeds supply. Because Shafer is only 30 minutes from the top, it is also the most usable winter camp on the loop - you are not committing to a full circuit on icy grades to reach it. Summer is hot and shadeless, but it is the season with real availability.
How difficult is Shafer?
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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 Shafer?
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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.
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Cancellations happen every day. PermitSnag monitors Shafer availability 24/7 and alerts you the moment a spot opens up.
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