Very High DemandReservation5 min read

Updated August 9, 2026

How to Get a White Crack Permit

A single campsite at the end of its own spur road, mile 39 and four hours out - the most sought-after night on the White Rim.

Check White Crack 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 White Crack

White Crack is a single campsite - the whole camping area is one site with one toilet - 39 miles and about 4 hours of driving clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. The White Rim Road has 20 individual campsites arranged in 10 camping areas, and this is the one with no neighbours at all. It sits at roughly the midpoint of the 100-mile loop, which NPS puts at two to three days by four-wheel drive and three to four by mountain bike. That position, plus a capacity of one party per night, is why White Crack is the hardest White Rim night to book and the one most worth putting a cancellation watch on. 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. The site takes up to 15 people and 3 vehicles. 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.

White Crack is one site. Not one of two, not one of four - the entire camping area is a single campsite with a single toilet, sitting at the far southern point of the loop. On a road where 20 campsites serve a 100-mile circuit, this is the scarcest inventory in Canyonlands' backcountry vehicle system, and it is roughly the midpoint of a three-day clockwise circuit, which is exactly where most parties want to be.

The Experience

You leave the main road and drive out a spur to get here, and that spur is the whole point: nobody passes through White Crack on their way to somewhere else. One party, at the end of a road, on a bench above the confluence country. After sunset there is no light anywhere and the sky does what it does over the Colorado Plateau.

White Crack sits at mile 39 clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, about 4 hours of driving, with exactly one campsite and one toilet. It is reached off a spur, which is why it stays quiet even on a full weekend. Clockwise from here the road climbs Murphy Hogback at mile 45, one of the five steep, exposed sections NPS names on the loop, then runs to Candlestick at mile 55 and down to the Green River at Potato Bottom by mile 66.

What to Expect

One campsite for the entire White Crack area, with one toilet

39 miles and about 4 hours of driving from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, clockwise

A spur road, so no through traffic past camp

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

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

Murphy Hogback, one of the five steep exposed sections NPS names, waiting 6 miles further on

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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 White Crack 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 the seasons the whole road is built around and the seasons NPS says sell out. For White Crack specifically the season matters less than the release moment: one site, one party, and a four-month-ahead window at 8 a.m. Mountain time. If you miss it, watch for cancellations rather than switching seasons.

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.

White Crack 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 4 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 White Crack permit?

White Crack permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.

When is the best time to visit White Crack?

How difficult is White Crack?

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 White Crack?

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.