Airport C Gear Checklist
Airport C is the first overnight stop on the White Rim Road, 19 miles and about an hour and a half of driving from the Island in the Sky visitor center. That makes it a night when you still carry every drop of water you will drink, with no fires, almost no shade and wind that can pick up at dusk. The parties we read brought lanterns instead of a fire, canopies against the morning sun, and sturdier tents than they started with.
What shapes your gear on Airport C
- Where it sits
- Airport has four sites (A to D) and two toilets, 19 miles from the visitor center and about 1.5 hours of driving. C and D sit near the second pit toilet, while A and B share the first.
- Water
- There is no drinkable water anywhere on the White Rim Road. The park asks for at least 1 gallon (4 liters) per person per day, and a group that rode it reported no water access until Potato Bottom, 66 miles in.
- Fire
- Campfires are not permitted at any White Rim campsite, and generators are not allowed either.
- Campsite size
- Each site holds up to 15 people and 3 vehicles, and posts mark the boundary you must stay inside.
- The first day
- The ride to Airport starts with a 1,500 foot descent of Shafer Trail and then runs fairly flat. One rider covered about 19 miles and arrived mid-afternoon, which left time to set up before the wind picked up.
What the agency requires on Airport C
A permit for a designated campsite
Everyone camping on the White Rim, whether driving or biking, needs a permit for a designated site. In spring and fall, demand regularly exceeds the number of permits.
A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle in low range
The road requires high clearance and four-wheel drive with low range. The park warns that towing out a disabled vehicle can cost more than $1,000.
A way to light camp that is not a fire
Fires are banned and generators are not allowed, so light and cooking heat come from lanterns, headlamps and a stove.
What hikers carry on Airport C
All of your water in jugs, with a margin
A group of 13 riding the loop with support trucks carried 100 gallons for four days and used about 80, and they said a cold, rainy trip kept the number down. No source of water exists before Potato Bottom, so Airport is a dry camp.
A canopy or tarp for shade
The park lists little shade along the road. A party that had three Airport sites packed up early because the sun clears a butte fast and then stays hot all day. The same group said the two sites closest to the northeast butte kept shade longest in the morning.
A tent that holds in wind and extra ground cover
A rider who reached Airport mid-afternoon spent dusk trying to get out of the wind, which picked up enough to threaten his old tent. In hindsight he would have brought a newer tent and a large blanket for the floor.
Warm bags and pads, even in a warm month
A rider who brought four-season bags and two inflatable pads was warm and dry after the first night. A February party noted that few permits are taken in the cold of that month, so winter trips need more than a summer bag.
Lanterns and headlamps in place of a campfire
A 13-person bike trip packed two lanterns because fires are banned, and each rider carried a headlamp. A rider on another trip carried two headlamps and two solar chargers for a night at Airport.
From Kaden Apparel blog and Rich Sharples' Weblog
Solar chargers and battery packs
There is no electricity at any camp, and generators are not allowed. Riders on both bike trips carried solar chargers to keep GPS units, phones and lights alive.
From Kaden Apparel blog, Rich Sharples' Weblog and CycleBlaze (Tally Gals)
Satellite SOS devices
A support-truck group carried four emergency GPS devices because the road has no cell coverage. A guided bike group was told there is no cell service, no electricity and no services beyond pit toilets.
15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Airport C
Skipping extra fuel and engine oil
A support-truck group meant to bring extra gas but did not, and one truck made it back with about a half gallon left after crawling in four-wheel drive. They also wished for engine oil in case a pan split, since their trucks scraped on rough spots.
From Kaden Apparel blog
Radios for a spread-out group
The group strung out along the road and found no easy way to check in with the trucks on the one-lane sections. They wished they had brought walkie-talkies.
From Kaden Apparel blog
More coolers than the trip needed
The group brought coolers of ice to cool their hydration packs. A cold, rainy trip meant they did not need the ice, and they would have cut a few coolers to free truck space.
From Kaden Apparel blog
Gear questions for Airport C
Is there water at Airport C?
No. There is no drinkable water on the White Rim Road, and the first source riders mention is Potato Bottom, 66 miles in. The park asks for at least 1 gallon (4 liters) per person per day.
Can you have a campfire at Airport C?
No. Fires are not permitted on the White Rim, so bring lanterns, headlamps and a stove.
What kind of vehicle do you need to reach Airport C?
A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle with low range, or a mountain bike with a support truck. Towing from the backcountry can cost over $1,000.
Does Airport C get shade or wind protection?
Very little of either. One group said the sites nearest the northeast butte kept the best morning shade, and a rider on another trip found the wind at dusk hard on his tent.
From TrailDamage.com and Rich Sharples' Weblog
Sources
- White Rim Road · Canyonlands National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Mountain Biking the White Rim in Canyonlands National Park · Kaden Apparel blog, Sarah Gross · Blog
- Day 1 : White Rim Road : Shafer to Airport · Rich Sharples' Weblog, Rich Sharples · Blog
- White Rim 130829 · TrailDamage.com · Trip report
- Biking and Hiking a Bike on the White Rim Trail · CycleBlaze (Tally Gals), Marcia Meale · Trip report
- White Rim February 12-14 · Rising Sun 4x4 Club forum · Forum thread