Labyrinth A Gear Checklist
Labyrinth A is a primitive White Rim campsite 72 miles from the Island in the Sky visitor center, about 10 hours of driving from the start. Nothing is supplied. There is one toilet shared with the neighboring site, no drinkable water, no fires and little shade. The gear that matters is water capacity, a stove, warm sleep layers and a plan for a vehicle or bike that breaks far from help.
What shapes your gear on Labyrinth A
- Where it sits
- The park lists Labyrinth at mile 72 from the visitor center, with an estimated drive time of 10 hours. It has two sites, A and B, and one toilet. It is one of 10 camping areas on the loop.
- Water
- There is no drinkable water anywhere along the White Rim Road. The park says to bring at least 1 gallon (4 liters) per person per day, more if you are active, and strongly suggests a four-wheel-drive support vehicle for bike trips.
- Fire
- Campfires are not permitted at White Rim campsites, and generators are banned, so every meal is cooked on a stove.
- Vehicle
- The road needs a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle in low range. The park warns that towing for a disabled vehicle can cost more than $1,000, and tells drivers and riders to plan on at least 10 to 12 hours of travel.
- Campsite size
- The cap per campsite is 15 people with 3 vehicles, and a trailer or motorbike uses up one of those vehicle slots.
- Temperature swing
- Reports differ by season. One bikepacker camped near the Green River woke to temperatures in the 20s with water mostly frozen, while an August four-wheel-drive group woke at Potato Bottom to 77 degrees, their coolest morning of the trip.
From TrailGroove and TrailDamage
What the agency requires on Labyrinth A
An overnight permit for a designated campsite
Every overnight trip along the White Rim needs a permit, and riders and drivers must hold a permit for a designated campsite. The park says spring and fall permits often run out, so book early.
A vehicle that meets the road rule
High clearance and four-wheel drive in low range are required. ATVs, UTVs and OHVs are not allowed, even if street legal, and recommended maximum vehicle size is 8 feet wide and 9.5 feet tall.
A plan for no campfire and no generator
Fires and generators are not allowed, so power and heat come from what you carry in.
A pet-free trip
Pets are not permitted on the White Rim Road, even inside a vehicle.
What hikers carry on Labyrinth A
More water than the minimum
Nobody finds a tap, and one pair of riders who hoped for pothole water found none. A group leader planning six days for 11 people worked out roughly 66 gallons at a gallon each per day. A regular on the forum told him not to cut back, partly because cooking water adds up, and he settled on seven-gallon cubes with spigots. A four-wheel-drive family of three carried four 5-gallon jugs plus a case of bottles.
Bikepackers packed over 24 hours of water at the start and still ran dry near the river on the second evening.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS), Backcountry Post, Tacoma World and TrailGroove
A filter and a plan for silty river water
Labyrinth sits near the Green River, and the only way to refill is to treat it. One pair of riders ran the silty water through a 0.1 micron filter and a carbon element, then added a UV pen. The water was just above freezing and hurt their teeth.
From TrailGroove and TrailDamage
A stove with extra fuel
No fire means a stove for every meal. The four-wheel-drive family brought four propane bottles and used one over four nights. The forum group leader counted pasta water as a real share of the load.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS), Tacoma World and Backcountry Post
Every warm layer you own, in a cold month
A February group woke in the cold and put on every layer they had before leaving the tent, and the chill pushed them into their tents after dinner. Another party found water frozen overnight in the 20s. In August the same road was warm even at dawn.
From AdventureTaco, TrailGroove and TrailDamage
A headlamp
The road is long enough that late arrivals happen. Two bikepackers started in mid-afternoon, rode past drop-offs by headlamp and set up their tent in the dark.
A shade plan
The park describes little shade along the road. A driver packed a mesh tarp and a solid white tarp for shade and rain cover, and a group at White Crack improvised shade by parking their vehicles in a line. It was hot by 10 am and stayed hot until near sunset.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS), Tacoma World and TrailDamage
Your own toilet paper
The vault toilets along the route were decent, but many had no paper, and the family that packed a portable toilet and a shower tent never used either.
From Tacoma World
Full-finger gloves for riders
One bikepacker wore fingerless gloves and found that constant shifting and braking wore at his fingertips. He told riders to choose full fingers.
From TrailGroove
A first-aid kit and recovery gear
One February group of five had a badly sprained ankle after a jump at White Crack and a scraped fall in rough ground, with bandaging done on the spot. The Tacoma World driver carried traction boards, a jack, tow straps and a tire repair kit, used the traction boards once, and still bent a suspension part on blind drop-offs.
From AdventureTaco and Tacoma World
Water left at the end vehicle
A bikepacker who stashed a few gallons in his truck had cold water waiting after a long headwind finish. A forum regular keeps a spare cube in his truck for the same reason.
From TrailGroove and Backcountry Post
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 Labyrinth A
A big pack on your back while riding
The bikepacker who swapped to a larger daypack ended up stuffing it and had a sore back so bad the next day that he could barely ride. He plans to put weight on the bike frame instead.
From TrailGroove
A portable toilet and a popup shower tent
The four-wheel-drive family said to skip both, because campsites and vault toilets came often enough along the trail.
From Tacoma World
A complicated tent
The same driver advised a camp that is easy to pitch and strike, because the heat and dust at the end of a day make a long setup miserable. His group even skipped their reserved site once, tired and covered in dust, and drove on.
From Tacoma World
A heavy bug kit
There were a few no-see-ums and flies on the east side, but not enough for the family to open their bug spray.
From Tacoma World
Gear questions for Labyrinth A
Is there drinking water at Labyrinth A?
No. The park says there is no drinkable water along the White Rim Road, so bring at least a gallon (4 liters) per person per day. Riders who filter Green River water report it as silty and very cold.
Can I have a campfire at Labyrinth A?
No. Fires are not permitted at White Rim campsites, and generators are not allowed. Bring a stove and enough fuel for every meal.
What vehicle do I need to reach Labyrinth A?
A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle in low range. On a mountain bike trip the park strongly suggests a support truck, also four-wheel drive, so someone else hauls the water and gear. Towing from the backcountry can cost more than $1,000.
Is there a toilet at Labyrinth A?
The park lists one toilet for the two Labyrinth sites. One driver found the route's vault toilets clean but often out of paper, so bring your own.
How cold does Labyrinth A get at night?
It depends on the month. One bikepacker woke to the 20s near the river, a February group needed every layer they brought, and an August trip had a 77 degree dawn at a different river camp.
From TrailGroove, AdventureTaco and TrailDamage
Sources
- White Rim Road · Canyonlands National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Help With Water On White Rim · Backcountry Post, DrNed · Forum thread
- White Rim 130829 · TrailDamage, Monica I. · Trip report
- Bikepacking the White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park · TrailGroove, Aaron Zagrodnick · Trip report
- Yet Another White Rim Trail report (plus Arches) · Tacoma World, johnwag · Forum thread
- Winding Our Way Around White Rim · AdventureTaco · Trip report