Murphy Hogback C Gear Checklist

What shapes your gear on Murphy Hogback C

Where it sits

The park lists Murphy Hogback (A-C) at 45 miles from the visitor center, about 5.5 hours of driving, with 3 sites sharing 2 toilets.

From Canyonlands National Park (NPS)

How C differs from A and B

A camping directory calls C a large site of mostly packed dirt with several trees that give good shade and small rock outcrops that give slight wind shelter. C is separate from the other two but within walking distance. It has a private toilet, and a short walk leads to views of Murphy Canyon and the Green River. A and B share the other toilet.

From The Dyrt

A ranger's pick

A pair of motorcyclists said the visitor center ranger recommended C. They reached it after about 5 hours of rough riding on rock, found it about midway round the loop, and had it to themselves, with dead quiet, epic views and no mosquitoes.

From KiwiGrom

The approach

A Lexus owner who drove the loop in late November 2025 wrote that the last climb to the Murphy campsite felt like a vertical wall and needed low range. For clockwise drivers the owner advised going very slowly near C, because the way down can be extremely off camber.

From Lexus GX 550 Forum

Phone signal

A guest who slept at A had no cell coverage across nearly the whole White Rim but could text by satellite. A driver's blog says the same about phone service, with an occasional single bar.

From The Dyrt and Fox in the Forest

What hikers carry on Murphy Hogback C

• Repair know-how for a motorcycle

  About 15 km before camp, a rock ate the kickstand sensor on one of the motorcycles. Because the pair had met the same fault before, the fix took two minutes. They called the stretch to C one of the harder parts of their trip, mostly for its length.

  From KiwiGrom

• Low range and a slow plan for the approach

  A Lexus owner used 4Lo for the final climb to the Murphy campsite and advised clockwise drivers to slow down near C. A driver's blog calls the hogback a one-way hillside with no turnaround until the top and says to drop into low range.

  From Lexus GX 550 Forum and Fox in the Forest

• Less shade gear than at A or B

  The directory lists several trees at C that give good shade, against a few trees at A and a couple at B. Another writer called the trees on the Hogback tiny and the wind shelter small, so bring something light as a backup.

  From The Dyrt and The Kid Project

• Extra daylight, not a headlamp drive

  The motorcyclists said going further than C would have meant missing sunset and stopping earlier would have been too early, so C suited a full day on the rock. A planning guide calls the Hogback narrow, with room for just one vehicle.

  From KiwiGrom and Earth Trekkers

• A satellite messenger

  The directory says satellite communication devices function in the area while cell service is unavailable. A driver's blog also says to plan without phone service.

  From The Dyrt and Fox in the Forest

Gear questions for Murphy Hogback C