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White Rim Road permit

White Rim Gear Checklist

The White Rim Road is a 100-mile dirt loop below the Island in the Sky mesa, and every night on it is a booked campsite. There is no drinking water and no fuel on the loop, so the gear question is mostly logistics: how much water and gas your rig and your party need over two to four nights. Drivers start with a full tank, riders lean on a support truck, and the writers we read lean toward three nights instead of two.

What shapes your gear on White Rim Road

Loop length and days
The park puts the loop at 100 miles. It says 4WD trips usually take two to three days and bike trips three to four. Earth Trekkers says three to five days by bike. A Kid Project group of 6 adults and 7 children ages 6 to 11 planned three nights and four days at about 25 miles a day. Fox in the Forest spent two nights and would add a third.

From National Park Service: White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, Earth Trekkers, The Kid Project and Fox in the Forest

Twenty sites, ten camping areas
The park lists Shafer at mile 7, Airport at 19, Gooseberry at 30, White Crack at 39, Murphy Hogback at 45, Candlestick at 55, Potato Bottom at 66, Hardscrabble at 70, Labyrinth at 72 and Taylor at 77, all measured from the visitor center. Each site holds up to 15 people and 3 vehicles. Earth Trekkers describes camping areas roughly 15 miles apart, each with a toilet.

From National Park Service: White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park and Earth Trekkers

Driving time per day
The park says to plan at least 10 to 12 hours of driving or cycling for a day trip. Fox in the Forest traveled with 3 vehicles, 3 bikes and 6 people, and it took all day to get from Gooseberry A to Hardscrabble B. Her note is that Google Maps drive times are far off for this road.

From National Park Service: White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park and Fox in the Forest

Which direction
Fox in the Forest says most people go clockwise because it gives the most downhill, and that the Shafer switchbacks are far more fun descending on a bike. Earth Trekkers says the western half, from the Mineral Canyon switchbacks to White Crack Road, is noticeably rougher than the Shafer side. Lolo, who drove it in a truck, also went clockwise because that matched her campsite bookings.

From Fox in the Forest, Earth Trekkers and Lolo and Herb's RV

No gas on the loop
Fox in the Forest says the nearest gas station sits where Highway 313 meets Highway 191. Earth Trekkers drove the loop, the White Crack and Lathrop Canyon detours and the round trip from Moab in a Jeep Rubicon on one tank and had roughly 100 miles left. On Lolo's first afternoon in camp, two motorcyclists coming the other way asked to buy gas from her, and she had no spare can.

From Fox in the Forest, Earth Trekkers and Lolo and Herb's RV

When the road floods
The park says high water on the Green River can flood the west side so a full loop is impossible. Earth Trekkers puts flood season at early May through late June, with spring and fall as the best times to go.

From National Park Service: White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park and Earth Trekkers

What the agency requires on White Rim Road

What hikers carry on White Rim Road

  • More water than the one-gallon rule, stored where you can reach it

    Fox in the Forest says no water source on the loop is reliable and that riders without a support truck end up begging for water. Kid Project's group hauled water, camping gear and food in trucks, and the children rode with their own hydration packs.

    The park's one gallon per person per day is a floor. Cooking and washing come out of the same supply.

    From Fox in the Forest and The Kid Project

  • A support truck for anyone on a bike

    Kid Project says nearly everyone needs a support vehicle for water, camp gear and food, and more so with children. The group saw bikes outrun the trucks in many rough stretches. Fox in the Forest agrees and says a truck hauling supplies lets you get more out of the road.

    From The Kid Project and Fox in the Forest

  • A full tank plus a fuel plan

    Earth Trekkers filled up once and finished with about 100 miles in reserve. Kid Project told drivers to top off and bring tools for self repair. Lolo met two motorcyclists who had turned around once they realized their gas would not cover the loop.

    From Earth Trekkers, The Kid Project and Lolo and Herb's RV

  • Hard-sided food storage

    Fox in the Forest says mice are at the campsites. Her advice is to keep food off the ground and in hard-sided containers.

    From Fox in the Forest

  • Your warmest sleeping bags

    Kid Project says the desert swings from hot days to frigid nights and packed its warmest bags for the children. Earth Trekkers says summer days can soar while nights stay cooler.

    From The Kid Project and Earth Trekkers

  • Duffel bags that sort camp gear by job

    Kid Project's group organized everything into a series of duffel bags. The post calls gear management, meaning setting up and breaking down camp, vital over several nights.

    From The Kid Project

  • A full riding kit for each cyclist

    Kid Project's children rode with helmets, sunglasses, bike gloves, padded shorts under baggy shorts, and their own hydration packs. The post stresses sunscreen, reapplied often, because shade is rare.

    From The Kid Project

15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.

Plan a trip here

What hikers regret or leave behind on White Rim Road

Gear questions for White Rim Road

Do you need a permit to drive the White Rim Road?

Yes. A single-day trip needs a day-use permit, and a trip with a night out needs an overnight permit for a designated campsite instead. The park charges $36 per reservation plus $5 per person per night. Fox in the Forest says the fall season sold out in 5 minutes when permits opened, so have a backup itinerary ready. Lolo, who booked from cancellations, says nobody checked her permit on the road.

From National Park Service: White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, National Park Service: Overnight Backcountry Permits, Canyonlands National Park, Fox in the Forest and Lolo and Herb's RV

How long does the White Rim Road take?

The park says two to three days by 4WD and three to four days by bike. Earth Trekkers says bike trips run three to five days. Fox in the Forest says two nights worked but she would add a third.

From National Park Service: White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, Earth Trekkers and Fox in the Forest

Is there drinking water on the White Rim Road?

No. The park wants at least 1 gallon (4 liters) per person per day carried in. Fox in the Forest says plan on a gallon a day and that the loop has no reliable sources.

From National Park Service: White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park and Fox in the Forest

Do you need a 4WD vehicle on the White Rim Road?

Yes, high clearance and low range, and not just all-wheel drive. Earth Trekkers says the park wants a true 4WD. The park says 4WD vehicles and bicycles are allowed, and ATVs, UTVs and OHVs are not.

From National Park Service: White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park and Earth Trekkers

Where do you get gas near the White Rim Road?

Not on the loop. Fox in the Forest says the nearest station is at the Highway 313 and Highway 191 junction. Earth Trekkers made the whole trip on one tank, with detours, and had about 100 miles left.

From Fox in the Forest and Earth Trekkers

Sources

  1. White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park · National Park Service · Agency
  2. Overnight Backcountry Permits, Canyonlands National Park · National Park Service · Agency
  3. White Rim Trail guide · Fox in the Forest, Meg Atteberry · Blog
  4. White Rim Trail (Canyonlands National Park), 2021 Utah Off-Roading · Lolo and Herb's RV, Lolo · Trip report
  5. White Rim Road Guide · Earth Trekkers · Blog
  6. Planning your White Rim Trail Trip · The Kid Project, alyssa · Blog