Shafer Gear Checklist
Shafer Campsite is the first camp on the White Rim loop, 7 miles and about 30 minutes in from the Island in the Sky visitor center, at the foot of the Shafer switchbacks. It is a single dry site with one toilet, so the gear is about water, a warm layer for the exposed descent, a stove because fires are banned, and for drivers a tire gauge for the switchbacks. One bikepacking pair carried 12 liters each for a three-day trip.
What shapes your gear on Shafer Campsite
- Where it sits
- The park lists Shafer as the first camping area clockwise, 7 miles from the visitor center and about 30 minutes of driving, with 1 site and 1 toilet. It sits where the Shafer Trail meets Potash Road, and the park has a gate and a vault toilet at that junction.
- Finding the site
- A bikepacker says there is no sign for the camp and you turn left onto Potash Road after the switchbacks. A truck-camper writer describes it as the camp right at the Potash Road junction.
- The descent
- The Shafer Trail drops almost 1,500 feet to the start of the White Rim. A bikepacker counted about a half dozen sharp switchbacks and about 6 miles of descent. The park says wet weather makes the exposed Shafer section dangerous, and a truck-camper writer notes that Potash Road is the other way in when the switchbacks are too wet.
From Rim Tours, Two Wheeled Wanderer, Canyonlands National Park (NPS): White Rim Road and Truck Camper Adventure
- Water
- There is no drinking water on the White Rim Road. The park asks for at least 1 gallon (4 liters) per person per day. A bikepacking pair who camped here on night one reported no water at the site and carried 12 liters each for the whole trip.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): White Rim Road and Two Wheeled Wanderer
- Permit cost and size
- The overnight permit has a $36 reservation fee plus $5 per person per night. Each campsite holds up to 15 people and 3 vehicles. Reservations open four months before each season on Recreation.gov at 8 am Mountain Time.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): Overnight Backcountry Permits and Canyonlands National Park (NPS): White Rim Road
What the agency requires on Shafer Campsite
An overnight permit for the designated campsite
Four-wheel drivers and cyclists must hold a permit for a designated campsite, and all trips on the road need a permit. The permit does not cover the park entrance fee.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): White Rim Road and Canyonlands National Park (NPS): Overnight Backcountry Permits
A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle in low range
Vehicles need high clearance and four-wheel drive with a low range. The park warns that towing for a disabled vehicle can pass $1,000.
A stove, because fires and generators are not allowed
The park does not permit campfires on the White Rim Road, and generators are not allowed either.
What hikers carry on Shafer Campsite
All your water, with a small margin
A bikepacking pair carried 12 liters each for three days and had about 3 liters to spare at the end, though a chilly windy second day cut how much they drank. The park's baseline is a gallon per person per day.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): White Rim Road and Two Wheeled Wanderer
A warm layer for the descent and the night
The same cyclist pulled on an extra layer before the 6-mile drop to the camp. Nights on that March trip stayed in the mid-30s. A truck-camper group had to wait a day to start after a freak early-spring snowstorm.
A tire gauge for airing down at the top of the switchbacks
Two drivers in a four-person camper group stopped at a wide spot on the Shafer Trail to air down for a softer ride, and a family stopped at the switchbacks and ran about 20 psi. A heavy truck-camper group was told to air down to about 40 psi and to go slowly over washouts.
From Bosque Bill's Backroads, Expedition Portal forum and Truck Camper Adventure
Rear racks with panniers, or dry bags for a support truck
The self-supported pair chose racks and panniers to carry water, food and camp gear in comfort. A guided group put camping gear into dry bags that rode in the truck, and the riders carried only a day pack.
From Two Wheeled Wanderer and Rim Tours
A park entrance pass in addition to the permit
The overnight permit does not pay for entering Canyonlands. The bikepacking report says to buy the pass at the entrance gate or the visitor center.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): Overnight Backcountry Permits and Two Wheeled Wanderer
A satellite messenger or phone
A truck-camper group had up to three bars of service on the east side with one carrier, and none past the White Crack turnoff. A chief ranger told them satellite phones work very well in the park. Cell service was patchy for the bikepackers too.
Wet wipes for washing and a dehydrated dinner
With no water on the road, the bikepackers cleaned up with wet wipes and ate dehydrated dinners.
From Two Wheeled Wanderer
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 Shafer Campsite
A very heavy loaded bike
The bikepacker's bike weighed 60 to 70 pounds on the push up Murphy Hogback on day two, and the writer says a ride of 35 miles a day on a 70 to 80 pound bike is hard for anyone not ready. Staying at Shafer the first night starts with a 2,090-foot climbing day.
From Two Wheeled Wanderer
Airing down, for one driver
Two drivers in a pop-up camper group aired down at the top of the Shafer Trail and a third did not. The third reported no complaints later, so lower pressure is a choice rather than a rule.
A full pack on a supported ride
A guided group of riders carried nothing beyond a day pack because the truck was almost always right behind them with water, snacks and bike tools.
From Rim Tours
Gear questions for Shafer Campsite
Is there water at Shafer Campsite?
No. The White Rim Road has no drinking water. Bring at least 1 gallon (4 liters) per person per day, and carry it all from the start.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): White Rim Road and Two Wheeled Wanderer
Can I have a campfire at Shafer Campsite?
No. Fires and generators are not permitted at White Rim campsites, so bring a stove and a headlamp or lantern.
How do I find Shafer Campsite?
It is at the foot of the Shafer switchbacks, where the trail meets Potash Road. One bikepacker says it has no sign. The park's vault toilet and gate at that junction are the landmark.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): White Rim Road, Two Wheeled Wanderer and Truck Camper Adventure
What if the Shafer switchbacks are wet for Shafer Campsite?
The park says the exposed Shafer, Hardscrabble Hill and Mineral Bottom sections need extreme caution in wet weather. A truck-camper writer says Potash Road is the other way in when the switchbacks are too wet.
From Canyonlands National Park (NPS): White Rim Road and Truck Camper Adventure
Sources
- White Rim Road · Canyonlands National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Overnight Backcountry Permits · Canyonlands National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Bikepacking The White Rim Trail: A self-supported adventure · Two Wheeled Wanderer · Blog
- A weekend on the White Rim · Rim Tours · Trip report
- White Rim Trail Pop-up Camper Expedition, Day 1 · Bosque Bill's Backroads, Bosque Bill · Blog
- 3000 miles, 2.5 weeks - Family Road Trip · Expedition Portal forum, daPitbull · Forum thread
- Tackling Canyonland's Epic White Rim Trail in a Truck Camper · Truck Camper Adventure · Blog