Shafer Canyon Road starts near the visitor center of Canyonlands National Park. We are familiar with driving on remote, dirt roads, but want to know: We will be driving a 4-WD long bed pickup with a length of 21 ft. Will this be o.k. How Can I Add on the White Rim Road to this Drive? View of the Shafer Canyon Switchbacks from Shafer Trail Viewpoint. Check our our USA Road Trip Guide for travel ideas and sample itineraries. This is one of the fun Moab off road trails. Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information. Click here to learn more. We kept hoping no one was coming up from the bottom because there was absolutely no way to pull over or back up. Here the road had several deeps ruts which required some tight maneuvering in our vehicle. High-clearance 4WD vehicles with a low range gear (4LO) arehighly recommended. How to Drive the White Rim Road: Map, Photos & Driving Tips How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (points of interest and the driving route). You can drive all the way to Moab!! g[M.w.V6{*q|3'W35f rwrQfdrtk>e"M3EhsQ~6\2kP=w\ 2ADnH9 qkE?yNp0g=6 t&di) '*X(bsGY20E3O 7&pc6+81;ui{K{_5h}8}\s $M`(V{K3\VNKvzsb21dZ\sKUm_ Potash Road weaves down through a canyon and then runs right along the Colorado River. The switchbacks are a total of only about 1 mile long. I do have to admit the trail going down was steep, and the switchbacks were tight, getting down over the mountain into the bottom. There is a vault toilet at this point if someone needs to use the restroom. Past Thelma and Louise Point, the road heads away from the Colorado River and then goes past the Potash evaporation ponds. Drive the Shafer Trail -Canyonlands Island in the Sky to Moab- Dont forget if you are going on White Rim Road, you need to purchase a permit at recreation.gov or at the Visitor Center. An Analysis of Deaths in U.S. National Parks Posted October 20, 2022 in Safety On Sunday, October 4th, 2020, a 25-year-old-man fell to his death at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Arizona. If you click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. When we did this, the weather was very dry, so as far as the dirtiest parts, the entire route from Shafer Canyon Road through Potash Road was about the same. Have fun driving Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road. If you have any questions about this drive, or if you want to share your experience, you can do so in the comment section below. Fantastic and fun and completely doable. You can also learn more about the national parks (and get the full list) in our Guide to the US National Parks. Pretty moderate drive, nothing technical. Shafer Trail in Canyonlands National Park is an off-roading experience and an incredible drive. Its function has changed through the years; from a route made by Native Americans to access resources on the mesa top, to a trail for sheep herders moving flocks to better foraging in winter time, and then a road for trucks moving loads of uranium from the backcountry to market. This is the stretch of road starting at the Shafer Canyon switchbacks and ending just past the Potash evaporation ponds. Remember, unlike in the past, high-clearance, 4WD vehicles with low gear settings (4LO) are highly recommended to traverse this route. Trail was amazing!! things to do in Canyonlands National Park. We got into the bottom and the road was like a hi-way, wide, gravel road. Is there a risk driving from the park to Thelmas & louise and back to the park ? Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road: Driving Route, For more details on how to plan your time in Canyonlands, read our post. Just put it in 4WD and low and let it go! . It looks like you'd need a 4 wheel drive vehicle but it's. Tip 3: Keep in mind that Canyonlands National Park is not as popular as Arches National Park. F350 with dually top to bottom no problem, Full sized F350 with dually went from top to bottom. Have a great trip to Canyonlands! Canyonlands National Park Day Use Backcountry Permits - Recreation.gov Do you like the idea of venturing away from the crowds and driving through some truly dramatic landscapes? 4/28/2023. Too down in an AWD Chevy Equinox and had no issues. This small roadside pullout is paved with enough space to accommodate a handful of cars. Top ways to experience Shafer Trail and nearby attractions LIKELY TO SELL OUT* Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab 463 Recommended Adventure Tours from $189.39 per adult Canyonlands National Park Backcountry 4x4 Adventure from Moab 286 Recommended Adventure Tours from $180.52 per adult Arches and Canyonlands 4X4 Adventure from Moab 59 Driving the long White Rim Road in the Canyonlands NP - dangerousroads.org Shafer Canyon Overlook is not actually on the Shafer Trail. Started off at Canyonlands and went down into the valley and out Potash Road to Moab. However, if you plan to include the White Rim Road, you must have a permit to drive the White Rim Road. We attempted it a few hours after it had rained and ended up driving through over a foot of water and some deep mud!! endobj We did a lot of breathing and reassuring to get up the canyon wall. So much fun to drive! Uphill traffic has the right-of-way. Use berms and pull-outs to allow uphill traffic to pass safely. At 13.3 miles down Potash Road to your right, you will see the Jug Handle Arch. Took the trail down into the canyon and on to White Rim Rd to Musselman Arch where we returned to Potash Rd for the 32 mile return trip to Moab. The unpaved backcountry road winds 1,500 feet (457 m) down colorful sandstone walls, over roughly 5.2 mi (8.4 km) before joining the White Rim Trail. Day use permits are available up to 24 hours before your trip. Quite a few mountain bikes and quad runners were on the trail. At Mile 8, you will arrive at the Gooseneck Overlook on the Shafer Trail. Things get complicated after about 1-2 miles on the dirt road, when the steep hairpin bends start climbing the western side of the canyon all the way to the top. Going left will continue on the Shafer Trail, and going straight will put you onto the White Rim Road. The Potash Road will eventually turn into a dirt road that is the Shafer Trail. Red Wing, MN Map & Directions - MapQuest Try this 31.5-km point-to-point trail near Moab, Utah. Then it is another great experience to drive down them in a 44 vehicle. Literally cried, hands sweating buckets, and a death grip on the seat in front of me. For a cool view, turn around and look up at the rim. The Shafer Trail may take several months to repair and will remain closed until repairs are done. Utah-279 ends at Highway 191. Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road are two dirt roads that connect Canyonlands National Park with Moab. Shafer Trail Viewpoint - National Park Service %f:qQ;ri>{FBV5B2NWr)dfh=7`bF1[c"\n?_sW|k.\"?8?9rxEpOSaF\ yO-}q+Rk&:soR$D*pVk:{7PQk2__5NCxb@yGJp|Um3ia/f.1{?~q{lok{Ac+l7jl4g ArC+/t/; ?BprFtW