How Can I Add on the White Rim Road to this Drive? Part of the trail had flooded and washed away!! . Shafer Trail or Shafer Canyon Road? Have you seen photos of the Shafer Canyon switchbacks and said to yourself, wow, Id really love to drive on that road? Both the permit and the high-clearance 4WD vehicle are enforced by the national park service. There is a vault toilet at this point if someone needs to use the restroom. You can also join a guided tour. You will run into the Potash Road and the White Rim Road intersection at mile 5.2 if you set your odometer once you leave the pavement if starting in Canyonlands National Park. Will be there next sep. with a classic SUV (Ford escape or similar). Get an early start, arriving in Canyonlands at or just after sunrise. After we got to the top I asked her if we knew what we were headed to would she have done it and she had to admit she would and so would I. Definetly one of the cheapest adreneline rushes you'll ever have.bring some depends and you'll be fine. Looks like some of the rock overhangs are lowwill we have enough clearance? Shafer Trail in Canyonlands National Park is an off-roading experience and an incredible drive. If you have the America the Beautiful Pass, the entrance fee for Canyonlands National Park is included. What was actually a 1/2 day ride might as well have been an eternity because that is what it felt like. Or, do you want to get a unique perspective of Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park that most visitors dont even know is possible? The tasks performed by the animal must be directly related to the persons disability. The Shafer Trail is not overly difficult. Ranger Paul Downey was the Incident Commander. I think just as beautiful though. I recommend a trip to Dead Horse State Park and you will be able to see Potash road from the Colorado River to the evaporation pools from 2000 ft up. His death in hospital two years later was the result of complications from the head injuries sustained. After a few miles or so, suddenly, the very narrow hairpin turn that dropped into what I was sure was at least a 15% grade, caused me to see exactly what I had been missing. Did it in a rented Ford Taurus with 5.1" of ground clearance, so it is doable in a 2 wheel drive sedan if you have some testicular fortitude, are a good driver who knows where your tires are/understands how to approach rocks without bottoming out, and of course do not care about wear and tear on the vehicle. From here, you can see Shafer Canyon Road, the White Rim Road, Potash Road, and Dead Horse Point State Park. 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 We recommend booking Shafer Trail tours ahead of time to secure your spot. You know that stomach dropping, regret-filled feeling you get when youre strapped into a roller coaster, wondering why you decided to do this and theres no turning back, but you know its going to be fine and over before you know it? With one day, you can drive Shafer Canyon Road, How to Drive the White Rim Road: Map, Photos & Driving Tips, White Rim Road: Detailed Guide & Planning Checklist, How to Drive the White Rim Road in One Day, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in one day, Hiking the Gooseberry Trail in Canyonlands National Park, Best Things to do in Island in the Sky: Canyonlands National Park. It's narrow but nothing too crazy. Thats the best view, from the drivers side. When you do this, you will get to start at the Shafer Switchbacks, which are our favorite, but this can be risky because we have had to wait at the entrance station for a bit to get into the park. First view of the Shafer Canyon switchbacks. The White Rim Trail and the Shafer Trail follow the same trail down the Shafer Switchbacks. The one he had been experiencing for the past however many miles on our way down the canyon on Shafer Trail. Seriously, we're talking about 180 degree switchbacks hanging off the ledge of the canyon, complete with hairpin turns, starting from probably a mile high. There are a few tight turns but you should be fine in your truck. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. The sheer cliffs are exciting but not unsafe. Get the full details on how to do this in our One Day Canyonlands and Arches Itinerary. If you are going down, you can take a peak ahead and see another vehicle coming and pull over in one of the many convenient pull-overs. The Shafer Trail is safe but can become unsafe if driven during times of inclement weather. Shafer Canyon Road as it runs just under the rim. Red Wing is home of Red Wing Shoes, the Riedell Ice and Roller Skates and Red Wing Stoneware. This was the sentence that came out of my mouth as my husband, an experienced 4-wheeler, made the tight, narrow hairpin turn that caused me to see the sheer drop now on my side of the truck. The scariest thing Ive ever done! If you take your RZR down Potash Road, you can go on the trail until you arrive at a very clearly marked sign that says you are entering the Canyonlands National Park and OHVs are not allowed. Just make sure you give yourself at least an hour and a half of daylight, to get back onto paved road before sunset. What a great summary of the route. We descended the trail in our Yukon XL. You will drive down Potash Road until it turns into Forest Road 142, which is the Shafer Trail. We have a jeep and 3 dogs. My husband loves it. Note: If you do not turn left, you will begin the drive the White Rim Road. All the same, I did see some all wheel drive cars on the trail doing just fine. They are steep, and it is recommended to travel them in 4 low. The Potash Road will eventually turn into a dirt road that is the Shafer Trail. This is a popular trail for mountain biking, off-road driving, and scenic driving, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Canyonlands National Park charges a fee to enter. John Shafer gradually made the road better and easier to access, and other trails in the area are named after the families who worked on or around those trails. In Moab, there are numerous companies that will rent 4WD vehicles. We attempted it a few hours after it had rained and ended up driving through over a foot of water and some deep mud!! You can start at either end of the trail. It's a trail, not a road and has no guardrails. The Shafer Trail is named after the Shafer family, who were Mormon pioneer settlers. View from Shafer Canyon Overlook. Drive the Shafer Trail -Canyonlands Island in the Sky to Moab- Once the mining came to an end and tourism picked up, the road was further widened and maintained, and then became known as Shafer Canyon Road. Tip 5: Park closures can be found on their Twitter accounts. The petroglyphs are close to a popular rock climbing area. But be careful not to go after any rain!! Or driving the whole road up to Moab ? At this point, you will start to be directly beneath the Dead Horse Point State Park. With one day, you can drive Shafer Canyon Road, a portion of the White Rim Road, and then return to Moab via Potash Road. The switchbacks are a total of only about 1 mile long. Too down in an AWD Chevy Equinox and had no issues. The scenery is absolutely beautiful. more, #7 of 46 things to do in Canyonlands National Park. However, if you plan to include the White Rim Road, you must have a permit to drive the White Rim Road. Killer drive!!!! Damaged soils are prone to erosion and invasive species. Copyright All Rights Reserved. We drove the White Rim Road in the counter-clockwise direction, starting on Mineral Bottom Road. Save a lunch break for Thelma & Louise Point. Incredible views of Shafer Canyon from up top. By the time we realized it there was no turning back (literally). To do this, you must have a permit. You should be driving an all wheel or 4 wheel drive vehicle with decent ground clearance. What a great road to explore on. You can also purchase a park-specific annual pass. We were in a Nissan Frontier truck (4dr cab, 4-wheel drive) and at times my friend could not tell which way the trail went and we hoped we would not end up going over the sheer drop-offs. The 2022 edition of Maple Weekend runs March 19 and 20 and March 26 and 27. Credit: NPS Photo, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. This road runs along the Colorado River. more, Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab. I would not want to drive my own vehicle on this road and put this kind of wear and tear on it. 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 have scenery, the interesting photo op presented at Tea Kettle Junction, and . for the Shafer Switchbacks? Visit our park website for more information on road conditions and safe driving. Insane views!!!! My question is how far does it go? Below you will see a Google Map of the Shafer Trail. What you should be aware of is that this trail and many other trails in the Moab area can become impassable during periods of rain. JUST DO IT! Pass the Xanax and close your eyes. Shafer Trail (Canyonlands National Park) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go. You have to have a permit to travel on White Rim Road. The road gets its name because it traverses the top of White Rim Sandstone. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to Your Places, click Maps, and you will see this map on your list. The Shafer Trail at the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park is an iconic road that descends 1,500 feet (457 m) through a colorful, massive sandstone cliff. Its a very cool drive!! If you are in Moab, Utah, you will go north on Hwy US-191 N (N Main Street), and shortly after you cross the Colorado River, you will turn left onto UT-279 S. This road is also called Potash Road. Want to report conditions for this trail? Here is a photo taken from Dead Horse Point. We drove the backway from Potash Road. Then, spend the rest of the day visiting the overlooks and hiking the short trails in the park. Respect For Canyonlands National Park - Wing-It Worldwide Learn more about the White Rim Road in these three posts: Before you go, check road conditions on the National Park Service website. The most difficult is the Shafer Trail and Mineral Bottom Road switchbacks, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill, and the Lathrop Canyon Road - an optional spur road. Literally cried, hands sweating buckets, and a death grip on the seat in front of me. more Needles District Road Closures All Needles district 4x4 roads and Elephant Hill Access Road are closed and impassable due to severe weather. What an awesome ride. Or is it a road that goes to Potash and then back to Canyonlands? Racetrack Road, Death Valley National Park. You can obtain this permit online or at the visitor center. I started at the bottom to too and highly suggest that way over top to bottom. Absolutely not enough adjectives to describe this trail!! Breathtaking views - well worth combining with Potash Rd. Trail was amazing!! Going left will continue on the Shafer Trail, and going straight will put you onto the White Rim Road. 99% of travelers recommend this experience. We started at the top and had driven down to the bottom and I must say I have never been so scared in my life. Shafer Canyon Road starts one mile north of the Canyonlands Visitor Center on Island in the Sky Road. I think that the Shafer Canyon switchbacks look a lot more dangerous from the viewpoints than when you are actually driving on them. The Shafer Canyon Switchbacks are an amazing experience. Epic trail!! Followed that up the next day with a hike to Delicate Arch, where the last 200 feet is on the edge of a cliff! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Would need to know where are the dirtiest parts of the shafter canyon road ? The switchback is the easiest part of the road as it is in very good condition, the rest of the road is trickier but nothing impassable. As the Shafer Trail starts to distance itself from the Colorado River, you will pass by the Potash Ponds. The Shafer Trail at the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park is an iconic road that descends 1,500 feet (457 m) through a colorful, massive sandstone cliff. Guard rails? Have fun driving Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road. We wanted to do some 4-wheeling and were told about this trail at the visitor's center so we decided to give it a try. Today, hundred of visitors every year experience the thrill of a lifetime driving down the sandstone cliff to the basin below. These petroglyphs are about 5 miles down the Potash Road. So we took off headed for the visitor center noticing the beautiful river and at the same time trying to figure how we were going to get out of the canyon since there didn't seem to be anyway out and we were looking at sheer cliff walls. We were overcome with fear for the entire two hours it took (13 miles, sharp switchbacks, going 8/9 mph) and our mortality became real. Uphill traffic has the right-of-way. Use berms and pull-outs to allow uphill traffic to pass safely. Any road in Moab that is not a paved road can be difficult to traverse in the rain. Starting in 1916, John Sog Shafer, used this trail to move cattle from summer pastures on the mesa top to winter ground on the White Rim sandstone, several rock layers down into the canyon. We have 4X4 truck camper, 12'6" tall,22ft long, 15,000lbs. The Shafer Trail Road is a great trail for all skill levels and families. Potash Road weaves down through a canyon and then runs right along the Colorado River. endobj ARCHES AND CANYONLANDS: If you have limited time, learn how to visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in one day and do this drive!. This is a far less busy arch than Corona Arch, but it is a fun and underrated hike. I will be there in May 2021! {-][BX^b1ae ].kmlmz +#pkuv Tip 1: If you start the Shafer Trail from Potash Road, you do not have to wait for traffic to get into the Canyonlands National Park. Awesome and not as scary as I thought it would be! After that continue to Moab. USA ROAD TRIPS: Planning your next big adventure in the USA? If you are planning on visiting Arches National Park or the nearby Natural Bridges National Monument, purchasing the America the Beautiful Pass would be worth your while. So, we drove back down the switchbacks and took Potash Road to Moab. Shafer Trail Road-Potash Road is the name of an iconic drive located on the east central edge of Utah, in the western United States. The times that my eyes weren't closed tight, I would just stare at the mountain wall next to the truck. We had to wait about an hour to get into Canyonlands one day. For the first 2.5 miles, you drive just below the rim. No, you do not need a permit to drive these roads. Points of Interest & Landmarks Lookouts, An incredible ride, not for the faint of heart. All 3 of us were very scared. <> endobj Damaged soils are prone to erosion and invasive species. We went out of service so sorry in advance for the trip length! I'd recommend it for at least the semi-experienced 4 wheeler and probably between the months of April-October if you don't want to deal with winter weather/slick conditions. The Road was so Steep, My Wife Jumped out of the Truck! The "trail" is not wide, actually you shouldn't take a big truck on there. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information about each point of interest. Starting in 1916, John Sog Shafer, used this trail to move cattle from summer pastures on the mesa top to winter ground on the White Rim sandstone, several rock layers down into the canyon. Specifically, we would like to drive the Shafer Canyon/Potash Roads from Canyonlands to Moab. We drove it terrifying but breathtaking if you like heights! The Shafer Trail is named after the Shafer family, who were Mormon pioneer settlers. You can take a RZR on part of the Shafer Trail, but you cannot take it on the entirety of the trail. How Can I Add this on to My Visit to Canyonlands? Can I drive my Dodge Caravan at Shafer Road. It was far more intense, rough and free form with lots of gully crossings and rock. Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab, Canyonlands National Park Backcountry 4x4 Adventure from Moab, Arches and Canyonlands 4X4 Adventure from Moab, Immersive Canyonlands National Park All Day Hiking Experience, Canyonlands National Park White Rim Trail by 4WD, Sunset ATV Tour and Trail Experience in Hell's Revenge, Moab Combo: Colorado River Rafting and Canyonlands 4X4 Tour, Arches National Park 4x4 Adventure from Moab, Hell's Revenge 4x4 Off-Roading Tour from Moab, Day of Photography in Moab, Arches & Canyonlands, Discover Moab in A Day: Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse Pt, Colorado River Rafting: Afternoon Half-Day at Fisher Towers, Thrilling Guided You-Drive Hells Revenge UTV Tour In Moab UT, Moab Stand Up Paddleboarding: Splish and Splash Tour, Flatwater Fun: Moab Stand Up Paddleboarding. If you are a photographer, consider visiting Mesa Arch at sunrise, to capture the glimmer of the first rays of sun under the arch. If you only have one day in Moab, visit Canyonlands in the morning, drive Shafer Canyon and Potash Road midday, and spend the afternoon in Arches National Park. This road circles under Dead Horse Point, along the Colorado River, and past the potash evaporation ponds. The majority of people who drive on the Shafer Trail would not rate the Shafer Trial as scary. The intersection is very easy to see. Good to know. Shafer Trail Closed The unpaved Shafer Trail road at Island in the Sky is closed due to winter conditions. Once we made it to the bottom of the canyon alive we totally enjoyed the trail. Watch for oncoming cars, since you'll need to pull over for on switchbacks; most parts on Shafer don't have room for 2 way traffic. Turn right onto the gravel road. At Mile 8, you will arrive at the Gooseneck Overlook on the Shafer Trail. Answered all of my questions. It is a popular photo spot for many because the Shafer Switchbacks are unique and make for a fun picture. It begins in Canyonlands and can be driven all the way through to Potash Road leading you back in the town of Moab. As you follow the Shafer Basin Road past the Potash Ponds, the road will join up with Forest Road 142, which is the Shafer Trail.
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