Home › loop trails ›

White Rim Trail

in
Length: 
79-100 miles
Mineral Bottom Road collapsed!

On August 19th, 2010 a storm caused some serious damage to the Mineral Bottom road and other parts of the White Rim trail.

"While the Mineral Bottom road and the White Rim trail saw the most significant damage from the storm, several other roads in the area also were affected"

As of the end of August, BLM and county officials are still surveying and planning for repairs. There is no projected re-open date for the road down to Mineral Bottom. I was told that they have stopped giving out new camp permits, but have not verified.

http://www.nps.gov/cany/news082410.htm

Supposedly, the new estimate to have the Mineral Bottom road open is eight months, according to the BLM. I have my doubts it will be open that soon. The White Rim road is suppose to be open in the near future. I'm not sure what they mean by that. The whole thing is the White Rim Road.

See photos of collapse at the bottom of this page.

The White Rim Trail is entirely in Canyonlands National Park and requires very early campsite registration due to its popularity. Uranium mining roads from the middle of the last century skirt the triangular edges of the Islands in the Sky portion of the park, following the Green River to the confluence then turning and following the Colorado upstream. Some hardcore people start well before sun-up and knock it out in a day, but if you're doing that, you don't need my help! Although the trail is really a jeep road with no singletrack, the beautiful views, isolation, and stunning landscapes make it highly recommended.

The White Rim Trail is a beautiful 100 mile epic trail that winds about in the 'Island in the Sky' district of Canyonlands National Park in Utah with a wide variety of riding and beautiful views. There are around 20 campsites and they must be reserved, so get them early. The trail was formed by the Atomic Energy Comission in the 50's in their search for uranium.

As were many of the roads in Canyonlands, the White Rim Trail was originally made by (or at least significantly improved by) uranium miners in the 50s. There is no singletrack and support vehicles can drive the entire length. We did it with a four-wheel drive Toyota truck and there were only a few stretches that were difficult for the truck. It took us 2.5 days in a larger group with some beginners. If you're coming from farther away, you should combine it with some other stuff around Moab.

The Canyonlands National Park website is well-organized and has lots of info.

Reservations:
Phone: 435-259-4351
Fax: 435-259-4285
Internet reservations
Information:
Phone: 435-719-2313
Bike permits are $30 and park entry is $10 for a week. See places to stay in Moab. Get the Canyonlands Trip Planning Map (375Kb) and the Island in the Sky District Map (207Kb) from the maps page of the parks website.

As beautiful and stunning as the White Rim trail is, there's no wonder that there are several sets of images of the trail online.
Check out Grace Johnson and Paul Jeurissen's photos from their website. They also have online slide shows from many other places in the world.
Check out Steve Casimiro's photos for a National Geographic article on the White Rim Trail at www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0204/photo.html

Trail Pics: