I could've sworn to you that the drop-off was about a trillion feet down, so I said, "Okaaaaaaayyyyy, you might want to maybe hurry this up a little." 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. If you have the America the Beautiful Pass, the entrance fee for Canyonlands National Park is included. Just make sure you give yourself at least an hour and a half of daylight, to get back onto paved road before sunset. Its not really my thing to be jostled around but the views made it worth it. A bit before the White Rim Rd you take the left into the Potash Rd. Breathtaking views - well worth combining with Potash Rd. The intersection is very easy to see. We have a jeep and 3 dogs. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. 3 0 obj
Print/PDF map. I've read other reviews that say starting from the bottom and working your way up is the way to go. But be careful not to go after any rain!! With one day, you can drive Shafer Canyon Road, a portion of the White Rim Road, and then return to Moab via Potash Road. Here you can see dinosaur tracks and more petroglyphs. The Shafer Trail, WOW!!! We had to wait about an hour to get into Canyonlands one day. But this adventure wouldn't be complete without ascending Shafer Trail to the top of the Island in the Sky. Dont forget to check out the White Rim area while you are there. We drove the White Rim Road in the counter-clockwise direction, starting on Mineral Bottom Road. This is a Jeep/4x4 trail t. First view of the Shafer Canyon switchbacks. Die Route wird grundstzlich als moderat eingestuft und kann zumeist in 8 Std 44 Min bewltigt werden. 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. Killer drive!!!! From here, you can see Shafer Canyon Road, the White Rim Road, Potash Road, and Dead Horse Point State Park. 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. About half way down there was an orange cone marking where some of the path had fallen away, which we thought was absurd because the whole trail seemed very hazardous to us. The Shafer Trail in Moab was later improved along with the White Rim Road by the Atomic Energy Commission, which used the trails to move uranium-rich bedrock into Moab to be processed. Shafer Trail Road To White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park. Follow this road all the way till you drive on the 279. This section is a little more challenging as there are some small rock ledges you will drop down. This drive is a great way to add a little adventure to your visit to Canyonlands National Park. Now we started at the top. Take it slow and enjoy the views! We plan to visit Canyonlands as part of our Utah adventure in mid to late May. The Shafer Trail in Moab, Utah is regarded as one of the most dangerous roads in America. 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. You'll need to leave pups at home dogs aren't allowed on this trail. Its a beautiful time to be in Utahwe even had a dusting of snow at Canyonlands on this visit just a few days before these photos were taken. For more information on driving the Shafer Trail, check out the Scenic Drives section under Things to Do. Boaks was injured in a minor road traffic crash while getting off a bus. Canyonlands National Park charges a fee to enter. A little technical in some places but they just find in a Subaru. this was at 2:30pm. Tammy Daybell's death was a homicide . View from Shafer Canyon Overlook. This drive on Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road was the grand finale to our two days on the White Rim Road. The photos of the trail (and looking at it on Google Earth) made it look quite scary, however after watching the drive real time on YouTube it seemed very doable. Absolutely not enough adjectives to describe this trail!! The first highlighted stop is the roadside petroglyphs. . Every now and then I would try to look out down into the canyon just to try to overcome my fears and experience the views. Trailhead: Find the trailhead off Potash Road\Highway 279, about 16.5 miles from its junction with Highway 191. No, You do not need a Shafer Trail permit to drive on the road. 96% of travelers recommend this experience. Then, spend the rest of the day visiting the overlooks and hiking the short trails in the park. endobj
For the rest of the ride down. Points of Interest & Landmarks Lookouts, An incredible ride, not for the faint of heart. It begins in Canyonlands and can be driven all the way through to Potash Road leading you back in the town of Moab. Thanks for your reply, thanks for your great site !!! After that continue to Moab. Click here to learn more. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. Utah-279 ends at Highway 191. 90% of travelers recommend this experience. things to do in Canyonlands National Park.
%f:qQ;ri>{FBV5B2NWr)dfh=7`bF1[c"\n?_sW|k.\"?8?9rxEpOSaF\ yO-}q+Rk&:soR$D*pVk:{7PQk2__5NCxb@yGJp|Um3ia/f.1{?~q{lok{Ac+l7jl4g ArC+/t/; ?BprFtW![b1ia!T?&&-8[5r$F[BzvlD+1I`;y|fX @Lw-xV4aSt Download the official NPS app before your next visit. The view from the bottom is deffiently different than from the top. Amazing views! Tip 2: If there is rain in the forecast or if it has rained recently, make sure you call the visitor center to ensure the road has not closed. You can start or end at two different locations depending on where you want to end on the Shafer Trail. Would need to know where are the dirtiest parts of the shafter canyon road ? Your choices are basically to run smack into the rock face or go over the edge with little room for error. She kept saying that it looked like the truck our Toyota Tundra off road package simply couldn't fit on the road and that she was sure we were going over the edge. Awesome! Average Time of Drive: 2 hours. Potash road is fairly rough, limiting speed to 10 mph max. Personal vehicle: $30 Motorcycle: $25 Cyclist/Pedestrian: $15 The overlook is pretty cool. Here is a photo taken from Dead Horse Point. A short distance past Corona Arch (0.5 miles), you will find a small parking area for a trail that will take you to another arch called Jeep Arch. Connecting Canyonlands National Park with Moab, the Shafer Trail Road/Shafer Canyon Road is an 18-mile dirt track into eastern Utah, featuring American Indian petroglyphs and natural stone arches. In the same parking lot, there are the Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs Trail. We drove from Moab to Potash Trail and then picked up Shafer Trail near the evaporation ponds 2.25 hrs to complete then 45 min drive back to Moab!! The Shafer in Moab is a great way to spend your time in the Canyonland National Park, and we hope you find our guide informative and helpful. It was filmed right here, next to the Colorado River, just outside of Dead Horse Point State Park. We loved this off-road experience. You can also learn more about the national parks (and get the full list) in our Guide to the US National Parks. High-clearance 4WD vehicles with a low range gear (4LO) arehighly recommended. No, you do not need a permit to drive these roads. Make sure to check Twitter if you want to check if any of the parks have closed because of too many people. 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 photo was taken at the top of Shafer Canyon Road, about one mile before starting down the Shafer Trail switchbacks. Make sure your vehicle falls within these guidelines before you go. Tip 4: Even though Canyonlands National Park is not as popular as Arches National Park, it will still get busy. What was actually a 1/2 day ride might as well have been an eternity because that is what it felt like. Once past the Shafer Canyon switchbacks, the road levels out. The road down the side of the canyon was plenty wide enough and there are multiple areas to pull aside along the way down, even with the switchbacks. This was a super fun trail with amazing views. Thank you! The view back up Shafer Canyon and the rim of the Island in the Sky mesa. This is one of the most spectacular, scenic. This drive can be done in either direction. Drove this the first week of August after some rainy spells so I was worried about mud (I-70 was temporarily blocked with flash flooding when we came through the day before). At one point she did jump out of the truck and was convinced it would be easier to walk out..once she was on solid ground she did much better, but I did mention to her I thought the road would be better traveled on a donkey or llama. Plenty of potholes and ruts and cobbles and small boulders on the dirt road. The Shafer Trail is not overly difficult. Again, if it were my vehicle, true 4WD with 4 low to save your brakes. They stopped and chatted with us and asked if the roads were any better from the direction we had come from.we told them it was rough.but one look at the woman in the passenger seat should have given us a heads up that what was up ahead was some serious stuff.because her face was ashen white and she looked shell shocked. During inclement weather, the road can become impassable. ! more, Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab. Expanding upon the work of Sog Shafer, the Atomic Energy Commission widened Shafer Trail and extended it to the White Rim Road to accommodate trucks moving loads of uranium-bearing rock from the backcountry and down to Moab for processing. When we were on White Rim Road, we were asked by a ranger if we had our permit. Amazing views. Sheep herders run sheep along the canyon, c. 1966. Took us 1h45 from Canyonlands back to Moab with a couple of stops for pictures. 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. You can do this in different ways, and there is no exact right way to do it. Winding "road of death" in Canyonlands National Parkthe Shafer Trail. It requires extreme caution at the best of times for vehicles and mountain bikes, but especially so in inclement weather and at night. Do you like the idea of venturing away from the crowds and driving through some truly dramatic landscapes? endobj
All stock. Some people like to start the trail at Potash Road because you can avoid the entrance fee station going into Canyonlands National Park. I am a 50+ female from the flatlands!We drove down from the top in a 4WD Toyota Forerunner. Just take it slow.Once down, you still need to be in 4 wheel drive as the road can get quite bumpy and there are still a lot of places that require it for navigation. 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. Travel 38.3K subscribers Join Subscribe 2.7K 234K views 4 years ago CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK In this segment of. You can obtain this permit online or at the visitor center. Then take the Potash Road and Shafer trail into Canyonlands National Park later in the day. I had a death-grip on the interior bar/handle in the truck (also known as an "OH MY GAWD!!!" I would not attempt it as it is quite a dangerous road and quite challenging especially with a caravan I would only attempt it with a good 4 wheel drive, and it would be a challenge even for a 4WD especially in bad weather at night etc. 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. Today, the Shafer Trail is a challenging, unpaved backcountry road for recreational users seeking the experience of a lifetime Damaged soils are prone to erosion and invasive species. At Mile 17, the road becomes Shafer Basin road. All and all amazing! This is where you can see the Colorado River making a 180-degree turn in the canyon. We did a lot of breathing and reassuring to get up the canyon wall. 97% of travelers recommend this experience. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. 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 very popular area for mountain biking and scenic driving, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open even in the winter months, making it a fun year-round trail. 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. VISIT THE US NATIONAL PARKS: Looking for your next big adventure? Please stay on the trail so as not to disturb biological soil crust. I had to hang out of the window and guide him through the turn. In fact I told my wife there doesn't look like there is a road out of here. However, if you plan to include the White Rim Road, you must have a permit to drive the White Rim Road. fun route! It is hopeful that repairs at Upheaval Bottom, Taylor Canyon and Lathrop Canyon can be completed within the next week. Our Jeep. Quite a few side by sides & dirtbikes but pretty low volume of other vehicles. Does it get me close? Many other trails at Island in the Sky also bear names for the families who worked them. We never needed to put our vehicle in 4WD for these two roads. So much fun!! There is one low overhang that could be a problem as well as one tight turn. If you chose to make the short add on to Goosenecks overlook off the White Rim Road, you WILL need a permit which is easy to get at the visitors center. Potash Road weaves down through a canyon and then runs right along the Colorado River. Shafer Trail or Shafer Canyon Road? Little did I imagine we'd end up on this trail in a Dodge Ram!!! endobj
JUST DO IT! The trail was later widened when prospectors began mining the area for uranium. Dont think the dogs cared to much for it. For the first 2.5 miles, you drive just below the rim. Below are a few tips that can save you some money and make for a great trip. A gem of day is ahead !!! The best times to visit this trail are March through November. The White Rim Trail and the Shafer Trail follow the same trail down the Shafer Switchbacks. Driving the Shafer Trail is something that youll never forget, however, it is important to do it safely. We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location. You can take a RZR on part of the Shafer Trail, but you cannot take it on the entirety of the trail. f6t,mHpS3Ej}j&;T
)0n UTAH ITINERARY: In our Utah National Parks Road Trip Guide, we cover multiple ways to road trip through the national parks in Utah. Good to know. I came across this trail when doing research on the national parks for our trip to Moab. 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. We were the only non SUV or truck we saw on the trail though so definitely not common. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. USA ROAD TRIPS: Planning your next big adventure in the USA? If you arent comfortable driving on the Shafer Trail, you can take a Moab Jeep tour which will take you on the nearby White Rim Road. If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you will love driving Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road. However, the mines produced very little uranium and were soon abandoned. If youre in the Moab area and you are okay with some puckering at the beginning, its so worth it. Specifically, we would like to drive the Shafer Canyon/Potash Roads from Canyonlands to Moab. This is because RZRs are not allowed to enter national parks. Then it started raining which made things even scarier. Here are photos taken from Thelma and Louise Point. Thank you for the recommendation to go up hill (from Potash Rd to Canyon Land NP visitor center). You will circle under Shafer Canyon Overlook (wave to the people taking your photos!) It's narrow but nothing too crazy. There were no muddy areasit was all a dry, dirt road with some rocky spots here and there. If you are a photographer, consider visiting Mesa Arch at sunrise, to capture the glimmer of the first rays of sun under the arch. The final scene of the movie Thelma and Louise, when they drove off of the cliff, was not filmed in the Grand Canyon. Stunning trip - adequate challenge for a dirt road beginner. Can I drive my Dodge Caravan at Shafer Road. Have you seen photos of the Shafer Canyon switchbacks and said to yourself, wow, Id really love to drive on that road? Erkunde diese 31,5-Kilometer lange Strecke in der Nhe von Moab, Utah. Shafer Trail. What an awesome ride. The Cannon Valley Trail has its eastern terminus in Red Wing. Any road in Moab that is not a paved road can be difficult to traverse in the rain. Stayed at a B & B in Moab and the owner said we just had to take the shafer trail road to canyonlands park and that it was the only way to go and I might add there was no mention of sheer cliff walls and adrenaline rushes. There are portions of the route where one wrong may be disastrous, and tricky sections requiring three-point turns. Cheers, Julie. Tip 5: Park closures can be found on their Twitter accounts. Turn right and in a few minutes, you will be in Moab. The entire drive, from Canyonlands National Park to Moab, is just under 40 miles. Theres one question I have: Which date did you take the pictures? there is plenty of room in those switchbacks to pass another fellow 4wheel. There are a few important things to know when driving the Shafer Road in Moab, aside from the obvious of needing a four-wheel drive vehicle. For more information, please see, No conditions reported in the past 7 days. https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/fees.htm, Bureau of Land Management: Moab Field Office. Learn more about Utah in our Utah Travel Guide and the United States in our United States Travel Guide. You can see the first part of Shafer Canyon Road on top of the rim, just before the switchbacks. At 13.3 miles down Potash Road to your right, you will see the Jug Handle Arch. Directions Starting in Canyonlands National Park Shafer Trail, Canyonlands National Park: Address, Phone Number, Shafer Trail Reviews: 4.5/5. In 1916 the Shafer family used the trail as a cattle trail to move cows from the summer and winter pastures. This includes street-legal OHVs. ATVs and UTVs are permitted on Potash Road but they are not allowed on National Park Service lands, so you cannot drive one of these vehicles on Shafer Canyon Road. A road that humbles the wildest of egos. I started at the bottom to too and highly suggest that way over top to bottom. How Can I Add on the White Rim Road to this Drive? How rough is the road? Did it going down the canyon along Potash Rd all the way to Moab (as we thought going up would be more difficult with tires spinning) and did not bottom out once. They are steep, and it is recommended to travel them in 4 low. You can travel the Shafer Road from Potash Road and drive until you get to the White Rim Road and Shafer Trail intersection. Two way traffic on about a 20-foot wide track? Standing on Dead Horse Point and looking down into the valley next to the Colorado River, we asked ourselves "I wonder how you get on that road down there?" The only people who will find the trail scary are those who are afraid of heights. Explore different ways to experience this place. The sheer cliffs are exciting but not unsafe. Or Dead Horse State Park? We attempted it a few hours after it had rained and ended up driving through over a foot of water and some deep mud!! The steep, exposed sections of the Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill, and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks make the White Rim . Then all of a sudden, my husband (who is very very afraid of heights), clenched the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. Beautiful drive! Check our our USA Road Trip Guide for travel ideas and sample itineraries. 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. Will be there next sep. with a classic SUV (Ford escape or similar). You do not nearly scrape the wall or totter on the edge of oblivion. Do I Need a Permit to Drive Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road? The park ranger warned of mud and ledges on Potash. The Shafer family were pioneers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Shafer Trail 237 Reviews #7 of 46 things to do in Canyonlands National Park Outdoor Activities, Nature & Parks, Hiking Trails Canyonlands National Park, UT Save Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab 651 Book in advance from $189.39 per adult Check availability View full product details retired111 Gratis, Ohio 38 104 Never again! We started at the top and had driven down to the bottom and I must say I have never been so scared in my life. We continued down the trail to the Potash road and on to highway 239. Today, hundred of visitors every year experience the thrill of a lifetime driving down the sandstone cliff to the basin below. Tony Boeckel: 1892 1924 31 years American baseball player car San Diego, California Cris Bolado: 1969 2017 47 years Filipino basketball player motorcycle Phnom Penh . Epic trail!! Many backcountry roads in the Moab area used for recreation today were improved by the Atomic Energy Commission. ]J [,;9CoOUJRJbTiI4wYv*s8D4@K ]Sz%X7R7N-FHjkZ)}qX&iJqt"\"r:,_/XNgn^aQ\3xUTA4X6}e:9'~+R?&yMz)cGjh4-^&8JWy) ;pZTa`=Jpx*]e3/de@5'*\2BQa-ak'fI%XX tUP$lYL1/+Z^[JLUXg`*_$lT We are here to show you that traveling as a family is not as hard as you might think. 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. Started off at Canyonlands and went down into the valley and out Potash Road to Moab. 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. My friend and I had actually gone down this trail in June of 2008 (we were at Canyonlands again in June 2011). Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road are two dirt roads that connect Canyonlands National Park with Moab. Pretty moderate drive, nothing technical. Your email address will not be published. Definitely do not do without 4WD if it is wet/muddy though. Thats the best view, from the drivers side. Shafer Canyon Road starts one mile north of the Canyonlands Visitor Center on Island in the Sky Road. Our website uses cookies. Cheers, Julie. Welcome to CS Ginger! I asked my wife why she was looking over the edge if she was so scared why not just close your eyes but she said she wanted to face her fear. It was the thrill of a lifetime. Difficulty: Easy. The Road was so Steep, My Wife Jumped out of the Truck! There are no vehicle length restrictions for the Shafer Canyon Raod and I just re-checked the NPS website. Hello Markus. And with 140 farms in Upstate participating, there are plenty of sugar shacks to choose from in every region. Try this 19.6-mile point-to-point trail near Moab, Utah. Thank you. and then start the descent down the switchbacks. Once you pass the Potash Ponds, you will shortly meet back up with the UT-279 that will take you back towards Moab.
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