90% of travelers recommend this experience. Shafer Trail Closed The unpaved Shafer Trail road at Island in the Sky is closed due to winter conditions. What a great summary of the route. Cars driving uphill have the right of way. Stupid question. 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. This includes street-legal OHVs. The switchbacks are no joke but once those are behind you its pretty smooth sailing. The view back up Shafer Canyon and the rim of the Island in the Sky mesa. My husband insisted on the trail. 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. 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. Overtime, the use of Shafer transitioned from ranching to recreation. 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. The scariest thing Ive ever done! Perfect control. This is a very scenic area and a great section to stop and take pictures. I've stood over Niagara Falls, right on the edge, done the Gondolla up and down Jasper Mountain, heights hadn't been a problem before this "ride". The first part of the drive, as you weave your way down the Shafer Canyon switchbacks, is the most hair-raising and thrilling part of the drive. 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. Well this is like that except you dont know its going to be ok when you feel like any plethora of rocks could slide onto you, out from under you, or somehow end up off the narrow ledge/road, and it lasts an hour!!! Then take the Potash Road and Shafer trail into Canyonlands National Park later in the day. The Shafer Trail is not overly difficult. Each year, hundreds of visitors experience the thrill of driving down the winding sandstone cliff to the basin below. Youre welcome! 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. Get the full details on how to do this in our One Day Canyonlands and Arches Itinerary. You can take a RZR on part of the Shafer Trail, but you cannot take it on the entirety of the trail. To do this, you must have a permit for the White Rim Road. Most definitely. Directions Starting in Canyonlands National Park Now, you are below the rim but the views are still pretty awesome. I can't describe the relief I felt once we made it to the bottom. It was a little scary, I'm not going to lie. Once we made it to the bottom of the canyon alive we totally enjoyed the trail. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. There are some great overlooks of the Colorado River on the way and very few people. This drive on Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road was the grand finale to our two days on the White Rim Road. Then it is another great experience to drive down them in a 44 vehicle. Trailhead: Find the trailhead off Potash Road\Highway 279, about 16.5 miles from its junction with Highway 191. Just under 10 miles down Potash Road, you will find parking for the popular Bowtie Arch and Corona Arch. The steep, exposed sections of the Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill, and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks make the White Rim . Geologically, this is the layer of rock that sits right below . Even though you just did it, it is still somehow unbelievable that you just drove down that seemingly unsurmountable canyon wall. Trail Type: Point to Point. See all 4 Shafer Trail tours on Tripadvisor, Base Camp Adventure Lodge, King on the front porch, View all hotels near Shafer Trail on Tripadvisor, Things to Do in Canyonlands National Park, Canyonlands National Park Pet Friendly Campgrounds, Hotels near Island In The Sky Visitor Center, Hotels near Salt Lake City Intl Airport (SLC), Motels near Salt Lake City Intl Airport (SLC), All things to do in Canyonlands National Park, Geologic Formations in Canyonlands National Park, National Parks in Canyonlands National Park, Biking Trails in Canyonlands National Park, Hiking Trails in Canyonlands National Park, Bodies of Water in Canyonlands National Park, Scenic Drives in Canyonlands National Park, Historic Sites in Canyonlands National Park, Historic Walking Areas in Canyonlands National Park, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Canyonlands National Park, Visitor Centers in Canyonlands National Park, Grand View Point Overlook: Tickets & Tours, Dead Horse Point State Park: Tickets & Tours, Island In The Sky Visitor Center: Tickets & Tours, Arsenal Football Club Emirates Stadium Tour, Small-Group Bayou Airboat Ride with Transport from New Orleans, Scenic 17-Mile Drive Tour - Self Drive Audio Guide from Monterey & Carmel. The Road was so Steep, My Wife Jumped out of the Truck! If people cannot get into Arches, they will go into Canyonlands, making for a long wait at the entrance station. Thats the best view, from the drivers side. We went out of service so sorry in advance for the trip length! The Shafer Trail Road in Canyonlands is a great 44 trail. Shafer Trail Road To White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park. Save a lunch break for Thelma & Louise Point. Drove a stock Subaru Forester from Shafer down through Potash no problem on a sunny day. 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. I think the 8 hr time is based on hiking, not driving. Check out this 18.3-mile point-to-point trail near Moab, Utah. Points of Interest & Landmarks Lookouts, An incredible ride, not for the faint of heart. You will circle under Shafer Canyon Overlook (wave to the people taking your photos!) Die Route wird grundstzlich als moderat eingestuft und kann zumeist in 8 Std 44 Min bewltigt werden. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Here is a photo taken from Dead Horse Point. The Shafer Trail in Moab: A Complete Trail Guide for 2023 We used Canyonlands Jeep Rentals and had an awesome experience. Make sure you have enough gas, probably a good idea to have some food and water (just in case) and prepare for no cell service. What a great road to explore on. We never needed to put our vehicle in 4WD for these two roads. Took us 1h45 from Canyonlands back to Moab with a couple of stops for pictures. However, like Shafer Canyon Road, a high-clearance AWD SUV should be sufficient. If youre looking for other fun 44 trails in Moab, be sure to check out Fins and Things and Hells Revenge. Thank you! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. go slow but why would you want to go fast anyway!? Loved the route and plan to do it again sometime!! . Maple Weekend 2022: 140 Upstate NY sugar shacks to - newyorkupstate Sheep herders run sheep along the canyon, c. 1966. From here, you look out over the Shafer Canyon switchbacks and Dead Horse Point State Park. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. It begins in Canyonlands and can be driven all the way through to Potash Road leading you back in the town of Moab. In fact I told my wife there doesn't look like there is a road out of here. At 22 feet long it would be difficult to find a place to turn around if needed. We recommend booking Shafer Trail tours ahead of time to secure your spot. For sections of this road, the surface is a rough, worn slickrock and when you drive over it, your entire vehicle will vibrate and rattle like crazy. I think he mentioned it would take 2 hours from Moab up Shafer trail and back. Underpinning the description with photos at frequent intervals of the drive provides a clear insight into road conditions, which is always very helpful at least I am of the sort who want to see the road surface before venturing out. We were the only non SUV or truck we saw on the trail though so definitely not common. Going left will continue on the Shafer Trail, and going straight will put you onto the White Rim Road. Any road in Moab that is not a paved road can be difficult to traverse in the rain. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. 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. How to Drive Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road | Moab, Utah You can also get updated conditions and advice by speaking to a park ranger in the visitor center. Please stay on the trail so as not to disturb biological soil crust. The UT-313 will take you to Canyonlands National Park. Your email address will not be published. During inclement weather, the road can become impassable. Distance: Approximately 18.2 miles. Thanks for this AMAZING account that basically leaves nothing unclear! However, it does intersect with the White Rim Road, and the White Rim Road does require a permit. We loved this off-road experience. We recommend if you do it to start at the top and go down but it would be best to check at the Canyonland Visitor center with one of the rangers and get their input. 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. Travel 38.3K subscribers Join Subscribe 2.7K 234K views 4 years ago CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK In this segment of. This section is a little more challenging as there are some small rock ledges you will drop down. I have had a job that involved dangerous situations but this experience scared me to death more than my job ever did.
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