ZDxOTT(/njO"F@QN/>E- avk;/s>v_85=hS/nG&! Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road are much wider and in much better condition than the White Rim Road. Quite a few side by sides & dirtbikes but pretty low volume of other vehicles. Nearby you can also hike through Little Wild Horse slot canyon. It is a popular photo spot for many because the Shafer Switchbacks are unique and make for a fun picture. However, the mines produced very little uranium and were soon abandoned. Amazing views. The sheer cliffs are exciting but not unsafe. Both the permit and the high-clearance 4WD vehicle are enforced by the national park service. Looks like some of the rock overhangs are lowwill we have enough clearance? When we were on White Rim Road, we were asked by a ranger if we had our permit. Below you will see a Google Map of the Shafer Trail. Shafer Trail in Canyonlands National Park (& Potash Road) Good eyewe did this in early November, around November 9 or 10 I believe. This is an absolutely incredible trail to run! Guard rails? It was far more intense, rough and free form with lots of gully crossings and rock. GOBLIN VALLEY: Goblin Valley is a small state park packed with unique rock formations thats a fun place to explore, especially for kids. You'll need to leave pups at home dogs aren't allowed on this trail. Thank you! Shafer Canyon Road is a thrilling (scary) off road experience in UT ARCHES AND CANYONLANDS: If you have limited time, learn how to visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks in one day and do this drive!. The Road was so Steep, My Wife Jumped out of the Truck! 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. Once at the bottom, the tough part starts. Beautiful drive in a stock Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4X4. Canyonlands National Park charges a fee to enter. The view from the bottom is deffiently different than from the top. We used Canyonlands Jeep Rentals and had an awesome experience. You can do this in different ways, and there is no exact right way to do it. How rough is the road? Thanks for your reply, thanks for your great site !!! A road that humbles the wildest of egos. What a great summary of the route. Here is the Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road driving route in detail. 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. Trail Type: Point to Point. I do have to admit the trail going down was steep, and the switchbacks were tight, getting down over the mountain into the bottom. 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. 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. Answered all of my questions. 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. In the corner of the 279 is a parking spot, you can hike to the Corona Arch Trailhead!! Once you pass the Potash Ponds, you will shortly meet back up with the UT-279 that will take you back towards Moab. We drove the backway from Potash Road. Each year, hundreds of visitors experience the thrill of driving down the winding sandstone cliff to the basin below. We were definitely unprepared and did not know what we were getting into. For a cool view, turn around and look up at the rim. We did a lot of breathing and reassuring to get up the canyon wall. Plenty of potholes and ruts and cobbles and small boulders on the dirt road. Check theweather reportbefore starting your trip andcurrent road conditionsbefore heading out. The times that my eyes weren't closed tight, I would just stare at the mountain wall next to the truck. I suppose this would be a great trail for those who have nerves of steel and love adventure but this is just a bit too much, in my opinion. Buckle up! All I could imagine was going box over hood all the way to the bottom when our truck slid on the icy surface of these "switchbacks" over the edge. Driving the long White Rim Road in the Canyonlands NP - dangerousroads.org After observing multiple vehicles going up and down the steep part (and no one plummeting to their death), she said ok, lets do it. We drove a 2021 Nissan Rogue AWD. Dont forget to check out the White Rim area while you are there. Go from the bottom up. Try this 19.6-mile point-to-point trail near Moab, Utah. Shafer Trail, Canyonlands National Park: Address, Phone Number, Shafer Trail Reviews: 4.5/5. It took us about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to do the whole thing with my husband's stock 2002 Ford Ranger, "Bessie II" (or "Elizabeth the Second" as I call her), who did a very good job when put into low 4X4. UTAH ITINERARY: In our Utah National Parks Road Trip Guide, we cover multiple ways to road trip through the national parks in Utah. Pretty sure we suffered with acute stress for a few days when trying to go to bed having flashbacks. Loved the route and plan to do it again sometime!! Cheers, Julie. Posion Spider, Golden Spike, and Gold Bar Rim OHV Trail, Cliffhanger Jeep Trail to Pothole Trail (Pothole Arch), Jackson to Amasa Back and Cliffhanger Trail, Long Canyon, Gold Bar Rim and Mag 7 MTB Loop. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Driving the Shafer Trail is something that youll never forget, however, it is important to do it safely. For the rest of the ride down. fun route! Some subscription websites listed below can be . We can laugh about it now but I dont think I would ever do that again. Distance: Approximately 18.2 miles. It looks like you'd need a 4 wheel drive vehicle but it's. I had thought it would be fun to have a little adventure and we both said "how bad can it be??". Drive the Shafer Trail -Canyonlands Island in the Sky to Moab- The West is Big! Check out this 18.3-mile point-to-point trail near Moab, Utah. I am a 50+ female from the flatlands!We drove down from the top in a 4WD Toyota Forerunner. You can drive all the way to Moab!! You have to have a permit to travel on White Rim Road. Shafer Canyon Road is a well-maintained gravel road. Get the full details on how to do this in our One Day Canyonlands and Arches Itinerary. Judging from the subtle fall foliage along the banks of the Colorado, I would estimate this at late October or early November. endobj Details. Death Road is a lethal journey in the Bolivian Yungas region . A bit before the White Rim Rd you take the left into the Potash Rd. In Moab, there are numerous companies that will rent 4WD vehicles. We never would have made it out without the help of a plant worker!! The one he had been experiencing for the past however many miles on our way down the canyon on Shafer Trail. If you have the America the Beautiful Pass, the entrance fee for Canyonlands National Park is included. I would NOT do this in a car. How Can I Add this on to My Visit to Canyonlands? This was a nice way to end the day after doing 3 hikes at Canyonlands. 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. 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. qKHWHql2AH5iADn:jK ^T%Q]OhS'QoOIT]N f1HK{:AN 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? My truck is a 2001 Dodge 2500 4whell drive. .=PAdK+1k.F0DKRk&*q,^5`uAquAu5Ahc"MJ.H^i_BdO>x($+GKAuLXXr3R*"!BO>vepCPC[H-eXLw_ s`ooq2gq ;p|2 rQnnQd#VbY,+aWpJ!z4@sm~KHPC%#lsWb,ee'9g?*Bt10`ChXf^*ZFI]e-zaX}'Kb^0` Then all of a sudden, my husband (who is very very afraid of heights), clenched the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. 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. At 13.3 miles down Potash Road to your right, you will see the Jug Handle Arch. ATVs, OHVs, or UTVs are not permitted inside the park. Just past the Petroglyphs around mile 5.8, you will run into the parking lot for the Poison Spider Mesa off-road trail. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. The road turns away from the river once you pass what is called Thelma & Louise Point. Sweden Online Genealogy Records FamilySearch I think that the Shafer Canyon switchbacks look a lot more dangerous from the viewpoints than when you are actually driving on them. Be prepared.it does jostle the neck around a bit! As the Shafer Trail starts to distance itself from the Colorado River, you will pass by the Potash Ponds. Turn left onto Potash Road. Overall, it was a must do!! In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. Shafer Trail Road To White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park. Length 19.6 miElevation gain 3,106 ftRoute type Point to point. You can start at either end of the trail. There are no vehicle length restrictions for the Shafer Canyon Raod and I just re-checked the NPS website. Or is it a road that goes to Potash and then back to Canyonlands? 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). Potash road is fairly rough, limiting speed to 10 mph max. Or driving the whole road up to Moab ? The view back up Shafer Canyon and the rim of the Island in the Sky mesa. All and all amazing! However, the views are amazing. 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! After that is was a fairly easy, though rough, drive back to the paved portion on Potash road. Not for two-wheel-drive sedans, but rather 4WD or AWD, this narrow thread of road leads to the fabled land of moving rocks in the heart of Death Valley. The "trail" is not wide, actually you shouldn't take a big truck on there. I would not want to drive my own vehicle on this road and put this kind of wear and tear on it. Laurent, Before you go, here is a link to what the National Park Service defines as a high-clearance vehicle. The tasks performed by the animal must be directly related to the persons disability. A few larger steps that required a slower crawl but really nothing that a decent ground clearance cant handle. It may take longer depending on how frequently you stop for photos. Make sure to check Twitter if you want to check if any of the parks have closed because of too many people. For more information on driving the Shafer Trail, check out the Scenic Drives section under Things to Do. But it is! All the same, I did see some all wheel drive cars on the trail doing just fine. You can also purchase a park-specific annual pass. If you are starting the Shafer Trail from Canyonlands National Park, you will travel N on US-191 N (N Main St) and then turn left onto UT-313. Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road are two dirt roads that connect Canyonlands National Park with Moab. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Today, the Shafer Trail is a challenging, unpaved backcountry road for recreational users seeking the experience of a lifetime These are genealogy links to Sweden online databases and indexes that may include birth records, marriage records, death records, biographies, cemeteries, censuses, histories, immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, obituaries, or probate records. Many backcountry roads in the Moab area used for recreation today were improved by the Atomic Energy Commission. Started off at Canyonlands and went down into the valley and out Potash Road to Moab. Utah-279 ends at Highway 191. We plan to visit Canyonlands as part of our Utah adventure in mid to late May. After watching the videos she said no way. What changed her mind was when we saw the trail from the Shafer Canyon overlook in Canyonlands. Want to report conditions for this trail? The intersection is very easy to see. Once you get below the rim, you will take Potash Road to Moab. <>>> You can start or end at two different locations depending on where you want to end on the Shafer Trail. I personally do not think a 4WD is necessary, but high clearance is definitely a must to avoid damaging your vehicle. endobj Uphill traffic has the right-of-way. Use berms and pull-outs to allow uphill traffic to pass safely. The Shafer Trail in Moab, Utah is regarded as one of the most dangerous roads in America. Definitely do not do without 4WD if it is wet/muddy though. In talking with my husband he said he wouldn't do it and we were driving a full size Yukon Denali. Backcountry driving conditions can change rapidly after rain or snow. What an awesome ride. The Shafer Trail Canyon overlook is also known as the Shafer Trail Viewpoint. You do need to pay attention when driving the trail because there is two-way traffic, and at times, you may need to pull over at a pull-out to let other vehicles pass. Print/PDF map. Do I Need a Permit to Drive Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road? Shafer Trail, 1.007 Fotos - Utah | AllTrails The road from potash looks like a typical 4 wheel adventure and there are lots of great scenes and things to see wonderful rock formations etc. 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. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. If you still have time and energy left, this is another cool spot to add onto this drive. Said we needed 4wheel drive and high clearance. The view makes the whole ride worth it, both from the bottom and the top. Went back to Moab via Potash Rd. It is the county seat of Goodhue County. In 1916 the Shafer family used the trail as a cattle trail to move cows from the summer and winter pastures. 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!!! 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. It's a trail, not a road and has no guardrails. Cars driving uphill have the right of way. If youre in the Moab area and you are okay with some puckering at the beginning, its so worth it. Most AWD SUVs will do just fine on this road, as long as it is not wet or snow-covered. I started at the bottom to too and highly suggest that way over top to bottom. Is there a risk driving from the park to Thelmas & louise and back to the park ? If you want to visit both on the same day, visit Arches early. 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. Sheep herders run sheep along the canyon, c. 1966. 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 $180.52 per adult Arches and Canyonlands 4X4 Adventure from Moab 59 At one point the right rear wheel was airborne! You dont need a highly modified rock crawler of any sort to drive it. Drive the Shafer Trail -Canyonlands Island in the Sky to Moab- This is known as a Gooseneck. 4/28/2023. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. The Potash Road will eventually turn into a dirt road that is the Shafer Trail. It is hopeful that repairs at Upheaval Bottom, Taylor Canyon and Lathrop Canyon can be completed within the next week. For this drive, we had a Jeep Rubicon that we rented from Jeep Canyonlands Rentals in Moab. Can I drive my Dodge Caravan at Shafer Road. and then start the descent down the switchbacks. Then it is another great experience to drive down them in a 44 vehicle. Literally cried, hands sweating buckets, and a death grip on the seat in front of me. Make sure you have enough gas, probably a good idea to have some food and water (just in case) and prepare for no cell service. You will drive down Potash Road until it turns into Forest Road 142, which is the Shafer Trail. Today, the Shafer Trail is a challenging, unpavedbackcountry road for recreational users seeking the experience of a lifetime. *8]YKE$e?6[c`dq;dDUt+). The best times to visit this trail are March through November. Pass the Xanax and close your eyes. 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. I hope you have a great trip to Moab and Utah. % Island in the Sky: White Rim Road The 100-mile four-wheel drive White Rim Road loops around and below the Island in the Sky mesa top and provides expansive views of the surrounding area. Quite a few mountain bikes and quad runners were on the trail. Today, hundred of visitors every year experience the thrill of a lifetime driving down the sandstone cliff to the basin below. 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. Then it started raining which made things even scarier. The Moab Giants is right on the corner of the intersection of US-191 and UT-313. No, You do not need a Shafer Trail permit to drive on the road. <> It requires extreme caution at the best of times for vehicles and mountain bikes, but especially so in inclement weather and at night. Too down in an AWD Chevy Equinox and had no issues. USA ROAD TRIPS: Planning your next big adventure in the USA? We never felt unsafe or scared when driving the Shafer Trail. The views of the Colorado River are spectacular and the paved roads through the Canyon are very nice with canyon walls rising on one side and the river on the other.The views and thrill of adventure are definitely worth it. For the first 2.5 miles, you drive just below the rim. The Shafer Trail in Canyonlands was named for the Shafer family. Ive got a full stock Nissan Titan XD with BFG KO2s and it was a pretty easy trail. Difficulty: Easy. But this adventure wouldn't be complete without ascending Shafer Trail to the top of the Island in the Sky. If you drive into the park from the Shafer Trail, you can avoid the entrance station altogether. Now, you are below the rim but the views are still pretty awesome. Canyonlands National Park Day Use Backcountry Permits - Recreation.gov Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews.

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