Photo Tips USA – Canyonlands NP – The White Rim

The White Rim is a collection of once massive sand dunes that solidified into rock under the pressure of their own weight. Since they lacked iron compounds, they did not turn reddish, instead maintaining their pale, cattle-bone-like color over millions of years. Today, they form the prominent erosional step about 300 m (186 ft) below Island in the Sky Mesa.

See topographic map here

The White Rim Road, a 4WD trail established by uranium prospectors after World War II, traverses this erosional surface for about 160 km (100 mi). It begins at the junction with the Shafer Trail, skirts Island in the Sky, and returns to the high ground at the south end of Labyrinth Canyon via Mineral Road. One cannot complete the entire route in a single day, necessitating a minimum overnight stay at one of the 10 camping areas situated along the White Rim Road. However, they only offer a total of 20 campsites, so demand for the necessary permits almost always exceeds supply. If you plan to do the trip, you will need to apply months in advance. The National Park Service has information about this on its website.

An alternative is day trips, where you leave the White Rim by sunset at the latest. The most photographically rewarding option descends via the Shafer Trail to the east of Island in the Sky and follows the White Rim to Gooseberry Canyon or Monument Basin. It begins with the spectacular switchbacks of the Shafer Trail, which you can take in from the viewpoint of the same name a few hundred yards past Canyonlands NP’s visitor center on the Island in the Sky Mesa. Since you should start as early in the morning as possible to have enough time on the White Rim, you will automatically be in position there at the right time, when the sun, still low in the east, lights up the Shafer Trail well. After completing the first 8 km (5 mi) of Shafer Trail, bear right at the T-junction, and after a little over 1.6 km (1 mi) you will reach the short Goosenecks Trail. The trail leads to the viewpoint of the same name, providing an excellent view of the Colorado River loop, which is also prominently visible from Dead Horse Point Overlook. After another 3.2 km (2 mi) you will pass Musselman Arch. This is not one of the curved rock arches known from Arches NP, but a strangely flat stone bridge. It invites you to cross the canyon below. At mile 11, the Lathrop Canyon Trail branches off to the right. It descends a rough 4 mi to the Colorado River, and this is the only access point to the river. At Kilometer 48 (Mile 30), you reach the southernmost point of the White Rim Road and the Monument Basin below, with the turnoff to White Crack Campground. The 2.4 km (1.5 mi) to the campsite is absolutely rewarding, offering wonderful views of the Green River to the west and the massive rock monoliths in Monument Basin.

If you want to get that close to the Green River instead, use Mineral Road to the west to reach the White Rim. Once at the bottom, drive either 1 mi north to the Mineral Bottom Boat Launch Site or just under 13 mi south to the Potato Bottom Campsite area. Along the way, you can also visit Fort Bottom Ruin. It comprises the remnants of two pueblos situated on a knoll, around which the Green River forms a large loop. The 3.5 km (2.1 mi) walk across the mesa rewards the effort with a very good panoramic view of the stream flowing in the depths.

Pack your strongest wide-angle lenses and at least one telephoto lens in the 200mm range for every trip to ensure you are equally prepared for the spectacular panoramas and the many interesting details of the rocks lying in the depths. To keep shots during the sun-drenched middle of the day as free as possible from unwanted, contrast-reducing stray light, a polarizing filter is helpful.

Without 4WD and a high wheelbase, however, you should not even think of driving this route, as it is more or less just a dusty road with very steep and narrow sections. – A real off-road adventure for the bone-dry season. One vehicle was born for this kind of route: the Jeep Wrangler! With its short wheelbase, high ground clearance, and the powerful torque of the large-volume engine, it masters pretty much all tracks and gradients. However, with the off-road vehicles that can be booked from abroad, the rental companies usually prevent real off-road use by unhooking the important short transmission of the four-wheel drive – these specimens are then unsuitable for deep sand or muddy sections. When booking, be sure to ask about these details and the insurance coverage for vehicle damage on unpaved roads. However, suitable jeeps for the White Rim Road can be rented in many places in Moab, or you can join an organized tour, which must also be booked in advance because of the limited number of seats.

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