White Rim Road 2023

See that little ribbon of road in the picture above? That’s the White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park. The picture was taken by my friend and neighbor, Lisa, one of eight of us who last week rode the White Rim by mountain bike, supported by two trucks carrying our gear, food, water and showers! We took turns driving the trucks, although many parts of the road were extremely technical and dangerous; more so than for mountain bikes, so the two owners of the trucks carried the laboring oars of driving, which was fine by the rest of us, since we were there to ride, not drive!

The White Rim Road was constructed in the 1950’s by the Atomic Energy Commission to facilitate access by prospectors looking for uranium. Although there were many uranium deposits found in the area, very little was found on and near the road, and all of the mines were soon abandoned. The road gets its name from the white rim sandstone that lines the rim of the canyons around which the road travels.

The full White Rim Road loop is approximately 100 miles. Unfortunately, because of melting from the epic snowpack Utah experienced this past winter a portion of the road, about three quarters of the way around the loop had flooded and a portion of the road was washed out, our original plan for a 4-day full circumnavigation had to be modified, such that we road approximately 55 miles of the road, then turned around and returned to our starting point, still over four days.

The masterminds behind this adventure were my neighbor, Robert, along with Dave and Guy, the latter two of whom “claim” they have done this trip northward of twenty times each! True or not (you’re never quite sure with Guy), they knew their stuff, and, along with Robert, did all of the advanced planning, permitting and shopping for food and drink. We never lacked for delicious meals and snacks. Each meal was meticulously planned, and the entire gang took turns prepping, cooking and cleaning up.

Access to the White Rim Road, whether for multi-day trips like ours, or just for a day, are subject to the National Park’s permitting requirements. You can’t just show up and start riding or driving. Rangers make random checks on people on the road to make sure they are properly permitted. Each overnight permit includes reservations for designated campgrounds along the road. Once reserved, that entire campground is exclusive to each permittee’s group; no one else can camp at that site for the date or dates reserved. The only “amenity” for each site is a vault toilet. No water, no garbage cans, no picnic tables. Just incredible views. Permits are not easy to come by. Reservations for spring permits are available starting at 8:00 am on November 10, summer on February 10, fall on May 10 and winter on August 10. They disappear quickly after reservations open up, so set your alarm and get online.

The best times to visit the White Rim are between mid-March and early May, and the month of October. When we were there, at the end of May, we got very lucky, and while it was quite warm for 3 of the 4 days, and occasionally windy, we had no rain. Summers are unbearably hot, and winters can be bitterly cold and windy. October is the most popular time to visit, but competition for permits then is fierce!

Riding the White Rim is not technical, but is very strenuous. Our daily mileage ranged between 15 miles and 45. Surprisingly, the 45 mile day was, except for the last 5 miles, less taxing than the 15 mile day, as it was largely downhill, and we enjoyed a tailwind for much of the ride (full disclosure, all but 2 of us, and I was not one of the two), hopped in the trucks for the last 5 miles of the ride, which were some of the toughest all week). Full suspension mountain bikes with tubeless tires are the best choice; and make sure that you or someone in the group is well versed in basic bike maintenance and has tools, emergency tubes, co2 cartridges and pumps, and knows how to use them! We got lucky (again), and only experienced one broken chain, which was quickly repaired, and two flats, both of which were easily fixed (although we did suffer one pair of torn shorts!).

Bring more water than you think you could possibly need. You’ll need all of it. And while you won’t need as many items of clothing as you might think, prepare for a variety of weather conditions: hot, cold, windy and possibly wet. No one cares (or will even notice) if you wear the same bike clothes each day, and same camp clothes each night. There is very little shade on the road, as there are basically no trees. So bring a good hat, and take advantage of shade wherever you find it.

Would I do it again? Ask me in a week. For now, I’m resting! But it was an adventure of a lifetime, classic Senior Ripper. Around every corner is something breathtaking, stunning, magical: hoodoos, canyons, rivers, ravens, arches and more. Before too long, I am sure the answer will be a resounding “yes”!

Enough words. Enjoy some parting shots. And remember…

Keep moving, stay safe, have fun!