shafer trail road deaths
It is the county seat of Goodhue County. What you should be aware of is that this trail and many other trails in the Moab area can become impassable during periods of rain. Welcome to CS Ginger! Each year, hundreds of visitors experience the thrill of driving down the winding sandstone cliff to the basin below. 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. JUST DO IT! No timelapse - No CutsShafer Trail Road-Shafer Canyon Road is a 18 miles dangerous dirt track located near Moab, in eastern Utah, in the western United State. From here, you can see Shafer Canyon Road, the White Rim Road, Potash Road, and Dead Horse Point State Park. If I had to do Shafer Trail again i would save myself from the drenching sweat from the pure adrenaline rush and just follow Thelma and Louise's lead and go over the cliff early. Quite a few side by sides & dirtbikes but pretty low volume of other vehicles. Do your research well!! I am a 50+ female from the flatlands!We drove down from the top in a 4WD Toyota Forerunner. Below you will see a Google Map of 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. You will drive the White Rim Road out-and-back, since you do not have a permit and a campsite reservation to spend the night. We continued down the trail to the Potash road and on to highway 239. Save a lunch break for Thelma & Louise Point. From here, you look out over the Shafer Canyon switchbacks and Dead Horse Point State Park. 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. 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. The tasks performed by the animal must be directly related to the persons disability. This route starts in Canyonlands and ends in Moab. Insane!!!!! At 22 feet long it would be difficult to find a place to turn around if needed. Backcountry driving conditions can change rapidly after rain or snow. He informed me that if he did, we'd probably end up in the canyon, so I shut up and let him drive. At 13.3 miles down Potash Road to your right, you will see the Jug Handle Arch. The Corona Arch is a great hike and is highly recommended. for the Shafer Switchbacks? If you are there during any part of the busy season, you will know you are close to the petroglyphs when you see cars and rock climbers along the road. You will also encounter a few smaller rock ledges. 17 miles of this road is unpaved. Took the trail down into the canyon and on to White Rim Rd to Musselman Arch where we returned to Potash Rd for the 32 mile return trip to Moab. 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. Things get complicated after about 1-2 miles on the dirt road, when the steep hairpin bends start climbing the western side of the canyon all the way to the top. 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. Make sure your vehicle falls within these guidelines before you go. Just past the Petroglyphs around mile 5.8, you will run into the parking lot for the Poison Spider Mesa off-road trail. I had a death-grip on the interior bar/handle in the truck (also known as an "OH MY GAWD!!!" We can laugh about it now but I dont think I would ever do that again. It takes roughly 2 hours to do this drive. On our first day, we covered 70 miles of the road, camping at the Airport Campground. A bit before the White Rim Rd you take the left into the Potash Rd. 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. Too down in an AWD Chevy Equinox and had no issues. .=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` . Is there a risk driving from the park to Thelmas & louise and back to the park ? As you follow that trail, it will enter into the Canyonlands National Park, and you will end in the Island of the Sky District in Canyonlands, just a short distance inside the park from the entrance station. We drove 2,5h by GMC Terain. There is a vault toilet at this point if someone needs to use the restroom. We did a lot of breathing and reassuring to get up the canyon wall. However, the views are amazing. Cattle trail which can be used by sport vehicles. If you only have one day in Moab, visit Canyonlands in the morning, drive Shafer Canyon and Potash Road midday, and spend the afternoon in Arches National Park. Shafer Canyon Overlook is not actually on the Shafer Trail. Cheers, Julie, Thank you for the informative article about Canyonlands. I heartily disagree, because at least when you're going down the canyon, you can see what lies on the road ahead. View from Shafer Canyon Overlook. Red Wing is home of Red Wing Shoes, the Riedell Ice and Roller Skates and Red Wing Stoneware. Pretty moderate drive, nothing technical. We plan to visit Canyonlands as part of our Utah adventure in mid to late May. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. You can do this in different ways, and there is no exact right way to do it. You can start or end at two different locations depending on where you want to end on the Shafer Trail. The Shafer Trail Road is a great trail for all skill levels and families. Drive the Shafer Trail -Canyonlands Island in the Sky to Moab- The West is Big! Shafer Canyon Road starts one mile north of the Canyonlands Visitor Center on Island in the Sky Road. Credit: NPS Photo, Right image Shafer trail was cool. You can start at either end of the trail. 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. The petroglyphs are close to a popular rock climbing area. beautiful accessible 4x4 Rd, just need 6+" of clearance. It felt like we were in an Escher paining because you could not see the road ahead and it looked like we were driving into the canyon wall and would get stuck and just then the switchback would appear and we could see our way up and this went on for what seemed like 2 hours but I'm sure it took only half that time. BEST OF CANYONLANDS: Top experiences in Canyonlands includes visiting the Island in the Sky district, driving the White Rim Road, hiking in the Needles district, and hiking the Syncline Loop. 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. This was a super fun trail with amazing views. Once you get past the ponds, it is a paved road to Moab. 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). Definitely recommend it, as long as you are not afraid of heights and your vehicle has a high clearance. Can I drive my Dodge Caravan at Shafer Road. Highly recommend the ride but would only use 4WD vehicles for the clearance and sometimes rocky road. A high-clearance vehicle with 4WD is also recommended for Potash Road. Take it slow and enjoy the views! It is also quite wide, at least compared to the White Rim Road. There were no muddy areasit was all a dry, dirt road with some rocky spots here and there. UTAH ITINERARY: In our Utah National Parks Road Trip Guide, we cover multiple ways to road trip through the national parks in Utah. Travel 38.3K subscribers Join Subscribe 2.7K 234K views 4 years ago CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK In this segment of. Saw a mule deer and her two babies. In fact I told my wife there doesn't look like there is a road out of here. Today, hundred of visitors every year experience the thrill of a lifetime driving down the sandstone cliff to the basin below. I don't like heights to begin with but never dreamed it would be this terrifying. Both the permit and the high-clearance 4WD vehicle are enforced by the national park service. If theres only 2 of you and the passenger wants to video, my suggestion would be to sit behind the driver for the first 1/2. Trail was amazing!! Driving the Shafer Trail is something that youll never forget, however, it is important to do it safely. If you want the best expansive views of the surrounding canyon lands, many people say the Dead Horse State Park has better views because it is higher above the river. 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! What was actually a 1/2 day ride might as well have been an eternity because that is what it felt like. Forgettaboutit. 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. Credit: NPS Photo, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. Amazing views! Shafer Trail is a dirt road that starts with several switchbacks down into the canyon Canyonlands National Park Fees The entry fee covers you for a full 7 consecutive days visiting Canyonlands park. ! The Shafer Trail may take several months to repair and will remain closed until repairs are done. 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. You will pass below Dead Horse Point. Winding "road of death" in Canyonlands National Parkthe Shafer Trail. Judging from the subtle fall foliage along the banks of the Colorado, I would estimate this at late October or early November. For a cool view, turn around and look up at the rim. Does it get me close? I looked over and saw that the driver's side of the road had given way to a very steep drop-off, and also noticed that the road was narrowing. A little technical in some places but they just find in a Subaru. We cringed to see a number of passenger type vehicles traveling on it and observed lots of paint scrapes on Rocky sections. If people cannot get into Arches, they will go into Canyonlands, making for a long wait at the entrance station. You can also get updated conditions and advice by speaking to a park ranger in the visitor center. It is hopeful that repairs at Upheaval Bottom, Taylor Canyon and Lathrop Canyon can be completed within the next week. We drove on thru, and up by the potash lakes, and then the road was paved on itno Moab. Do I Need a Permit to Drive Shafer Canyon Road and Potash Road? I also read your list of the 10 best things to see/do in Islands in the Sky District. If you are afraid of heights, you may have some anxiety because of the switchbacks and when driving by the Colorado River because there are some steep drop-offs. We are here to show you that traveling as a family is not as hard as you might think. If you are a photographer, consider visiting Mesa Arch at sunrise, to capture the glimmer of the first rays of sun under the arch. On this route, you will drive the legendary Shafer Canyon switchbacks, pass below Dead Horse Point, get a close-up view of the Colorado River, and see a famous movie filming location, Thelma and Louise point. some areas require 4x4 but we saw cars on the road. In the same parking lot, there are the Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs Trail. Required fields are marked *. There are a few tight turns but you should be fine in your truck. The views are amazing, and we enjoyed exploring this less-visited trail in Moab. Next was to convince my wife. Learn more about Utah in our Utah Travel Guide and the United States in our United States Travel Guide. Cheers, Julie, Hello, Laurent from France here. Click here to learn more. If you have a high-clearance SUV you should be fine for this drive, just as long as it is not wet or snow-covered. Then it is another great experience to drive down them in a 44 vehicle. Personal vehicle: $30 Motorcycle: $25 Cyclist/Pedestrian: $15 The majority of people who drive on the Shafer Trail would not rate the Shafer Trial as scary. 98% of travelers recommend this experience. Thank you! Truth be told, I"d do both again knowing now what I didnt' know then when we started out. The Shafer Trail in Moab, Utah is regarded as one of the most dangerous roads in America. I would not want to drive my own vehicle on this road and put this kind of wear and tear on it. Generally considered a moderately challenging route. The Shafer Trail, WOW!!! Murphy Trailhead scheduled to close March 21-23 How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (points of interest and the driving route). From here, it is a smooth, easy drive back to Moab. Directions Starting in Canyonlands National Park Julie Last updated: February 18, 2023 United States 10 Comments. You do not nearly scrape the wall or totter on the edge of oblivion. The park ranger warned of mud and ledges on Potash. The steep, exposed sections of the Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill, and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks make the White Rim . 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!!! Once you pass the Potash Ponds, you will shortly meet back up with the UT-279 that will take you back towards Moab. 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. The hike to Corona Arch is 2.5 miles round trip and gets great reviews. Many other trails at Island in the Sky also bear names for the families who worked them. Pets may be transported inside vehicles only. The Shafer Trail in Utah is the perfect way to experience Canyonland National Park, and we have written about all the highlights of this trip, including the Shafer Trail Switchbacks, overlooks, and how to get there. Stupid question. 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. The views from Canyonlands are wonderful but if you take the Shafer, you are so much closer to the canyons and can really get the perspective. Shafer Trail Road-Potash Road is the name of an iconic drive located on the east central edge of Utah, in the western United States. Canyonlands National Park charges a fee to enter. The switchback is the easiest part of the road as it is in very good condition, the rest of the road is trickier but nothing impassable. We never felt unsafe or scared when driving the Shafer Trail. Now we started at the top. 94% of travelers recommend this experience. Cheers, Julie, Your email address will not be published. This is a rough road that eventually gives way to pavement. There are a lot of places to pull off at the bottom to take some really good pictures of the Colorado River and rock formations as well.