Location: Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Date: June 14th, 2022
Mileage: ~ 100 miles
Time: ~ 15.5 hours
Elevation gain: 7,000 feet
Trip Size: Solo
Route info: https://bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-the-white-rim/

Note: Affiliate links in this article help support hosting this website. All media taken with a 2020 iPhone SE .

panoramic view canyonlands schafer utah — A scenic panoramic view above the Schafer switchbacks.

The White Rim has been on my radar as an iconic loop for quite a while now, and it was one of the first big adventures on my list to do after moving to Utah. Unfortunately I moved at the beginning of summer and temperatures were pretty toasty in the Moab area. Luckily I saw a one-day weather window of lows in the 60's and a high of 80 so I decided to go for it.

I started before sunrise at the bottom of the Mineral Bottom switchbacks in order to beat the heat on the strenuous climb up towards State Route 313. The switchbacks are definitely pretty steep and gnarly to drive down but the Prius made it down without issue as the road was in pretty good condition at the time. I started at 3:30 AM, and the climb up the switchbacks actually flew by in just 30 minutes. From there I hit SR 313 in time for a beautiful sunrise and then began the fun of descending the Schafer switchbacks while continually being in awe of the landscape around me.

Never underestimate the utility of a Prius. Seen here descending switchbacks to Mineral Bottom.

Although it was only a day trip I actually packed quite a bit of gear with me since the route is remote, exposed, and I was alone. There's no access to water on the route so I carried 6 L with me from the start (3.5L in a MSR Dromedary & 2.5 L in a USWE Outlander) as well as a ton of bars and food purees so I could eat something around every 30 minutes. This made for slower going on the trail, but the goal was to be safe and not blaze through it.

bikepacking gear white rim in a day — Taking stock of my remaining food and water about halfway through the ride.

I will note that the FKT is somewhere around the 5:28 mark which is insanely impressive. I naively thought that even if I rode the trail at half the speed that maybe I could fit in two laps in a day, but I certainly gained some humility by the end of my 15+ hour lap!

The trail itself is a mix of jeep road with some classic slickrock features which are really fun to ride. Despite the pictures it's not smooth easy riding - in fact much of the ride felt like a subtle grind uphill, but then again I rode it in the clockwise direction. There are also a handful of seriously steep ascents, especially at Murphy Hogback. I caught up to a group of motorcycles and Jeeps here and was super impressed as I saw them climb the road. It's doable on a mountain bike but you'll be lactic at the top for sure.

murphy hogback climb white rim trail — This view doesn’t do the Murphy Hogback ascent justice.

Throughout the day I only came across one other mountain biker while all the other traffic was motorized. Just goes to show there aren't that many people naïve enough bike an exposed desert trail like that in the middle of June. I'd love to return during a cooler month and spend more time exploring and taking in the history of the area during a 3-4 day bikepacking trip. Do be prepared for some sections of sand especially once the trail drops down to the level of the Green River. I was running 2.2 tires in the rear and slogged through those sections but it wouldn't be as fun on a gravel bike. I will say I washed out twice in the sand near the end as I was starting to get a bit loopy.

green river white rim trail canyonlands — Looking down on the Green River from the last big climb on the trail.

Overall this trail was fun riding with innumerable, jaw-dropping scenic vistas. Numerous times I would top out a small climb and be taken aback by the view in front of me. I loved being immersed in Canyonlands and seeing so many different aspects of the landscape while covering a large distance under my own power. Certain sections of riding were somewhat technical but as a whole it was pretty straightforward. Enjoy the adventure and be ready for a beautiful dusty, sun exposed ride!

Here are a few more pictures and some video from the ride. Please leave any comments or questions below!

A quick selfie just before the Schafer switchbacks descent.

airport tower white rim trail — The rig in front of Airport Tower.

canyonlands vistas utah — Endless vistas over canyon country.

dust mountain bike legs — Endless dust camouflaging my legs in the desert.