As promised, promised kept! Three weeks after discovering Canyonlands National Park for the first time, we are back to drive thelegendary 4×4 trail: the White Rim Road Canyonlands. And because we never do things halfway, we also set out to explore two other iconic trails in the park: Shafer and Potash.
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Two days ago, we managed to secure the very last permit available for the day. It is mandatory to drive the White Rim Road, the longest and most famous trail in the park. We stock up on water and extra fuel, knowing this isn’t a drive you take lightly. That morning, at our wild bivouac, we prep the Jeep for one of its greatest adventures after the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean. Tires deflated, sway bars disconnected… we’re ready. On the way to the park, the Jeep rocks like a boat, much to Rémi’s delight as he zigzags playfully down the road 🤪 The White Rim Road Canyonlands stretches over 115 kilometers of rock, dust, and rugged terrain, winding deep inside the canyon—sometimes just a few meters from sheer cliffs. A few weeks earlier, we had admired its curves from above. Today, it’s our turn to drive it.
To reach the trail, we descend via the legendary Shafer Trail. For us, this road is mythical. Driving it feels surreal. Slowly, carefully—but with huge smiles—we navigate its tight, dizzying switchbacks. Two years ago, while preparing the Jeep for this journey, we dreamed about this exact moment. And now, here we are.
At the bottom, the road splits. To the left, Potash Road leads back to Moab (we’ll tackle it in a few days). To the right: the beginning of the White Rim Road Canyonlands. We got a late start—it’s already past 11 a.m.—and our campsite is 95 kilometers away. The GPS estimates… 209 hours. Eight days… 😂 That says a lot about the condition of the trail.
We laugh about it, until we cross a ranger patrolling the trail in a white Jeep. He asks to see our permit and tells us it will take 6 to 7 hours to reach our campsite! Oh really 🤨 Okay then… no time to waste… Except the landscapes are so breathtaking we stop every five minutes! First stop at a viewpoint over the Colorado River.
Then at Musselman Arch, where we meet a few mountain goats.
Then it’s time for a lunch break. We try not to linger too much, but how can you face such a landscape?
After lunch, we are determined to keep moving forward. We still have 80 kilometers to reach the campsite. We drive for an hour without stopping (or almost)… and realize we’ve only covered 12 kilometers! The trail is rough, constantly climbing and descending, often right along the edge of massive drop-offs.
And yet—it’s absolutely incredible. We have never driven such a beautiful road, facing such incredible landscapes. We have never loved our little Jeep so uncomfortable this much. Without it and its incredible off-road abilities, we would never have made it here! It goes everywhere! A rock to climb? No problem! Loose sand? No problem! A hole? No problem! What luck! It’s moments like these that make living in a vehicle with minimal comfort completely worth it 😊
Kilometer after kilometer, we keep moving forward. We pass under Mesa Arch, where we had admired the most splendid sunrise of all time three weeks ago. Then we pass below the various canyon viewpoints we had also visited back then. A particularly steep section takes us up to the top of a hill before we descend again. It is steep, vertigo-inducing, and dangerous. But that is exactly what makes this adventure even more beautiful and exciting.
By 6 p.m., the sun begins to set. We have covered many kilometers, but we still have 20 left to reach our campsite! For several minutes now, we have been driving along the edge of the canyon, and some sections feel… too exposed for nighttime driving. No way we’re continuing in the dark!
We decide to stop at the first campsite we find. It’s empty. Spacious enough to share if needed. If a ranger shows up, we’ll explain—we arrived late and didn’t want to risk it. Seems reasonable.
Night falls at lightning speed as we set up camp, unfold the rooftop tent, and cook. All around us, the view is incredible. A boundless vastness. We have never been so remote, so far from everything and everyone. Even when we were camping deep in the Yukon, above the Arctic Circle, or in Alaska. Alone in the face of immensity, we become aware of our solitude, which we share as a couple. We are camping just a few meters from the canyon’s edge. There is no living soul for miles around. This solitude is both comforting and unsettling. Just like the silence.
This is not the silence of a city night when no cars are passing down the street anymore. This is the silence of wide open spaces. The silence of nights in the wilderness, so vast, so deep and so perfect that simply listening to it allows you to sense the immensity hidden behind the darkness. Everything is still. Silent. Dark. Sitting on the ground in complete darkness, we watch the stars and the Milky Way stand out clearly in the sky. Here, there is no light pollution, except for airplanes blinking among the stars. The moment is magical, precious. As often since we began our Pan-American road trip four months earlier, we realize how lucky we are to be here. To be living this adventure. Pure happiness.
Friday 21 October
The night was… peaceful. That’s the least we can say! At exactly 7:35 a.m., the first rays of sunlight reach the distant buttes. With the tent open, wrapped in our duvet up to our chins, we don’t miss a thing. We even named this spot “the most beautiful sleeping spot of our trip.” So far, at least.
Jeepy is still cold, but we immediately put him to work. First « difficulty »: leaving our spot. It is almost 10 a.m. We still have 30 kilometers to finish the White Rim, then another 20 kilometers to reach the main road and finally another 20 kilometers to reach Moab. Let’s go !
After a few minutes on the track, we reach the Green River, which we follow for many kilometers. Up top, everything is dry and arid. But down below, near the river, nature is lush and green. A steep cliffside section brings us down to the river’s edge. We are now driving through deep, loose sand. This is the section for which the ranger at the entrance asked us whether we were equipped with recovery boards and a shovel. But it would be underestimating Jeepy to think we will need them ! 😎 He flies over the sand, kicking up a cloud of dust !
We arrive at the end of the White Rim Road Canyonlands. Only 10 kilometers left. But what kilometers ! It takes us 1 hour to complete them. We leave the sandy edge of the Green River to cross a butte. The climb is steep and very rough, the engine roars and heats up, the Jeep rocks in every direction. Then the descent is vertiginous. The wheels pass within inches of the drop. « Stay to the right ! », I tell Rémi, who doesn’t need me to notice it 😅 Finally, after a few nerve-wracking moments, we are back by the river.
Final stage of the White Rim Road: climbing back to the top of the canyon ! We have joined a more passable road accessible to non-4×4 vehicles. Tight switchbacks allow us to climb back up the canyon. This is the end of the White Rim ! It was so beautiful, exciting, magnificent ! Without a doubt, Canyonlands National Park is one of the most beautiful parks in the American West. And we are not done yet, because tomorrow we are going back for another 4×4 trail: the Potash Road.
We cross Moab to find a place to spend the night. We thought we were done with the trail, but that was without counting on this super dynamic town where 4×4 vehicles are king. There are trails everywhere! We move a bit further away to find a free spot (there are people everywhere) and sheltered from the wind. Usually, our 4×4 allows us to easily find spots where all the other vans and RVs don’t go. But here in Moab, everyone has a 4×4 that goes everywhere! That doesn’t make things easier 😅
Saturday, October 22
Our studious day at the library takes an unexpected turn when, at noon, while we are quietly sitting in our favorite Mexican restaurant (yes, again), we realize that tomorrow’s weather is expected to be rainy. For the Potash Road, it is now or never, as it will be soon closed. Without hesitation, we change our plans and leave immediately. This trail in Canyonlands National Park is also reserved for 4×4 vehicles. It follows the legendary Colorado River and offers breathtaking scenery. We pass by Deadhorse, which we had admired from above a few weeks earlier. And we go through the filming location of the final scene of the movie Thelma & Louise. For those who know it, this is where the car goes off the cliff! Another exceptional route!
We descended it two days ago, now we have to climb it back up: the Shafer! This is where the Potash Road ends (or begins). Much less impressive and shorter than the White Rim, it is still absolutely stunning!
As expected, the evening is rainy, windy, stormy, and cold. It is very easy to do wild camping in Moab and we return to our favorite spot, in the middle of nature, facing a wide and beautiful landscape… which we admire from inside the car! And to think that yesterday we were in T-shirts!
Sunday, October 23
From rain to snow, it only takes one step! A freezing cold has settled over Moab today. We spend most of the day working from a McDonald’s. At 3 p.m., hungry, we make one last stop at our favorite Mexican restaurant for a final burrito. We went there 4 times! 😂 We then leave Moab in the middle of a snowstorm! We don’t know it yet, but we are about to get a lot of snow in the coming days during our discovery of a new iconic Western state: Colorado! 🥶
