Shafer Trail is a long off road trail at Canyonlands National Park, which is located at SW Resource Boulevard in Moab, Utah. It can be reached on US Highway 191 by driving to Utah Highway 313 and then moving 35 kilometers southwest. The Visitor Center is approximately a 40 minute drive from Moab.
Canyonlands National Park is considered to be one of the world's great places for off-road adventure with 4X4 routes ranging from moderate to extremely difficult and technical. The Shafer Trail provides access to the White Rim Trail as well as other areas in the park and is perhaps one of the most challenging journeys through the park. It requires extreme caution at the best of times for vehicles and mountain bikes, but especially so in inclement weather and at night.
The trail can take up to 24 hours to negotiate and is suitable for four wheel drive vehicles only as the road becomes very rough. The trail is also very narrow in places with the cliff face on one side and a sheer drop of several hundred feet on the other, so this drive is probably unsuitable for wider vehicles as well as passengers uncomfortable with heights. It is important for visitors to take plenty of water with them on the journey, and previous visitors to the trail say whilst it can be a frightening journey at times, the views across the park are well worth the effort.
Another big challenge here is the 100 mile White Rim Road, which can be accessed via the Shafer Trail and provides wonderful views of the area. Whilst this is a very popular trail it can take two or three days for a four wheel drive vehicle, or three to four days by mountain bike to negotiate and can also be quite dangerous. Permits are required for overnight trips along here and visitors are again advised to bring plenty of water with them.
The Visitor Center is open throughout the year from 9am to 4.30pm with some extended hours between March and October. Here visitors will find various exhibits and interesting information about the attractions here such as Island in the Sky, as well as the other trails at the park along with an orientation video. Bottled water can be purchased at the Visitor Center but is not available anywhere else, so it is important to bring a supply along as well
Camping is popular in this area with the Willow Flat Campground open throughout the year on a first-come, first-served basis. There are twelve sites furnished with tables, fire grills and vault toilets but there is no firewood or water available, and the maximum group size is ten people with vehicles limited to two for each group. There are twenty campsites arranged in ten camping areas along the various trails of the White Rim Road, with each one accommodating up to 15 people and three vehicles.
