White Rim Trail ...need help!

[ravenplague]

Has anyone here done the White Rim Trail in Utah recently?

I am pulling my hair out trying to navigate the NPS website. It says I need a permit for an overnight trip but there is no link and it states I need to reserve campsites but I just cant seem to find that either.. I keep clicking and clicking and ending back where I started. I tried calling and got lost in the maze of the automated caller that eventually said that I have to reserve online...Am I the only one!!

Thanks for listening. If you have any guidance or advice I would greatly appreciate it. Best campsites on the trail?

 

[Mitchapalooza]

here's the link. https://canypermits.nps.gov/ all the campsites are good, and the trail is well maintained. You'll love it.

 

[ravenplague]

Thank you!!!!

 

[ASNOBODY]

Definitely try to get a reservation. A few summers ago I got shuffled around and lost my reservation for some reason they could not explain. I thought I would be slick hiding out and camping for the night in a very remote part of the trail around half way through…turns out I was wrong…a friggin park ranger on a bicycle just happened to roll by at 6am when I was breaking down camp lol. I did pay on the way out though so I didnt feel too bad.

It's a very long and beautiful trail. You will be blown away. The one thing I DO NOT like about it is just that...you have to reserve campsites. They are very well maintained though and relatively private in each designated area but there is sometimes a bit of noise (or at least the occasional 4x4 traffic) and they are almost always filled. Lately I much prefer doing 12 hour (dawn to dusk) out and back trips and stopping to have lunch wherever I please. Staying at a hotel in town and doing day trips down various trails is what I like to do as there isn't much good dispersed camping that isn't crowded around there during peak months. No matter what, you will have an amazing time!

Murphys Hogback and Potato Bottom have been my favorite campsites to date. Kind of depends on who's in the area too I guess and especially which actual site you are assigned.

There is BLM office downtown. I'd highly recommend stopping by and getting some maps and info from them.

 

[ravenplague]

Definitely try to get a reservation. A few summers ago I got shuffled around and lost my reservation for some reason they could not explain. I thought I would be slick hiding out and camping for the night in a very remote part of the trail around half way through…turns out I was wrong…a friggin park ranger on a bicycle just happened to roll by at 6am when I was breaking down camp lol. I did pay on the way out though so I didnt feel too bad.

It's a very long and beautiful trail. You will be blown away. The one thing I DO NOT like about it is just that...you have to reserve campsites. They are very well maintained though and relatively private in each designated area but there is sometimes a bit of noise (or at least the occasional 4x4 traffic) and they are almost always filled. Lately I much prefer doing 12 hour (dawn to dusk) out and back trips and stopping to have lunch wherever I please. Staying at a hotel in town and doing day trips down various trails is what I like to do as there isn't much good dispersed camping that isn't crowded around there during peak months. No matter what, you will have an amazing time!

Murphys Hogback and Potato Bottom have been my favorite campsites to date. Kind of depends on who's in the area too I guess and especially which actual site you are assigned.

There is BLM office downtown. I'd highly recommend stopping by and getting some maps and info from them.

Thank you! I was able to reserve some sites...not much options but was able to secure a spot at Airport, Hogback, and two at Labyrinth. I am just waiting for a reply back from NPS.

I am coming from the west coast and trying to also camp along the way. I tried for a spot at Zion but it is full like forever! So im gonna find BLM land around the area and make the most of it. I am also going to try to find a spot in Moab prior to the White Rim .

So pumped!!

 

[ASNOBODY]

There are a bunch of free campsites around Zion too. :)

 

[Anchor Mtn]

Thank you! I was able to reserve some sites...not much options but was able to secure a spot at Airport, Hogback, and two at Labyrinth. I am just waiting for a reply back from NPS.

I am coming from the west coast and trying to also camp along the way. I tried for a spot at Zion but it is full like forever! So im gonna find BLM land around the area and make the most of it. I am also going to try to find a spot in Moab prior to the White Rim .

So pumped!!

Dont hold your breath waiting for the confirmation email from NPS. The auto-reply system was down the last time I pulled a permit and they had no idea when it was coming back... the ranger I spoke to made it sounds like it had already been down for quite a while. You may just want to call the Visitors center and confirm your reservation. Enjoy your trip on the White Rim... it really is spectacular.

 

[ravenplague]

There are a bunch of free campsites around Zion too. :)

Do you have any suggestions?

 

[ASNOBODY]

Do you have any suggestions?

This is posted from another thread. I really liked this campground and it's 5 minutes in the car from one of the south west park entrances. Most of the year it's pretty mellow. :)

>>>>>>

Not sure if this helps BUT… Just outside of one of the South entrances is a GREAT free camping area at the end of a dirt road called Daltons Wash. There is a pretty fun trail to climb to get up on top too. I spent 10 days at this one spot last year because there was literally no one else there and it was beautiful and a 5 minute drive to the park entrance. It sits directly next to Zion. Where the grey marker point on the map is, is exactly where I camped.

I took this photo from my tent…

And this one from about 100 yards from campsite…

There are a bunch of fun little trails around there too… VIDEO HERE

I should add, I did see several 4x4 vehicles and ATV's but everyone seemed to be very respctful of the campsites. After the first day I was fine leaving my campsite alone for the day. I did lock my tent and keep my valuables with me in the truck though.

 

[Captain Josh]

This is posted from another thread. I really liked this campground and it's 5 minutes in the car from one of the south west park entrances. Most of the year it's pretty mellow. :)


I took this photo from my tent…

And this one from about 100 yards from campsite…

There are a bunch of fun little trails around there too… VIDEO HERE

I should add, I did see several 4x4 vehicles and ATV's but everyone seemed to be very respctful of the campsites. After the first day I was fine leaving my campsite alone for the day. I did lock my tent and keep my valuables with me in the truck though.

Beautiful!

 

[ravenplague]

PERFECT!!! Thank you ! That is exactly what we were looking for and where Hania , Odessa the land cruiser and myself will stay!

 

[shoredreamer]

We showed up at Zion in the afternoon and tried our luck at Watchmen camp right past the South Gate, in the park, everything was full and reserved so the ranger started to fill the group campgrounds starting with us. Later another 5 or 6 cars joined, we met a bunch of cool people that night and had a big bonfire. I usually prefer to be out alone camping, but it was nice for a change to join some others camping and share stories with strangers. If we didn't get lucky in the park, we probably would have done what @ASNOBODY did and find something south of the entrance. That spot does look pretty spectacular!

When are you leaving for Utah?

 

[ravenplague]

We showed up at Zion in the afternoon and tried our luck at Watchmen camp right past the South Gate, in the park, everything was full and reserved so the ranger started to fill the group campgrounds starting with us. Later another 5 or 6 cars joined, we met a bunch of cool people that night and had a big bonfire. I usually prefer to be out alone camping, but it was nice for a change to join some others camping and share stories with strangers. If we didn't get lucky in the park, we probably would have done what @ASNOBODY did and find something south of the entrance. That spot does look pretty spectacular!

When are you leaving for Utah?

We are headed out mid June. Reservations for white rim start on the 21st.
I think I saw you on the 101 a few weeks back!

 

[shoredreamer]

Haha, yeah. Right near King City. We were heading to Carrizo, your truck looked taller. New suspension?

 

[ravenplague]

i thought so! I put on a two inch Iron Man lift a few years back. It was a pain in the ass but worth it.

did you go to Moab as well? Thinking of checking out Spring Canyon Bottom trail and Gemini bridges. All the real campsites are booked for years so trying to find something off of one of these trails that we can quietly sleep.

 

[shoredreamer]

We're going to Utah at the end of April in a couple weeks. Those trails seem to be a good place for some scenic wheeling and camping. There are tons of places to camp all directions out of Moab. We're gonna leave Moab south and head out on Kane Creek road to Chicken Corners which is across the Colorado River from White Rim. That's another area to explore and set up camp.