Shafer Trail

The Shafer Trail is the iconic canyon road you've seen in a hundred photos and car commercials: a dirt shelf road that switchbacks down the sheer 1,500-foot cliff face of the Island in the Sky mesa in Canyonlands National Park.

Built by uranium miners in the 1950s on the bones of an old cattle route, today it connects the Island in the Sky visitor center area with Potash Road along the Colorado River, passing the turnoff to the famous White Rim Road partway down.

Despite its terrifying appearance, the road is graded and regularly maintained — the challenge is exposure and nerve, not technical difficulty. When dry, a stock high-clearance 4WD (or careful high-clearance 2WD) handles it without drama. When wet or icy it becomes genuinely dangerous and is often closed.

Top entrance: from the Island in the Sky visitor center in Canyonlands National Park, the marked Shafer Trail Road turnoff is about 0.5 miles south. Bottom entrance: follow Potash Road (UT-279) along the Colorado River past the potash plant, where the pavement ends and the road continues as a dirt road. Park entrance fee required ($30/vehicle) regardless of direction.

About 18 miles point-to-point from the Island in the Sky entrance to the end of the pavement on Potash Road; allow 2-3 hours with photo stops. Most people drive it top-down. Check current conditions at the visitor center — the road closes after rain, snow, or rockfall. No pets allowed on Canyonlands backcountry roads. RVs, vans over 20 feet, and trailers are prohibited.