White Rim Road Repairs Continue

Is this road cursed? Additional washouts around Upheaval Canyon (September 12, 2011)

News Release Date: September 12, 2011

Contact: Backcountry Reservation Office, 435-259-4351

Just hours after major repairs to the White Rim Road were completed last weekend, heavy rains washed out sections of the road around Upheaval Canyon.

At this time, the road remains closed from the southern base of Hardscrabble Hill to the park boundary, making a complete White Rim loop impossible. The Hardscrabble, Labyrinth and Taylor campsites are not accessible.

This closure applies to motorized vehicles only. Bicycles and pedestrians may complete the full White Rim loop.

When will the road open?

Maintenance crews hope to open the road this week (weather permitting).

What does this mean for my White Rim trip?

Until the road can be repaired, all trips on the White Rim road will have to enter and exit on the east side. The campsites at Hardscrabble, Labyrinth, and Taylor Canyon will remain closed.

If you have a trip coming up and would like to try rescheduling it, contact the Reservation Office at [phone] as soon as possible. Please be aware that campsite availability is very limited in September and October.

Groups may also inquire about rescheduling or changing an itinerary when picking up their permit at the Island in the Sky. Vacant sites are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.

Groups that plan to drive to the western closure and turn around should carry extra fuel as most vehicles cannot make this trip on one tank. Driving time from the western closure back to Highway 313 may exceed ten hours.