shafer trail

Quite an exhilarating drive. We had a large car with no 4W drive, which would have been helpful. We drove in from Potash Road and then up Shafer Trail to Canyonlands National Park. We passed about 5 cars total, which was a little scary in some places. Let's start from the beginning: Potash Road is interesting- you pass dinosaur footprints (quick pulloff) and then pass the potash, which is what the road is named for. My dad (somewhat nerdy guy) really liked looking at the Potash. The road is a little confusing right around this area, as there were multiple "roads" branching off here from the trucks that work the area, but it is very clear that you are on the correct road after a bit. We drove on at a relatively slow pace, bouncing around like crazy and kicking up a mammoth dust cloud. When you do enter Canyonlands eventually, there is a sign, so that is encouraging that you have made some progress! But do be careful- do not take any curves too quickly, as the gravel on the road is"slippery" and there are some big dropoffs that appear out of nowhere after turning a corner. We definitely almost ended up in a small canyon at one point. The views are spectacular and we pulled over at one point to check out the gooseneck of the Colorado. The final part (or the first part if you are coming the other way) are the switchbacks heading up into Canyonlands- they are many and they are narrow. We made it without 4W drive, although it would have been helpful. Definitely a great drive! I would recommend having a driver who is familiar with driving roads like this, as it is a tricky drive. I would definitely recommend it as it was at times terrifying, but equally fascinating. A wonderful drive (especially if you are not the driver).

REALLY enjoyed this trail. Challenging at times but fine for a new rider. Remember to be prepared and bring water!

I rode this trail with my wife in a stock Jeep with 31" tires and had no issues with any clearances or obstacles. The weather was alternating between heavy snow and rain which added some excitement to the ride. We started on the side of the trail nearest Canyonlands and did the switchbacks first. The fearful reviews on TripAdvisor had me expecting much more danger than was actually there. If you have any off-road driving experience at all it will be easy and you can focus on enjoying the amazing beauty of the surrounding landscape. I will definitely do this trail again the next time I am in Moab.

We did the drive in an AWD Kia Sorento. The weather for November was superb. Plenty of sunshine and in the mid 50’s. We didn’t have a problem in this vehicle, having said that if it had rained or been raining the drive would have needed a four wheel vehicle.We began the journey on Potash Road which is paved. Once you pass the potash plant it is a dirt road. This is the easy part of the drive. We finally made it to the bottom of the steep ascent to the top. Wow, we are going to do this? The views were impressive, and my heart only stopped twice especially when we would meet vehicles coming down the trail. Passing lanes are not exactly the forte of Shafer Trail. Going up needless to say we were on the downhill side of the steeeeep cliffs. When you look out the window and DON’T see the road, ya gotta be close to the edge.We have many excellent pictures to share with friends and the satisfaction that we did one of the most adventurous drives in our lifetime.

This is an awesome drive and can be made a loop by combining with potash road. We made a day of it by starting out on Potash Road, first stopping at the entrance to Poison Spider to view the dinosaur tracks, further down the road we stopped at the Corona Arch trail head and hiked for a couple hours, and then continued on past the potash plant and up the infamous Shafer road into Canyonlands. The road gets rough in a few places but nothing difficult, an SUV is recommended. And it does get very narrow near the top, passing another vehicle can be tricky and scary. Be sure to look up photos of Shafer Road before you go. If you are scared of heights, drop offs, or have never 4-wheeled you should know what you are in for first. I can't wait to go back and drive down it next time.

We drove the Shafer Trail in our family Hyundai Santa Fe, with front wheel drive, at the end of September 2014, primarily based upon reviews here at TripAdvisor. We would not recommend the lack of 4-WD for this trail at this time. We had the ground clearance needed, and we successfully completed the trip from Canyonlands to Potash (and pavement), but we needed more tractability.This part of Utah gets a good portion of its annual rainfall in September and heavy rains can radically change this road, literally overnight. We experienced dry washes that were composed entirely of slickrock boulders and near the Potash reservoirs, there was a stretch of standing water approximately 18-20" deep by 50 feet long. This water, according to local drivers, had been there for at least a week, had a thick muddy bottom, and only got deeper after the rains we experienced the two days *after* we did the trail. This area is confined by fencing, the reservoir, and an embankment, so there's no work-around.All of that said, it's a gorgeous drive. The switchbacks down the canyon are breathtaking. Driving around Dead Horse Point gives a spectacular view of the canyons that can't be gotten from within Canyonlands. The road within the National Park is graded (the grading trucks are parked near the top of the road close to the entrance). After you leave the park is when it gets a bit dicey for non-4WD vehicles.

If one has 4 wheel drive experience driving off road the this is a must do trail. The views as one descends into the canyon are breathtaking, not to mention the heart stopping drop only inches from your tyres. It takes about 2,5 hours before you get to the paved Potash road so plan accordingly. There will be lots of photo stops.

Trio again, breathtaking, fascinating drive along the death defying rough narrow spine tingling trail with high cliff on one side and shear steep cliff drop on other, hands tend to go automatically to grab hand holds! Be prepared for one of the most scenic death defying trail drive!!

have not been there although have been all around it and intend to take that "RIDE" next time there -- in a 4-wheel drive vehicle, thank you

My husband and I rented a Jeep from Canyonlands Jeep Adventure in Moab. Both the man and the woman (whose names I unfortunately do not recall) could not have been friendlier or more helpful. The man asked if we would like some suggestions on how to make the most of our time with the Jeep. He suggested that we make our way to the Gemini Bridges (incredibly unique and memorable) and the Shafer Trail/Potash Road. When we were finished oohing and aahing over the Gemini Bridges we made our way to the Shafer Trail. Keep in mind that we have lived in Colorado for 32 years and have hiked and driven in some pretty out of the way and borderline accessible areas. Those pale in comparison to this phenomenal trek. When we first started down this road I was a little bit ho hum in my attitude. Great views, decent road, blah, blah, blah. That changed abruptly when we rounded a corner and the road quickly became something that more closely resembled a trail for hiking. It was equal parts terrifying and awe-inspiring. When we reached the bottom of the canyon and relative safety, we hopped out of the Jeep and high fived each other with an intensity that left my hand stinging for quite a while!The rest of the trail was mild in comparison but another highlight was when we found an exquisite lunch spot high above the Colorado River at Horseshoe Point. We found a lovely rock to serve as the best table in the house and thoroughly appreciated each other, our lunch and the mesmerizing view. While the beginning of this trek is certainly not for the faint of heart, those afraid of heights or those with no off-road experience, it is magnificent and one of the highlights of our trip to the Moab area. I heartily recommend this adventure!

We did this as a loop road with Long Canyon. We went down Shafer Trail/Potash Rd. and up Long Canyon. The entire loop was the highlight of our time in the area. We were driving an F-250 crew cab. We did not have any trouble. Shafer Trail was fine in the truck. Long Canyon was fine but would be better in a Jeep. The views are just amazing. We stopped and had lunch at an overlook of the river. There is another spot where they filmed Thelma and Louise. We felt like we were completely alone. After we completed the loop, we stopped at some of the overlooks around the Visitors Center. It was fun to look down and see what we accomplished.

The other reviews tell it all. High clearance vehicle is needed due to having to drive over boulders, through dips and through mud puddles if it rained heavily some days before. When we did Shafer Trail, starting uphill, in the Canyonlands Park in 2006, I remember I was really scared at times but still liked it overall. This time, knowing what to expect, I totally enjoyed it and got a kick out of my mom doing it for the first time. :-D Boy, was she scared. Nothing like it in Germany. *lol*The switchbacks can be intimidating, but are really not dangerous since there are a lot of turnouts if you encounter traffic. If you drive slowly, you'll be fine.Once you are at the bottom you have a long drive through beautiful scenery ahead.At the end of the road, close to the potash mine, there was a HUGE, long, deep (mud) puddle because it had rained hard several days before. We waited, not sure what to do if we got stuck because we had two yound kids with us. Shortly after, a vehicle arrived at the other side of the water, asking us who should go first. We yelled back they should, and so we watched them drive through it. No problem, deep, but not muddy as thought. When we talked to them they said, they had seen a small vehicle that had driven through it and then knew they would be fine. I think, though scared, my mom will remember this road. A must do, we think, when in the area and have enough time.

This does not take any special vehicle (but an SUV would be much easier than a car) to go from Island in the Sky to Moab, but it's rough and a little slow going in quite a few places. It's a wide graded single lane road but always plenty of room to meet another car. The switchbacks coming down from the top are "interesting." You keep very positive control of the wheel. It seems like a long, long way back to town but it's all beautifully scenic. It's a kick to be at Thelma & Louise (movie) Point under the Dead Horse point at sunset. When I finally got to Jug Handle Arch, the crescent moon was shining right through the arch. Taking a drive like this gets a person much more in tune with the reality of this gorgeous country instead of just driving down the asphalt and pulling off at viewpoints. Allow more time than you would think for photography, exploring the scenery, and the rough road. Experience the place, don't just try to get from one point to another.

I am an experienced mountain driver, but the view from the Shafer Trail Overlook in the park made me think twice about driving this. The road had recently been graded (how?!?) and was dry and in good condition, so we went ahead. Always check with the ranger at the Visitor Center! Our teens loved the drive. I did this drive in a Subaru Outback with the automatic transmission in manual mode.Descending the shelf road to the first switchback was the most scenic for my family and the most nerve-wracking for me. The dropoff is easily 1000 feet. We encountered two cars going up the Shafer Trail and found it actually pretty easy to find a wide spot to accommodate them. Remember, the uphill driver has the right of way. I was much more comfortable driving after the first switchback.At the bottom, I encourage everyone to drive the short distance and make the hike to the Goosenecks Overlook. It is fantastic! Driving all the way back to Moab on the Potash Road is long, so you may consider ascending the Shafer Trail. We took the Potash Road the whole way.

We took a ride with a local outfit, I cannot remember which one. All I can say is do it. It's exciting. It's scary, It's scenic. It's unforgettable. They have done some grading on the trail. So it's not as difficult a drive as it was, but I recommend you still be careful if you try it yourself. Next time I come back here I would like to do the ride through the Needles District. I understand it is supposed to be awesome, too.