White Rim Trail Mountain Biking

Sample Itinerary

Meet at our Green River, Utah warehouse at 7:00 p.m. the night before your trip. Bring your bikes, any personal drinks, and your questions! We will inspect personal bikes and set up rental bikes, hand out rental sleep kits, collect personal drinks and gear, answer questions, and go over final trip details (like at what time we’ll meet the next morning!). You can also buy any last minute items from our accessories store at this time (see our packing checklist for items you can find at our store). Please note: if you are bringing your own bike, please make sure that it is in good working condition; we recommend a complete service by a professional shop prior to the trip. Guests with bikes that fail our inspection will be asked to rent a Holiday bike for $220.00/person.

Day 1:

Meet back at our headquarters in Green River at the time we established during the pre-trip meeting. Have your gear packed into an “overnight bag” and a “day bag” so that we can load our van efficiently and be on our way (see our FAQs page for tips on packing for your bike trip). We’ll hop in the vans for a two-hour ride to the park entrance and the beginning of the Shafer Trail.  The first hour’s ride will take the group on a soaring, switchbacking downhill onto the white rim sandstone, then roll across gentle ups and downs toward Musselman Arch. The trail continues to wind southward as it follows the meandering course of the Colorado River. Camp is made at (or near) the Gooseberry Trail. Kick off your bike shoes and relax at camp while your guides prepare a hearty dinner to keep you fueled for the next few days of riding.

Day 2:

Our ride takes us on undulating roads past the white, sandstone-capped monoliths of Monument and Twin basins. Then in the afternoon, ride up to Murphy’s Hogback, the first of this trip’s challenging uphill climbs. After conquering the hill we’ll be rewarded with a campsite at the top, with 360-degree views of red rock canyons and pillars. Somewhere far below us, the Green and Colorado rivers meet.

Day 3:

After a hearty breakfast and coffee, we’ll drop off of Murphy’s Hogback and roll our way north; we’re now following the contours of the Green River. Ride around the labyrinths of Soda Springs Basin and past Candlestick Tower before reaching the welcome shade of Potato Bottom’s cottonwood trees and our camp for the night.

Day 4:

This morning we will tackle the challenging Hardscrabble incline and visit prehistoric indigenous ruins at a lookout point above Fort Bottom. After descending from Hardscrabble to the river bottom, we follow the Green River to Mineral Canyon and one last uphill. Celebrate completing this final climb with lunch and cold beverages before loading up the bikes as our vans meet us for the 2-hour drive back to Green River. Our expected time of arrival back at our headquarters is 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

**On a 3-day trip, you can expect to cover the same terrain but at a quicker pace. The first day will be similar, but day two will lead you a bit farther along, camping on the far side of Murphy’s Hogback, usually near the iconic Candlestick Tower. The third day will finish with the few extra miles to Potato Bottom, Hardscrabble, and the final climb out.**

Please keep in mind that the itinerary of any human-powered adventure (like a bike trip!) must be flexible by necessity. This is a sample itinerary. We may camp in different areas, explore different side hikes, or even bike the entire trail in the opposite direction! Please arrive with an open mind and a willingness to embrace the adventure!