The itinerary of any human-powered adventure like a bike trip must be flexible by necessity. Each White Rim trip we run will vary depending on the interests and abilities of the group, the time of year, assigned campsites, weather, and other unforeseeable circumstances. This sample itinerary illustrates one possible schedule for a bike trip through the Island in the Sky District.

Day 1: Meet your group at Holiday River Expeditions' headquarters in Green River, Utah (7:00 a.m., Mountain Time). Please consider separating your gear into an "overnight bag" and a "day bag" so that we can load our van efficiently. You can buy any last minute items from our accessories store at this time (see our packing checklist for a list of items you can find at our store). Before leaving our headquarters, each guest along with a Holiday guide will perform a pre-trip inspection of your bikes. If you are providing your own bike, please make sure that it is in good repair; 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 $170.00/person.

Business completed, we'll hop in the vans for a two-hour ride to the park entrance and the head 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) Gooseberry Canyon.

Day 2: Our ride will take us over undulating roads past the white, sandstone-capped monoliths of Monument and Twin basins. Then in the afternoon, up to Murphy's Hogback, the first of this trip's challenging uphill stretches. 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 Indian ruins at a lookout point above Fort Bottom. After descending from Hardscrabble to river bottom, we will follow the Green River to Mineral Canyon and one last uphill. Our vans will meet us for a 2-hour drive back to Green River. Our expected time of arrival back at our headquarters is 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Please keep in mind that this is a sample itinerary and should not be thought of as the exact trip you will experience. We may camp in different areas, explore different side hikes, or even bike the entire trail in the opposite direction! This is merely intended to give an idea of what the trip will be like. It could also be exactly what you do.  Keep an open mind, be flexible, go with the flow, and enjoy!

*On a 3 day excursion, you can expect the same trail but at a quicker pace. The first day will be similar, but day two will lead you a bit further along, camping at the bottom of Murphy's Hogback instead of the top, near the epic Candlestick Tower. The third day will finish out with the few extra miles to Potato Bottom, Hardscrabble, and the final climb out.

***The Bicycling: The White Rim bike trip follows an 86-mile route along the perimeter of the Island in the Sky district in Canyonlands National Park. Much of the route is gentle, hard-packed doubletrack; although there are a few significant climbs, steep downhills, and areas of loose rock and sand, most technically challenging sections are short and can be easily walked. Your endurance is rewarded with endless stunning views, unique rock formations, and incredible cultural sites.

Riders with no off-road bicycling experience, or who are not athletic, will most likely find this trip challenging. All riders should prepare for the trip by riding their bike on a regular basis prior to the trip.