White Rim Trail Mountain Biking

A must on any biker’s bucket list is riding the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park. We offer you the chance to do it the easy way: with professional guides to handle cooking and logistics and a 4×4 support van to carry the load so that all you have to do is pedal—and enjoy the view! Travel along the iconic sandstone bench around the “Island in the Sky”; see Musselman Arch, Monument Basin, Turks Head, Candlestick Tower, and White Crack, a perch 1,000 feet above the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers in the center of Canyonlands…what some call the center of the universe. If you only have time for one Moab area multi-day bike trip, the White Rim Trail mountain biking tour should be the one. This trip can also be combined with a rafting trip on the Colorado River through Cataract Canyon for the ultimate seven-day multi-sport adventure vacation.

Book This Trip

Trip Overview

  • Type:

    Bike

  • Location:

    Canyonlands National Park

  • Length:

    3 or 4 Days

  • Dates:

    April, May, Sept, Oct

  • Meet at:

    Green River, Utah @ 7:00am

  • Difficulty:

    Intermediate

  • Min. Age:

    12

  • Deposit:

    300

Highlights

  • Bike through Canyonland's "Island in the Sky"
  • Fully supported, fully catered tour
  • Human-powered, active vacation
  • Epic night skies in one of Utah's International Dark Sky Parks
  • Featured on the KUED and Salt Lake Tribune "Bucket List" series
  • Schedule a private trip with 8 people or more
  • Select 2019 Spring trips listed on "Great Deals"
Getting Here Before You Go Packing List

Rates & Dates

3 Day

  • Adult:
  • $845
  • Youth:
    18 and under
  • $770
  • Senior:
    65 and older
  • $770
  • Group:
    10 or more
  • $770
Book This Trip
Check Availability
2020
  • May
  • 2, 16
  • September
  • 5, 16, 19, 30
  • October
  • 7

4 Day

  • Adult:
  • $950
  • Youth:
    18 and under
  • $855
  • Senior:
    65 and older
  • $855
  • Group:
    10 or more
  • $855
Book This Trip
Check Availability
2020
  • April
  • 18, 25
  • May
  • 9, 23
  • August
  • 29
  • September
  • 12, 26
  • October
  • 10

Itinerary

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.

Typical Itinerary

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.

Reviews

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Holiday River Expeditions
Average rating:  
 37 reviews
by Omar Rees on Holiday River Expeditions

The management and guides went way above and beyond our expectations

by Anne & Mike Mallon on Holiday River Expeditions

Returned yesterday from a 4 Day White Rim Trail Biking Trip! Dustin and Justin made it a wonderful trip for me! I am a 56 years old woman without much athletic experience and a fear of heights. They accommodated my dietary needs and encouraged me during the difficult parts. They allowed me to discuss my fears and gave me great advice. The meals were delicious and side hikes were so interesting. I would strongly recommend this trip for any adult wanting to see Southern Utah the best way!!!

by Ralph & Rebecca Whatley on Holiday River Expeditions

This was such a great trip. We took our two teenage children and I was worried they'd whine and complain and they loved it! They had such a sense of accomplishment when they finished and our 15 year old even biked up and out of Mineral Bottom at the end of the trip. Our guides were so helpful. They helped with bike seats, bike peddles and general moral boosting! They knew all about biking, geology, regional history and made the trip a great success. The food was outstanding and healthy. I loved the couscous/orzo salad for lunch on the second day. The guides always had energy bars, granola bars, available for us. Holiday River is always so well organized. Professionally done and such a positive atmosphere. Thank you!!

by Kacia Bundle on Holiday River Expeditions

My experience on the White Rim was life changing! I have not spent a lot of time in the Moab area and was completely blown away by the scenery, wildflowers, superb biking and above all the hospitality provided by our guides, Dustin and Sam. We were greeted every morning with "hot coffee!!!" and "how would you like your eggs?" which was pretty awesome. One of the guides biked with our group every day and they were knowledgeable about the geology and plant life we were riding past. They were always available to lend a hand with any biking issues, or as it turned out for us, crashes, bee stings and organizing an impromptu prom party for our friend's 40th birthday. They were also seriously a blast to hang out with and Sam made us the most amazing meals while Dustin provided comic relief. These two were exceptionally sweet, funny, mature and competent in the backcountry and I would trust them with any of my closest family and friends. I can simply not imagine NOT coming back to this special place again and am already dreaming about our next trip. Thank you Karen, Dustin, Sam, Teepee and any of the other employees who helped to facilitate this fantastic experience for us!

by Ann Harris on Holiday River Expeditions

A great experience from start to finish. The staff always was kind and courteous and made the whole trip incredibly memorable! The guides were top notch with their knowledge of the White Rim, the geology, biking tips, etc. They were great cooks and so fun to be around. We loved the 'instant gratification stations', made to order eggs and omelets and general care they took for us. It was evident that they loved what they do and cared immensely about our safety, comfort and well being. We all cannot wait to do it all again! The memories we have will last a lifetime! Thanks Karen, Sam, Dustin and all of Holiday River!

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White Rim Trail Mountain Biking