Campground · Canyonlands National Park
Four backcountry sites for a slow White Rim 4WD trip.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Canyonlands Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Canyonlands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Canyonlands audio tourMore stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Airport Camping Area is a group of four vehicle campsites along White Rim Road in Canyonlands' Island in the Sky district. It sits about 19 miles from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, a route estimated at roughly 1.5 hours. The 100-mile road usually takes two to three days by 4WD, so this is a camp for a planned backcountry trip, not a quick stop from the paved drive.
White Rim trips require a permit, and overnight campers need a reserved site. You also need high-clearance four-wheel drive with low range. Rain or snow can make the unpaved road impassable, so check conditions and carry extra fuel.
The four sites allow up to 15 people and three vehicles each, with two toilets for the Airport area. There is no potable water on the White Rim; plan on at least a gallon (4 L) per person per day. Campfires and pets are prohibited. At Airport A, the open setting gives you wide views across the sandstone country; stay through the evening light if the sky is clear.
Wildlife
48 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
47 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
30 sightingsWestern RattlesnakeMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
18 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
18 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Canyonlands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateLathrop Trail to Canyon Rim5 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.3 mi awayFive miles across mesa grassland to a canyon rim view.
ChallengingLathrop Trail to White Rim Road11.8 mi · 6 hr · 3.3 mi awayOpen grassland gives way to slickrock and a steep canyon descent.
EasyMesa Arch Trail0.6 mi · 36 min · 4 mi awayShort loop, cliff-edge arch, canyon views framed by the La Sal Mountains.
ModerateNeck Spring Trail5.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 4.3 mi awayA 5.6-mile loop past old ranching traces and a sandstone spring.
EasyShafer Canyon Overlook Trail0.3 mi · 30 min · 4.4 mi awayLook south for Shafer's switchbacks, then north for the La Sal peaks.
EasyGooseneck Overlook Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 4.5 mi awayA short walk to a tight bend in the Colorado River.
ChallengingMurphy Loop Trail10.8 mi · 6 hr · 4.5 mi awayLeave the rim, circle the hogback, and earn the climb back.
EasyMurphy Point Trail3.4 mi · 2 hr · 4.5 mi awayOpen mesa grassland gives way to a huge Green River overlook.
Sight · 3.3 mi awayMusselman ArchA low sandstone bridge in the middle of the White Rim backcountry.
Sight · 3.7 mi awayMesa ArchFamous for sunrise glow; the canyon view is worth a later stop.
Sight · 4.1 mi awayShafer Trail ViewpointWatch the Shafer Trail drop through 1,500 feet of sandstone.
Scenic pullout · 4.2 mi awayCandlestick Tower OverlookA quick roadside look at Candlestick Tower and the canyon below.Sight · 4.3 mi awayShafer Canyon OverlookWatch the road drop 1,400 feet into a canyon.Sight · 4.6 mi awayGooseneck OverlookA Colorado River bend at the end of a serious backcountry detour.
Sight · 4.6 mi awayAztec Butte GranariesTwo 900-year-old granaries tucked beneath a protective rock overhang.
Campground · 4.6 mi awayGooseberry Camping AreaTwo remote sites make a night on the White Rim possible.Parkwolf’s Canyonlands ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
