Schafer Trail

Schafer Trail carved its reputation as the uranium haulers’ highway in the 1950s, when Charlie Steen’s miners used this exposed switchback road to haul ore from the White Rim to the processing mills above. The trail drops 1,400 feet down the canyon wall in a series of exposed shelf switchbacks, where the original mining road clings to sandstone ledges with minimal guardrails and maximum exposure. Dead Horse Point overlook marks the start, but once you commit to the descent, the only way out is down to the White Rim or back up the way you came.

This is a moderate technical route suitable for stock high-clearance 4WD vehicles, though the exposure factor makes it feel harder than it actually is. The sandstone can be slippery when wet, so avoid it during storms or snow season. Spring through fall offers the best conditions, with dispersed camping available on the White Rim below. What you get is access to some of Utah’s most spectacular red rock country and the satisfaction of driving a piece of mining history that most tourists only glimpse from above.