If you’ve been planning a trip to mountain bike the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands National Park, or raft the Green River with a launch or take-out at Mineral Bottom, then your plans have probably been on hold since last August thanks to a huge flood that washed away the switchback section of the road. Well, the wait is over as the Mineral Bottom switchbacks have been repaired and are now open.
On August 20, 2010, a huge storm hit Canyonlands National Park, dropping enough heavy rain to create a flood that cut out a giant swath through the road that allows access to the White Rim Trail and the put-in/take-out for boats at Mineral Bottom. As a result, the White Rim Trail was closed just before the peak autumn bike season in the park since the switchbacks are necessary for mountain bikers to return to their vehicles after completing the 100-mile long loop.
But thanks to $2 million of emergency funds from the U.S. Transportation Department’s Central Federal Lands Highway Division, road work began as Grand County, the National Park Service, and the BLM got busy and repaired the road, which officially reopened on March 29, 2011.
According to Canyonlands National Park officials, they will be accepting permit applications for White Rim trips through the end of 2011. However, construction isn’t finished on the Mineral Bottom switchbacks, and travel delays can be expected as crews put finishing touches to the new road.
For more information, or to reserve a backcountry permit, visit the Canyonlands National Park website.