White Rim Road — Gooseberry B Campsite Permit
Canyonlands National Park · Utah
Campsite permit for Gooseberry B on the White Rim Road in Canyonlands.
Get an alert when a night opens on your Gooseberry B dates.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Gooseberry B were gone within 10 minutes.
Gooseberry B reservation dates
- Season
- Year-round
- route distance, loop
- 100mi
- max group size
- 15people
How to get a Gooseberry B permit
As of September 2026, Gooseberry B in Canyonlands National Park, Utah requires a permit issued via reservation. Gooseberry B is a high-demand permit, rating 8/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled Gooseberry B permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The permit season for Gooseberry B runs year-round. The Gooseberry B route covers 100 miles, rated moderate.
- Type
- Overnight
- Location
- Colorado Plateau, UT
Step 1: Create a Recreation.gov account
Sign up at Recreation.gov if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
Step 2: Know the release schedule
Permits release on a rolling basis. Check the release time for your dates.
Step 3: Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Step 4: Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
Gooseberry B pro tips
- Set an alarm for 8 a.m. Mountain time on the release date four months before your season opens. That first minute is when spring and fall dates go.
- Gooseberry B is one of only 20 campsites on a 100-mile road, so a cancellation alert is doing real work here. There is no overflow.
- Carry every drop of water you plan to drink. There is none on the road and no way to buy any.
- Budget 3 hours from the visitor center just to reach camp, before you factor in stops.
- If you are riding it, bring a four-wheel-drive support vehicle for water and gear. NPS recommends it directly.
- Check current road conditions before you commit. High water on the Green River can close the west side and turn the loop into an out-and-back.
- Cancel early if your plans change. The $5 per person per night fee is refunded for trips cancelled at least 3 days out, and someone else gets the night.
More on Gooseberry B: Live availability activityWhen Gooseberry B permits open up
How much a Gooseberry B permit costs
Gooseberry B permit fee: $36 non-refundable reservation fee per permit (includes the $6 Recreation.gov fee) plus $5 per person, per night. Park entrance fee is separate.
The Gooseberry B hike
- Distance
- 100 miles
- Route Type
- Loop
- Duration
- 2-4 days
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Gooseberry B landmarks
- 1Airport camping area
The previous camps clockwise, four sites and two toilets
- 2Gooseberry camping area
Two campsites and one toilet, 3 hours from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center
- 3White Crack
The next camp clockwise, a single site 4 hours from the visitor center
- 4Murphy Hogback
One of the five steep, exposed sections NPS names on the road, just past White Crack
Mile 30, three hours in: one of two sites at Gooseberry, and the point where the loop stops being a day trip.
About this permit
Gooseberry B is one of two campsites in the Gooseberry camping area, 30 miles and about 3 hours of driving clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. One toilet serves the area. On a road with 20 campsites in 10 areas, Gooseberry is the third area you reach going clockwise and the last before the White Crack spur.
NPS puts four-wheel-drive trips around the 100-mile loop at two to three days and mountain bike trips at three to four, with a minimum of 10 to 12 hours of driving or cycling. A permit runs up to 14 consecutive nights, but you may stay a maximum of three consecutive nights at a camping area before having to relocate.
High-clearance four-wheel drive with low range is required, campfires are not permitted, pets are not allowed even in vehicles, and there is no potable water along the road.
Canyonlands releases White Rim permits four months before each season starts, at 8 a.m. Mountain time on Recreation.gov, and NPS says outright that demand for overnight permits frequently exceeds the number available in spring and fall. The fee is a $36 non-refundable reservation charge plus $5 per person per night. Anything still unreserved becomes a walk-up, marked "W" on Recreation.gov and issued in person at a visitor center until 2:30 p.m. Mountain time.
The route
Gooseberry is at mile 30 clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, about 3 hours of driving, with two campsites and one toilet. Gooseberry B books as its own named site. Between here and the visitor center you will have run the Shafer Trail and passed the four-site Airport area at mile 19. Going on clockwise, White Crack at mile 39 is the next camp, then Murphy Hogback at mile 45, and Murphy Hogback is one of the five steep and exposed sections NPS calls out on the whole loop.
Why it matters
Gooseberry is where the clock turns over. Three hours of driving from the visitor center is far enough that turning around is a worse idea than carrying on, and it is the last camping area before White Crack, which sits out on its own spur. Two sites share the area and one toilet serves them.
The feeling
Three hours of rock and sand and you are properly committed. The bench here is wide and the mesa rim is a long way up. What you notice at Gooseberry is how quiet it gets after the last day-use vehicle passes: no water noise, no trees, just wind over stone.
Gooseberry B hike highlights
- Two campsites in the Gooseberry area, sharing one toilet
- 30 miles and about 3 hours of driving from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, clockwise
- The last camping area before the White Crack spur at mile 39
- No potable water, no shade, no campfires and no generators
- A hard cap of 15 people and 3 vehicles on the site
- A maximum of three consecutive nights before you have to relocate
How hard the Gooseberry B hike is
- Physical DemandFitness and endurance required3/5
- Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills3/5
- Exposure RiskSteep dropoffs and fall potential3/5
- NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity1/5
- CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route2/5
Best for: Drivers with a true low-range four-wheel-drive vehicle, and cyclists who have a support vehicle carrying water. NPS highly recommends a four-wheel-drive support vehicle for mountain bike trips.
Recommended experience: Comfort on steep, exposed, unpaved switchbacks and enough self-recovery skill to deal with a stuck vehicle 40 miles from pavement.
Not recommended for: Anyone in an all-wheel-drive crossover, anyone bringing a dog, anyone over 8 feet wide or 9.5 feet tall, and anyone hoping to buy water along the way.
When to hike Gooseberry B
Best time to visit
Spring and fall for the road and the temperatures, which is when NPS says permits run short. Gooseberry at three hours out is a reasonable first night for a slower party or a second night for a group that started at Shafer. Winter availability is real, but so is ice on the grades either side.
- Peak
- March through May and September through October
- Shoulder
- November through February
Spring
The busiest season on the road and the reason permits sell out. Warm days, cold nights, and the highest chance of a full loop being drivable.
Crowd level · extreme
- Advantage: Comfortable daytime temperatures for riding or driving
- Advantage: Long enough days for the big mileage between camps
- Advantage: Every camp in the loop is usually reachable
- Challenge: NPS says demand for overnight permits frequently exceeds the number available in spring
- Challenge: Green River high water can close west-side sections
- Challenge: Cold nights on an exposed bench
Summer
Hot and unshaded. The bench holds heat and there is no water on the road.
Crowd level · low
- Advantage: The easiest season to actually get a permit
- Advantage: Long daylight for the longer driving days
- Advantage: Afternoon storms bring the only real color changes on the bench
- Challenge: Heat with no shade and no water source
- Challenge: Afternoon thunderstorms make the steep sections dangerous
- Challenge: Sand is at its softest and deepest
Fall
The other peak season. Stable weather, cool nights, and the same permit pressure as spring.
Crowd level · extreme
- Advantage: Best combination of temperature and stable weather
- Advantage: Low river levels usually keep the west side open
- Advantage: Clear air for the long views off the bench
- Challenge: NPS names fall alongside spring as the season when demand exceeds supply
- Challenge: Daylight shortens fast through October
- Challenge: Nights get cold quickly once the sun drops below the rim
Winter
Cold, quiet, and the season with real availability. Snow and ice change the calculus on the steep sections.
Crowd level · low
- Advantage: Permits are easier to get
- Advantage: Snow on red rock is the rarest photograph out here
- Advantage: You may not see another vehicle all day
- Challenge: Ice on the Shafer, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble and Mineral Bottom grades
- Challenge: Short days against long driving times between camps
- Challenge: Nothing on the bench is heated and nothing is close
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
Today
70°
57°
35%
Wed
80°
59°
Thu
82°
56°
Fri
85°
63°
Sat
86°
65°
Sun
86°
65°
Mon
83°
64°
Gooseberry B photography guide
Golden Hour
First and last light on the White Rim bench, when the low sun rakes across the sandstone and the shadows separate the benches from the canyon below Gooseberry.
Best Light
Night. This is one of the darkest corners of the Colorado Plateau, and the Milky Way over the bench is the shot people drive out here for.
Beat the Crowds
Only 2 parties can be at Gooseberry on any given night, so once the day traffic clears the road you have it to yourself.
Classic Shots
- The rim wall above camp catching the first sun while the bench is still in shadow
- Your vehicle small against the bench, for scale
- The Island in the Sky mesa top a thousand feet above, seen from below
- Star trails over the canyon rim from camp
Gooseberry B rules, gear and safety
Gear checklist
Required- All your water. There is none on the road, and 1 gallon per person per day is the NPS floor
- A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle with low range. This is a requirement, not a recommendation
- Full recovery kit and a spare: shovel, traction boards, air compressor, tire plugs
- A camp stove. Fires are not permitted at any White Rim campsite
- Shade you bring yourself, such as a tarp or awning; there is almost none on the bench
- Printed maps. Cell service is unreliable below the mesa rim
Rules & regulations
- 01Each campsite accommodates up to 15 people and 3 vehicles; motorbikes and trailers count as vehicles for that limit
- 02Keep all camp activities within the posts that mark the campsite boundaries
- 03Campfires are not permitted anywhere along the White Rim Road, and generators are not allowed
- 04Pets are not permitted, even inside vehicles
- 05Your vehicle must have high-clearance, four-wheel drive with low range
- 06ATVs, UTVs and OHVs are not permitted even if street legal; drones and other unmanned aircraft are prohibited
- 07All vehicles and bikes must remain on designated roads
- 08You may stay a maximum of three consecutive nights at a camping area before having to relocate, and an overnight permit runs up to 14 consecutive nights
- 09Climbing, scrambling, walking or standing upon, or rappelling off any arch is prohibited parkwide
- 10Recreation.gov books Gooseberry as a named campsite, not a zone. You are reserving this exact site for the night
Hazards & considerations
- No potable water anywhere along the road. NPS asks for at least 1 gallon (4 L) per person per day, more if you will be active
- Long rocky stretches, deep sand and little shade; NPS says to plan on a minimum of 10 to 12 hours of driving or cycling for the loop
- The steep, exposed sections at Shafer Trail, Lathrop Canyon Road, Murphy Hogback, Hardscrabble Hill and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks demand extreme caution in bad weather
- High water on the Green River can flood sections of road on the west side and make a complete loop impossible
- A disabled vehicle out here is expensive: NPS warns of towing fees in excess of $1,000
- Summer heat on an unshaded sandstone bench, with no water and no quick way out
Safety & planning
Emergency Info
Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for Gooseberry B.
Food Storage
Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.
Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for Gooseberry B · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides
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Gooseberry B FAQ
How do I reserve the Gooseberry B campsite on the White Rim Road?
Through Recreation.gov, on Canyonlands' seasonal release schedule. Permits open four months before the start of the season at 8 a.m. Mountain time: spring dates (March 10 to June 9) on November 10, summer (June 10 to September 9) on February 10, fall (September 10 to December 9) on May 10, and winter (December 10 to March 9) on August 10.
How many people can stay at the Gooseberry B campsite?
Fifteen. NPS states that each White Rim campsite accommodates up to 15 people and 3 vehicles, and motorbikes and trailers count as vehicles against that limit.
Is there water at the Gooseberry B campsite?
No. NPS is explicit that there is no potable water along the White Rim Road, so every drop comes in with you. The park asks for at least 1 gallon (4 L) per person per day, and more if you will be active. For bike trips it highly recommends a four-wheel-drive support vehicle to carry water and equipment.
How far is Gooseberry B from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center?
30 miles travelling clockwise, which NPS estimates at 3 hours of driving. The full White Rim Road loop is 100 miles, and NPS says four-wheel-drive trips usually take two to three days and mountain bike trips three to four.
Can I have a campfire at Gooseberry B?
No. Campfires are not permitted anywhere on the White Rim Road, and generators are not allowed either. Bring a camp stove.
Do I need a day-use permit as well as an overnight permit for the White Rim Road?
No. All vehicles, motorbikes and bicyclists need a day-use permit for single-day trips on the White Rim, but overnight trips do not need an additional day-use permit.
What happens to White Rim campsites that nobody reserves?
They go to walk-up. Any campsite that remains unreserved shows on Recreation.gov as "W" and is issued in person at a visitor center, seven days a week, until 2:30 p.m. Mountain time each day.
Gooseberry B trail conditions and trip reports
Trail Conditions
No active conditions reported
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Questions
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Trip Reports
Write ReportAlternatives to a Gooseberry B permit
- Same AreaPermit required
White Rim Road (whole-loop permit)
The parent White Rim Road page, covering the full 100-mile loop and all ten camping areas.
Tradeoffs
Useful when any camp will do and you just want the trip. An alert on one named site is narrower but more precise.
- Similar ExperiencePermit required
Canyonlands Needles backpacking
Designated backpacking campsites in the Needles District, on the same Recreation.gov permit and the same seasonal release.
Tradeoffs
On foot rather than four wheels, and capped at 7 people instead of 15, but the same booking window and often easier to land.
- Easier AlternativePermit required
Dead Horse Point Wingate hike-in sites
Tent sites on the rim at Dead Horse Point State Park, looking down on the same gooseneck of the Colorado River.
Tradeoffs
A drive-up state park with water and toilets instead of a backcountry bench, and a different reservation system.
Where to stay near Gooseberry B
- Canyonlands National Park Needles District CampgroundCanyonlands National Park
- Indian Creek Falls Group SiteBears Ears National Monument
- Hamburger Rock CampgroundBears Ears National Monument
- All Utah campgrounds
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