Descending more than 1,400 feet, the Shafer Trail connects the Island in the Sky plateau to the Potash and White Rim roads. Named for rancher John “Sog” Shafer, the trail began as a path used to drive cattle into the canyons. The road was later improved to accommodate trucks hauling uranium ore in the 1950s. These uses ended when Canyonlands became a national park in 1964. Today, the trail is a popular four-wheel-drive road.