[3] The road was constructed in the 1950s by the Atomic Energy Commission to provide access for individual prospectors intent on mining uranium deposits for use in nuclear weapons production during the Cold War.

[4][5] The road surface consists of loose dirt, sandy dry washes and sandstone rock formations.

Four-wheel drive vehicles and mountain bikes are the most common modes of transport though horseback riding and hiking are also permitted.

Hikers may access the White Rim from the Island in the Sky by hiking down steep trails leading to seven points along the road.

A shorter alternate from Moab is Potash Road—Utah State Route 279—in the east side of the park which connects at the junction of White Rim Road with Shafer Trail.

[6] Starting on Shafer Trail from the Island in the Sky mesa, a traveller will encounter hairpin turns, steep grades and cliffs with no guardrails.

Finally, a five-mile (8.0 km) spur road leads to two rock towers called Moses and Zeus.

[1] Since September 2015, permits have been required for both day-use and overnight trips, whether by motor vehicle or bicycle, along the White Rim Road.

[7][8] The demand for permits frequently exceeds the number available in spring and fall months, especially March, April, May, September and October.

[9] The park service may institute day-use permit fees in future years to pay for administrative costs and backcountry patrols, according to a statement made by the Southeast Utah Group Superintendent of the NPS in 2015.

[10] Visitors staying overnight must camp in one of twenty sites within ten campground areas scattered along the road and some of its spurs.

The road is rated moderately difficult for high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles in good weather conditions.