How to Get a Potato Bottom B Permit
Mile 66 and eight and a half hours in, down off the bench beside the Green River - and the camps most exposed to high water.
Check Potato Bottom B permit availability$36 non-refundable reservation fee per permit (includes the $6 Recreation.gov fee) plus $5 per person, per night. Park entrance fee is separate.
Permit Cost
2-4 days
Duration
100 miles
Distance
moderate
Difficulty
About Potato Bottom B
Potato Bottom B is one of three campsites in the Potato Bottom camping area, 66 miles and about 8.5 hours of driving clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, with two toilets serving the area. This is the west side of the loop, down along the Green River. The river is scenery, not supply. NPS notes that obtaining drinking water from the Colorado or Green rivers is difficult because the water is very silty and hard to purify, and states plainly that there is no potable water along the White Rim Road. Everything you drink comes in with you, at a minimum of 1 gallon per person per day. The west side is also the part of the road that floods. During high water on the Green River, sections here can be impassable and a complete loop impossible - check current road conditions before you commit to a clockwise itinerary that has to pass through. 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.
Potato Bottom is where the White Rim Road leaves the bench and runs along the Green River, and it is the reason river levels matter to the whole loop. NPS warns that during high water conditions on the Green River, sections of road on the west side can flood and make a complete loop impossible - and these three sites sit in that stretch. Three campsites and two toilets make it the third-largest cluster on the road.
The Experience
After 66 miles of dry sandstone bench, there is a river. Cottonwoods, moving water, a completely different soundscape from every camp behind you. The catch is that river water is silty and hard to purify, so what you are getting is the sound and the shade, not a water source.
Potato Bottom is at mile 66 clockwise from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, about 8.5 hours of driving, with three campsites (A, B and C) and two toilets. Potato Bottom B books as a named site. This is the west side of the loop, the stretch NPS says can flood in high water on the Green River. Ahead lie Hardscrabble Hill at mile 70 - one of the five steep, exposed sections NPS names - then Labyrinth at 72, Taylor at 77, and the Mineral Bottom switchbacks to climb out.
What to Expect
Three campsites (A, B and C) at Potato Bottom, served by two toilets
66 miles and about 8.5 hours of driving from the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, clockwise
A position on the Green River, on the section of road that can flood in high water
No potable water - river water is very silty and difficult to purify
A hard cap of 15 people and 3 vehicles on the site
Hardscrabble Hill 4 miles ahead, one of the five steep exposed sections NPS names
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Permit Requirements
Each campsite accommodates up to 15 people and 3 vehicles; motorbikes and trailers count as vehicles for that limit
Keep all camp activities within the posts that mark the campsite boundaries
Campfires are not permitted anywhere along the White Rim Road, and generators are not allowed
Pets are not permitted, even inside vehicles
Your vehicle must have high-clearance, four-wheel drive with low range
ATVs, UTVs and OHVs are not permitted even if street legal; drones and other unmanned aircraft are prohibited
All vehicles and bikes must remain on designated roads
You 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
Climbing, scrambling, walking or standing upon, or rappelling off any arch is prohibited parkwide
Recreation.gov books Potato Bottom as a named campsite, not a zone - you are reserving this exact site for the night
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •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 - a tarp or awning; there is almost none on the bench
- •Printed maps. Cell service is unreliable below the mesa rim
Hazards & Safety
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
Best Time to Visit
Spring and fall are the peak road seasons and the ones NPS says sell out, but spring is also when the Green River runs highest - the same runoff that makes the desert pleasant is what closes this stretch. Check current road conditions before booking Potato Bottom as a through-night in a big snow year.
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.
Potato Bottom B is one of only 20 campsites on a 100-mile road, so a cancellation watch 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 8.5 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.
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This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Potato Bottom B permit?
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Potato Bottom B permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Potato Bottom B?
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Spring and fall are the peak road seasons and the ones NPS says sell out, but spring is also when the Green River runs highest - the same runoff that makes the desert pleasant is what closes this stretch. Check current road conditions before booking Potato Bottom as a through-night in a big snow year.
How difficult is Potato Bottom B?
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Drivers with a genuine 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.
What gear do I need for Potato Bottom B?
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Essential gear includes: 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 - a tarp or awning; there is almost none on the bench. Additional specialized gear may be required based on conditions.
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