Hardscrabble A Gear Checklist

What shapes your gear on Hardscrabble A

Where it sits

The park lists Hardscrabble as mile 70, about 9.5 hours of driving from the visitor center, with 2 sites (A and B) and 2 toilets. It lies between Potato Bottom at mile 66 and Labyrinth at mile 72.

From Canyonlands National Park (NPS)

The setting

A cyclist who camped at B says both A and B sit right on the Green River, with tamarisk along the water, one small cottonwood for shade and bats flying at dusk. B is the more secluded of the two and has cliffs of Bighorn Mesa directly above it.

From Greg Willis

Hardscrabble Hill

The park names Hardscrabble Hill among the steep exposed sections that need extreme caution when wet. A truck-camper writer used 4x4 low on the climb and found the switchbacks exhilarating with minor washouts. A cyclist could not ride it, and another group walked their bikes up.

From Canyonlands National Park (NPS), Truck Camper Adventure, 14ers.com and Greg Willis

Sand on the way out

A March 2014 cyclist could not ride a 200-yard sandy stretch past Hardscrabble toward the Mineral Bottom road, where the track runs inside a wash. A group of cyclists pushed their bikes through deep sand at Upheaval Bottom the morning after camping here.

From 14ers.com and Greg Willis

Bugs

A family that camped at Hardscrabble B in July described flies all day and mosquitoes at sundown. Bug spray did not stop the mosquitoes, and a large tent with a mesh roof was their saving grace until rain began. A cyclist who stayed at the same camp mentions bats at dusk and does not mention insects.

From Expedition Portal forum and Greg Willis

What hikers carry on Hardscrabble A

• A tent with a mesh roof, and a bug plan beyond spray

  At Hardscrabble B a family found that bug spray did not keep mosquitoes away, so they sat in a large tent with good ventilation. The flies were waiting at the door in the morning.

  From Expedition Portal forum

• A stove or induction cooktop for every meal

  With no fire allowed, an electric truck driver who ended day two at Hardscrabble A cooked both breakfast and dinner on an induction cooktop. They slept in a rooftop tent on the truck.

  From Canyonlands National Park (NPS) and Rivian Forums

• A tire gauge, a spare and a spotter for the steep descents

  That driver aired down to about 32 psi, called a spare essential in a remote place, and said spotting the steepest descents was worth it because backing up one would be awful. He called Hardscrabble Hill the most interesting part of the drive.

  From Rivian Forums

• All your water, in a support vehicle if you ride

  A group of four cyclists with a support jeep started with almost 20 gallons for four days, built on a gallon per person per day plus a reserve. The park says no drinking water exists anywhere on the road.

  From Canyonlands National Park (NPS) and Greg Willis

• A hand tool kit for bike racks and bolts

  A group of three families with trucks as support vehicles said the bumpy road loosens the nuts and bolts on bike racks, so bring tools. Their route began at Hardscrabble B on night one.

  From The Kid Project

• A fat bike or wide tires for the sand

  The same family found the sandy road on the approach to Hardscrabble B the hardest part of their first day, and said a fat bike had its place. Deep sand also shows up east of the camp on the way out.

  From The Kid Project and 14ers.com

• A shade plan for the sun

  Only one small cottonwood stands at the riverside sites, and the park describes the road as having little shade. A July family said it was still very hot at 6:30 pm.

  From Greg Willis, Canyonlands National Park (NPS) and Expedition Portal forum

• Warm layers for March nights and windy afternoons

  A March 2014 group had daytime highs in the 60s and nights in the 30s, with steady 15 to 20 mph headwinds on the first two days. A cyclist who wrote a planning guide lists spring and fall lows of 30 to 50 degrees.

  From 14ers.com and Greg Willis

Gear questions for Hardscrabble A