Potato Bottom A Gear Checklist
Potato Bottom A is one of three sites at mile 66 of the White Rim Road, down in the Green River bottom. A camping directory calls it the odd one out, set apart in a thicket while its neighbors have the big cottonwoods. Sources disagree on tree cover and on which site is best, but they agree on gnats and mosquitoes, no fires, and a tough walk to the river for water.
What shapes your gear on Potato Bottom A
- Where it sits
- The park lists Potato Bottom as three sites (A to C) at mile 66, about 8.5 hours of driving from the visitor center, with 2 toilets for the area.
- How far A is from B and C
- A camper in April 2019 called A quite far from B and C. The park says sites that share a camp area are generally placed out of earshot and, as far as possible, out of sight of each other.
From The Dyrt and Canyonlands National Park (NPS)
- Trees at A, as sources state it
- The camping directory says A sits in a thicket, B has two large cottonwoods and C has even more. A forum poster in 2008 said A and B have more trees but sit closer to the road, while C is farther from it. A guide that ranks the three picked A as the best.
From The Dyrt, MTBR forum and The Restless Beans
- Insects
- A camper at Potato Bottom blamed gnats at night. Another titled the site Mosquitoville. A rider who had not been back in about ten years remembered only the bugs.
From The Dyrt and MTBR forum
What the agency requires on Potato Bottom A
A permit for this designated campsite
Anyone camping on the White Rim, driving or biking, needs a permit for a designated site. In spring and fall, demand for permits frequently exceeds supply.
A high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle in low range
The road requires high clearance and four-wheel drive with low range. Towing for a disabled vehicle can cost more than $1,000.
Water for the whole stretch
The park asks for at least 1 gallon (4 L) of water per person per day, and more if you will be active.
Cooking without a fire or generator
Campfires are not permitted and generators are not allowed. Each site holds up to 15 people and 3 vehicles.
What hikers carry on Potato Bottom A
Bug protection for dusk and night
A camper who drove in with a diesel truck said gnats were the only drawback after dark, and a lantern set out away from camp drew them off. Another camper wrote Mosquitoville. A bikepacker fended off ants, flies and mosquitoes while collecting water at the river here, though that report does not name the site letter.
From The Dyrt, klauskomenda.net and The Restless Beans
A camp stove
A party that spent its second night here cooked on a stove in the tree shade. A trail app lists a stove as a pack-in item because wood and charcoal fires are prohibited.
From The Dyrt, Parkwolf and Canyonlands National Park (NPS)
A way to treat silty river water
No drinking water exists at camp. One bikepacking pair spent several hours scooping 16 L from the Green River, then settled the cloudy water with alum and ran it through a gravity filter. They climbed down 10-foot drops and waded muddy banks because thick brush screens the bank. The site letter is not given.
A shade plan you do not need the cottonwoods for
Sources disagree about A. The directory says A is in a thicket while B and C hold the large cottonwoods. The 2008 forum poster said A has more trees than C. A guide summing up the road says the area has lots of shade from trees. Tree cover at A is unclear, so pack cover you control.
From The Dyrt, MTBR forum and The Restless Beans
Offline maps
A trail app tells visitors to download maps and GPS tracks before they go because there is no service at camp. The camping directory also lists no coverage on the three big carriers.
A plan for a wet road out
A truck-camper party at Potato Bottom had storm cells pass overnight and called Hardscrabble Hill, less than a mile away, an imposing obstacle if the road got too wet. The park says Hardscrabble Hill needs extreme caution in inclement weather.
From Truck Camper Adventure and Canyonlands National Park (NPS)
15 people can go on one permit. Split this list between them so nobody carries two stoves.
Plan a trip hereWhat hikers regret or leave behind on Potato Bottom A
Arriving with no water left and counting on the river
The bikepackers reached camp with their supply nearly gone and still faced hours of work to reach the river. They had no river access at all earlier on the route, so this was their first chance to refill.
From klauskomenda.net
Skipping bug gear because the site is quiet
Camp here draws praise for silence and stargazing, yet the bugs are what one longtime rider remembered after about ten years. Gnats and mosquitoes show up in several accounts.
From The Dyrt and MTBR forum
Assuming A shares the big cottonwoods of B and C
The directory describes A as a thicket, and the forum poster grouped A with B for tree count but nearer the road. Do not plan around a shade tree being at A.
From The Dyrt and MTBR forum
Gear questions for Potato Bottom A
Does Potato Bottom A have shade?
Sources conflict. A camping directory says A is in a thicket, with the large cottonwoods at B and C. A forum poster said A and B have more trees than C. A guide to the road says the area as a whole has lots of shade. Bring your own cover.
From The Dyrt, MTBR forum and The Restless Beans
Is there water at Potato Bottom A?
No. The park says to bring at least 1 gallon (4 L) per person per day. The Green River is close, but one party needed hours to reach it through brush and 10-foot drops, and they had to treat the silty water.
How far is Potato Bottom A from B and C?
No source we could read gives a distance. One camper called A quite far from the other two, and a forum poster said C is the one farthest from the road. The park says multi-site camps are generally placed out of earshot and sight of each other.
From MTBR forum, The Dyrt and Canyonlands National Park (NPS)
Are there bugs at Potato Bottom A?
Yes, in the accounts we read. Campers report gnats and mosquitoes, and a trail app says bugs may show up near the river in warm months.
From The Dyrt, Parkwolf and The Restless Beans
Sources
- White Rim Road · Canyonlands National Park (NPS) · Agency
- Potato Bottom Campground, Canyonlands National Park · The Dyrt · Forum thread
- White Rim campsites? · MTBR forum · Forum thread
- How to Drive the White Rim Road in Canyonlands · The Restless Beans · Blog
- Bikepacking the White Rim Trail · klauskomenda.net · Trip report
- Tackling Canyonland's Epic White Rim Trail in a Truck Camper · Truck Camper Adventure · Trip report
- Potato Bottom · Parkwolf · Blog