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Cataract Canyon Campsites:

6K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  scrtsqurrl 
#1 · (Edited)
For the love of God can someone recommend some campsites from Potash put in to the confluence of the Green? I have been looking everywhere and cannot find a solution. haha Also, if anyone has any experience with other campsites further down and you would like to shout out about them feel free! :) Plus any must do hikes.

Thank you!
-A distressed TL :D
 
#3 ·
Camps along the portion above the Confluence can be rough to find. We normally spend 2 nights in that stretch and get to the confluence on the 3rd. The last 2 trips have been low water and we have found sand bars to use. Sorry for nothing specific but I don't have anything marked down on my map from those trips and have never found the ones I marked from internet research.

Not sure of the legality but there are picnic tables, toilet and campable area at Shafer Canyon RR mile 23.5. Never stayed there and there have always been jeepers visiting but worth investigating. I do know the last time we visited the ruins across from there that the sand bar was huge but that likely changes seasonally.

Have fun, its a great trip.

Phillip
 
#7 ·
I have never used one but we always take 6-8 days. 5 days would definitely be a fast trip without one so it depends on the style of trip you prefer. If you want to stop for hikes and enjoy lots of time in camp then it could benefit you to have one. But it can be done without.

And that camp at Dark is just plain sketchy. I would love to hike up canyon to the pools sometime but would never camp there.

And agreed....2 nights in the main canyon is well worth it. But I love camping by rapids.

Phillip
 
#5 ·
We just got off last week on a 5 day 4 night trip. Our first night was at a sandbar across and about 100 yards upstream from Lathrop Canyon, on river left. It was ok, a little muddy but the river had risen up briefly the week before after the monsoons started and then dropped back down, exposing some mud. We passed several other nice looking sandbars so you should have a good choice for an earlier site (we motored some at the start and end of the trip). Second night can't remember any details. Third night was on river right at the Y Canyon/Cross canyon area. Very nice large and long sandy beach. Last night was on the Slab which was a very nice and sandy beach among not very many other good choices. It looked to me like the Dark Canyon campsite was not in this year and I heard some stories about flashed affecting others in that camp, but not sure when. In fact, several of the other sites on the latest Belknap map weren't showing much in the lower canyon. Just lots of dead tammies and very little sand. Plenty of mud though.

Current does make it to Dirty Devil ramp but it really slows down above Dark Cyn and there's very little at Mille Crags on down. Nothing a good headwind wouldn't stop you.

Agree with Phillip some of the best rapids are he new ones below BD 3. Our favorite was Imperial which had a big wave hit.
 
#6 ·
Lathrop, beginning of the loop, Indian creek, Boulder Ledges (shortly before the slide) and all formal camps. Lots of sand bars to choose form but its been a few years since I've been down. Last time I was down lower spanish bottom had turned in to a cut bank and was inaccessible. The beach at Brown Betty was as big as ever. #5 camp was all rock and no sand. Upper x and Y Right was the best in that area, BD Beach above BD#1 was good to go. Anyone that's been down recently feel free to confirm or deny.

Don't forget to use the camp sign in below the confluence and above Spanish bottom. You don't want 30 of your new closest friends to camp on top of you with so many good options in the canyon. Spend two night in the canyon if you can swing it. Have fun.
 
#8 ·
Easy Camping

There are a ton of camps from Potash to the Confluence. At this water level sandbars are plentiful. I would not be worried about it as a TL but I'm the laid back type. If you're more into planning here's a very incomplete list to give you options:

43 - Massive sandbar
36 - River right of two islands. High camp with hike to Petrified wood
35 - Huge sandbar river left across from Shafer canyon.
30 - Little bridge canyon. High camp good hike
27 - Sandbar in front of Lockhart. Hike the canyon
24 - Lathrop ledges river right. Huge camp, popular with the big commercial groups. Good hike to graineries across the river. Don't camp at the Lathrop canyon landing with the toilet. NPS says day use only...and the toilet really smells if the wind is wrong.
21 - Gooseberry camps river right on the ledge. Huge and sunny.
17 - Indian Creek. Camp here.
14 - Sandbar between the islands
13 - Massive sandbar popular with the commercials. Big groups
5- River left. The "Cove"
0- Big Sandbar river left at the confluence.
 
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