South East Utah planning

[HarleyD]

For avoiding crowds Moab is constantly busy, try and not stay there. The Colorado river east of Moab has some nice sites and South of Moab, as stated, by UT can be wide open. The larger National Parks are heavily used also. Capitol Reef is my fav and not quite as packed. The scenic drive up the canyon is very unique Torrey is a quaint town home to Etta Place Cider (https://www.ettaplacecider.com/), a good place to visit. For a great meal Hunt Gather in Torrey also. Several National Monuments in the area too, likely less traveled than the Parks.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by iamunique127

Simple roads maps do not tell the whole story. I looked up a topographical map and see what you guys are talking about regarding the elevation.

No wonder we hadn't come across high country on our earlier travels- the increase in elevation begins south of Casper, WY. And there are some pretty high spots to cross on the way to Grand Junction.

Caution will definately be the name of the game.

Those high spots are frequently home to US Forest Service campgrounds which are less crowded than National Park CGs. But the trade off is they are less likely to have amenities other than water, and are less likely to have cell service. Plus, they are more likely to be snowed in in spring than the low country. Worth checking out.

[Dave & Penny Smith]

For those planning to visit Capitol Reef NP this year, be aware that the Scenic Drive is scheduled to be rebuilt and will be closed from April through Oct. In my opinion, there will still be plenty to do in Capitol Reef, but one will not be able to access a major part of the park by auto.
Dave

[iamunique127]

We have stayed at US Forest Service campgrounds in the past and they have been some of our favourites. Just an outhouse amenity is fine with us. Thanks for the tip, Alan.

[davidmurphy02]

There is a large dispersed camping area on the east side of Torrey, Google Maps knows it as "Overlook Point Camping" https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ov...cywm?entry=ttu

There is also a small but nice forest service campground, Sunglow, just west of Torrey. If you like to stay at a commercial campground occasionally for laundry and long showers, Thousand Lakes RV Park in Torrey is our favorite, we have been going there for 25 years. Sites 3 - 13 on the back row, water and electric, are the best and have wonderful views.

[alanmalk]

To follow up on David's suggestions:


1. A photo of the dispersed camping east of Torrey (west of Capitol Reef). It is large, open and mostly flat BLM property. Free and plenty of room for many big rigs. But the downside, lots of people perhaps with generators, dogs and party intentions. And no amenities at all but close to town and good cell.


2. A photo of the turn to this camping spot. Note it is on highway 24 and traffic is moving fast and close to a tight curve. For that reason I suggest to folks to drive west from Capitol Reef, spot the turn, and drive right on past. Then turn around in Torrey, about a short mile and gas up, fill with water and last minute snacks. Head back east and spot the turn well in advance to slow down. Also FYI, the locals know the road as "Beas Lewis" road, not "1280 East" in the large print on the sign. Try them both if using a navigation tool.


3. Sunglow does show on most all maps. But it is tiny and perhaps only 3 sites that an Escape would fit into. On a dead end road so very quiet, has outhouses, perhaps water(?). That would be my first choice if there was an opening. Note that the turn off highway 24 is just east of the town of Bicknell.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

To follow up on David's suggestions:
1. A photo of the dispersed camping east of Torrey (west of Capitol Reef). It is large, open and mostly flat BLM property. Free and plenty of room for many big rigs. But the downside, lots of people perhaps with generators, dogs and party intentions. And no amenities at all but close to town and good cell.

Yes, the BLM road running parallel to the highway is flat. However there are 100's of sites if you turn right after about a 1/4 mile. We've prefer to stay in a site about 1/2 mile down that the road. It is hilly, but very doable. The area we choose is much quieter that that flat area next to the highway, plus those next to the highway can get a little too close together for us.

Originally Posted by alanmalk

3. Sunglow does show on most all maps. But it is tiny and perhaps only 3 sites that an Escape would fit into. On a dead end road so very quiet, has outhouses, perhaps water(?). That would be my first choice if there was an opening. Note that the turn off highway 24 is just east of the town of Bicknell.

We've stayed in four of the Sunglow sites with no problems for our Escape 5.0 or our 25' Bigfoot. bborzell also stayed in another site with his Escape 21 and there are two more sites I know we can get into with our 25' Bigfoot. During the summer season there are flush toilets and water available, however we go there in late March or early April when the toilets are closed and the water turned off. There are a few great hikes there too!

Food for thought,

Perry

[Mike G]

Arches NP is one of my favorite places, but I think you may need to secure a timed permit to enter it at that time of year, which may require some advance scheduling. Colorado National Monument is worth a drive-through at least. Goblin Valley SP in Utah is quite a sight; it's like walking among giant sandstone mushrooms that tower above you. If you're inclined to go as far as Bryce Canyon, that's another nice place.

[iamunique127]

David, Alan and Perry: thanks a lot for the info on camping areas around Torrey, including Sunglow. It is so great to have recommendations and info from ppl who have been there.

We often don't know where we'll end up so having lots of options is invaluable.

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Arches NP is one of my favorite places, but I think you may need to secure a timed permit to enter it at that time of year, which may require some advance scheduling. Colorado National Monument is worth a drive-through at least. Goblin Valley SP in Utah is quite a sight; it's like walking among giant sandstone mushrooms that tower above you. If you're inclined to go as far as Bryce Canyon, that's another nice place.

Thanks, Mike. Goblin Valley in particular, looks great.

[davidmurphy02]

Goblin Valley State Park has some really unique rock formations, halfway between Moab and Torrey. The park campground is scenic, no hookups but bathrooms with showers and a dump station with water fill.

Just west of the park along Wild Horse Road is a huge area with some of the most scenic dispersed camping I've ever seen. Little Wild Horse Canyon is an easy, accessible and very scenic slot canyon just a few miles west of the park.

One thing to know about this area - spring is the windy season, and on days when the wind is really howling it can feel like being in a dust storm. Won't be every day, but does happen a lot in the spring.

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

Goblin Valley State Park has some really unique rock formations, halfway between Moab and Torrey. The park campground is scenic, no hookups but bathrooms with showers and a dump station with water fill.

Just west of the park along Wild Horse Road is a huge area with some of the most scenic dispersed camping I've ever seen. Little Wild Horse Canyon is an easy, accessible and very scenic slot canyon just a few miles west of the park.

One thing to know about this area - spring is the windy season, and on days when the wind is really howling it can feel like being in a dust storm. Won't be every day, but does happen a lot in the spring.

Most excellent. And thanks for the photos.

[Vermilye]

I've been to Goblin a bunch of times; the campground is often filled so plan ahead.

Some photos: https://lakeshoreimages.com/goblin.html

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by davidmurphy02

Goblin Valley State Park has some really unique rock formations, halfway between Moab and Torrey. The park campground is scenic, no hookups but bathrooms with showers and a dump station with water fill.

Oh man, be still my heart. I love the desert.

You know what I'm going to ask David. What site number are you in?

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I've been to Goblin a bunch of times; the campground is often filled so plan ahead.

Some photos: https://lakeshoreimages.com/goblin.html

Thanks Jon. Love the photos.

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by HarleyD

For avoiding crowds Moab is constantly busy, try and not stay there. The Colorado river east of Moab has some nice sites and South of Moab, as stated, by UT can be wide open. The larger National Parks are heavily used also. Capitol Reef is my fav and not quite as packed. The scenic drive up the canyon is very unique Torrey is a quaint town home to Etta Place Cider (https://www.ettaplacecider.com/), a good place to visit. For a great meal Hunt Gather in Torrey also. Several National Monuments in the area too, likely less traveled than the Parks.

Ah yes. Hunt and Gather restaurant. David and Mary Murphy treated us to a memorable dinner there while we were all camping at Thousand Lakes RV Park. Thanks again guys!

[davidmurphy02]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Oh man, be still my heart. I love the desert.

You know what I'm going to ask David. What site number are you in?

That is site 20, Donna. I also like 24 and 23, although it's a small campground and all the sites that accommodate trailers are pretty good.

[davidmurphy02]

If you have never been to Arches NP or the Moab area, despite being more crowded these days there are still a lot of wonderful things to see and do there. It's too late now to get anything in Arches other than a stray night or two since they book 6 months ahead. But Utah state parks book 4 months ahead so you may be able to work with that depending on the timing of your trip.

Dead Horse Point State Park in Moab is a favorite of ours. It's away from the hustle and bustle of Moab up on a mesa next to Canyonlands Island in the Sky NP. Very peaceful and quiet with big views. Wingate campground has more of an open hilltop setting, Kayenta is more heavily wooded.
Both are nice, and most campsites can easily accommodate a trailer. Plenty to do at DHP and Canyonlands, and only a 30 minute very scenic drive to Arches NP and Moab. There is also a large BLM campground, Horse Thief, nearby.

[Telescopist]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Oh man, be still my heart. I love the desert.

You know what I'm going to ask David. What site number are you in?

Yeah. The deserts...

[davidmurphy02]

As long as we're loading up your itinerary....

Kodachrome Basin is another wonderful Utah state park that often gets overlooked among all the national parks of southern Utah. Great scenery, lots of fairly short and not too difficult hiking trails. The main basin campground has some full hookup sites and a bunch of no hookup sites. Arch Campground, our favorite, is all water/electric so no generators, good separation between sites, and quieter than the main campground. And just for you, Donna, site 50 is pictured below; sites 47 - 52 in Arch Campground are all pretty terrific.

Kodachrome Basin is very close to Bryce Canyon, making it easy to take a day trip over to Bryce. In spring all the sites at Bryce will still be first come, and if you are staying nearby in Kodachrome and also want to camp at Bryce you will be well positioned to get over to Bryce in the morning and have an excellent shot at grabbing a site.

The drive down highway 12 from Torrey to Kodachrome, over Boulder Mountain and then through the canyon country from Boulder to Escalante, is one of the most scenic drives in Utah.