TrailManor Owner's Forum  

Go Back   TrailManor Owner's Forum > TrailManor Camping & Lifestyle > Recommended Campgrounds and Places to Visit
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-23-2016, 02:47 PM   #11
BrucePerens
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 893
Default

We definitely enjoyed Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion when my wife worked for Backroads active travel.
__________________
Bruce Perens K6BP - 2004 TM 3023, 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
My Trailmanor Customizations
BrucePerens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 05:37 PM   #12
stormpeakco
Senior Member
 
stormpeakco's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Colorful Colorado
Posts: 169
Default North of Moab

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrucePerens View Post
We definitely enjoyed Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion when my wife worked for Backroads active travel.
There are terrific, large swaths of dispersed camping acreage (BLM) north of Moab and the entrance to Arches in the Klondike Bluffs (less crowded) and the Willow Creek (more crowded with motorized vehicles, but some places are pretty sheltered and quiet). There easy access to some great slickrock mountain bike trails (moderate technical difficulty) & dinosaur track viewing in the Klondike Bluffs with terrific views of the Castle Valley (east of the highway) and Bartlett's Wash (west of the highway).

These would be within a very reasonable driving distance for day trips to Arches, Canyonlands, White Rim, downtown Moab for provisions and dining, Colorado River or even to the La Sals. Refilling fresh water receptacles may be obtained from the hose bib/drinking fountain in the town park.
Naturally (to avoid feeling like a piece of jerked beef), these are best used in spring, early-early summer and late summer-autumn.
stormpeakco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2016, 08:20 PM   #13
Gwenne & Len
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Maple City, Mi
Posts: 166
Default Best route from Sequoia Nat'l Park to Zion?

I am trying to figure out the best route from Sequoia to Zion.....hard to tell from maps - California is so big there are many pages of maps! We don't want to go into the mountains, it will be spring and not interested in driving in snow. Also, is there a sane layover place? If we take 95, it looks like desert.....? Any towns where one can stay? RV parks?

It's a challenge to plan from across the country, would love someone's suggestions from experience.......
__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Gwenne & Len
2009 3124 KS
2012 Highlander
Leelanau County, Michigan
Gwenne & Len is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2016, 09:46 PM   #14
Frenchy
Site Sponsor
 
Frenchy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 127
Default

Use google maps.
__________________
Frenchy
Frenchy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2016, 05:52 PM   #15
LoveToCamp
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Centennial, Colorado
Posts: 885
Default

I agree on GoogleMaps! I just put in the endpoints, and got a good route, I believe. It shows the towns along the way, which you can then check for RV parks, depending on how far you would like to drive on Day 1.

Enjoy the planning, and enjoy the trip.
LoveToCamp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2016, 08:52 PM   #16
Gwenne & Len
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Maple City, Mi
Posts: 166
Default

thank you!! I've never used google maps - great resource!
__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Gwenne & Len
2009 3124 KS
2012 Highlander
Leelanau County, Michigan
Gwenne & Len is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2017, 08:25 AM   #17
blue_vett
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 14
Default camping in utah

I live in northern Utah and have just discovered a real gem that no one has mentioned. The San Rafael Swell are is on of the most un crowded but interesting areas in utah. It is home to the dinosaur diamond ( hundreds and hundreds of dino fossils are from this area) it had native american pictographs, it had the reef area that has some of the most colorful rock formations that I have ever seen. we just returned from another spring trip where we camped just below an area that was used during the cold was to mine for plutonium. we took out kids to see an imprint from a brachiosaurus femur, we explored Goblin valley state park (no place on earth like it) we checked out a free museum that had dinosaurs from the area including a t-rex skull. We camped less than 20 feet from utahs own little grand canyon (the wedge) and all of the camping was completely free! All of this with no crowds, and no stress, What a great trip, If i have time i will start a post of our trips this year. we are heading off to Yellowstone in June!
blue_vett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2017, 04:39 PM   #18
kempert
Site Sponsor
 
kempert's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Homebase VA, nomad for 5 months a year
Posts: 306
Thumbs up

You are most certainly right about Goblin Valley. I took photos there that people thought were from some weird amusement park. I met an old hippy-looking guy there once and he said it was like he was back on acid. The lighting and shadows early and late in the day are the best. There's a great little slot canyon hike just outside the park. I can't remember the name but it has something to do with a horse or colt.

There are some fairly amazing sites just off of I-70 in the area of the Swell. One is called something like the Dragon Wall. It doesn't have an exit or any signs. You have to know where to turn off the pavement and drive thru a gate (BLM land as I recall). I did it in a 2-wheel drive pickup but wouldn't recommend it to drivers who haven't driven off-road that much.
__________________
Kemper

2008 2720SL - 7 cross-country trips so far + ventures into western Canada
2002 2720SL - 70,000+ miles before being retired to the farm
2015 Ford F150

"A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot and realize how blessed you are for what you have." -- Author Unknown
kempert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-10-2017, 06:02 PM   #19
Lesherp
Site Sponsor
 
Lesherp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Oregon
Posts: 412
Default

Planning our fourth trip to Utah. At this point Capital Reef is the only for sure destination. San Rafael Swell sounds interesting as we have begun exploring less crowed destinations.

Last year we spent time in the Kanab area and had a marvelous time but were somewhat limited by not having 4 wheel drive. We love to hike and I am wondering if there are hiking trails in San Rafael Swell that are accessible to people with only 2 wheel drive. I am getting the feeling this area might be more suitable for ATV or 4 wheeler use. Wild horse canyon near Goblin Valley (supper slot canyon hike if you are looking for one) is the only marked hiking trail I am finding on the resources I am using. Little Grand Canyon area sounds like a potential camping area. I would appreciate any additional information into camping and hiking in the San Rafael Swell anyone can provide.
__________________
Roger and Patty
TM:2006 2720SL
TV: 2010 Tundra w/ tow pac.

Dealer Options:swing tongue, sink cabinet, awning, air conditioning, tile

Modification: 15“ tires & monitor system, WDH, Prodigy B.C., 2-6 V. batteries & clipper monitor, LED's. Additional modifications can be seen in albums.
Pictures of campsites and places we visited can be seen at https://www.flickr.com/photos/101899116@N06/sets/.


Lesherp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2017, 11:49 AM   #20
blue_vett
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 14
Default San Rafael swell

Any one who is interested in visiting the swell should check out the Free Museum located on main street in Castle dale Utah. besides having dinosaurs, and local animals, there is Native american artifacts, uv reactive rocks, fossils and a staff that is from the area who are most pleasant and helpful in finding places of interest in the swell. here is a link to the museum : http://www.sanrafaelcountry.com/museums.htm#msr

while at the museum you can pick up their vistor guide (also free) that has a map of the area or you can request it here: http://www.sanrafaelcountry.com/trav...e-request.html

here is a link of an older but still useful guide http://www.sanrafaelcountry.com/Brochures/SanRafBlm.pdf

Places not to miss are Goblin valley- there is no place like it on earth! entry is 13.00 or camping is 25.00 they also have yurts to stay in. 100 per night.

Tip if you want to save money and there is plenty of free caming right outside the park it is all blm land so you can camp pretty much anywhere there a fire ring. gps 38.667976, -110.687128 When we travel to this area we stay near temple mountain. to access the free camping instead of turning onto goblin valley rd continue straight on temple mt rd, there will be a large pull off for camping with pit toilets (this area is very popular) or you can continue up temple mt road there are pull off all over on both sides of the road and there is a pictograph area here. further up temple mt rd there will be another large pull off on the right side with pit toilets (also very popular area) where you can camp. this area has old log cabins that you can explore, there are many hiking trails that take you up the mountain to old uranium mines (most of them are cemented off, there is one mine that has metal bars on it. while hiking you can see large petrified trees stick out of the sides of the bedrock. this area has alot of different layers of rock and it make for quite a colorful scene. or you can explore the bottom of the canyon taking you to the base of temple mountain. there is also a road calle behind the reef road that makes for an interesting drive that has more awesome camping with some trees (better for summer time camping ) while in this area check out little wild horse slot canyon take a pair of shoes that you can get wet as areas of the canyon will have water up to you knees.

other must see while in the swell would be :

Rochester rock panel https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ro...4d-111.1980545

i have heard you can camp near here but to us this was a sight that we drove too and spent about 2 hours checking out. it is a short hike but well worth it.

Wedge overlook

https://www.google.com/maps/place/We...4d-110.7493544

we camped here and the kids loved it! it is free camping, there are pit toilets, but to access it you have to travel on a gravel road for quite some time. but there is a lot to see in this area, the first time we visited we didnt bring the trailer (we were camped by goblin valley and just drove to the wedge with stops at buckhorn wash pictograph, swinging bridge, the dinosaur footprint. if you travel here from i-70 keep an eye out for wild horses and donkeys.

there is also an active Dinosaur quarry that you can visit cleveland lloyd dinosaur quarry.

please remember to leave the area better than you found it and have fun.
blue_vett is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
National parks visited and favorites Lesherp Recommended Campgrounds and Places to Visit 45 09-20-2016 09:15 PM
Some Parks set to close in the Smokey Mountains countrygirl General TrailManor Topics 5 03-14-2013 05:21 AM
Two Dog Limit in NY State Parks Brittany Dogs Off Topic 2 07-03-2012 08:26 PM
Utah Grand Circle Bluegrass Camping Stories 8 06-28-2012 12:04 PM
Information On Recent Two Month Trip To Northern Parks In U.S. & Canada. Philip Camping Stories 7 11-13-2011 05:46 AM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:00 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 2022 Trailmanor Owners Page.