Hey Bob,
There's a BLM (smallish) campsite (primitive, toilets only) called Big Bend that I just
found out about yesterday from a discussion on RVnet. It's $12/night on a first come first serve
basis. It's 7.5 miles northeast of the junction of 191 and 128 outside Moab at the Colorado River.
As I said we haven't tried it, but it's nestled in the CO River canyon. If we go to Moab again, and I
know we will, we'll try it for sure if it's not full. Moab is great, we always enjoy it.
http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/rec ... _Bend.html
There's also Riverside Oasis in Moab. Reasonable rates ($20/night?) for a tent site (showers included),
but they also have full service sites (for more$$). Nice, fairly quiet. Close to Arches NP.
Julie organized the Class B Social in October 2008, and the majority of the group stayed at RO.
She has pics of that too, no doubt.
We also like Bryce Canyon NP. Awesome scenery (Hoodoos) and hiking trails, some quite challenging.
Ruby's Inn just outside the NP is an interesting, historic place to dine. The pot roast dinner (a la carte) is
quite a good sized meal and is tasty, as is the buffet. Save some room for the DIY ice cream cones
or desserts after dinner, they're fun and delicious. Ruby's is pretty much the only game in town, and it's
reflected in the prices. There aren't many good boondocking options nearby, but it might be possible
if you're bold enough to give it a try. There are other places to stay along SH12 in from US89 between
Sevier and Kanab. The contrast between the red canyons and the desert landscapes is dramatic.
If you want less expensive, the town of Tropic is just down the road and has some fast food places, including
a Ma and Pa pizza place which is nice too. It's a tiny town and the hours of operation aren't "big city" so
recon it first, or call from Rubys' to see what's open before you head out. It's another pretty drive through
the red canyons. We took highway 24 south from I-70 west of Crescent Junction/Moab and did a back
route to Bryce last October. It took us through the Grande Escalante region of central Utah. Quite beautiful
scenery and viewpoints along the way. There's Capital Reef NP along SH24 between Caineville and Torrey,
which looked pretty nice as we drove through. Again, we were heading for Bryce, so we didn't stop, but
made a note of it for our next trip. We came into Tropic on SH12 from Torrey where 12 and 24 intersect.
A nice day's drive through many different topographies, and some demanding and startlingly beautiful and
very desolate roads. We stopped at the Kiva Koffeehouse midday to get a coffee for the trip. We waited at the
counter for about 10 minutes while the staff ignored us. So we gave up, and left an appropriate comment on their
website about the lack of service when we got home.
Bryce is best visited after April/May (we've found) as it can be snowy and wet well into the spring because
of the elevation. 2 campgrounds, both primitive, with nearby toilets. Showers are at the Park General
Store, as are laundry facilities. $15/night, showers are $2 for about 8 minutes (we don't use our RT shower).
It also has some "fee free" days listed on the website. Have a look.
http://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm
Farther south is Zion NP which is quite pretty and has some interesting geological formations as we drove
through it on our way out to I-15 to Vegas last year. We didn't stay there but it's probably similar to the
other NPs.
http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm
I would suggest if you plan on trying National Parks/Rec Areas/Seashores/Monuments/BLM/etc., get an Annual
Pass for $80. Try to get it at the beginning of a month, because they punch the month purchased, and it's
good for one year, to the end of that month, so you'll almost get 13 months worth of admissions to the National
Parks Services facilities if you do (camping is extra)! We got one last year and again this year. It's worth it.
http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm
If you are near the southern border with AZ, there's Lake Powell by Page, AZ (also a Walmart there for boondocking
and supplies). It's got camping and boating and some rentals available I think. It's quite nice too. Glen Canyon Dam
is there and it's pretty cool, similar to Hoover, smaller scale. I think the rates for sites are slightly higher, but your
NPS Pass gets you into the Wahweap marina and RV campground. The toilet/showers are pretty nice. Page, AZ is
about 2-3 miles down the road, and has most of the small town amenities including automotive, food, and shopping.
http://www.lakepowell.com/
http://www.lakepowell.com/rv-and-camping/wahweap.aspx
Hope this helps. Sorry for the detail. I tried to cover the western and southern parts of the state.
If I've posted anything that you already do or know, apologies.
PM me or post up any other questions.
Mike.
UTAH early june 2010
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