While we had to flee Utah to escape the summer heat, that didn’t necessarily mean our National Park quest was at an end. While we were camped out at Stillwater Pass, we were just minutes from “The Land of Extremes”: Rocky Mountain National Park. Things to do at Rocky Mountain National Park In addition to hiking and camping opportunities, Rocky Mountain National Park has several unique attractions for the historians
To date, one of our favorite summer hiding spots has to be Stillwater Pass National Forest outside of Grand Lake, Colorado, and within spitting distance of Rocky Mountain National Park. The area had daytime highs in the 70s and overnight lows in the 40s making this the perfect free spot to beat the summer heat. What to Expect at Stillwater Pass Stillwater Pass has a unique blend of scary and
As we spent the summer in the mountains of Colorado, we jumped around to several dispersed camping areas in the region. One of which was the Gordon Gulch Dispersed Camping Area outside of Nederland, CO. Like our stay at Deep Creek, Gordon Gulch Dispersed Camping Area is limited to numbered spots. Most of these spots are down super sketchy and deeply rutted roads only suitable for high clearance off-road vehicles.
Our first stop while fleeing the summer heat in Utah, Deep Creek Campground struck us as a great retreat for a few days. While the location was beautiful, it did have some notable drawbacks. Deep Creek Campground is a little different from most other BLM camping experiences we’ve had. Deep Creek wasn’t a true dispersed camping experience. It’s a collection of 5 first come first served spots just off of
While exploring Capitol Reef National Park, we struggled a bit to find a good spot to Boondock. We actually spent time at two different spots. The first spot, just off of South Northam Road, was just outside the park but had no cell service. Since we didn’t have a satellite dish for our internet, we needed to find a different location. Luckily, Gun Range Road fit the bill perfectly. Secluded
Capitol Reef National Park was third on our attempt to hit the “Big 5” in Utah, and unfortunately, the one we could barely explore. This wasn’t due to any illness or injury, but the fact that the majority of the park’s scenic drive was closed for maintenance and repair. The rest of the park’s roads were limited to high-clearance all-wheel drive vehicles only. However, what we were able to see
While camping in the Dixie National Forest outside of Bryce Canyon National Park, we took a side trip one day to Bryce Wildlife Adventure. It was a truly unique experience! If you’ve ever been to a Cabela’s sporting goods store or a Bass Pro Shop, you may be familiar with the “Dead Zoo” experience. Bryce Wildlife Adventure takes this to the next level and we mean that in a good
While looking for a place to stay outside of Bryce Canyon National Park, we found the Dixie National Forest Dispersed Camping Area. This popular boondocking area can be a bit of a challenge for larger rigs but is still convenient enough to the park and amenities to make it worth the effort. The dispersed camping area of Dixie National Forest is laid out north of UT-12 starting at Tom’s Best
Our first stop on our trip through Utah, the Hurricane Cliffs Recreation Area was a decent, if not perfect, stopping place to take in the town of Virgin, Utah. More importantly, it was a good staging area for exploring Zion National Park. While the area is scenic, this BLM area was one of the least “big rig friendly” locations we’ve ever stayed at. What Hurricane Cliffs Has to Offer Hurricane
Being the second most popular national park in the United States, finding a great place to stay within easy reach can be a little intimidating. Luckily, as we’ve experienced with nearly every other national park we’ve stayed near, they are almost always surrounded by accessible public land. Because Grand Canyon National Park is best described as two unique experiences, we’ll split this post up into the BLM camping on the