Camping Suggestions Wanted

G

Gautier

Joined
Aug 31, 2006
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Well, the best time of the year is approaching(vacation) and me and the wife have decided on an out of state camping trip for a week or two. What we haven't decided on is where. Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon...the choices are fairly numerous.

We'd (read I'd) kind of like to see some trees and mountains again, and get out of the desert. So after doing some prodding around on various national and state parks, I've noticed a common theme; Fees.

Now I can see some valid reasons why they are in place for parks. After all, not everyone is as kind to nature as they should be. That's a whole other ball of wax and thread though. So, to get right down to it.

Can anyone suggest some good mountainous/forested regions to freecamp/boondock that would be fairly accessible to a vehicle, and not land me in too much hot water?

Thanks in advance, Gautier
 
No mountains here, but the Charles C. Deem Wilderness area in the Hoosier National Forrest in Indiana has plenty of trees and it's free to hike in and camp wherever you want. I'm not sure how much the improved camp sights are.
 
I just realized, I left out a crucial piece of information. We'll be driving, from Arizona. Hoping to limit the trip to a day's length one way, for economy's sake. Somewhere west of Texas most likely.

Otherwise, I might just have to pay another visit to Inidiana, haven't been there since I was at Great Lakes NTC :p Thanks for the prompt response and suggestion though, Salamander.

So, with that added, still looking for some suggestions to narrow my search down. Once again, thanks in advance.:D

Gautier
 
When I lived in AZ I went up to the white mountains all the time, specifically Alpine, AZ. Absolutely beautiful and free, and probably a pretty close drive depending on where in AZ you are. Chris
 
Well, you could go to the sierra mountains in California. My dad and I usually camp at wishon and courtright lakes which aren't far from Fresno, CA. Recently though a lot of people from Fresno have been starting to camp there and they do charge you for a camping spot, if they run into you that is, but you can take a boat across the lake and find your own camping spot for free and away from everyone, or there are a couple of four wheel drive rodes that you can take, if you have a good four wheel drive. Also, you can hike away from the lake as well, if you're into hiking.


I know for a fact that there are some very beautiful places even closer to you in southern California Sierra Mountains, but the place I've mentioned is about the only place I camp so I can't help you there. There are a couple of people who live down there that are on this forum that should be able to help you. I've seen some of the pics they post and it looks like some beautiful area.

Good luck with finding a place to camp, and have fun!
 
Gautier said:
.....Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon...the choices are fairly numerous.

.... I've noticed a common theme; Fees.

Can anyone suggest some good mountainous/forested regions to freecamp/boondock that would be fairly accessible to a vehicle, and not land me in too much hot water?

Thanks in advance, Gautier
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Well in any of the above states you can camp/boondock in any of the National FORESTS. National Parks are where you have all the restrictions. No fees unless you actually use an established campground.

Pick a location, get a map, look for a dirt road and then look for a place where others have camped. A lot of the state campgrounds here in Colorado have areas near by that people use to camp. Or better put, don't use the campground and find some place else to camp. We do it all summer.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys, definitely gives me a bit more to chew on. Still haven't quite decided, but I think I'm starting to narrow it down a bit after talking with the wife this morning.

Was sort of leaning towards Colorado or Wyoming, but after seeing gas prices this morning, I'm definitely reconsidering this "out of state" stipulation. :p I've never been camping in the white mountains, just the Williams/Flagstaff area, so we may end up going that route. Save on some gas, and the wife and I like the idea of being able to carry our guns. ;)

I guess she's a keeper, camps, shoots, and let's me buy sharp pointy things. :thumbup: At any rate, should be a fun week or two, and hopefully we'll get some nice pictures. Thanks again for all the suggestions fellas.

Gautier
 
Gautier said:
I just realized, I left out a crucial piece of information. We'll be driving, from Arizona. Hoping to limit the trip to a day's length one way, for economy's sake. Somewhere west of Texas most likely.

Otherwise, I might just have to pay another visit to Inidiana, haven't been there since I was at Great Lakes NTC :p Thanks for the prompt response and suggestion though, Salamander.

So, with that added, still looking for some suggestions to narrow my search down. Once again, thanks in advance.:D

Gautier
Click to expand...

I had a feeling that Indiana was probably going to be a bit too far away for ya, but I happened to see your post just before I had to leave for work this morning and had just enough time to leave a quick reply, so I did. I'm hoping to make it out west sometime myself. I've never been in the desert. That and a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Minnesota and Quentico Park in Canada are my two big outdoors trips I'm dreaming of right now. Hope you enjoy your trip wherever you end up going. Maybe you'll see a post from me in a year or two asking for camping suggestions out west.
 
If your in Arizona I'd say do the uber-popular circuit of:

Grand canyon
Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park

Colorado has innumerable choices, lots of beautiful country.

But if you have never been to the desert southwest I highly recommend Southern Utah. The topography changes every mile it seems.
zion115.jpg

zionwinter029.jpg

IMG_1062.jpg

Picture084.jpg

These are from Zion National Park
 
You know, this probably isn't your best option for this particular trip, but one really neat hike is Paria ("Pa REE uh") Canyon. It's about a 30-35-mile hike, downhill all the way; it's a little canyon that angles down into the Colorado River gorge from the northwest, meeting the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry. You start out in extreme southern Utah. Your feet will get wet the first day and stay that way until you finish, but it's not that grueling a hike, and there are a few freshwater springs along the way. If push comes to shove, there's always the muddy river water, too, which can be purified. Quite pretty--not as much of a scenery-fest as Zion or Bryce Canyon, but still nice. One special caveat: it's a desert steep-walled canyon (for the first day's part of it, that is), so you absolutely, positively must check with the ranger station in Utah before you start the first day, and get through the narrow part also on the first day (maybe 7-10 miles, but my memory is very foggy on this). Late summer storms can put a 40-foot wall of water, trees, and boulders through that slot canyon part. After the slot-canyon part, it widens out considerably, with plenty of good places to camp. There are a few hard-core distance running types who do the whole thing in one day with just a daypack or fanny-pack. I mention it because it's a pretty well-kept secret.
 
Thanks for all the great suggestions fellas. After talking it over with my better half and telling her some of your suggestions, she thinks the white mountains sound like a nice trip that fits the bill.

Now the fun part, I get to pull out all the "toys" and decide what's going with me :D

Gautier
 
Hey if your heading to the White Mountains check out the July 2007 issue of Arizona Highways. They just did a huge write up about the Whites. Lists fishing spots, etc. A lot of the whites (most I think) is Apache reservation, so the normal laws of the land do not apply there, check first.

www.arizonahighways.com
 
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