utah camping off 15

[candyman]

hey all,
heading out next week to LA from MT. Passing thru UT on 15 and will need to find a "decent" camping option relatively close to 15. looking south of Nephi to George area. any input would great, otherwise i will truck stop it since it is just for the night. i dont need stellar camping, just something to pop the top, let the dog run, sleep and get up and go
thanks

[Rhinoculips]

Quail Creek State Park Campground is 15-20 miles before you get to St. George. Less than 5 miles east of I-15. If memory serves me, you will need to take the Hurricane exit.

Google it for more exact directions.
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“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” - Edward Abbey

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[Sheesh]

http://www.utah.com/stateparks/fremont.htm

Get off on either 70 or 50 (depending if you are going north or south) and head to Richfield, make a semi-loop back to 15.
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1982 Westy, 2.0L AC CA emissions

[pushkick]

my favorite place to camp is Zion nation park there is some great hiking and some spectacular views. you can stay outside the park on camp in the park. either way it is a great place. the narrows and the hike to the top of the park is spectacular. if you dont have time to hike at least stop and see the lodge and see the short film of the park.
http://www.zionlodge.com/Zion-Geology-5627.html

[Mr. Electric Wizard]

Zion rules!
Pretty much my favorite place on the planet.
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[Sheesh]

Zion is overrun.

The best NP site in S. Utah is Natural Bridges NM. Second place is Capitol Reef NP. Bringing up the rear are the dirt-road locations of Glen Canyon NRA.

Honorable mention is the Serengeti-like plain north of the Bryce Turnoff.
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1982 Westy, 2.0L AC CA emissions

[pushkick]

bryce canyon doesnt compare to zion in my opinion. natural bridges is nice and less traveled. but i have hiked many trails in zion by myself with seeing no one else for the whole day. just depends when you go. if you really want to see some place special the ultimate is havasu and moonie falls on the south rim but you cant take your van, it is a 12 mile hike in to the camping area.

[Mr. Electric Wizard]

[GWTWTLW]

[Sheesh]

I believe you can car camp most anywhere that isn't posted "No Camping" in Glen Canyon NRA. This is particularly true around the Halls Crossing side. That said, the surrounding BLM land is also very nice.

The best bets in my opinion are:

* Starr Springs Campground. This is a BLM campground on the south flank of Mt. Hillers not far from Bullfrog.

* There are MANY car camping possibilities all around the Henry's. I see that you have a Syncro and I highly encourage you to take some time hanging out there. Take the trip over the top to the "trail" to Mt. Ellen (high point in the Henry's with 200 mile plus views on clear days). You can camp in the pass (and, you might see buffalo, as they were transplanted there in the '50s from Yellowstone stock and have done quite well. In fact, this is the largest free roaming herd in the country).

* There are several informal campsites along the Burr Trail / Notom-Bullfrog road along the "lake" after leaving Bullfrog. If you look at the maps, you'll note that the road comes very close to the lake in several spots before climbing out of Bullfrog Creek (that also has a few spots). Bullfrog Creek itself is a pretty nice hike to the tamarisk/bathtub line.

* Although you will be poaching and unlikely be caught, another great spot is the trail head to Halls Creek in Capitol Reef NP. Super views and a fabulous hike to Brimhall Bridge and the Halls Creek Narrows if you have time.

* Around the Bullfrog development, you will note several cherry stem roads to the south, one of which goes to a promontory by the lake. These can also be quite nice.

* If you are heading out the Burr Trail, the Circle Cliffs just outside of Capitol Reef are fabulous. While there are a couple of campgrounds down the road close to Boulder, there are also a few well maintained dirt roads that lead to great car camping possibilities: To the south Little Death Hollow (narrows/petroglyphs) and Wolverine Canyon (petrified wood)[both canyons can be made a loop day trip hike), and Moody canyons - and to the north several dead-end roads that lead to nice family camping in the PJ (if you hike to the top of most any of the mesas in the area you will find well weathered Anasazi ruins).

* Finally and not near Bullfrog, the Smoky Mountain Road from Escalante/Hole in the Rock Road to Wahweep over the west end of the Kaiparowits is the best car camping in Glen Canyon. Long, beautiful, full of geology, ruins, glyphs and off trail hiking - a wonderful experience.

Remember and probably no surprise: The area around Bullfrog is HOT, HOT, HOT in the summer. The Circle Cliffs probably 10-20 degrees cooler.

Hope this has helped and have fun!
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1982 Westy, 2.0L AC CA emissions

[GWTWTLW]

Awesome!! Thanks!!

If it works out, I will definitely file a trip report with pics. It is all going to depend on how my wife's back is doing after 10 days of camping in Telluride. I really want to show my son Monument Valley too and camp either on The Valley of The Gods road or at the top of Muley Point. The possibilities are endless!
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89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw

[Mr. Electric Wizard]

[914 mike]

Yep....there is a great road that goes from Natural Bridges to Mexican Hat. Goosenecks is about 3 miles from the junction of the road heading to mex Hat. Monument Valley is on the way out of Mex hat.

Mike

[GWTWTLW]

[914 mike]

Dont remember the number right off the top.....261 sounds right. Its paved 90% of the way. Around the part where it drops off the plateu, its dirt. Very passable in just about any vehicle.

Mike

[GWTWTLW]

That's 261. The Mokey Dugway is the unpaved part.
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89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw

[Sheesh]

Want a "secret" alternative to Muley Point? What I think is one of the best car camping places in the country?

You need a 4WD to get there. A Syncro should be fine.

At mile marker 16 on 261, there is a dirt two-track that skirts the south end of Lime Canyon. Take this road all the way to the end. There are only two relatively minor areas of concern: One about 1/4 of the way in you will find a small number of rock ledges to crawl over (not too tough, even in a Subaru); the other almost at the end of the road, a sand trap with a turn that you should have no problem motoring through. Just before the sand trap is a midden (Anasazi garbage dump) that the road runs right through.

The road ends at a campsite that overlooks Valley of the Gods, 2,500' below. Your views stretch to all four corners, from the San Juans to Shiprock to Monument Valley and the San Franciscos. Don't forget to load up on PJ for fire wood. The camping area has a stretch of undulating slickrock from it about 3 football fields to the rim. At sunset, you will be able to make 100' or more long shadows with the kids (or other people you are with). Lots of fun to play with a bicycle. Walking around you will find numerous artifacts.

In good weather, it takes about 45 minutes of slow driving to get there from 261. You should have the site all to yourself.

BTW: The BLM 1:100,000 maps are great for showing the dirt roads in the area. I encourage you to get all 8 or so for southern Utah.
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1982 Westy, 2.0L AC CA emissions

[GWTWTLW]

So is the turnoff north or south of the Mokey Dugway? Which way would you turn? Thanks again!
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89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw

[Sheesh]

North of the Dugway, head east on the two-track around MM16.


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1982 Westy, 2.0L AC CA emissions

[GWTWTLW]

Cool! I see it on google maps.
Thx!
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89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw