Utah base camp?
Any info on experiences on how to see Utah without moving the trailer every night. Coming from the west. Typical route: Zion, Monument Valley, Moab, etc. I have done this trip on a motorcycle staying...
Forum Discussion
SteveAE wrote:
Maybe it would help to know what you are interested in. We like to hike and explore ruins in the less crowded (and often more remote) areas. In addition we like to have our dog with us which tends to put us on BLM, National Forest, and National Monument land. So our usual haunts are the Escalante area, Arizona Strip, San Raffel Swell, Comb Ridge/Cedar Mesa, and Moab areas. There are great places in any of these locations to set up a base camp from which to explore. But first you have to decide what you are interested in (i.e.; the ruins tend to concentrate in the SE corner of the state where the best slickrock hiking tends to be a little further north. Exploring these areas tends to take a bit of adventure as there are few marked (or even identified) trails. But for those who have the skill and willingness to explore, the rewards are great.
If, on the other hand, you are into National Parks (and all their accompanying rules), there are plenty of those in Utah as well. Trails in the parks will be better marked ..... and traveled.
I suggest you start with this book.
Hope this helps,
Steve
X2! Even if you aren't a photographer, this series will introduce you to some of the most gorgeous locations plus some historical and cultural sights. The series has: Oregon, Washington, Northern California, New Mexico/Colorado, Arizona with Southern California due out in 2014 sometime. They cover the national parks plus off the beaten path locales such as the Wave, White Pocket, San Rafael Swell, etc. As a photographer, I use them for reference and to explore the vicinities.
Like Steve, we tend to explore the backroads of BLM, USFS, state parks and monuments because our dog is with us and he is restricted to campgrounds and parking lots at the national parks.
Bryce would be central to Zion, Bryce, Kodachrome SP and Cedar breaks. Ruby's I have heard is good. It depends on how far you want to drive. You are from the west; you know how vast the distances are. Pick where you want to visit, draw a circle of how far you want to travel then pick a centrally located CG. We like to spend more that one or two nights so camp more closely to our chosen target.
Happy tails.
