Moki Dugway or Canyon de Chelly
Embarking on a two month TC adventure this Spring and will be at Monument Valley in early May. Upon leaving Monument Valley we are going to Moab and thought about driving the Moki Dugway on our way up...
Forum Discussion
The Cottonwood campground is better IF your criteria is more services.
But it has a major road that was busy all day and into the night that is just off the campground map, by the group campgrounds. You see the cars and you hear the cars all day. There is also a stop sign just out of your view along this road that causes a regular backup of cars that sit there in your field of view.
Cottonwood has good shading but the trees are all tall and provide no visual buffer between sites. In fact, you can stand at any site in the CG and see any other site. Zero privacy.
And the campground has a tremendous ant problem. Keep an eye on your youngsters and dont leave anything out for a second. Even keeping a clean camp, the ants are everywhere. Many looked like fire ants or at least red ants.
The Spider Rock campground had more appeal to me, as a TC guy who boondocks a lot. It did have bathrooms and trash service but I am not sure about services beyond that. I did not stay there, just drove several loops. It has growth that does provide some visual buffer between sites. I cant recall if the growth is enough to provide shade or not.
Ultimately, if your plan is to hire a tour into the canyon, then Cottonwood is your best choice. Most tours meet their clients at the visitor center. But if you arent doing that, I'd take in the drive along that rim out to Spider Rock and stay out there. It would be a GREAT site if the moon is prominent the evenings you are there.
But it has a major road that was busy all day and into the night that is just off the campground map, by the group campgrounds. You see the cars and you hear the cars all day. There is also a stop sign just out of your view along this road that causes a regular backup of cars that sit there in your field of view.
Cottonwood has good shading but the trees are all tall and provide no visual buffer between sites. In fact, you can stand at any site in the CG and see any other site. Zero privacy.
And the campground has a tremendous ant problem. Keep an eye on your youngsters and dont leave anything out for a second. Even keeping a clean camp, the ants are everywhere. Many looked like fire ants or at least red ants.
The Spider Rock campground had more appeal to me, as a TC guy who boondocks a lot. It did have bathrooms and trash service but I am not sure about services beyond that. I did not stay there, just drove several loops. It has growth that does provide some visual buffer between sites. I cant recall if the growth is enough to provide shade or not.
Ultimately, if your plan is to hire a tour into the canyon, then Cottonwood is your best choice. Most tours meet their clients at the visitor center. But if you arent doing that, I'd take in the drive along that rim out to Spider Rock and stay out there. It would be a GREAT site if the moon is prominent the evenings you are there.
