Utah Big 5 loop in Oct- no reservations??

[Fish_mojo]

We are palnning a trip through the "Big 5" national parks in October. Small C for travel. I was surprised to look on the RV reservation sites the NP campgrounds are almost all booked. I'm one who hates to be tied down to fixed itineraries that go with reservations of places I've never seen.

Who do you feel about winging it? Don't need full hook ups and can dry camp/ boondock as needed for occasional one-two niters. Don't want to get stuck without a place to stay either.

Thought?
Favorite Boondocking spots? Campgrounds?
ps- we do not care much for the mega-RV parks with 2 foot spacing and $50 overnight fees (no offense!)

[dahkota]

You can use USCampgrounds to find public campgrounds on the fly. Works great on a smart phone. It is my first 'go to' when we decide to visit an area.

We were in the Moab area in late September and the only places we had problems finding sites were Arches and Deadhorse Point state park.

[2gypsies1]

Here's an excellent BLM site for camping around Moab.

Moab BLM Camping

I honestly don't think that you'll have any trouble with your small Class C finding spots without reservations. We have done so with our 40' motorhome.

We toured the parks once again, last fall and we saw many spots open. Also, not all spots are reservable. Pull into the national parks in the morning when folks are leaving and you'll get a site. Have a good trip!

[2gypsies1]

May/June in Moab will be 100 degrees or more.

[sgrizzle]

Is it crazy to try and camp in the Moab area in late May/early June? I noticed several mentioned how great October is...Will the camper heat up so much during the day and not cool off well for sleep?

[Opie431]

We have made the circut several times in October and the only place we have had trouble finding a site has been in the Moab area.
Plan so that you arrive on Thursday to stay the weekend.
Make a list of all the National Forest campgrounds as well as BLM campgrounds so you have some place to go to if you cannot find a campsite in a National Park.
There are also some state parks along the way.

[IA_boy]

The response provided by "jolooote" is right on. This is a great part of the USA. Watchman CG at Zion might require a reservation but there are plenty of Zion alternatives. Calf Creek CG and hike is wonderful.

[trailertraveler]

jolooote wrote:
...Near Bryce, about 10 miles west on Hyway 12 is a WONDERFUL little Nt'l Forest CG called Red Canyon...Further on Rt.12 Is possibly our VERY favorite CG called Calf Creek Falls...Farther up Rt.12 at the top of the climb across the east slope of Boulder Mtn. are 2 wonderful forest CGs...

In my experience, many of the seasonal Forest Service Campgrounds start to close in September/October. According to the Forest Camping website, Red Canyon Campground is open May 1-October 1. Singletree Campground on Boulder Mountain closes in Early September.

There are dispersed camping opportunities on the Dixie National Forest. You will need to get or download a copy of the current Motor Vehicle Use Map(MVUM) or contact the Forest to determine which roads are open to dispersed camping.

[washley1]

jolooote wrote:
About 5 miles down the hill from here is KodaChrome basin. Very nice hiking area. Water/Toilets only.

Actually, Kodachrome Basin has 5 or 6 very nice sites with water and electric, and you can reserve them. It's a great off the main road place to spend a few days and see Bryce.

[4runnerguy]

For the Moab area: there are a number of non-reservable BLM sites along the Colorado River (UT 128) upstream from Moab. Arrive by noon on a Sunday through Wednesday or Thursday and with some searching you'll find some sites. Further afield there is a BLM CG (Horsethief) on the way up to Canyonlands Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point SP. See here for a list of BLM CG's in the Moab area. Moab gets busy in October as it is a nice time of year and the jeepers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, ATV'ers all know this, so arriving on a Friday is pretty dicey.

At Zion, South CG doesn't take reservations, is right on the Virgin "River" and is within walking distance of the visitors center and shuttle bus stop (basically the only way up the canyon for most of us).

At Bryce, most sites aren't reservable esp. by October. We prefer North CG for its walking distance to the rim for great morning and evening strolls.

Capitol Reef CG doesn't take reservations and is nicely situated in an orchard.

I believe only Zion and a few sites at Bryce have minimal hookups, but dump stations are available in all the NP's I've listed (Arches and Canyonlands don't).

[jolooote]

Near Bryce, about 10 miles west on Hyway 12 is a WONDERFUL little Nt'l Forest CG called Red Canyon. One of our favorites in the whole USA. Water & updated pit toilets only. At Bryce we always stay at Ruby's Inn. Very nice, Full hookups. Everything U'll need in the area. About 5 miles down the hill from here is KodaChrome basin. Very nice hiking area. Water/Toilets only. North east on Rt.12 at the town of Escatante is a State Pk. CG. Water/Electric. Get groceries here. Further on Rt.12 Is possibly our VERY favorite CG called Calf Creek Falls. The sign says "Recommend less than 27' Rvs". We always find spots for our 34' Class'A' with a TOAD. Don't be afraid to drive thru the creek to the sites on the other loop. U should REALLY try to make the 3 mile, fairly flat, hike to the falls. Very famous. U've probably seen Pics of it. Just north of here is a nice little village of Boulder. For a Day trip, Ask locals of the Burr Trail road thru Long Canyon. One of the most beautiful short drives anywhere. Farther up Rt.12 at the top of the climb across the east slope of Boulder Mtn. are 2 wonderful forest CGs. Water/Pit toilets. At the town of Torrey are two Private CGs full hookups. Groceries in Torrey are very expensive. East of Torrey on Rt.24 is the great Nat'l Pk of Capital Reef. No entrance Fee. They have a very nice, shaded Cg called Fruita. 1st come/1st serve. Make sure to drive the old Capital Gorge road to its end than walk thru the canyon bottom about 1/2 mile to the old wall of Indian petroglyphs and early setler names & dates. On up Rt.24 heading to I-70 is Goblin Valley St.Pk. Water/Pit toilets. Very interesting...Spooky...rock formations. Ofcoarse the parks at Moab, Canyonlands & Arches are a whole nother story.

[Duke-44]

In October you shouldn't need reservations. I wouldn't lose sleep over it.

[mockturtle]

I don't make reservations, either. Go for it!

[K_Charles]

about 4 years ago our power was out at our house for 5 days with no sign of a repair truck so we went west without reservations. It was the first week of Sep. and when we got to Utah we stayed almost 2 months. We only found one place full but just down the road was a very nice place so no big deal.