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Luc Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 1674 | TRs | Pics Location: accepting wise-cracks like no other |
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Luc
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Thu Apr 30, 2020 4:14 pm
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Law-permitting, I'm heading out again this summer on a 2mo road trip with my young daughter. We've hit so many spots in the west, that we're now venturing farther east this year, trying to avoid the busier spots and of course visitor centers. We will be equip to spend weeks off-grid if needed.
Our two main ideas are the Bighorns WY, and less touristy spots in CO.
Anyone have some location suggestions or logistics tips? I've never really been through CO.
I'm still researching (a little late, because virus distractions....) but I'm thinking the Medicine Bow-Routt, Grand Mesa, and San Juan areas. Specifically campgrounds that don't party too hard, have access to water (lk/riv) for recreation, and are within a reasonable distance to other destinations with similar activities (hike, fish, explore). Hopefully we'll spend about a week in each spot.
Any locations or tips appreciated. Fingers crossed it can happen!
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16088 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
Check out the Overlander App. It specializes in boondock camping but also lists regular campgrounds. We used it a lot this spring check the reviews to see if things have changed. We usually avoid organized camps. We got a 4 wheel camper last year. In general we avoid 70 in Colorado but a lot of the high country is deep under snow.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Randito Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 9495 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
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Thu Apr 30, 2020 5:14 pm
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2nd the rec for the iOverlander app. I used it with good results living in my RV for 8 months.
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Luc Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 1674 | TRs | Pics Location: accepting wise-cracks like no other |
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Luc
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Fri May 01, 2020 12:32 pm
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I will check out that app today, thank you!
I usually stuck to established camps because my daughter is only 7.5yo
She can totally crap in the woods, no problem. It's mostly about whom I could encounter out there, while parenting. Now, I may have it totally backwards and dispersed might actually have a more reliably respectable patronage than established camps. Y/N?
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Randito Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 9495 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
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Fri May 01, 2020 1:43 pm
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From my full time RV experience where I did a mix of free camping, state park camping and a little bit RV park camping (RV parks only in Baja) I've joined a number of #VanLife forums. #VanLife currently has a number of additional challenges:
1) Day use areas or at least their public restrooms are closed.
2) public camp grounds are closed.
3) Nationwide gym memberships (e.g. Planet Fitness) that #ValLife people use for showers and such are closed.
4) Dine-in restaurants and their bathrooms are closed.
5) A significant increase in hostility and vandalism toward #VanLife people, particularly vehicles with out of state plates.
Hopefully issues 1-4 will have been reduced by summer by an easing of the severity of the pandemic and restrictions deemed necessary. However, I think it will take longer for issue #5 to reduce -- especially if continued high unemployment results in newly homeless people living in their vehicles out of desperation rather than choice.
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Luc Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 1674 | TRs | Pics Location: accepting wise-cracks like no other |
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Luc
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Fri May 01, 2020 1:59 pm
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I'm not really concerned about #1 - sun shower works for me, rubbermaid tub works for the youngster.
#2 - I'm booking sites anyway, in hopes that things are open. Actually double-booking some, and will release the overlaps with many weeks for others to snatch them up.
#3 - same as #1. Although the Pinedale public pool complex sure did come in handy last summer.
#4 - fine with that. I'm confident that some will be open here and there, if I'm up for the skeeve-factor. Restaurants we usually frequent on our trips are taco trucks, makes for an easy burrito dinner later in the day. Cold burrito, no problem.
#5 - now that's my main concern with dispersed. Good points there regarding the current state of personal economics and what inspires people to break into camps. And good to know there's a yokal vibe - that's kind of what I had suspected. Maybe I could just put a bunch of regional bumper stickers all over my truck. JK, I like to keep my truck's value up on the higher end
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Randito Snarky Member
Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 9495 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue at the moment. |
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Randito
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Fri May 01, 2020 2:19 pm
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FWIW: One of the reports of vandalism occurred while someone's van was parked in a motel parking lot where they were renting a room for the night enroute back to mom and dad's house. The vandals unscrewed the valves from their tires. They were grateful that the vandals did that rather than slash the tires -- but the message from the locals was clear -- move on.
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Luc Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 1674 | TRs | Pics Location: accepting wise-cracks like no other |
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Luc
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Fri May 01, 2020 2:28 pm
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Well this definitely compels me to stay in established camps - if open.
Typical vandalism/theft, while likely on the rise, is a risk I'm used to considering. Even in a motel or grocery store parking lot.
I wonder how wide spread the "don't come here" crimes really are, and if they will decrease if/when the data and policies around the pandemic let up some.
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80skeys Member
Joined: 22 Jul 2019 Posts: 183 | TRs | Pics
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80skeys
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Sat May 23, 2020 3:46 pm
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Luc wrote: | Anyone have some location suggestions or logistics tips? I've never really been through CO. |
Once you get a few hours outside Denver things get much sparser with a couple exceptions. The main exceptions that come to mind are the campgrounds in and around South Fork. Those have been crowded the times I've gone through them. Obviously the main ski resorts, Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge.
I used to live in Grand Junction. Grand Mesa is a good choice for you. Medicine bow is pretty sparse. As are the Sangre de Cristos in the southern part of the state. Also the Conejos area and in general the south San Juans near New Mexico. Any of those would be good choices for you.
The San Juans are a vast wildneress, it's easy to find solitude the farther you get into them.
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Luc Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 1674 | TRs | Pics Location: accepting wise-cracks like no other |
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Luc
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Sat May 23, 2020 3:54 pm
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Excellent.
We have a week at shepherds rim, and then another week in grand mesa, then yet another week in San juans, mostly fist come or dispersed there. Will definitely look into the southerly recs as we'll be heading south after that, then west, meandering home.
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80skeys Member
Joined: 22 Jul 2019 Posts: 183 | TRs | Pics
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80skeys
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Tue May 26, 2020 9:03 am
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Luc wrote: | Will definitely look into the southerly recs |
Take a look at the Antonito/Conejos area on the Colorado side. And if you're planning to head into NM (my home state), take a look at Chama. The highway from Antonito to Chama goes up and over the South San Juans and there may be sites along this route (last time I was there was in the middle of winter for snowmobiling so I don't recall if there were campgrounds).
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Cyclopath Faster than light
Joined: 20 Mar 2012 Posts: 7694 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
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Tue May 26, 2020 10:28 am
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Luc Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 1674 | TRs | Pics Location: accepting wise-cracks like no other |
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Luc
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Sun Aug 23, 2020 6:29 pm
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Woaaah doggy! Just got back from this 9 week trip.
Besides various pit-stops we hit:
WY Bighorns North (1 week)
WY Bighorns South (1 week)
Black Hills SD (5 days unplanned over the July 4th weekend, fully masked and hunkered down)
Flat Tops CO (1.5 weeks)
Grand Mesa CO (1 week)
Silverjack CO (1.5 weeks, south of the Gunnison)
Capitol Reef UT (1 week, actually Aquarius Plateau)
Green River Lakes WY (1 week)
Thanks for all the suggestions. By the time we got home, things were so smokey you could hardly see.
Some takeaways:
• Covid has significantly crowded the lesser visited frontcountry spots.
• Many more reservoirs than expected, which makes for muddy lakeshores
• It seems that there was a lot more open range areas, which is fine, but a lot of them went right down to the lakeshores. So, some lakes looks a bit like poop-soup.
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Luc Member
Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 1674 | TRs | Pics Location: accepting wise-cracks like no other |
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Luc
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Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:04 pm
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This year hoping to hit some spots in northern NM.
Valles Caldera seems cool but not many campgrounds. There are also a number of private reserves, like Rio Costilla, but it's kind of difficult to get information on them.
Any tips or secret spots appreciated!
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16088 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
NM a few areas:
Rio Grande del Norte lots of BLM campgrounds cheap some with showers canyon hiking
Around Los Alamos good stores in town interesting museum on nuclear history lesser known WA have unexcavated ruins
Chako canyon NM crowded but boondocking on oil roads amazing ruins
Angel Peak great views
Carlsbad Cavers NP if you like caves close to Guadalupe Peak NP Texas less crowded
Pueblo Villages interesting tours
Too many others to list
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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