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High Desert suggestions for summer camping


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#1 SkyP

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 12:32 AM

My 14 yr old grandson and I are heading out from SC in about a month-  first stop is Cape Canaveral to watch a Saturn V rocket launch.

Then we'll be heading west- he wants to go to "deserts"......really?? in the middle of summer??  :lol:

 

We hit Death Valley a few years ago when it was 128F- not fun IMO. Glad we did but don't want to do it again.  That was on an almost 10,000 mi month long trip where we hit 11 National Parks.

 

 

 

Will be in a 4wd Crew Cab 6.5 bed F150 with a 2.5" front lift and full skid plates, toting an ATC Panther.

 

Would prefer to do all dispersed camping- we'll see.   Last year was pretty crowded even with covid.

 I expect it to be worse this year.

 

Any suggestions on high desert areas that wouldn't be so blame hot? 

 


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#2 OutToLunch

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 02:57 AM

Great Basin National Park in Nevada.  I have camped both in the park and east of the park in Utah.  Great Basin is pretty awesome and pretty isolated.
 

Also, the La Sal Mountains near Moab puts you in cooler camping while being near Arches National Park and Canyonlands.  I have camped up by Geyser Pass and also on the western Loop Road below in the scrub forest with great views of multiple ridge lines to the west.

 

There is always the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Dispersed camping outside the park in the National Forest.  It is 8,000 feet and less visited than the south rim.  


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#3 SkyP

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 05:41 AM

Thanks- Great Basin- good suggestion- have not been there yet.

I've been to Geyser Pass on a dual sport motorcycle a few years ago- didn't even think about that.
Was attending a dual sport event at 3 Step Hideaway near LaSal UT- BTW a great place to stay and great food.

North Rim- hmmmm... leaving USFS DeMotte Campground early one morning in 2016 with my grandson we hit a mule deer doing $3K damage to my Transit van.

We were lucky we weren't injured- dang deer who darted out apparently tried to jump OVER the van when he realized we were gonna hit him.
His head smashed the windshield directly in front of my face! Could have been very bad if I'd been going faster. Also took off my driver's side mirror, smashing the hood, door and left front fender.

Try driving a panel van with no left side windows and now without an outside mirror 100 mi to the nearest auto parts store to cobble on a generic mirror...closest place with a windshield in stock was Phoenix- fun times- not!
Ironic thing was the night before we had attended a campfire program about condors and it was pointed out that road kill was their major food source. We did our part for the condor buffet- yay.. :wacko:

Thanks for the Great Basin suggestion- off to research that!

Edited by SkyP, 22 May 2021 - 05:54 AM.

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96 F350 4x4  99 FWC Grandby Shell (sold)

15 Aliner Scout

18 Camplite 16TBS


#4 AWG_Pics

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 03:40 PM

You may get a good desert fix at the new White Sands National Park in New Mexico. From there you could drive up to the Very Large Array for a dose of cool air and high tech space exploration interest -- and there is quite a bit of public land and dispersed camping in that general area. From there you may wish to head over to the https://www.american...l_monument.html in Arizona. You and your son may enjoy going to the https://www.desertmuseum.org/ in Tucson. It packs a lot of desert into a one day walk about. From there you may have had enough heat and head up onto the much cooler Mogollon Rim to meteor crater and the Petrified forest National Park. Just north of Flagstaff is the Wupatki National Monument for a good look at some ancient Puebloan ruins (if you PM me, I will share a couple of very nice underused boondocking sites near there.)

 

This is a start. I have many more places to recommend that you and a teenager may find fun and interesting.

 

Whatever you do, have fun.

 

Tony


Edited by AWG_Pics, 22 May 2021 - 03:42 PM.

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#5 Wandering Sagebrush

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 04:10 PM

North of White Sands is the Three Rivers National Petroglyph Site, with something like 22,000 documented glyphs.   You can (as of the last time we visited) camp there.

 

Further north are the three Salinas Pueblo Missions that were abandoned in the 1780s.  No nearby camping that I am aware of.

 

Another vote for Wupatki NM that Tony mntioned.


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#6 ski3pin

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 05:38 PM

Chaco Culture National Historical Park


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#7 OutToLunch

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 06:50 PM

Add to the list:

 

House Rock Road which connects 89A (Arizona) with 89 (Utah). Buckskin Gulch hike is into a nice slot canyon.

 

Cottonwood Wash road north of 89 in Utah up to Kodachrome Basin State Park.

 

Valley of the Gods and Comb Ridge.  If Valley of Gods is crowded you could drive up the Mogi Dugway, take a left on Miley Point Road and camp up on the Mesa or drive out the Johns Canyon Road which puts you on a ledge between with the Mesa towering behind you.  If you’re in the area, I recommend the Comb Ridge Cafe in Bluff.


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#8 Wandering Sagebrush

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 06:50 PM

Hovenweep National Monument is another Ancient Pueblo Peoples site that is well worth the visit.


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#9 AWG_Pics

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 07:48 PM

 

 

Add to the list:

 

House Rock Road which connects 89A (Arizona) with 89 (Utah). Buckskin Gulch hike is into a nice slot canyon.

 

Cottonwood Wash road north of 89 in Utah up to Kodachrome Basin State Park.

 

Valley of the Gods and Comb Ridge.  If Valley of Gods is crowded you could drive up the Mogi Dugway, take a left on Miley Point Road and camp up on the Mesa or drive out the Johns Canyon Road which puts you on a ledge between with the Mesa towering behind you.  If you’re in the area, I recommend the Comb Ridge Cafe in Bluff.

 

 

Hovenweep National Monument is another Ancient Pueblo Peoples site that is well worth the visit.

 

These are all excellent suggestions!


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#10 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 22 May 2021 - 09:14 PM

Kodachrome Basin is a nice spot but it probably gets crowded

during the summer time.

Not sure about the temp we visited in October and it was very fall like.

 

Bryce Canyon is near by so Kodachrome might get more visitors.

 

It has nice sites and seems quiet. And it's a beautiful spot.

Frank


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