Plans Changed - Moab Bound

mrfritz44

Advanced Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
40
My son asked that go a bit further and hit Moab this spring instead of Colorado. I camped with him and others about ten years ago on the Canyonlands Overlook on BLM land where we could drive almost to the edge of the cliff and it was spectacular.

We're looking for a similar experience this year, but my we'd like to go on a long offroad trip to get to a campsite, have a campfire, and not be bound by permits in our tiny time window given the volatility of the weather.

The 20 mile dispersed camping limitation around Moab is putting a damper on our planning as the permits are pretty much gone, but I'm hopeful someone here knows and would be willing to share a spot to camp in this way for a single night that brings together offroading on easy to moderate routes, the flexibility of true BLM camping, and the campsite scenery of or close to the Canyonland Overlook.

Thanks for all of your help over the years,

Fred
 
"The 20 mile dispersed camping limitation around Moab"...news to me, last time we were in Moab was end of Feb 2020 when we spent 5 nights on White Rim Trail...Moab was a frickin zoo!

Who enforces this exclusion zone? Surely not BLM.....
 
I got it from this site, although I also have a Funtreks guide that specifies the same:

https://www.foxintheforest.net/blm-camping-moab/

"When you’re camping in and around Moab, it’s important that you know and follow all the rules and regulations of the area to protect the land and access to it. First and foremost, in the town of Moab and within 20 miles of city limits, camping is only allowed in developed campgrounds."

I hope you're right, and it seems silly to extend that far from Moab given all of the potential options.
 
"Fox" may be as she proclaims a desert and Moab expert....and of course selling her guide....but for me that area now is a no-go due to huge number of idiots on ORVs that are rented in Moab storming along off road and the crush of 'vacationers' anxiously swarming the area. curious now and I will call BLM to confirm this edict. Too much for me; OK for others.

Face it folks, with increased population and affluence, most primitive areas are no longer.....over use? Sure. Solution? No real viable ones. Locking people out and stifling travel with permits and a laundry list of regulations is the vogue as it relieves the administrators of responsibility to protect and places that on the end users...us. Sadly, the herd mostly only cares about themselves and not sustaining or protecting anything.

Crap, maybe I am just an old man who is jaundiced and grumpy! Our upcoming 30 days trip in Nevada, Arizona and Utah off road, will I hope prove me wrong; "Hey, I could be wrong".....but check out the glut of people on OHVs that swarm Tuweep [we have 7 day CG permit there; if the road opens] on the GCNP website. Necessitating a limited number of daily use permits and camping permit system at Tuweep.
 
I will be in the area the last two weeks in april, sand flats road has options, but if you want any type of solitude your going to have to get away from moab sadly. I will be taking my jeep and tenting this goround, have a list of trails/camping that i am scoping out for this trip and future trips in my bigger setup. Brainstorming helps. Maybe a PM?
and i get the irritation with the side by sides, they can be a menace, which is why i am selling mine.
 
I understand that the abandoned uranium shafts and tailings around the area are still usually vacant and available for camping. Still less radioactive than most of the tourists crushing against each other in town. Moab used to be a great place back in the 80's. Spent a lot of time in the outdoors there . It's kind of ridiculous and expensive now. Sorry don't mean to douse any excitement but going during the week instead of the weekend will definitely increase your enjoyment by an order of magnitude.
 

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