Moderators Popular Post Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Moderators Popular Post Share Posted November 18, 2020 For those who are new to dry camping and wonder why folks camp without hookups let's post some pictures of places we've boondocked to give and idea of what we're talking about. This is Agguire Spring Campground outside of White Sands NP. It's a BLM campground at about 6K'. You can see WSNP about 20 miles in the distance. 16 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 18, 2020 This is Franklin Mountain State Park outside of El Paso. There are only 6 sites. 14 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 18, 2020 Quartzsite, AZ, Dome Rock. In January there is a big RV show in town followed by a Fiberglass rally at Dome Rock. BLM dispersed camping. Find a spot and camp! 12 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Popular Post Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Popular Post Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is south west Arizona. Edited November 20, 2020 by Mike and Carol 16 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 18, 2020 Joshua Tree NP, Indian Cove campground. 14 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) This is Red Canyon campground just outside of Bryce Canyon NP. It's a FS campground. Edited November 20, 2020 by Mike and Carol 13 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 18, 2020 This is a BLM area outside of Goblin State Park in Utah. We couldn't get a spot in the park, so went just a few miles away where there is a lot of BLM land with free dispersed camping. 1 11 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 18, 2020 This is Gros Ventre Campground in Grand Teton NP. We had nice fall weather for a few days before it got cold. 11 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) This is at Two Medicine campground at Glacier NP. Edited November 20, 2020 by Mike and Carol 1 11 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time2Go! Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) Gorgeous! Thanks so much for posting these. For those of us who have never boondocked it's hard to imagine what to expect. I thought it was all just dispersed camping but now I see there are real campsites available at some places just no services. This makes me feel better. Although I do look forward to camping out in nature with the great views like you have shown. Cindy & Charlie Edited November 18, 2020 by Time2Go! 4 Charlie & Cindy / Cleburne, TX / 2021 Elite II Hull #743 / 2013 Ford F250 Diesel 4WD Supercab States we've camped in our Oliver: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairon Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) Thanks for the beautiful pictures and locations. I hope this thread keeps going for as long as the forum exists. 😀 Edited November 18, 2020 by Jairon 3 2019 Toyota Land Cruiser 2021 Oliver Elite II, Hull #748 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 I'd always thought "boondocking" referred to dispersed camping - i.e. using places where it's legal to camp but not in an established campground, and campingin a campground w/o hookups was "dry camping." But I'm happy to go with the local flow here on this forum and thread - the point in this threat being places where you'll be happy you have a camper that lets you break free of hookups! Here are a few views from a sweet dispersed site on BLM land just east of Capitol Reef NP off of the Notom Road. There are SO many spots like this near CR and also the Grand Staircase Escalante NM. 13 1 Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Here's a shot of a "dry camp" site at one of the established campgrounds in Valley of Fire State Park in NV. It was really sweet, tucked into a very private alcove with the only sign of nearby campers around the corner being the light of their fire glowing on the red rock pillars as you see in the shot of the site. I arrived at the park early enough on a Friday to get one of the more sweet (for me at least) sites, even though the CG was already well more than half full. I'd just been in some more remote parts of UT so the busy-ness of VoF was a little startling at times though I could quickly get away from all that just by heading out on some of the great trails there, and even more so by going cross country (with GPS app and downloaded maps just in case!) across the lovely sandstone there. This site was also a lovely refuge from the LA crowds. 8 1 Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 18, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 18, 2020 7 minutes ago, Jim_Oker said: I'd always thought "boondocking" referred to dispersed camping - i.e. using places where it's legal to camp but not in an established campground, and campingin a campground w/o hookups was "dry camping." But I'm happy to go with the local flow here on this forum and thread - the point in this threat being places where you'll be happy you have a camper that lets you break free of hookups! Jim, technically you are probably right. A lot of folks use "boondocking", "dry camping" and "no hookups" interchangeably. The pictures I posted are mostly campgrounds with no hookups but some are dispersed areas. I guess the idea is to show new campers the different camping possibilities outside of FHU campgrounds. Mike 1 4 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Just now, Mike and Carol said: I guess the idea is to show new campers the different camping possibilities outside of FHU campgrounds. Yeah I get it, and am playing along. I bring up the lexical discussion just in case anyone else has read definitions along the lines of what I'm familiar with, in hopes of helping reduce confusion. And yeah, now and then I end up next to hookups - in my camper van (from which I've removed the water tank in favor of using that under-seat storage space and instead using portable containers...) at most I'll connect to the electric post if I think my battery may not be full from driving. But for the most part those are the campgrounds I use while trying to make time from point a to point b. Most of the "destination" campgrounds I've used have no hookups - Deadhorse Point and also Snow Canyon in UT are among the relatively rare exceptions I can think of (both fantastic spots btw!). 1 Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) Here's a typical very campable roadside pullout in the Valley of the Gods in southeast Utah. There are also a handful of spur roads with quite sweet sites along them. Nearby Muley Point also has great sites though perhaps more appropriate for a camper van than for a travel trailer (when I was there two years ago I honestly didn't look with "travel trailer" in mind so I'm not sure - it's a funky road to get up there and I'm not sure what turnarounds are like at the top... BUT down in VOTG there are a ton of options and no sweat for any trailer setup that you're willing to take on a dirt road that gets a tad bumpy). Edited November 18, 2020 by Jim_Oker 1 Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 Here are a few shots from a yearly group camp and ski long weekend with some ski touring buddies. We are at one of several dispersed camp sites along the North Fork of the Teanaway River just outside of Cle Elum WA. There's a good trailer turnaround at camp Wahoo a bit north of here and its also possible to turn around at the end of the road IF people haven't been parking like idiots there (which is sadly becoming more common in the Cascades). We had no trouble claiming this large site mid week in early May just after the road had melted out but competition gets more fierce in mid summer. 3 Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 And back on dry camping at established sites, this is the middle of the South campground in Zion NP. I scored this site mid afternoon in early November two years ago. There's not much privacy there but the setting is stunning and it's super convenient to the shuttle buses that take you to the valley as well as to restaurants and other services in Springdale. I've also stayed a night in a well used dispersed camping spot twenty minutes east of Springdale which the info desk rangers there will happily tell you about. The next morning I got in a Friday before holiday weekend (memorial day, not my best timed trip to an NP ever but it was still a fantastic visit) line to score a site here in South which I used for four or five nights back in 2016. South has since been put in the reservation system I think. 4 Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray and Susan Huff Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 6 hours ago, Mike and Carol said: Joshua Tree NP, Indian Cove campground. This reminds me of camping at City of Rocks, ID. 3 hours ago, Jim_Oker said: Here's a shot of a "dry camp" site at one of the established campgrounds in Valley of Fire State Park in NV. It was really sweet, tucked into a very private alcove with the only sign of nearby campers around the corner being the light of their fire glowing on the red rock pillars as you see in the shot of the site. I arrived at the park early enough on a Friday to get one of the more sweet (for me at least) sites, even though the CG was already well more than half full. I'd just been in some more remote parts of UT so the busy-ness of VoF was a little startling at times though I could quickly get away from all that just by heading out on some of the great trails there, and even more so by going cross country (with GPS app and downloaded maps just in case!) across the lovely sandstone there. This site was also a lovely refuge from the LA crowds. Love your night shots. I just can't seem to get those . . . . 3 Ray and Susan Huff Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020 2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab 1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack 2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 (edited) I've heard City of Rocks is lovely. I want to hit it sometime on my way down to UT but so far haven't been willing to divert quite that far off the superhighway. I've only been as far as Bruneau Dunes (no CG shot but here's a shot from the top of the dunes; the CG in October was very much "boondocking" in the sense used in this thread). As for the night shots, I am using a fairly new full frame low noise sensor with camera on tripod and a tack sharp prime lens with a big maximum aperture. There are some good online tutorials explaining keys to shooting the night sky (often focused on the mikly way but those tips will help with any star shots) including the "500 rule" and so forth. A full frame sensor is not a must but it helps to have a relatively new and not too small sensor so that it won't have an outrageous level of "noise" when shooting at high ISO (like in the ballpark of ISO 3200). Edited November 18, 2020 by Jim_Oker Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainiac Posted November 18, 2020 Share Posted November 18, 2020 6 hours ago, Time2Go! said: For those of us who have never boondocked it's hard to imagine what to expect When we park out in the field, at home, technically we are boondocking. We have not plugged it in, at home, since bringing it home in 2017. Yet we can go down whenever we please, turn on a light, run water, watch TV, or read a book. Got to love the solar system. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 19, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 19, 2020 (edited) In between Arches NP and Canyonlands NP there are a bunch of BLM campgrounds and dispersed camping areas. This is Horsethief campground just outside of Canyonlands NP. Nice level sites with at table and fire ring. Vault toilets were very clean. Only about 15 minutes outside of Moab. Edited November 19, 2020 by Mike and Carol 6 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted November 19, 2020 Author Moderators Share Posted November 19, 2020 This is at the campground at Great Sand Dunes NP in Colorado. Easy walk to the sand dunes. 5 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 (edited) Here's the site I scored the first time I stayed at South campground in Zion NP. It was on the edge toward the Virgin River with some widely spaced walk in tent only sites out below and toward the river(phone panoramic photo is distorted mainking a relatively straight road look like it makes a 90 degree bend). This is a really sweet site. Edited November 20, 2020 by Jim_Oker 3 Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Oker Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 The middle photo was shot through the windshield while parked at a very nice dispersed camp spot just a bit south of Boulder UT, along the very cool and scenic hogsback feature that runs from Boulder south toward a crossing of the Escalante River. The other two shots were a few minutes away just before she after sunrise where I shot some photos and then made and ate breakfast with extremely scenic views. I like to have a kitchen with me in my van for after these dawn photo outings. I can think of many memorable breakfasts this way. 3 Jim and Yanna, Woodinville WA 2004 Ford E250 camper conversion Oliver Elite II hull #709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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