Top 5 Things to See and Do in Southern Utah

May 16, 2018May 16, 2018

Top 5 Things to See and Do in Southern Utah

Utah is beautiful, mystifying, and captivating. These are our top-5 stops in Southern Utah. These might not be the most popular, but they are unique, creative, and rewarding experiences for the traveler that is looking to beat the crowds and still see amazing things.

Explore the Irish Slot Canyons

Utah is synonymous with canyoneering. Spend some time exploring the labyrinth of slot canyons along the highway near Hanksville, UT( Mile Marker 80.5 ish). You will be rewarded with amazing views, challenging climbs, and amazing solitude.

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument- Escalante, UT

Backpack in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Explorers that venture down Hole-in-the-Rock Road near Escalante, UT will be rewarded with nearly endless trails and awesome scenery. The overnighter that we chose followed Harris Wash to the Escalante River and back. We had the trail mostly to ourselves and got to hike in some of the most remote and scenic areas of the Monument.

Continue reading “Top 5 Things to See and Do in Southern Utah”

May 10, 2018

Every Once and a While, Do the Touristy Stuff!

Rachael and I are not very touristy people. We like to camp in the National Forest with few neighbors and even fewer utilities; this article is being written in a National Forest coincidently enough. We bike or drive into the National Parks before day-break so we can skip the crowds and still see the cool stuff. Although we are devoting almost all of our time to traveling the country and seeing a lot of attractions, I still wouldn’t classify us as “touristy”.

A week or so ago, we were backpacking in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and the hundreds of water crossings did a number on Rachael’s feet. She has blisters and bruising from her water shoes and we have Grand Canyon backpacking permits in a few weeks, so that meant we were taking it easy in Bryce Canyon (not an easy task for either of us).

Backpacking in Grand Staircase Escalante

With all of that being said, we did something very touristy in Bryce Canyon National Park, we took a bus-tour! And it paid off big-time!

We showed up in the park mid-morning on a weekday and signed up for the Rainbow Point Bus Tour. The tour is ran by the National Park Service and is completely FREE. They have numerous pick-ups at the area hotels and at Ruby’s Inn. The tour is 3-ish hours long and is the best thing that we did while in the Bryce Canyon area, see below for the worst thing we did in Bryce.

The worst thing that we did in Bryce was buying groceries at Ruby’s Inn. This tourist-trap gas station, mediocre restaurant and understocked grocery store are the reason that people visit the national park, then travel on to another area. My father has worked in retail my entire life and he has raised me to appreciate a good grocery store. This was not it. Expect to pay astronomical prices for the simplest of groceries…$1.50 for a (1) apple, $4.99 for an 8-slice pack of bologna, $9.00 for a (1) can of Coleman propane, insanity. We got the bare minimum that could get us by and got out! Stock up before you go to Bryce and don’t continue to make these people rich.

Back to the tour, more importantly the tour guide. April, with Canyon Fever Guides, provided us with one of the best tourist experiences that either of us have ever had. She was born nearby and has lived in the Bryce area for 35 years. All of that experience and family knowledge is passed on to you when you take her tour.

The tour winds through the various stopping points along the dead-end road that meanders through the park, with April giving excellent descriptions of the topography, the flora and fauna, and the rich history of the area surrounding the park. She even threw in some corny “dad” jokes throughout that Rachael really enjoyed. Once the tour was over, we couldn’t believe that it was FREE and available for anyone to sign up for. We highly encourage that you check out her guide service for your time in Bryce or at the very least, sign up for the Rainbow Point bus tour and ask for April!

We learned an important lesson through this tour and that is to not be a travel snob. When you live in your vehicle and you see beautiful things every day, it is easy to get caught up in judging the people that are simply trying to enjoy their 2-week vacation. As my wife likes to remind me, “at least they are outside”. There is truth to that, everyone deserves to enjoy the outdoors, regardless of how they choose to enjoy it. Bus tours are touristy but sometimes theres a reason that everyone is taking them.

Below are the contact details for April and Canyon Fever Guides. We hope you enjoy your time with her as much as we did!

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Website

Phone: (435) 531-9039

May 8, 2018

FREE Camping in Southern Utah

Southern Utah Free Camping

Mexican Hat BLM
GPS: 37.172547, -109.847076

If you are leaving Moab, UT and looking for something fun and interesting to see in Southeast Utah, check out Mexican Hat, UT. Mexican Hat is named as such for the rock formation that hangs over the San Juan River near the Arizona border. The campsites are spread out, level, and right on the river! We camped here while we explored the Mexican Hat formation and nearby Monument Valley area.

Make sure that you fill up fuel and water on your way South and enjoy the peace, quiet, and epic stars that this site offers. There are a bunch of places to pull off and park near the rock formation but follow the road off the highway and stay left. Wind around the formation and park in one of the spots down by the river.

Leprechaun Canyon BLM
GPS: 38.017952, -110.536982

Utah is known for a few things; arches, Mormonism, and slot canyons. If you made it through Utah far enough to consider this campsite, you have encountered the first two in abundance. Slot canyons are often tricky to find and even more tricky to get all to yourself. However, there are some hidden gems that most tourists don’t know about and this campsite is one of them. There are a couple of parking spots in the parking lot up the road and two or three spots near this canyon at mile marker 28.1.

This campsite is nothing the shake a stick at and is very close to the road. However, the real beauty of this spot is the proximity to the Irish Canyons; a series of slot canyons right off of the road. We stayed here overnight after checking out the Ghost Marina of Hyte and spent all day exploring the canyons nearby. Big rigs will have a hard time with this spot and to access the 2-3 spots that are farther off the road you should have a 4×4 and traction devices.

Burr Trail Road GSENM
37.848739, -111.370629

This is more of a gravel parking lot than a campsite, but it gives a good starting point for exploring Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and the town of Boulder, UT. Make sure to stop in the http://burrtrailoutpost.com and get a cup of coffee and a gluten-free sandwich before hitting the trail. The proprietor was very knowledgeable of the area and offers great advice on local trails and points of interest.

Casto Canyon BLM
37.784196, -112.331790

This road and subsequent pull-outs are located a few miles down the road from Bryce Canyon and have many of the same geological features that makes Bryce famous. Some spots are better than others, but the nearby Casto Canyon and Red Canyon Mountain Bike trails make this spot a solid starting point for an adventure in Bryce country.

There are vault toilets along the road at different campsites and there are spots for larger rigs along the road. Be wary of the higher elevation; in mid-April we pulled in with 65° temps and woke up the next morning with snow and temps in the 20’s. This is very common for the high desert, so be prepared with plenty of fuel, water, and food.

Bryce Canyon FS
37.665426, -112.182836

Just before you get to the welcome sign for Bryce Canyon National Park, turn right onto Forest Service Road 090 and enjoy the hundreds of campsites and pull-outs along the road. Free camping this close to a National Park where camping can cost $50+ is a lifesaver.

There was plenty of downed wood and the spot that we stayed in was very secluded and quiet. There were spots for rigs of all sizes, just make sure that your fire is put out and that you don’t mutilate the live trees that are everywhere.

LaVerkin BLM
37.170866, -113.249931

When you think about public land camping in the desert, this is what you picture. Beautiful views, clean campsites, and tons of mountain biking nearby. This was one of our favorite campsites in Utah and for good reason. The JEM mountain bike trail wraps its way around the butte and river below to form a network of trails for running or riding.

Cell service was excellent here as well. We stayed here while getting errands run in Hurricane and visiting nearby Zion National Park. If we make our way back to the Hurricane area again, we will definitely stay here. If you stay here, be sure to check out the Virgin River overlook and rim trail. It is worth the effort to get to it.

If you use any of these free campsites on public land, pick up after yourself. Please follow Leave No Trace guidelines and leave the land better than you found it. If you liked our content and want to see more of our travel and full-time bus living, check out our Facebook and Instagram pages and subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

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Tag: Bryce Canyon