I got to my exit off of I-70, but there was no sign saying “to Moab”, which was a little disconcerting. It’s clear from the map that the official route is to drive a few miles east, past the road then come back. The road I’m turning on is smaller and narrow, but it does cut off about 8 miles. The only traffic was one truck, then suddenly there was a pod of three cars with one person each in them – I figured later those were folks who work in Grand Junction and were racing to make their 6pm shifts.
Anyway, I made to my junction with Utah 128 – a better road than I was just on but still lonely and not too exciting … until we dipped down into the Colorado River valley, where it opened up onto a classic scene of western, red-rock beauty.
The first of the five or so BLM campgrounds between here and Moab is Dewey Bridge. It’s very pretty, there was only one other camper, and I’m ready to stop, so this is the place!
WHUFU page for: Dewey Bridge Campground
Right on the mighty Colorado River.
Small, seven sites, a picnic area, and a boat ramp. Oh, and the ruins of the historically interesting Dewey Bridge across the road. pretty and quiet (at least the night I was here)
The ruins of the old Dewey Bridge are right across the road. It’s pretty cool! Built in 1913 as a way to get produce from the Mormon communities around Moab to hungry folks of Grand Junction. I took a lot of pics, but the light was fading fast.
Rain is forecast for the area tonight, and changes of weather don’t usually happen quietly around here. As the sun sets down the Colorado River it’s very windy at my beautiful campsite.
The storm really hits about 10 pm or so. I move up to the front of the van to enjoy the spectacle. The rain and wind are really battering the van, but I am dry and toasty – a really fun night!
Wednesday (May 29)
Perfect fresh day after the rain last night. I watched the swallows and enjoyed the mighty river flowing past for a while, then it’s off to Moab! The front and passenger side of my van are almost clean and shiny! Sadly, the rear and driver side are pretty much as dusty and bird poop spattered as they were before. It’s all about the angles.
This canyon is ridiculously beautiful and dramatic as the swift, muddy river cuts through the red rock. My campground – Dewey Bridge – is the farthest from Moab. The next two, Hittle Bottom and Big Bend are bigger and in wider parts of the canyon – more shade trees, very big sites. Both would be great. Much closer to Moab, right across from Negro John Trailhead (really!) is Goose Island Campground, which is more compact with tiny sites, but still right on the river and looks comfortable. Due to its convenience to Moab, it is almost always full.
Moab is a blessed little place, You’ve got river rafting, slickrock mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoneering (whatever that is), the snowy LaSal Mountains, and two national parks, so it’s a happening spot. I breakfast at the Eklecti Cafe. I was a little put off by the hippie vibe, but it had excellent salmon and eggs ($10), coffee and wifi, on a lovely shaded patio. Visitors Center also has wifi. In the course of finding food, groceries, beer, oh and then a sandwich for later I passed the two blocks of downtown I think, six times in two hours!
Anyway, finally I am fortified for three days and two nights in the Utah interior, where services are few and crappy. The Vis Cen said there’s a new BLM campground on the way to Island in the Sky, so that’s tonight’s plan.
Canyonlands National Park is all about these huge mesas. It’s divided into two parts(**)
1. Island in the Sky — trails and vistas from the top of the mesa, and
2. The Needles — roads and trails at the bottom looking up at the mesa. Line of sight, looking down at the Needles Visitors Center it’s twelve miles away, but it would be a >100 mile drive back through Moab to get there by paved road! The ranger compared it to the Grand Canyon, 12 miles to look across, 100 miles to drive form one site to the other!
(**) Actually there are three parts – at the bottom of all these canyons is the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. Island is in the top of the “Y”, Needles is in the right (east), bordering the Colorado all the way, so there is a third part called The Maze to the west, bordering the Green then the Colorado. No paved road goes there. It’s probably as remote a place as there is on the continental US.
Back to today. I drive across the Colorado River, past the entrance to Arches National Park (long line of cars at the entrance station), up the long hill to the top of one level of mesa, then north on 191 for a while. Left on Utah 313, up a winding road to the top of the final level of mesa, drive for a while, take a right into Horsethief Campground, the BLM’s latest improvement to the quality of tourist life in this area. Even though I know it started out as a free range management agency, I am a big fan of the BLM. Their campgrounds are the best!
WHUFU page for: Horsethief Campground
This is where you camp when Island in the Sky is full ... which it always it. The method is to stop here on the way in, nail down a site then continue on another 20-odd miles to the Grand viewpoint ... then come back.
Plenty of spots, so I nail the one that will have the best sunset vista, chill for a while (it’s about 2:30pm), then head out for some canyon walking!
I have a very fun afternoon. I take a 2-3 mile hike at the northern lookout point, then a little walk in the middle, then another 2-3 miler at the southern lookout point. The weather is still unsettled, so it there were dramatic clouds and little spritzes of rain every now and then. Just delightful.
Thursday
This campground is a one night kind stand of place. It seems that everyone had the same plan as me, to camp here, check out the wonderful Island in the Sky, then blow out of here for the Next Big Thing. Except everyone else starts earlier than me. Every site in sight is empty. I enjoy the quiet and beauty for a while, then back to the drivin’.
Heading away from Moab to the north there is not much in the way of civilized amenities. According to Yelp, the only wifi’d coffee place I will see all day is in Green River, an ugly little town with a pretty name about a mile off I-70 where it crosses the Green River. The counter lady was aggressively unpleasant, but then the food-fixin’ lady was very nice, so maybe it averaged out. It there had been a suggestion box I say they should trade places. The gas station also sucked in a numbers of ways (right off the interstate and no windshield squeegee?!?). I did not have a positive Green River experience.
Little bit more freeway then south on beautiful Utah 24, to drive through the heart of colorful rock country. It’s forty-five miles due south to Hanksville, where I stayed last time. The restaurant at the campground seems to have gotten a facelift (or at least a new sign). This place will always be dear to me as the place where my mouse ditched me for better garbage.
Then comes the really pretty part: red rocks, green rocks, purplish rocks in lovely shades from lavendar to magenta, yellow rocks. I arrive at the Fruita section of Capitol Reef National Park about 2:30, so I thought there was some hope of getting a campsite. Nope, all full. Apparently the last site is taken by 1:30 this time of year. It is finally clear to me that staying here will be a two day process. Camp somewhere nearby one night. Then roll out of bed in the morning and drive over here to nail down a site. It really would be a pleasant place to spend a day, so I will try to do it next time.
It wasn’t that much farther to Sunglow Campground which was my backup plan for tonight. I got there, found a spot, even cracked open my official end of the day beer, and … sat there … and was bored, bored, bored. It’s only 5:30 and my map says Mystic Hot Springs is only 1.5 hours away… I really want a shampoo and a shave … and besides this is boring. So I finish my beer and head out again. Sure enough ten miles down the road, Mr Sheriff was making sure we all went 25 mph through the little town of Loa, but I stuck to my unremarkable driving style and drove right past with my one beer in me(!) so I do NOT have a vacation-ruining, horrible story to tell – woo!
WHUFU page for: Mystic Hot Springs
There is one big pool with a little waterfall, then up the hill are some bathtubs for your own private soak overlooking the wide valley. Really cool setup.
Camping area is 200 yards down the hill.
The pools are spectacular and the actual camping area is pleasant but rest of the property is extremely derelict.
Walking up the crappy trail to the bathtubs in flip flops is hard for a 70-year old. It's pretty dangerous coming back down in wet flip-flops!
Electric hookups and tent/van sleeping seem to be the same price.
Got to the hot springs, and my goodness, what a good decision. Checked in, got that long-awaited shower and shave, and still had time to eat a little before hittin’ the hot tubs. I scored the number one best tub, the extra-hot one around the corner with the big view of the mountains to the southwest. That’s the place to be for sunset!
Friday
This morning I actually made a cup of coffee and ate some cereal at the van. This gave me the staying power to spend another couple of hours in the water again this morning. Four different bathtubs, the big pool, and the little hike to where the water comes out of the ground – what an interesting place!
Food choices are pretty lean in these sober little Mormon farming communities, so I backtracked about 15 miles to go to Big Daddy’s Subs in Richfield. I knew from last time it would meet my needs. Ate a hot sub right now and got a giant cold sub that should get me through the last two nights of the trip. I worked their wifi for a while, and I’m ready for the desert.
After an hour of interstate – I-70 to I-15 – I head off into the Big Nothing at Beaver, Utah. Got my first real coffee of the day at a converted Shell gas station that is now an art gallery/coffee stop. My half-decaf americano was very tasty.