Top 6 Favorite Free Campsites of the Summer

View from Rabbit Valley Campground

Exactly what goes into determining what makes a good free boondocking campsite?  Is it the scenry, the remoteness, the amenities, or the weather?  Is it a combination of several things?  I really don't know, but I know a good campsite when I see it.

In reserve order, here are the top 6:

Actual campsite at Rabbit Valley

6.  Rabbit Valley Campground (BLM land off exit 2 on I-70 near Grand Junction, Colorado)  This campsite made the top 6 for one main reason, solitude.  Although we could see the interstate in the background, a little over a mile away, we couldn't hear it, and we were the only ones there.  We could only see the highway if we peaked around the side of the rocks, and it could not be seen from most of the sites. There is another free dispersed camping area near the exit, that is used much more often. Though Rabbit Valley did offer an outhouse and fire pits.  The outhouse hadn't been drained in a very long time, so the smell was a little overwhelming, and the day we were there it was hot, so a fire was not needed. Also, it's in the high desert, so firewood would be hard to find.  However, I will always remember the feeling of being by ourselves, isolated from civilization.  There was a nice scenic dry canyon just a short hike away.  The chipmunks were everywhere.  I'm not sure why they didn't name it Chipmunk Valley!  Note: We almost went to site closer to the river.  However, another 1/4 mile down the road it gets extremely rough.  I didn't feel comfortable taking our dually truck down it if that tells you anything. 

Entrance to Meadow Valley Campground, near Spring Valley State Park

Actual campsite at Meadow Valley

5. Meadow Valley Campground (BLM campground about 1 1/2 miles south of Spring Valley State Park near Ursine, Nevada.)  This campsite was set in a beautiful canyon.  There campground has about 4 or 5 sites and one pit toilet.  I didn't use it, so I can't attest to its condition.  There are also fire pits and picnic tables at each site.  Long trailers and/or motor homes are not advised to try this area.  It's tight quarters.   Having said that, I have seen travel trailers there, but it probably wasn't easy to get in.  It is only a short distance to some good trout fishing at the state park.  It can get a little windy at times, as the wind can really whip thru the narrow canyon.  However, we really enjoyed our time at this spot.  I loved it here!  It smelled like pine, it was well kept, the sites were large with a lot of trees and available firwood, and I like the bonus of a picnic table when I'm boondocking.  It's hard to beleive that these places are FREE!  :O)

Campsite near Salida, CO

4.  BLM campground 2 miles east of Salida, Colorado-  To be honest, this might have been picked even higher on the list, but by the time we got there the best campsites were already taken.  In a free campground there are no reservations.  The site that we picked was just a few feet from the Arkansas River.  As we slept that night, all that we could hear was the sound of the water rushing over the rocks and boulders in the stream.  There were several fire pits located throughout the area.  I remember getting up early to start a fire to make some hot chocolate. Near the boat ramp, the BLM built the best smelling pit toilet I had ever been in.  It actually smelled like flowers!  I don't know how, but it did!  While at the campground, we met three people who had stopped by our camp to ask about our solar panel.  It was wonderful to share stories with them.  It really was a great place to camp.  At the Chamber of Commerce's visitor center in Salida we were able to fill up with water, and the town had a Wal-Mart so we could stock up on some much needed supplies.  As I said, the site we selected was a good site, but we think that there are even better ones.  Ok, I get the whole river thing, but, overall, I don't know if this one would have made my top 6 at all.  I was surprised when I saw that Dean put it in here.  Easy access to the beautifull river was nice, and he's right about the restroom, but I don't think I would purposely seek out this campground.  The sites were small and undefined, and we were only a few yards from the highway.

Arkansas River near Salida, CO

We'll reveal the top three in tomorrow's post.  Happy Trails!

On Top of the World - Monarch Pass, Colorado

I remember in my younger years when I lived and worked at a ski resort in Colorado.   It was a wonderful feeling to get on a chair lift and head to the peak.  I always felt like I could see the world from way up at the top.  Yesterday, we got to enjoy such an experience at Monarch Pass along the Continental Divide on US Highway 50. 

Monarch Pass in Colorado

When we left our campground, the first thing we did was drive to the Salida Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center.  They have free Wifi, so we were able to post our blog.  They also allowed us to fill our nearly depleted supply of water.  Salida has an elevation of around 7000 feet (2100 m), but within 30 miles we reached the pass at an elevation of over 11,000 feet (3300 m).  To our delight we found a scenic tram to take us to the top of the mountain.  We marveled as we traveled in the tram above timberline to the observation tower.  The view was outstanding but the temperature was a chilly 55* F (13* C).  Despite the cooling breeze, we found ourselves having a difficult time wanting to come down. 

Monarch Pass in Colorado

As we continued down the highway toward Grand Junction, CO, it seemed as if every turn in the road brought a new landscape.  We passed along a beautiful lake that stretched on for miles.  Finally, as we made our way to Montrose, CO, the landscape flattened out and travel became quicker.  

Montrose Point Reservoir

After stopping in Grand Junction for dinner, we jumped on the Interstate toward the Colorado-Utah border.  We have taken this highway  many times over the years.  To our surprise, there was a free campground listed on freecampsites.net two miles this side of the Utah border.  This is vast, open, high desert country.  We had no idea that this road even existed.  We drove exactly one mile south of the Interstate to a campground called Rabbit Valley Campground.  It proved to be a perfect place to stay the night.  We had a chance to use our solar shower again, take a short hike, and even had a little daylight left to set up our solar panel.  There was a complete lack of sound, so the night brought a very restful and peaceful sleep.

Rabbit Valley Campground

Today will be spent in Utah.  The plan to make it back to a road that we traveled a month ago.  We hope to stop near Duck Creek just to the east of Cedar City.  More good times await!  Happy Trails!