Favorite Boondocking spots

[gadgetMe]

During our campfire gatherings at the RTR<img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0"><br><br>Folks would "tell" of their favorite boondocking spots in certain areas that others were going to be traveling to.<br><br>I thought this thread would help folks, share their favorite, or not so favorite spots in their travels..<br><br>Putz<br>

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[akrvbob]

Great idea!! My problem is that I just started carrying a GPS so I can't give coordinates and describing the location can be tricky.&nbsp; But I will give it a shot:<br><br>I will steal your thunder by doing Colorado first. Basically, everywhere in the Rocky mountains in CO is my perfect boondocking spot. Nearly every National Forest is just full of fabulous spots, one more beautiful than the other. If I were going to be there for an extended period I would choose up the dirt road to the Mt Elbert campground just outside of Leadville, CO. It is at 10,000 feet so it is cool all summer. The forest is beautiful and a beautiful creek runs through it. Lots of deer and great fishing nearby. Great hiking all around it. Leadville is a wonderful, friendly little mining town without a snobbish bone in its body. Lots of dirty pickups and carharts. My kind of place!! There is a Safeway there and free wifi and a great Verizon broadband signal.&nbsp; The neaest walmart is 30 miles north in Vail, CO, with great boondocking everywhere around there. The dog and I camped just north of Leadville and went walking and jumped a herd of a dozen Elk in a beautiful high valley right at tree line. It is the headwater of the Arkansas river so there is great kayaking/rafting on it. Great mountain biking and 4 wheelin. In July when the wildflowers bloom it will bring tears to your eyes with its beauty. Its an outdoorsmans paridise. Bob<br><br>

 

[Mouldy]

Thanks for making me drool on myself Bob....<br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

<font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">hahaha! we'll have to get mouldy a drool cup!</font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">i love LOVE pahrump, nv. i love the mountains and the sunsets and the sunrises. i love that the walmart is so close, yet you are far away from the hustle and bustle. i love the town of pahrump, glittering at night like a string of diamonds in the valley below camp. i love the library and all the thrift shops. i love the little yarn and fabric shop. i love going over the mountain to vegas on our little roadtrips!&nbsp;</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">i also love Ft. Bragg, california, on the northern coast. the ocean, all the places to park, the cool little town of mendocino just down the road. used bookstores and funky shops, off-leash dog beaches and an off-leash dog park. no bugs no flies no mosquitos! they think 78 deg in august is a heat wave!!!!</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="4">i am making myself very homesick.</font></div>

 

[KatieinKansas]

<font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">Ooooh! &nbsp;...Big sigh! &nbsp;I have to second Colorado. &nbsp;Not only is it an outdoorman's paradise, it's also an outdoorwoman's sanctuary. &nbsp;Those mountains absolutely take my breath away! &nbsp;I can close my eyes and go there in mind. &nbsp;It's wonderful sitting on a rock or a jacket, and just staring at those beautiful works of creation. &nbsp;My senses come alive in the mountains. &nbsp;...The forests, hills, creeks, stars, chipmunks, mountain goats, balancing on a log to cross a stream, hummingbirds,smell of pine, campfires, deer, majestic elk, rain, thunder, lightning,, ... PEACE!</span></font><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">And yes, the Mt.Elbert area is awesome! &nbsp;Another favorite area of mine is the Crags campgroud in Pike National Forest. &nbsp;It's south of Divide, Colorado, in the middle of nowhere, and I love it! &nbsp;It's up a windy road that can make you cringe as you creep and turn around the bend. &nbsp;So I'd never want to drive in anything too big. &nbsp;It's at an elevation of 10,000 feet. &nbsp;It is beautiful!</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">...Going to bed happy thinking of the mountains,</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Katie</span></font></div>

 

[Mouldy]

Sounds like you gotta lotta love there Katie with two blades! <br>

 

[gadgetMe]

In Yuma Az<br><div class="maxtitle title"><a target="_blank" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=&amp...ved=0CAcQtgMwAA&amp;iwloc=8021179945895797134"><span><span><span dir="ltr">Quechan <b>Casino</b> Resort</span></span><span style="display: none;"><span></span></span></span><span class="nw"><img style="display: none;" src="http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/transit/iw/misc/wheelchair2.png" class="tsch-whlchr" alt="Station is accessible" title="Station is accessible" height="14" width="14"><img src="http://maps.gstatic.com/mapfiles/transparent.png" class="noprint unstarred" id="iwstar"></span></a><span style="display: none;">Address:</span><span>‎<br><br>I checked on it today they have a very large parking lot, graveled and flat. You can stay up to 4 days free ( but, the Indians never check) great place for a stop over, or if you want to go to Mexico at Algodones.<br><br>right off I-8 just west of the California border.<br><br>Putz<br>

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[Suanne]

So far, my favorite free campsites are off the John D. Rockefeller Parkway, between Grand Tetons NP and Yellowstone NP in WY.<br><br>These campsites are on NSF land, west of the Flagg Ranch Campground, and on the other side of the bridge over Pole Cat Creek.&nbsp; <br><br>Although less than a mile from the Parkway on a gravel road, I mostly had them all to myself last spring.&nbsp; There are several little free NSF campgrounds down this road, from 2 to 6 sites each.&nbsp; They have a pit toilet (cleaned each AM), fire rings, picnic tables, and bear boxes.&nbsp; They are right on the Snake River.<br><br>Here I saw moose, bear, and beaver.&nbsp; I didn't try to fish as the river was running very fast.<br><br>Just remembering this place does my heart good.<br><br>Suanne<br>

 

[akrvbob]

Just reading these posts does my heart good Suanne! I love this life so much!!!!!!!!!!! Bob<br>

 

[akrvbob]

Okay, I'll go again. One of my favorite places in the country is the Alabama Hills just outside of Lone Pine CA on highway 395 on the east side of the Sierra mts. Over 300 movies were shot in the Hills there because it is so gorgeous. The snow capped Sierras rise straight up from the high desert. There are these huge monolithic boulders everywhere and they make just a fantastic foreground. Certainly in my top 10 (maybe 5) places in the country. Turn at the only traffic light in town toward the mountains and go up a couple miles till you reach Movie Road and turn right. It is all 14 day&nbsp; BLM land and you can camp anywhere. April is my favorite time to be there and i am planning on going this year. Here are some stock photos of the area: http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/alabama-hills.html<br>Bob<br>

 

[Mouldy]

Hey, I plan on being in Bishop and right close those hills in late march/ early april. Went out there for spring break last year and it was a blast. Gorgeous area with lots of opportunity for outdoor adventures!<br>

 

[danelady]

I spent a few hours just south of Lone Pine yesterday. I was in &nbsp;Olancha picking up a load of water at Geyser Springs.<div>I go to Toledo,OR a lot to pick up paper rolls at the Georgia Pacific mill. I get to drive for about 30mi along the coast and it is so breathtaking. Its not very truck friendly with no where to pull over with a &nbsp;heavy load, but there are supermarkets and a walmart along the coast there between Newport and Lincoln City and I am most definitely going back there to spend some time when I am in something a little bit smaller.</div><div><br></div>

 

[danelady]

Oh,here's another place on my wish list I want to visit. Its the Columbia River Gorge in OR. There are plenty of wide areas places &nbsp;along the river and I see lots of vans and rvs parked there. It looks free but I can't swear since I've never actually stopped. I have come close to pulling the truck over since there is so much room,but I didn't. I know that a lot of people get upset with truckers and some of the things they do,so I keep my distance out of respect.<div><br></div><div>But these places along the river are real easy to see as you travel along I-84 in Oregon.</div>

 

[Vern M]

<P>IF and when you come out of the mountains and try east, Medicine Lodge, KS, has a small (six outlets, I recall) campground at the cityb park that is free. Backin spots west of the baseball layouts. The Natchez Trace in Mississippi has a free campground about half-way across the state. North of Jackson a wys. Sign advertised it as highest spot in the state. Convenience store and gas at the turnout. Spots are above that and generally all pull-throughs. No services. And I can go on, if you guys ever show intent to drive east beyond the Divide. c(;&lt<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">&gt;</P>

 

[KatieinKansas]

<font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thank you, Vern! &nbsp;I'll be driving from Wichita, KS to Albequerque this summer. &nbsp;I'll make a note of the Medicine Lodge campground. &nbsp;I'll then drive onto Colorado and them back to Wichita. &nbsp;So, I'm happy to hear about other free campgrounds along that route. &nbsp;Thanks, again!</span></font>

 

[akrvbob]

I can't say for sure when I will be in Lone Pine. I will use Pahrump, NV as a home base in March and April, and will go over to Lone Pine for a few days or a week. The timing will depend on the wildflower bloom in Death Valley NP. I have to pass through Death Valley on the way to Lone Pine so I want the wildflowers to be in bloom. So far it hasn't been a wet enough spring for a great bloom, but it can still happen. I love Bishop! A great day trip from Bishop is the Ancient Bristlecone Pine NM. The oldest trees on the planet are there, some up to 4.500 years old. Its at 10,000 feet so it is very cold in the winter. <br><br>Let me know when you can be there Mouldy and we will try to get together. Bob<br><br>

 

[Mouldy]

Will do Bob. Another cool day trip out of Bishop is up to Mono Lake. Some sweet rock formations stick out of the lake and it has an interesting history. We went during middle of March last year and it was gorgeous. I got some good photos from that day trip with the formations, lake and snow covered mountains all in a shot <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br>

 

[akrvbob]

I love Mono Lake too. And of course you will drive right past Mammoth on the way there. Many wonderful boondocking spots in the National Forest there. I spent the night there one year in mid-April and woke up to six inches of fresh snow. Loved it! The whole drive up 395 from Death Valley to Lake Tahoe is one of my favorites in the country. North of Mammoth the boondocking spots do get harder to find though. Bob<br>

 

[1oleman]

You guys on the left coast have it made.&nbsp; We don't have the boondocking spots you do.&nbsp; Too many tree huggers try to keep us out of our lands.As it warms up I will be trying my best to boondock.&nbsp; All keep your fingers crossed that I will find someplace to park my carcase.&nbsp; Ed<br>

 

[gadgetMe]

<span id="post_message_1267178593"> Too many tree huggers try to keep us out of our lands.As it warms up I will be trying my best to boondock.</span>

<br><br>Sometimes, there are great boondocking spots right in front of us, (stealthy) I usually try them out and see what happens, usually very good things, at times I try and make a game out of it.<br><br>I thought of another one today<br><br>I you find yourself in South Dakota west of Sioux Falls, south on hwy 281 is the town of Armour. In the middle of the town of 700 folks is Lyons Park. they have hookups, or dry camping along the river, it can be free, or you can leave a donation in an envelope on the shed door <br><br><a target="_blank" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&a...ge&amp;resnum=1&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0CAQQtgMwAA">google map link</a><br><br>Putz<br>

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