SP Campground Review – Antelope Island State Park, Syracuse, UT

A lone bison on the beach at Antelope Island State Park

A wonderfully spacious and relaxed state park on a unique island in the middle of Great Salt Lake, ~41 miles north of Salt Lake City, UT. Just be sure to check the gnat-situation before you come!

Link to campground here: Antelope Island State Park, UT
Link to map location here: Antelope Island State Park, UT

1. Site Quality = 4.5/5
   Really fabulous sites here. We stayed at the Bridger Bay campground which is the best area for individual RVs on the island. There are 20 pull-throughs and 6 back-ins all large, flat, paved sites (only one site #9 was a tad small and uneven…the rest were lovely) with excellent paved “sitting areas” containing large covered shelter, separate table, picnic table and fire-pit. Some of pull-throughs are so long they could easily fit 3 “beasts”! Very nice separation between sites and plenty of space to relax and spread out in camp. Lower and upper sites are tiered so every single site has an excellent panoramic view of the beach and surrounding nature. Only slight dings are no shade or hookups.
   Note/ There is a separate campground  a few miles from this one called White Rock which is more suited towards group campers and not nearly as nice IMHO. If you have the choice stay at Bridger Bay.
2. Facilities = 3.5/5 
   Basic, but good facilities here. Several toilets in camp, but no showers (there are showers at the beach day-use area below the visitor station). Dump station and potable water right below visitor station. Lots of picnic areas around the island plus marina and boat-slip on north side.
3. Location = 4.5/5
   Antelope Island is a place you come here to get away from it all, and on that front it totally delivers. Once you cross the 6 miles to enter the Island you enter a whole different world with almost zero traffic, lots of nature, tons of hiking/biking trails, excellent birding, sand/sea, boating and sweeping views. There is a wonderful on-site visitor center, a historic ranch and plenty of spots to drive and visit around the island. It is quite the place! Despite the feeling of isolation you’re only ~6 miles from Syracuse which has all the basic shopping you need and ~41 miles from Salt Lake City. The only possible ding is that the island does get really bad gnats from ~April-June. It’s a seasonable thing so I can’t really fault it too bad, but you need to be aware of it before you come.
4. Pet Friendliness = 4.5/5
   Very good pooch spot as long as the gnats are not out. You have plenty of space to hang out to camp and are right next to miles of  great hiking trails plus a very nice beach area. Only slight dings are that dogs are not allowed on the southern trails (southern end of the island) and are not officially allowed on the day-use beach.

Overall Rating = 4.25
BONUS ALERT = Camp on an isolated island with sweeping views of beach/sun/sky and nature!

Summary: What a place is all I can say! Antelope Island is the largest island in Great Salt Lake and is accessed by a 6-mile road across the lake from Syracuse, ~41 miles north of Salt Lake City. It’s a completely unique place with practically zero traffic, lots of nature, miles of excellent hiking/biking trails, beach/sea, birding, marina, visitor center and historic ranch. There are even free-roaming herds of bison! There are 2 main camping areas on the island, both on the north side Bridger Bay (mostly for single RVs) & White Rock (mostly for groups). Bridger Bay is a very spacious and pretty spot with 26 large, paved sites. It has wonderful paved “sitting areas” each containing shelters & fire-pit, excellent separation and sweeping views all-around. There are no hookups, but the sites are wonderful. White Rock is not as nice and mostly for groups, but also has excellent views. The only real ding for the Island is the gnats! They can be very, very bad especially from April-June (the park website even has a warning about them on the front page). As soon as temps drop or the wind whips up they’re gone, but the rest of the time they are relentless. Despite the biting insects we were blown away by the local nature and loved our stay here. If you’re in the area I would recommend this as a “must-see” as long as you check the gnat situation before you come!

Extra Info: Mixed/unstable Verizon signal going from 1X to 4G LTE! We were able to get a rock-steady and usable data signal by forcing our hotspot onto “3G only” and using our external antenna/amp. 26 campsites all reservable on-line (no hookups). Sites cost $10/night. There is an additional $3 one-time fee to enter the Island. On-site dump station and potable water (just below visitor center).

Typical site view. This is our rig in #2

View of lower-tier campsites looking back towards our rig. On Left is site#4, we’re in site#2 right behind it. Lots of separation here!

View towards end of lower-tier sites. #7 on left with #9 (the only site we didn’t really like) behind it.

View of “end site” on lower tier. This is #8

View along beginning of upper tier sites. Empty site #11 on left with RV in #13 behind it. RV in #12 on right.

Another view of upper tier. RV in site #12 on right.

Yet another view along upper tier sites. This is #15. You can see how the “tiering” works here. Our RV is just visible on the lower tier in middle-left.

View of back-ins at end of top tier. Empty site #18 on right with RV in #20 on left.

“Aerial” view of the campground taken from the hiking trail. Our RV is on left.

View of typical “sitting area”. This is our site #2

View of facilities

SP Campground Review – Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ

The stunning Supersition Mountains at Lost Dutchman State Park!

A simply gorgeous State Park with stunning views of the Superstition Mountains just East of Phoenix, AZ.

Link to campground here: Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ
Link to map location here: Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction, AZ

1. Site Quality = 4.5/5
   Very nice sites here with just very few dings. There are 2 main camping areas:
   Main Campground (sites 1-70) - These sites are all paved either back-in or pull-through with excellent separation and lovely “sitting areas” containing picnic table, fire-pit and grill. Only ~1/2 of sites have hook-ups (50amp/water) whereas the rest are non hook-up. All outer-sites are nicely large especially the enormous pull-throughs (many of which could easily fit 2 rigs) and most have excellent views of Superstition Mountain. Only ding is some of inner sites (esp. 1-15, 33-38) are smaller and best suited to smaller rigs while a *few* of the back-ins are a tad uneven.
   Overflow Campground (sites 75-104) – This is a brand new addition to the park and all sites here are currently first-come-first-serve. All sites are cleared dirt with picnic tables and fire-pit. Although primitive they are nicely large with decent separation and good views of the mountain. It’s a simple loop, but easily one of the nicest overflow sites I’ve seen.
2. Facilities = 3.5/5
   Good facilities. The bathrooms are large and kept nicely clean. Showers are individual rooms with separate bench area and very good water pressure and temperature. Only slight ding is they have those annoying spray heads.
3. Location = 5/5
   This is an excellent location. You are right at the base of the Superstition Mountains with simply lovely views all-around and direct access to miles of hiking trails right from your campsite. Nearby Apache Junction has basic shopping needs and Mesa/Phoenix are only ~1/2 hour away.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Another fabulous pooch park. Lots of space to hang out in camp plus dog-friendly trails all around. Very little cholla too so a good camp for paws on the ground.

Overall Rating =  4.5
BONUS ALERT = Camp will full views of the gorgeous Superstition Mountains!

Summary: I fell in love with the Superstition Mountains last time we stayed in Pheonix and this park puts your right in the middle of the action. It’s a lovely State Park with large paved sites (pull-throughs are especially enormous), good separation, nice “sitting areas” and simply excellent views of Superstition Mountain all-around. Lots of hiking directly from your campsite plus direct access to the Apache Trail for lakes/sightseeing as well as short drive to shopping. Although you’re only ~1/2 hour from Phoenix it feels like a whole other world, and if you catch the desert blooms in spring you’ll be rewarded with quite the special show. A simply lovely park that may well be our fav in the area. No doubt we’ll be coming back!

Extra Info: Good Verizon signal (3-4 bars on both 3G & 4G). 72 reservable sites of which ~35 have 50Amp/water (remainder are non hook-up). Additional 30 first-come-first-serve primitive sites in overflow camping section (this is a recent addition!). Sites cost $30/night (Jan-Mar), $25/night (off-season) for electric/water, $17/night (Jan-Mar), $15/night (off-season) for primitive. On-site dump station.

View of our site (#20). Slanted at the front, but lots of flat space for the rig.

View down our row. Site #19 on left with us in #20 on right.

View towards upper end of loop. Empty site#21 on left with #23 behind it.

View towards top of loop. Site #32 on right, #31 on left. Both have excellent views.

View of large pull-throughs down left-side of campground. Site #49 on right with #47 behind it. Site #46 on left.

Another view of large pull-throughs. #57 on left, #54 on right

View of smaller sites in middle. #5 on right, 4 behind on left.

View of the other smaller sites. Empty #35 on left, truck in #34 on right

Typical “sitting area”. This is from site #38

View of pull-through in overflow campground. This is site #78. RV in site #98 behind.

Another view of overflow. Empty pull-though #100 on right with RV in #99 behind.

View of facilities

Sunsets In The Desert = Nature’s Perfect Color Storm

Just another great afternoon show

Whenever I’m in the desert I can’t help but think of the 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia. The scenes in that movie were intense and captured natural beauty and panoramic vistas way ahead of their technological time. There’s a particular moment when the war correspondent Jackson Bently turns to the (by then) half-mad, arab-robed Lawrence and asks him “What attracts you personally to the desert?” and he replies quite simply “It’s clean”.

It’s a desolate beauty out here

Apart from the urge to stride through the sand in long flowing garments, ride camels and wear massive swords (which surely everyone has out here), there’s alot of depth to this statement. You see it’s this very cleanliness that makes the colors in the desert so very striking. From warm hues in the morning, to deep blue afternoon skies, to cascades of fire in the evening. The fact that it’s so dry and so desolate is the very reason the sunsets are so rich and intense…it’s a dichotomy of extremes, and right here the opposites attract to make a most perfect whole.

The RV is bathed in a late afternoon light

In my geekiness I can’t help but think of Rayleigh scattering, the very thing that makes our day sky blue. All of light’s colors scattered and bent by the massive natural prism that is the atmosphere giving us the daytime blue that our eyes favor the most. And the effect so deeply blue in the clearest and weakest atmospheres (deserts and mountains). It whacks me out to think that some animals actually see the sky in violet or ultraviolet…what would that be like?

High clouds reflect intense desert hues

But where this manifests most strongly is later in the day, where the longer orange and red wavelengths finally emerge for their sunset show. This is where the clean, dry air crystallizes and saturates colors like nowhere else. Add to that the desert winds that whip up cirrus and altocumulus clouds high in the atmosphere, posed perfectly to reflect and amplify that light, and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed 5-star view -> stunning horizon colors ramped-up ten-fold by the cloud layers above it. It aaaaallll comes together in the desert…nature’s perfect sunset storm, if you will, ready to give you a new performance every single evening.

No touch-ups on this photo…the colors were exactly like this!

And me? I just can’t get enough of them. Something about that afternoon fire in the sky penetrates deep into my soul and steals my heart. In that deep sea of color I happily drown. The sky expands before me and pulls me in, stilling my mind and bringing me in complete harmony, if just for a moment, with nature’s glory. It’s like a 4D IMAX movie, where all except the scene before you disappears from view and even the subconscious is taken in. And in that very instant the world stops -> a total calm, my entire life-force focused on the beauty that is the sky.

I love sunsets. It’s free mind yoga every single afternoon and it’s the kinda geeky coolness I can’t get enough of. Oh yeah and as a bonus, it makes for pretty neat pictures too

A color blast reflects off the RV

High clouds promise a stunning sunset

Boondocking Site Review – Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA

Exploring around the lovely Alabama Hills

A lovely, large boondocking area with sweeping rock & mountain views just outside Lone Pine, CA on Hwy 395 in central-east California.

Location: Movie Road, just off Whitney Portal Road in Lone Pine, CA
Coordinates: Approx. 36.599853N,-118.119378W (= start of Movie Road). Link to map location HERE
Cost: FREE (14-day stay limit)
How We Found It: This is a fairly well-known boondocking spot in the area. We read about the area on other people’s blogs and scoped it out last year while staying at nearby Tuttle Creek.
Nearest Dump/Water: Nearest dump/water at Tuttle Creek BLM just ~1 mile away. $5 charge.

1. Access – 4.5/5  Pretty easy access for any sized-rig here although as usual a little extra effort is needed to access the best spots:
   Directions -> From the traffic stop in Lone Pine take Whitney Portal Road West ~3 miles until you hit Movie Road, then take a right. The first 1/4 mile or so is paved after which it becomes very wide, firm dirt road. Once you hit the dirt and pass the BLM sign you’re on BLM land.
   Boondocking Spots-> Boondocking spots are scattered all around the dirt roads that lead off in spurs from Movie Road. You’ll see evidence of previously used spots that are cleared and have home-made fire pits. Some of the dirt spurs can be narrow and  very sandy/rough so check out the road before bringing in a big-rig.
2. Nature – 5/5  Excellent nature spot. You are right in the middle of the Alabama Hills with their fabulous rock formations and have a panoramic back-drop of Mt.Whitney and the Sierra Nevada mountains. Lots of interesting dirt trails to explore, hike & bike all around the area.
3. Isolation – 3.5/5  Pretty good isolation here depending on where you park. The main ding is this is a fairly well-known boondocking area plus it is also on the ”tourist route” as the place where lots of old Westerns were filmed. As a result you’ll definitely encounter folks driving around and checking out movie locations or doing the hike to the Mobius Arch. The further you get from the main “movie” run, the more isolated you’ll be.
4. Pet Friendliness – 5/5  Another fabulous pet spot. You have days-worth of hiking and exploring in the surrounding hills, plus lots of space to hang out in camp. Also this is mostly sandy “scrub” desert with no cactus so it’s easy for paws on the ground.

Overall Rating = 4.4
BONUS ALERT = Camp in the shadow of Mt Whitney within gorgeous rocks and western movie history!

Summary: This ranks up in our books as one of the most scenic boondocking spots around. Located gorgeously in the Alabama Hills you have a backdrop of fabulous rocks with Mt.Whitney and the soaring Sierra Nevada Mountains in the western background. It is fairly easy to access with plenty of space and gorgeous views all around.  Perhaps the only negative about this spot is that it’s fairly well-known on the “tourist loop” as the place to scope out where the old Wild West Movies were made (there is actually a self-guided driving tour of the Alabama Hills in the visitors center), so you will see occasional cars and folks driving by depending on where you park. Also Verizon signal is veeery “iffy” so you might need to scope out a few spots before you find a usable spot. Overall however this is a lightly visited area so you’ll still manage plenty of alone time and the views make it all worthwhile. You are close to Lone Pine and Mt.Whitney which gives lots of opportunities for hiking & exploring movie history past, plus there are miles of interesting dirt trails to hike, bike & explore in the Alabama Hills themselves. Overall an outstanding spot and one we’ll likely come back to again and again.

Extra Info: No water or facilities (nearest dump/water is $5 at nearby Tuttle Creek BLM Campground). Veeeery “iffy” Verizon 3G signal (~1 bar). We were able to get a usable data signal with our antenna/amp, but some spots have no signal at all.

First paved part of Movie Road in the Alabama Hills. BLM sign on the right.

East-side view of our site. You can see a fire ring in the foreground and the Sierra Nevada mountains in the background.

Front view of our site. The dirt road runs to the right.

View from west-side of our site

Distant view of our rig tucked into the rocks. Can you see it?

View of our “sitting area”

Typical “site” view. Cleared out space with fire ring that shows it’s been used before.

Another great site.

Distant view of another boondocker

And yet another boondocker in a nice, isolated spot

Very approximate map of Alabama Hills boondocking area around Movie Road. Lone Pine is on the right.

BLM Campground Review – Horton Creek, Bishop, CA

Walking Polly along one of the many dirt roads at Horton Creek BLM

A simply lovely $5/night primitive campground with gorgeous mountain views ~10 miles north of Bishop, CA on Hwy 395

Link to campground here: Horton Creek BLM, CA
Link to map location here: Horton Creek BLM, CA

1. Site Quality = 3/5 Very simple sites here, but with lovely “sitting areas” and excellent views. The campground is one long road with sites on each side and a small loop at the top. It is set alongside Horton Creek on the left with the Sierra Nevada mountains on the right and the White Mountains in the distance to the east All sites are basically just cleared firm dirt, mostly back-in with a few select pull-throughs. There’s some variation in levelness, but overall good selection of very large flattish sizes for any sized rig especially around the middle of the road. Each site has picnic table, deep fire-pit/grill and a light-hanging pole. Excellent site separation and sweeping views from just about every angle.
2. Facilities = 3/5 Very simple, but well-kept facilities here. Pit toilets at several spots, brand new and kept very nicely clean. On-site potable water tap plus on-site dump station ($5 to use).
3. Location = 5/5 This is a great location. You are only ~10 miles from Bishop which has petroglyphs, good food, shopping, photo galleries, museums and within easy drive of fabulous hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Ancient Bristlecone Forest. Lots to see and do in the area!
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5 Another great pooch park. Plenty of space to hang out in camp plus oceans of back-desert country around camp to explore and hike. Several on-site dirt trails leading for miles into the mountains and lots of nearby hiking in Sierra Nevada’s.

Overall Rating = 4
BONUS ALERT = Camp with sweeping views of the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains

Summary: This is the kind of peaceful, out-there campground that we truly enjoy. Horton Creek is set next to a creek on an escarpment leading up towards the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It is one long road with sites on each side and a small loop at the top. Sites are large, basic dirt but have excellent separation, lovely “sitting areas” and simply great views all-around. The campground is primitive with pit toilets only, but has several interesting dirt trails and on-site dump station and water (these were just installed in 2012!). Add to that it’s a great location, only ~10 miles from Bishop which is a cute town with shopping, galleries, museums, food plus you’re within short drives of outstanding hikes in the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains.  Overall the views were fabulous, the location perfect, the price right and the experience most relaxing. We would definitely stay here again!

Extra Info:  Very good 3G Verizon signal (3-4 bars). Sites cost $5/night no hookups, all first-come-first-serve. 49 total sites. On-site dump station ($5) and potable water.

A view of Lu & Terry’s lovely site #15

Our site on creek-side of the main road in #16. Our front window faced the mountains.

View looking down towards entrance from ~middle of the campground road. You can see Terry’s rig on the left in #15 and ours on the right in #16

View looking up the road towards back sites. #18 on right. The small rig in the back right is in site #21

Another typical site-view. #19 shown

View down main road showing one of the few pull-throughs #24 on right

View of sites further up the main road. Empty site #29 on left eith rig in site #27 behind it.

View towards very back of main road (going into end loop). Site #43 on right with sites 44, 45, 46 behind it.

View of upper site #47

View of typical “sitting area” with picnic table, fire-pit and lamp holder. This is Lu & Terry’s site #15