Favorite camping spots of 2016

I have not done this in the past, but this year we stayed in some pretty spectacular places that deserve to be shared, even though I know that sharing them will only cause them to be more populated in the coming years. That’s OK though, as I try my best not to stay in the same place again (minus a few exceptions) so have at it…

In no particular order;

Virgin Dam near Zion Ntnl Park, Utah (free) – Not only because we met up with some great people on our way into Colorado for my son’s graduation and birthday, but because of the cliff-side camping along the Virgin River. Literally, just a few feet out our front door was a couple-hundred-foot cliff. Even though Kerri gets vertigo, it was she who wanted to stay in this particular spot. Neither of us, dogs included, slipped over the edge during our stay. I spent many-a-hour relaxing in the folding chair watching and listening to the raptors flying nearby. With an easy commute into Zion National Park, the cost (free) was as perfect.

Washington Gulch near Crested Butte, Colorado (free) – A place I’ve wanted to visit since I started this lifestyle, but always failed to make it, and the second highest place we would camp (9,700 ft) during the year, Crested Butte is known for it’s summer-time wild flower bloom. We pulled in early, beating the crowds, and stayed the full 14 day limit. With a view down the valley as far as the eye can see (see what I did there?) and a cute ski town just down there, it was all it was hyped up to be. The elevation was harsh on our bodies, but that did not keep us from going out on a weekend trip – leaving the Airstream behind – to the other side of the mountain to visit Crystal Mill and the town of Marble, CO. The only real down side here was the number of mice we had to kill in the trailer. It was a mouse-invasion of epic proportions, but we won the war eventually.

Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat Springs, Colorado (free) – The highest camping point during our summer at an even 10,000 ft in elevation. We stayed for two full weeks, opting not to move on the Fourth of July weekend and instead stay put on top of the most amazing view anyone could imagine. We were so high up, at the very top of the peak, that the 360 degree view surrounding us went on far beyond imagination. We watched the light show of night time thunder storms rolling through Laramie and Cheyenne, WY at 85 and 110 miles away respectively. We were able to see the Milky Way with our naked eye and have a mountain peak all to ourselves for two weeks of perfect solitude. And when we needed a bit more civilization, we simply drove down into Steamboat Springs for a soak in the hotsprings, dining, or even a bit of shopping. If I had to pick a top-spot for the year, this would be the one… hands down (what ever that means).

Twin Lakes, Colorado (free) – Even though we arrived on a weekend of a huge mountain bike race, our streak of good luck finding amazing places to camp continued on. Once again, perched on the top of a hillside and overlooking the two lakes (that look nothing alike I might add), our 270 degree view included more than our fair share of major mountain peaks all of which were reflected in the lakes below.

Indian Creek near Alpine, Wyoming – This one was unplanned. The spot we had setup for the week turned out to be a barren reservoir bank filled with a lot of quad riders and the dust that comes with them. We spent only a single night with them. It only took a few minutes of scouting to find this spot with the Indian Creek flowing right past our front door (the dogs loved that) and more than our fair share of solitude for most of the stay. We pulled in the week leading up to the Labor Day weekend, so the closer we got to the weekend the more crowded the area became, but our little spot of solitude kept us sheltered during what is a tough weekend for full-time RV’rs.

Diamond Lake near Crater Lake Ntnl Park, Oregon (paid) – This was all Kerri’s doing. I had nothing to do with it. Credit belongs solely to her social media investigation skills. We stayed at Diamond Lake Campground waiting for the entrance to Crater Lake National Park to reopen after a snow storm blew through. It never did, but the week we stayed here was a blessing. Sure, we ran the generator pretty much all day every day to keep the furnace going, but camping in the snow is something worth experiencing. Add to it the views of the lake, which we were parked within feet of, and the fact that there was not another soul in the entire campground, and you have a recipe for one heckuva winter camping experience.

Now, all of the areas above are in the USA, and I do not want to leave this post without mentioning some of the most amazing places we stayed during our 3 month stay in Baja, Mexico, but this post is already long enough. So, you can expect a part 2 in the coming days regarding the Baja area.

Special thanks to Campendium.com for an introduction to many of these sites. Campendium is my sole resource for finding established boondocking and I post all of the areas I find on the site as well. The site is full of information and has constant and recent activity with trusted reviews from their great membership. If you are looking for your next free or paid camping location, Campendium is a great place to start.