Talegi

I found this location to be very quiet, which was enjoyable to me. The road in was a bit rocky in spots, but navigable if you pay attention. I stayed two nights, literally off-grid... no cell service on either T-mobile or Verizon. It was nice to recharge my batteries. I found it difficult to find an established site that could accommodate my Jeep/trailer set-up, but did find a spot that allowed me to pull just off the road with an established campfire spot. The sound of the brook running alongside made it very restful. I stayed two weekdays, and there was a handful of cars, but I wouldn't say it was busy.

After leaving my site, I came upon an abandoned and stripped Minnie Winnie. Creepy, to say the least, especially since someone had broken the wings from a gargoyle statue, and left it sitting on guard at the rear axle. Had I seen this before stopping to camp, I wouldn't have stayed. I still haven't found its story anywhere. Will try to post pix when signal is better. Cleanliness near my site was perfect, as nature intended. Knocked off two stars for the trashed camper within a mile.

I moved over here from Arizona State Trust Land, having been run out on a rail by the local Longhorn Cattle. Who knew cows were so interested in chewing up wires and stuff? Anyway, it's a virtual Jeep Playground out here, and the local ATV and Moto groups seem to love it as well. I found a great site for my camper, far enough off the road and trails that the noise isn't unbearable. On days when I have nothing else to do, it's awesome to be able to explore the trails with my Cherokee Trailhawk, since I wasn't having to cart around my trailer. It was nice to be so close to civilization in order to shop, grab food, DoorDash to pay for the solar setup Donnelly's cattle destroyed on Peralta, visit friends, etc. without 5 miles of ruts and dirt to traverse first. I will likely make this a yearly spot on my Fulltime Journey.

The gate was tough to figure out initially, but once I saw it done, it was easy. Many people will try to come in on your code, so be warned. I know many others might not care about that, but I don't want to lose my permit letting in those that didn't bother getting one, and since I'm camping out here, it's nice to have a small amount of security. The permit was easy to obtain, online they charge a $6 convenience fee, which really should be waived since the offices are closed due to Covid19, but it's still a small price to pay for the access. You MUST print out the permit and have it on you, so be prepared to hit the local UPS, Walgreens or office supply store. A courteous US Forest Ranger officer did stop by my first morning to confirm I was properly permitted.

I enjoyed my stay for nearly two weeks. There is a bit of traffic, but my site was elevated a few feet up off the road, and felt secure with a modicum of privacy. I was able to park with a southern exposure on my awning side, had a grand view of the mountains, marked several Lifer bird species, and could stream Netflix on T-Mobile and Verizon. While there, I explored the Jeep roads, drove to Tortilla Flats, visited Goldfield Ghost Town, cleaned up trash left by other campers, and spent time wiring up and installing solar panels to channel the sun's energy for the first time. Worked a treat, until the Longhorn Cattle strolled through my campsite this morning, wreaking havoc on my external wires. Proprietary connectors were chewed and ripped out of the side of my rig, the controller was chewed up and tossed aside, a hose for siphoning gas into my generator was destroyed, and there were several horn and cow muzzle marks alongside my camper and Jeep. Not to mention the huge, stinky patty they left in their wake. It's truly a beautiful area, and I might camp here again, but only if I can find a site that isn't favored by the local roamers.

Nice little walk in Campground in the woods, eight sites right next to the parking lot. 2 bathhouses with Vault toilets, at least one is handicap accessible. Drive-In from 109 is paved, the parking lot is gravel. I tow a camper, and was able to park in the parking lot right next to my tent site, but have no idea if the ranger will allow this overnight. It looks like each site has a designated tent area, a picnic table, and fire pit with Grill top. Water and dump site are available on the other side of the recreational area, in Canebrake horse camp. This park is home to world-class OHV Jeep trails, a rifle range, and fishing at Badin Lake. National Park passes accepted here, and with that my nightly fee will be $2.50.

A lovely place to stay, with great water for fishing or boating. Restrooms were kept clean, the people were very friendly, and there was an overall safe, peaceful feeling. It would be nice if the shower would run a bit longer with each push of the button... for now, it's only about 8 seconds. There's a nearby spot for hand-dipped ice cream, but I recommend Tastyland on old State Rt 66, Greensburg, for superb soft-serve with dozens of flavor combinations, burgers and fries with a side of drive-in nostalgia. I was in town for a wedding, and would stay here again if the opportunity presented itself.

It's a nice campground, a lot of space to back onto the pad, and good space between sites. It's pretty quiet here, even on a busy weekend. Everyone must be doing a good job with their trash, because there were no scavenger birds or even squirrels about. My only disappointment was that I had to drive so far for a shower. Skyline Drive is absolutely beautiful, and while I didn't have any T-Mobile or Verizon at camp, a nearby overlook usually made it possible to connect with the outside world.