roadtripper3005282

(Stayed here 8/14/21): All sites we drove past (3) were occupied when we arrived in the evening (around 6pm). This being summer and a FREE convenient spot between national parks, we weren’t surprised. We decided to park at a pullout at a trailhead. We weren’t sure if we’d get in trouble or not for doing this but no one approached us to move. We left early the next morning (around 630am). There are bathrooms at the posted campsites. The first part of the road in, the forest is burned, surrounded with dead/blackened trees (not safe or attractive to camp amongst). Continuing on past campsite #3, the burn fades and the forest is green and alive again.

My husband and I spent an afternoon here after driving through Zion NP. It was very hot, so I was highly grateful for the abundance of trees and shade. Plus, the creek running right next to our spot was awesome; another relief from the heat.

It was windy at times, causing sand to find it’s way into every crevice of our bodies and our truck.

Got bit by horrible gray flies while going to and coming from the creek. They seem to hover low, close to the sand and like to bite legs. They bite hard! I’m guessing they’re some sort of sand fly, related to yellow jackets or wasps.

Upsides: good views of Vegas to the south, great sunset and sunrise, closest free spot near Vegas.

Downsides: noisy, trashy, no shade, sandy/dusty, rocky, no privacy.

We spent the night here on 4th of July. We actually had a pretty good time catching various firework shows in the city (be sure to have binoculars on you as it really adds to the experience.). At any given time we could see a dozen different firework shows popping off. Plus, we had local fireworks set off by our neighbors, which was a mix of other campers, sightseers, partiers, and ATV’ers.

The bummer was that some of these same people trashed the place, including leaving behind their used fireworks. Some groups kept the celebrations running until sunrise, believe it or not. We didn’t get a great night’s sleep due to this and the fact that it was hotter than shit. To make things more uncomfortable, we had to get up early and leave because there’s no shade and the sun began to bake us as soon as he popped his head over the mountain ridge (not the kind of wake and bake I fancy).

The location of this place loses a star because it’s right next to I-15 and highway 604. There’s no privacy; it’s basically a dirt lot if you wanna call it that. There aren’t any trees or bushes, so you’re totally exposed to those around you in the area and those driving by. If you wanna take a pee, especially as a female, forget it! Or go under the cover of night (if there aren’t people there partying all night.)

I know I totally sound like I’m complaining about the people partying, but that honestly didn’t bother me as much as being exposed to the road, neighbors, and the elements (i.e. sun, heat, wind, sand). It was fun being around all the people on the 4th of July and gave me a musical festival vibe. Any other day, I’d probably not feel the same.

Arrived around 9pm and stayed until 11am the next day. Although I read that CO doesn’t allow overnight parking at the rest stops, no one bothered us, plus a bunch of other cars/semis seemed posted for the night.

Bathrooms are clean.

Spent two wonderful weeks here (4/18-5/1). Lots of space to park and spread out, lots of trees and shade to relax in the hammock, and the area is clean and quiet. Great views of the snowy mountains all around us.

Only place we could find open for dispersed camping during the strange Covid days. We’re so grateful to have had a space for ourselves, away from others.

Only downside, service is not great (one bar ATT), but we’ll be back sometime though.

We drove in a few miles from the highway and parked in a clearing just off the gravel road near a wire fence.

I noticed a couple of other spots just before the one we chose, but they had what looked to be abandoned cars/campers. Kinda creepy. At least the spots are well spaced from each other.

There was a surprising amount of traffic on the gravel road, which by the way is accessible for any vehicle; it’s just a bumpy ride. Mostly trucks came and went hauling livestock trailers. It continued past sunset and resumed just before sunrise.

The spots are just off this gravel road, so there’s not much privacy. There aren’t any trees or big shrubs either, so you’re exposed as far as the eye can see.

No frills parking lot not far off the highway.

There were three or four other campers/cars in the lot, two of which looked like long term deals, but it was surprisingly quiet and clean.

(Stayed here 8/18/21): Right off the road but quiet and very clean. The highway isn’t very busy which is a saving grace. Including us, there were four vehicles that spent the night. There are sheltered picnic tables, large trash receptacles and clean bathrooms. There’s a large grassy area at the back of the parking lot. Watch out for dog poop if you decide to hang out in it. A great spot to workout or to do some yoga!

Road is rough at times and can get flooded easily in spots. High clearance vehicle with 4-wheel recommended.

We found a neat little spot near Rio Chama. We had the fortune of trees as well to hang hammocks and to have the refuge of shade.

Another huge plus is there are bathrooms! Pretty clean, minus the bazillion flies.

It was very quiet during the two days & nights we spent here. Only a handful of cars passed by as we camped, although I can see this being a very popular spot during a holiday.

The only bummer about this place are the people who leave behind trash! LNT people! We pick up what we come across, and I hope others follow suit.

Take a dip in the river! Spa day, mud bath treatment 👌

A gem. I dreamt of this place. I mean, I literally dreamt of this place! It was surreal.

Echoing everything in the “Nathan @ Wand’rly” review. Read his post for the correct path to this site. I pasted the coordinates above in the Site Number box and here again: (37.2265970,-107.6950090)

We were approached by a BLM guy our second day there, who gave us the standard dispersed camping rules. No trouble, just a heads up.

Quiet, good views, clean, close to town, and easily accessible.