roadtripper509729

We scouted this area but didn't end up staying here because there was no cell service (even with a booster) on either AT&T or Verizon.

Many of the spots to camp have really bumpy access. There are a few spots with smooth access, but watch for overhanging branches. I don't think we could have gotten our 29' Class A in the most popular camping spot without trimming some branches.

That being said, it's a beautiful spot with a snow-melt creek and we would have stayed here except we need cell service to work.

Very quiet with sweeping views across the Kaibab Plateau. Looks like this campground is pretty new and they are still putting finishing touches on it (as of April 2016). Only a few sites had picnic tables and fire rings. All sites are gravel & pull-through, but turns might be tight for larger rigs. Sites have 30 and 50 amp service, water & sewer on new concrete aprons. There is a large building with shower stalls and laundry, but it was closed at the time of our visit. Presumably it is open when the campground is busier.

Check in and pay for your site at the Chevron Station on the corner of Pipe Springs Road.

Cell service is very marginal for data unless you have a booster. The closest towns with grocery stores and laundry would be Kanab and Hurricane.

We stayed here to be near family, but would not have chosen it otherwise. Campground is small (about 25 sites) and nicely shaded. Most sites are decent-sized, but few will fit a big rig. Our site had only 15amp service (while most have 30 & 50).

The campground host was really nice; however, the campground is right next to Highway 43 and there's a dairy farm just down the road which makes life unpleasant when the wind is blowing your way. Pets are allowed, but most of the dogs we saw were off-leash. We asked if they enforced the leash law and were told that pets are allowed to run free "unless they cause problems" so we could not take our cats outside while at this park. There does not appear to be a limit to the length of time you can stay, as some rigs appeared to have been in place for awhile.

There are 5 large campsites here, 4 of which are on the banks of the east fork of the Virgin River. 4 of the sites are large enough to accomodate at least 2 rigs. The dirt road they're on is the beginning of the Barracks Offroad Trail, so we experienced increased ATV/UTV traffic on the weekends but the noise isn't enough to be bothersome. There are also fenced corrals for horses. The first 2 sites are closest to the corrals & tend to be the staging area for loading/unloading ATVs, so they may have increased noise. Do NOT take a larger rig past the cattle guard: there are no good places to turn around before you reach the first of 19 water crossings!

These sites are relatively close to Zion National Park and to Kanab, UT. Kanab is a cute town with several restaurants, 2 grocery stores, and laundry. If you're into Westerns check out the Little Hollywood Museum. Lots of great off-roading and hiking in the area. We'd give this site 5 stars if it was closer to any major attraction or to Kanab.

AT&T coverage was sufficiently fast to stream data. Although the canyon walls are steep, we had no trouble getting enough sun to completely charge our batteries via solar panels (in mid-April).

Let's get this out of the way up front: this park doesn't have great "curb appeal". It gets 5 stars based solely on its location. We wanted to visit friends in Philly and, until we found the Park & Ride, were faced with staying at an outlying Park and driving 45 minutes one way to their house. This Park is right downtown and cannot be beaten for convenience to attractions.

The Park & Ride is affiliated with Univ. of Pennsylvania Hospital and provides parking for its employees. The facility is located in an industrial area of town but is gated and fenced. It is open year-round and, while the office is only open during business hours, an attendant is on-site 24/7 to let you in & get you settled if you arrive outside office hours.Reservations accepted.

BASICS: Sites have 30 & 50 amp power and fresh water. There is a dump station on site. There is a restroom with a shower (not the cleanest nor the dirtiest we've seen). Free WiFi. Depending on your location you may need a WiFi antennae. With our antennae we were seeing 30mb down most of the time.
Rates vary by RV length:
less than 30' - $30/night
30-40' - $40/night
over 40' - $50/night
Non-standard rates apply during special events (I assume game weekends, graduation, etc.)
Additional fee of $13/night to park a towed vehicle.
Stay 6 nights and the 7th night is free.

TRANSPORTATION: You can get an entry/gate card for a $15 refundable deposit so that you can come & go as you please. [If you don't get a gate card you can always call the office number and the attendant/shuttle bus driver can let you in, but you may have to wait up to 15 minutes after hours if the shuttle bus is out on a run.] Campers can hop on the shuttle bus at any time at no charge and get driven to the U Penn hospital. From there you can access the City bus system (office can help you with schedules & such). Shuttle buses run on a regular schedule between 6 am and 10 pm. After 10 pm they will run on request.

THE GOOD: Convenience. Power, water & dump. Safe place to park inside the City (I think you can pay the $13/day fee just to park here if you're just coming to the City in your car for the day). Staff is super nice and helpful. A standard "site" is 2 parking spaces wide, so you aren't jammed in too tightly (although I suspect it's a different story on game weekends & such). Can accommodate any size rig.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD: It's a parking lot in an industrial location, so there is vehicle and highway noise (it's near the Amtrak station too). That being said, we feel perfectly safe here and have stayed in plenty of campgrounds that were next to train tracks too. We don't find this any noisier than a WalMart parking lot. You'll need to take I-76 to get here, and it is a very busy highway, especially during peak traffic hours. You may want to time your arrival for the middle of the day. Bathroom could have been nicer, and there is only 1 shower for women, 1 for men.

This BLM site is less than 5 miles from Capital Reef National Park and only about 1/2 mile outside the town of Torrey. The road had been recently graded at the time of our visit and large rigs should be able to access many of the sites (exercise caution). However, looks like the road will be slick when wet, and if you venture off the graded road some areas appear soft. To reach the majority of the sites, cross the cattle guard and turn right down the hill.

There are great views and it's very quiet here. The town of Torrey has several restaurants, and Austin's Chuck Wagon Hotel has a small laundromat, deli and grocery. AT&T coverage had great upload/download speeds. Verizon is adequate to make phone calls.

We'll be back!

The entrance road for Steer Pasture Overlook is just 1/4 north of the Pinnacles entrance to Badlands National Park and is the same as for Nomad View. The entrance road is smooth but old ruts show it can be very soft in rainy weather. As of this writing, even large rigs should have no trouble with the road. When the road T's at the bluff, turn left for Steer Pasture Overlook.

Located on National Grassland, this area is just a smooth grassy path along the bluff where you can pick your site. Camping along the bluff can get breezy, but the views over the badlands are endless! There are microwave towers just west of the bluff, so cell service on both AT&T and Verizon is extremely good.

Very quiet, close to Wall for shopping, and literally within sight of the Pinnacles entrance to Badlands National Park. Boondocking doesn't get any better than this!

We did not actually stay here because we needed cell coverage and there is no cell signal for either Verizon or AT&T. We will come back though when we have a few days off work! Cell coverage ends once you lose line-of-sight with Hgwy 395.

Green Creek Road is unpaved and has minor washboards and a few larger rocks but is wide and we could easily (if slowly) get our 29' Class A down here. Once you are a mile or so away from Hgwy 395 there are numerous small pull-out sites with informal fire rings and many are scenic and beautiful. Check your public lands maps to make sure it's legal to stay in these though.

The campground at the coordinates given is a little loop along the stream. Some sites are small (tent or van only) but a few will accommodate our small Class A. This is not a formal campground so there are no toilets or trashcans. Sites have informal rock fire rings. There were numerous mosquitoes at the time of our visit (June 28) so be prepared! The scenery however was not to be beat, with the snowy Sierra's behind you and the meandering stream. During our drive we saw deer, a coyote and what appeared to be a marmot. There were also ducks and lots of songbird on the creek, with signs of beaver too.

The Green Creek trailhead is just a short drive further up the creek.

Good location at the intersection of I15 and Hgwy 9. The dump station is located on the opposite side of the station from the gas pumps and there is a huge parking lot there, so you should have plenty of room to maneuver; however, on a very busy weekend (we were there Easter weekend 2016) anticipate a little confusion over where the line for the dump station is.

If you fill up with gas, the dump station is free. If you just want to dump, there is a $5 charge. There is fresh water with very good pressure, but the hose is not rated for drinking water. No big deal - after dumping we simply disconnected their hose and used our own.

Although just down the road from Giles French Park, Rufus Landing seems a world away. There are several large gravel parking areas, and our nearest neighbor was 300' or more away. The river bank is a good spot for bird watching - lots of ducks, blue herons, and an osprey during our stay. We also enjoyed watching the windsurfers and boat traffic.

Access from I84 is quick and easy. . A dumpster is located at the boat ramp. There is some highway and train noise (a track beside I84 and one on the opposite side of the river) but you can get farther away from the noise here than at Giles French Park, and there are no train crossings, meaning we did not hear any whistles. We didn't find the noise to be intrusive. Although there is no fresh water or dump site, the Sinclair Station near the entrance offers dump & fresh water fill for $10.00. The station also has propane. The closest good shopping and laundry will be at The Dalles (30 miles).

Cell service is good based on the proximity to the highway. On Verizon we had 15.40mbps down and 19.19 mbps up.