roadtripper9131501

Rollin Home RV Park
Nephi, UT

Site #10, PT, FHU, 1nt.

Pros:
Long wide Pullthrough, with grass dividers. 2 service centers to pick from make setting up easy.
Beautiful views if you pick your spot wisely. (So office isn't out your back window instead of the mountains).
Clean laundry room.
Office staff very nice.
Yummy gourmet sweets for sale in the office/store.
Visible & ATT both strong signals.
OTA channels good. Plenty of them & good reception.
No issues with power.
Picnic tables.

Cons:
WIFI spotty. Bounced in/out a bit.
Water pressure high, use regulator.
No pool or playground if you need to entertain kids.
No shade trees.
Some noise from the trucks in the morning & afternoon.

Overall a very nice newer park & a welcome break before pushing through SLC. We would use them again when in the area.

TIP:
#1: Watch your GPS!
Our Garmin RV890 had us coming in from the South end of Four Mile rd.... only it completely missed the turn ONTO Four Mile (it's just past the refinery). The road has no street sign, no rv park sign etc & said we were still 2m to the turn. Had us going off the asphalt onto gravel, up the mountain a bit to the Four Mile Hunting Club. We got turned around in a parts yard & a local was kind enough to get us back on track. NOT the parks fault, just a caution that both Garmin. & Waze had no idea where we were.

#2: The pullthroughs by the office, the road to get to them has a tight right turn & is narrow. It sets you up nicely to pull out the gate in the morning, but might be a problem for a bigger rig if you don't realize it in time. We're only 34' & it was a tight turn for us. If you're a triple axle, or over 40' you might want to look at the Pull-throughs in the 2nd section.

Wallowa-Whitman NF
NF 21
aka Spring Creek Campground
La Grande, OR

45.2125.6N, 118.1843.3W (Campground)
45.3679N, 118.2972W (signboard)
45.36944, -118.29997 (2nd spot)

14 Day limit
V 4g/2-3b, ATT 4g/1-2b (no booster)
Dirt & grass

Campground:
Not for bigger rigs. 4 spots fairly close together, picnic tables, pit toilets. Loop in is tight, and while we are only 34' long, we're 13.8 on truck and had to do some creative maneuvering to get ourselves back out. Cell signal here was almost non existent, and fairly dense tree cover if using solar.

There was one spot on the left before getting to the Campground we could have fit into, but again, dense tree cover. Didn't check cell signal here.

There is supposed to be more spots past the campground, but we haven't taken the bikes out yet to explore.

Signboard:
Easily found a spot, even on Labor Day weekend (Friday). This area could handle 4 or 5 rigs. Cell signal better, but still bounced in/out a bit. We stayed here 2nts to get past the holiday weekend. Picked up a lot of micro trash, spent shells, and broken bottles. This is also the area where a lot of a sxs park for Day Use. VERY dusty area.

2nd Spot:
WOW what a difference. After we decided to hang out in the area for a bit longer, we knew we had to move off the main road as the dust was making our solar pout. As you come in, just before the signboard there is a road going up a hill to the right. It looks intimidating, but can be done going slow in 4wd. We found 3 great spots up there without going back very far.
There are spots further back, as we saw people pulling trailers out, but we haven't explored them yet. We chose the 1st spot on the left for the full solar and gorgeous view of the meadow, tree line, and mountains in the distance. Cell signal comes in stronger on this ridge, but still a little fickle without a booster... note to self, get booster. Picked up medium sized and micro trash here, as well as bullet casings and broken bottles... and a special thanks to whomever left a bag of rotting frozen chicken wings...that was fun, but the view is worth it, and SO MUCH LESS dust.

There is a spot across (right side of road) where we've had over nights pull in late, but they left by 9am and both were very quiet setting up. Other than them, and the people from further back pulling out after the weekend, we've been alone up here.

There is a GORGEOUS spot further up on the right, but I couldn't get any signal.

From all but the campground, you will hear road noise. I84 is just beyond the trees. I pretend it's waves (don't judge), my husband uses ear plugs. We've both had no issues sleeping.

If we had only had the 1st 2nts experience I would say we would only be back as a last minute overnight, having discovered this other area, yep we'd be back no problem.

As with all boondocking, scouting out is the key.

Holloman AFB BLM.... aka... Raptor Lake

Great spot....but... as others have said, it IS a tricky entry for bigger rigs, especially if you are traveling South on 70.
Sharp right turn, immediately into 2 gates with a slight curve between them, slight dip after the 2nd gate and then another curve going uphill.
We're only 34' long STD width, and used the left turn lane to turn right and get straightened before entering. I'm glad we did an RV park the 1st night to dump, pump, and resupply. It gave us a chance to drive out and see the entry 1st hand before towing in the rig.
Once you're in, it's a nice spot. Verizon & ATT both work great 3-4 bars. We got 23 OTA channels. Area was pretty clean.. Not as spread out as some places, but not on top of each other either. Stays reasonably busy even in February.
Winds were up some on arrival. Parked accordingly and had no problem. Ground is another issue. Firm enough for parking etc, but if it rains I imagine the silty texture might turn to peanut butter.
All in all a nice spot with the lake, mountains, and the jets from Hollowman AFB to watch. Road noise not noticeable inside the rig.

Blackrock Canyon BLM
Pocatello, ID
8/4/22

DO NOT trust APP coordinates
42.8145, -112.3307 : Campendium 6/20/22
42.8146,-112.3307 : The Dyrt 6/30/22,
42.8142, -112.3306 : FREE Roam / 2019

These coordinates all lead to a reasonably level, fenced dirt parking lot on the left with a vault toilet and concrete walkway going across the road to a covered picnic/stream area. We were very excited.

This is NOT the BLM camping area.... or rather more likely, 'no longer' is?

There are 3 new looking signs stating Day Use Only, No Overnight Camping.

However there is still a signboard by the toilet with the typical BLM rules/regs & 14 day limit? What's a gal to do?

So I called the BLM office listed on the sign to clear up the conflicting sign info. Yep, the aforementioned parking lot is NOT FOR OVERNIGHTCAMPING - again, signs are shiney, no weathering, so this may be a new development?

We were told there are 2 BLM camping areas.
#1 is ACROSS from the aforementioned parking lot... big DEEPLY graveled area on the right as you come in that steeply slopes down to the picnic table area (our autolevel just laughed at us no matter what we did or where we positioned).

#2 is about 1/4m further up where the road loops back on itself, and also has a vault toilet (no concrete walkway). This is a medium parking area inside the loop. Looked doable until we noticed the berm hiding under the grass. At 34' backed in, we'd have either lost the under carriage spare tire, or had our big butt sitting on the ground. So this too was a big nope for us.

There is a pullout on the way to the 2nd area, but currently has a 'road closed' sign on it, and another pull out just before the 1st parking area. We could have squeezed into this one, but by this point we were wore out & the thought of all the dust ... just nope.

We moved on.

This is a GORGEOUS area, if you're a smaller footprint, and can get level. Verizon & ATT both usable but not very strong. Road in is a little washboard and hilly, but doable. I15 underpass ... we're 13'8" on truck & cleared both with no issues.

Definitely recommend dropping your rig in the parking lot and scouting out this area 1st.

Review 230617
FR144
Arches/Canyonlands NPs
Crescent Junction/Moab, UT

GPS: 38.8792316, -109.8088988
ELEV: 4,672'
14nt limit (stayed 9nts)
$0.00
Silty dirt/clay, Any size rig, 2 big open areas.
Slick if it rains, dries pretty quick.
(more spots for small to mid size down the side roads & further down FR144)
Cell Service: Varies wildly by site.
No OTA channels
We didn't need dump/water this stay, so no info on those services. Heard Maverick has them, but that parking lot is smallish and VERY busy.
Windy! Campfires, charcoal grills & awnings are were a no go during our stay.

What it is:
A conveinent spot with easy access for any size rig when visiting Arches & Canyonlands. Clean site, minimal micro glass/trash. Uncrowded for the proximity to the parks (20min). Day time us & 1-2 rigs spread out well, night had another 3-4 overnighters. Everyone was curtious & quiet while we were here. Spots easily found even on weekends in June.

What it is not:
The quietest. It is close to 191, but the minimal noise never bothered us. Trains, usually twice a day except on days the Rocky Mountaineer passes through.
Not the most beautiful site we've ever had.....nor is it the worst.
Craggy rock hills in the distance, silty with low scrub vistas across the desert. It has it's charms in it's solitude in an otherwise crowded tourist area & it's nightlife. Had a fox pass through one evening, a group of Pronghorn a few days later.
There are prettier views closer to Moab, but the ones we scouted were crowded or now cost (Willow Springs), or were going to be difficult to get our girl into.

Cell Service:
If you need good cell service, go past our spot on FR144 (we have no booster). There is a hill here that reduces the signal to almost unusable on both Verizon & ATT. There is another good sized area past us on the right that has much better signal.

Moab Brewery, expensive but delicious with a nice selection of beers. El Tapatio satisfied our Mexican craving. No grocery stores to speak of & what is here is pricey. State liquor store in Moab, well stocked for liqour & wine.

This area was exactly what we needed. Easy access from I70, away from the crowds, but close enough to visit the parks & town, no muss/no fuss, easily leveled & clean. We will park in the 2nd area when next we pass through for better cell signal.

Wallowa-Whitman NF
NF 21
aka Spring Creek Campground
La Grande, OR

45.2125.6N, 118.1843.3W (Campground)
45.3679N, 118.2972W (signboard)
45.36944, -118.29997 (2nd spot)

14 Day limit
V 4g/2-3b, ATT 4g/1-2b (no booster)
Dirt & grass

Campground:
Not for bigger rigs. 4 spots fairly close together, picnic tables, pit toilets. Loop in is tight, and while we are only 34' long, we're 13.8 on truck and had to do some creative maneuvering to get ourselves back out. Cell signal here was almost non existent, and fairly dense tree cover if using solar.

There was one spot on the left before getting to the Campground we could have fit into, but again, dense tree cover. Didn't check cell signal here.

There is supposed to be more spots past the campground, but we haven't taken the bikes out yet to explore.

Signboard:
Easily found a spot, even on Labor Day weekend (Friday). This area could handle 4 or 5 rigs. Cell signal better, but still bounced in/out a bit. We stayed here 2nts to get past the holiday weekend. Picked up a lot of micro trash, spent shells, and broken bottles. This is also the area where a lot of a sxs park for Day Use. VERY dusty area.

2nd Spot:
WOW what a difference. After we decided to hang out in the area for a bit longer, we knew we had to move off the main road as the dust was making our solar pout. As you come in, just before the signboard there is a road going up a hill to the right. It looks intimidating, but can be done going slow in 4wd. We found 3 great spots up there without going back very far.
There are spots further back, as we saw people pulling trailers out, but we haven't explored them yet. We chose the 1st spot on the left for the full solar and gorgeous view of the meadow, tree line, and mountains in the distance. Cell signal comes in stronger on this ridge, but still a little fickle without a booster... note to self, get booster. Picked up medium sized and micro trash here, as well as bullet casings and broken bottles... and a special thanks to whomever left a bag of rotting frozen chicken wings...that was fun, but the view is worth it, and SO MUCH LESS dust.

There is a spot across (right side of road) where we've had over nights pull in late, but they left by 9am and both were very quiet setting up. Other than them, and the people from further back pulling out after the weekend, we've been alone up here.

There is a GORGEOUS spot further up on the right, but I couldn't get any signal.

From all but the campground, you will hear road noise. I84 is just beyond the trees. I pretend it's waves (don't judge), my husband uses ear plugs. We've both had no issues sleeping.

If we had only had the 1st 2nts experience I would say we would only be back as a last minute overnight, having discovered this other area, yep we'd be back no problem.

As with all boondocking, scouting out is the key.

Hurricane Cliffs aka Sheep's Bridge Rd.
Sites 1-12

PROS:
Stunning views
Free 14 day - although in 14 days we never saw anyone check
Verizon & ATT 4-5 bars even with no booster
Wide open, strong solar all but 1 day
20m to Zion NP, 2m to Virgin Falls Park for a dip in the river
Jem & Hurricane Cliffs Trails right out the door
Free water at Hurricane Maverick (pump 5/6); Free dump & rinse water at La Verkin Maverick
Propane fill at Tractor Supply (call 1st to verify certified personnel on duty)
Davis & Lin grocery stores close, well stocked, a bit high
Walmart within 20 min. Autozone in Hurricane
Decent restaurants, good movie theater showing new releases
Hurricane Laundry reasonably priced, various sized machines. Attendant was a hoot.

CONS:
Dust... and I mean dust!
Fine, silty, reddish stuff that wafts in the air, settles in your screens, your rugs, your skin, and generally coats anything air touches. The views are worth it, just be prepared to constantly wipe, mop, wash feet, shoes etc.
Sheep's Bridge Rd (SBRd) is pretty Washboarded right now. It is doable going slow, but you're gonna rattle your innards a bit.
Spacing is decent, but not 'I'm in the middle of nowhere'.
Rigs about 50-100yrds apart, 6-12 rigs/tent/cars a night in our area, half usually only there for the night.
Everyone pretty respectful of noise & lights after 10pm.
Mornings a little noisy as the mountain bikers come through.
Only 3 OTA channels

SITE 1-12:
Silty dirt, scrub brush, no shade, 360 views
#1 right off SBRd, easiest overnight, and sized to hold a few rigs. Very dusty.
#8 half way in, deceptively large site. You can't see how big/ long it is until you're past it. Easily held a large Class C & 2 5vers, Could hold more in a group situation.
#6 could hold our 34' 5vr, and we saw a 40'+ 5ver get in there but WOW that guy is GOOD!
#7 could hold us backed in, truck disconnected to the side.
There is a loop to turn around at site 12, IF no one has parked in the road.

We scouted out other locations in this area as well. The 50s sites are easier access to Zion, but pretty crowded, and not particularly level for us. 25-36 had some nice sites, but a long drive on the washboarded SBRd, and most of the good sites stayed full the 14 days we were here. 38 is an easy overnight right off SBRd similar to #1 on main road, can hold a couple rigs and very dusty. #13 be careful, the big open spot on google maps is actually NOT Dispersed camping, the road on the left leads back to the sites.

33.3605685, -111.3959974
Peralta Rd., Gold Canyon, AZ
No services

VERIZON via Visible 4 bars 4g
ATT via Straight Talk 3 bars 4g
OTA Channels decent depending on location
Radio stations doable from our location

March/April 2022

PROs:
Absolutely stunning views out every window, Any size rig can find a spot, Private spots if you're willing to scout around, Water & Propane available at Circle K up the road (3 dumpsters in back), Lots of good hiking, side by side tours, horseback riding tours etc if that's your thing.

CONs:
Noisy days & Weekends, Dusty (not many observe the 10mph limit), Open Range livestock, Rattlesnakes, Some trash, Some overstaying limits, Local laundries are expensive ( wash 3.50-15.00, dryer .50 10min).

SPECIAL NOTE:
Get your AZ State Land Trust Pass & display it clearly. They do come through.

We have loved our stay here & will be back. We opted for an easy in/out group area 3.1m in from the Peralta/ I60 entrance as we were back n forth to town a lot to visit friends, but found at least 5 others we could have opted for. There are pull out spots just as you enter the gravel road area if you just need an overnight. Otherwise scout it out. There are lots of offshoots that are more private if you're staying longer..

Road can be bumpy, go slow. Don't recommend coming in blind after dark if you're going past the pullouts. Pay attention to the washes if rain is expected. Some of the spots in the back can get cut off.

Our site wasn't very busy with campers, even tough it could hold several, but we did have a lot of OHV tours, dirt bikes, and horseback tours enter the trails through here. Horse trailers park in this location for the day on the weekends.

Had cows come through several days. Had no interest in us or the rig, but I could see them doing damage if you're parked near their favorite bushes. ...and some of these guys were HUGE. Saw a Coyote and heard them in the distance at night. Horseback tour found a Rattlesnake about 70' from us. Tour leader said they had found 17 so far that week. Said it was pretty unusual activity for this time of year. Glad I didn't know that earlier in the week as I tromped around taking pictures of Spring flowers!

Quiets down at night except on weekends. Traffic dies down about an hour after sundown when the sunset hikers to the Wave Cave head home. Really had no problem with the little bit of traffic there was.

Will definitely be back. That view is worth a little traffic & dust ... Sunrises & Sunsets are stunning here.

FR688
Tusayan, AZ
35.9252565, -112.1247050

Ponderosa Pines in Kaibab National Forest.
Saw at least a dozen bigger rigs with better backing skills than us tucked away from the road.
Lovely to see trees after 2 months of desert. Had cows fairly close, deer in the distance. Lots of birds.

Verizon 1-2 bars, ATT showed 1 bar but was unusable. This was fairly close to the entrance with no booster.

Grounds reasonably clean, I've seen worse. 2 grocery bags over 14 days of broken glass, nails, plastic, used foil, beer caps, shell casings etc on my walks.
Several spots have nice firepits.
There is some road noise, but not bad.

Close to GCNP & free. If you have a pass, use the left lane for quicker entry.

Restaurants & groceries in the area are at tourist prices, bring what you need or be prepared for sticker shock.

Propane is available at the RV park just past the general store.
We refilled water jugs inside the park at their Spring Water stations each time we went. Laundry at Mather Campground.

Definitely do Desert View Drive while in the area. Gorgeous views & able to get away from the masses at Grand Canyon Village.
Would stay again if in the area.

If coming in late for longer than 1-2nts. Take the 1st spot you can fit into & scout out the next morning. Lots of car/van campers were just here for the night, and there are many easy spaces tucked back from the road that are hard to see from the road when towing. We parked just off the road near the entrance and grabbed a great spot 48hrs later when some neighbors left.

KOA Pasco/Tri Cities
Pasco, WA
#221, New section
Gravel, easily leveled, pull Through
Grass area between sites with picnic table.
Plenty long enough, did not have to disconnect
WIFI.... there but not very strong
V 4g/3b, ATT 4g/2b ( no booster)

2nt stop to visit a friend in Walla Walla, which was busy with their Fall Fair and had no RV spots open.
Escorted to our sight. Nick was very helpful with local info on where to find what.
There is some road noise. We didn't hear it in our rig with the AC on, but you will hear it if outside.
Nice pool area, playground for the kids.
Laundry is a little small for a park this size, but it wasn't busy and we didn't have to wait.
Did not use the new bathrooms.
Access from the highway was good, and new section roads are easily navigable in a larger rig.
They do water at night, so don't leave anything out that can't get wet.

We would stay here again when in the area.