on a little creek near the busy road = occasionally sketchy neighbors
Drove 5 of the 7 miles to Mill Creek Campground when the road got too nasty for my tall, skinny van. I backed down to the pullout at the cow guard and fence at the edge of the NF. There was plenty of room to park, so I just stayed. Turns out there was a really active and loud creek right across the road, and a waxing gibbous moon, and very little traffic, so it turned out to be a great way to weather a crowded Saturday night!
Been here twice, and it was a little bit weird both times. Drive for six-ish miles up the side of the mountain, then get to a quiet campground on the point of land between a creek and a smaller creek. Both times it has seemed gloomy here. Both times I have been really happy driving back down the mountain to get out of here.
These federal parks along the Current River are national treasures. I had a great time here tonight.
5 miles east of US 101, great find when the beach campgrounds are full on Saturday night.
The largest of the three USFS campgrounds between Sedona and Flagstaff in Oak Creek Canyon. I think this is the least cool. Manzanita is the coolest but always full (11 sites in this giant tourist attraction0), Pine Flat is right next to this one, and looked to be the second coolest. This one's still pretty sweet though ... although I find myself worrying about evacuation routes if this dry, hot canyon was swept by a forest fire. We would all be screwed I think.
quiet, road nearby but it's not busy, in a young redwood forest, at the edge of the National Forest. First good place to stop east of Red Bluff.
Saturdays are such a trial to the hardened traveller. Every site is taken, and it has been raining for days, so the overflow lot is a soggy mess. The nice lady said I could park on the reasonably level pad next to the bathroom. The things I do for a shower.
Smack on the way from Reno to Eureka, where CA 44 meets CA 89. A geologically interesting valley. A giant, recent lava flow that feels like the recovering disaster area it is. The Lava Cave is a short walk across the highway. The Forest Service keeps one campground open all winter, and it is this one. A deep blanket of pine needles makes it quiet except for the occasional truck on 89.
This is Saturday of Labor Day weekend, and every site in all three campgrounds along Route 199 is taken. Somewhat depressed, I turned on the newly paved road on the other side of the creek from Patrick Creek Campground, and surprise, there was an area where clearly folks had camped before a few miles up the road. It's quite nice, right by the creek, and no one has bothered me - woo!
20 miles north of Ketchum Route 75 opens up into a beautiful, wide valley. The road follows the west side, the Big Wood River is on the east side, and along here there is a big, flat open area in between, with good-ish gravel roads over to the edge of the river where many dispersed campsites are set up. Pretty cool! This is the same river that flows through Ketchum and Sun Valley.
A modest city park in downtown Malta. In a grassy area between the fairgrounds and the Milk River you can camp for $5 a night. Pretty sweet.
I got lucky, snagged the last site on a Tuesday in high season. Bustling little Ten Sleep Creek is 30' sideways and 14' down from my picnic table. It's very noisy, which is so great after living with the sound of semi-trailer trucks on the lonesome highway so many nights.
Very nice campground, the local Boy Scouts added amenities. It is the most deluxe BLM campground I've ever seen. Showers even! There is apparently a waterfall a mile or so up the hill across the road.
lovely spot in the valley beneath the cape. Lots of little hikes, and the rocky coast.
Another very nice, well maintained campground built around another gorgeous freshwater spring. The one has Alley Mill, a grist mill driven by the outflow of Alley Spring - now a park info center. The mill is a short walk from the campground. If you hunt around for it there is swimming access to the river (swinning in the spring outflow, that's a no no in all these parks).
Unexpectedly wonderful place! Alligators, zillions of birds, nice hikes
A few short miles up the canyon from lovely Logan UT. The next campground up, Spring Hollow sounded nicer, but was FULL on Labor Day Friday. My modest little campground is NOT reservable, so there were still two of the ten sites available. I feel lucky.
A mile or so north of Cave Campground is a gravel road (called Wander Lane on the Google map) and a bridge over Hat Creek. If you follow that road you will see a couple of good campsites.
pleasant, quiet campground. off the road across a little bridge, on the creek.
steep, slippery hike down to the springs, which are a couple of hot streams falling into pools by the river