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2023

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  • Cattle Camp Campground
  • Shasta-Trinity National Forest, McCloud CA
  • About 6 miles from Fowler's Camp. I've not stayed here, but I did a drive-thru and it looks very nice. Big, level shaded sites. It lacks the cool factor of being on the river near multiple waterfalls but there is a "swimming hole" a couple of miles away,

  • Preston Creek Campground
  • Cache National Forest, Logan UT
  • on a little creek near the busy road = occasionally sketchy neighbors

  • Lodgepole Campground
  • Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Heber City UT
  • Elevation 7,800'. Across the valley from busy US 40. Open, well-maintained, paved roads. Pretty deluxe as these things go, but nothing to do that i could see. From here it's straight downhill for a long time to Heber City There's a resort with restaurant and store right up the hill, but you gotta drive to it.

  • Hampshire Rocks Campground
  • Tahoe National Forest, Cisco CA
  • At the Rainbow Road exit off I-80. On the South Yuba River. Super nice place, even if the freeway is 200 yards away. If you're familiar with the Bay Area to Reno run on I-80, there's a place where it crosses some beautiful rapids. This is about ½ mile downstream from that.

  • Willow Creek Campground
  • Modoc National Forest, Adin CA
  • Small but very handy campground 50 mile north of Susanville. Very near the road, but the road is not heavily traveled. The stream is very small but pretty

  • Salmon Creek Campground
  • Tahoe National Forest, Sierra City CA
  • hyper-busy tonight, first night of the season, Memorial Day weekend. It would be restful and pleasant next to the happy little creek most nights I think. As a campground, this is nicer than Sardine up the hill. I walked up to Sardine Lake, which was a very pleasant hike, with some excellent sunset views ... if you don't mind walking along the highway. They raised the price again this year here too.

  • Dalton Springs Campground
  • Manti-Lasal National Forest, Monticello UT
  • 5 miles outta town on a good road. Panoramic view of many miles between the trees, closed-in feel in the scrub oaks, sketchy, kinda creepy campground host.

  • Gansner Bar
  • Plumas National Forest, Belden CA
  • Nice little spot, 1/2 mile off of 70, on the North Fork of the Feather River, near where it joins the main river. It is not well marked that the campground is at this turnoff so it's easy to drive right past. Once you make the turnoff it's well signed. $25 seems like quite a high price, but the concessionaire needs to make a profit I guess. $12.50 ain't so bad!

  • Buckeye Hot Springs
  • Humboldt Toyiabe National Forest, Bridgeport CA
  • steep, slippery hike down to the springs, which are a couple of hot streams falling into pools by the river

  • Tioga Lake Campground
  • Inyo National Forest, Lee Vining CA
  • Elevation: 9,700 ft The first campground after leaving Yosemite at Tioga Pass. You see the lake pretty much when you leave the park, and the campground is near where the lake level used to be before climate change and the LA Water Authority stole all the water. There is a spectacular view up the valley and some way down the valley. It was full at 5:30 on a September Monday, Most of the sites are paired up, their two parking places together then separate paths to the picnic table and tent area for each. Not the greatest for van living, although the parking spot net to #2 is good.

  • Ward Mountain Campground
  • Humboldt Toyiabe National Forest, Ely NV
  • This campground appears to be brand spanking new! The bbq grills are not yet installed on their metal posts. Seems to be built for parties - each site as two tables and two bbqs (!). Sadly, my bathroom is either closed for season or has never been opened, because it is locked. Got a killer sunset from my site - by far the best of the trip. Happy to be here!

  • Buckeye dispersed
  • Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Bridgeport, CA
  • There is an actual Forest Service campground right down the road, but it's closed half the year, and these dispersed spots are so nice I usually stay here anyway. Coming from 395 on Buckeye Road, you first encounter the pull-off for the hot springs. 300 yards later at the bend in the road is the real campground, then another 300 yards up the hill on the left is the dispersed area. It's really nice. you can see out over the wide valley through the pine trees. It is sometimes crowded.

  • Lower Little Truckee Campground
  • Tahoe National Forest, Truckee CA
  • On good ole CA 89 a few miles north of Truckee. Drove by here many times, finally staying. Boring but handy! There are two campgrounds here about a mile apart, Lower Little Truckee and Upper Little Truckee. Theis not difference between them.

  • Williamson River Campground
  • Winema National Forest, Chiloquin OR
  • 1.6 miles of unpleasant washboardy gravel road. The same turnoff as Collier State Park - cheaper, and you get what you pay for! Flat, featureless, 3' tall undergrowth and 60' tall ponderosa pines scattered about. There is a trail to the Williamson River about 1/3 mile away.

  • Pigeon Point Campground
  • Trinity National Forest, Junction City CA
  • On a bend in the Trinity River. The main deal here is the heavily used boat ramp, I think the campground was built as an adjunct to it. Just seven sites, a couple of which are really nice. Busy Route 299 is only 30 yards away, so when a truck passes you hear it. Fortunately, the road is not busy after dark. Not quite as torrid as Redding, but still pretty darned hot until the sun goes down.

  • Box Elder Campground
  • Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Mantua UT
  • Pretty name, but kind of a dusty little trailer park of a campground. It felt like a lot of folks there are semi-permanent residents. There is a tiny creek. A short walk up the hill is the town of Mantua, where there is a reservoir and a swimming beach. The full service town of Brigham City is a right down the hill.

  • Convict Lake Campground
  • Inyo National Forest, Mammoth CA
  • Large campground at the foot of Convict Lake. Really cool place, mountains on three sides, nice little bite-sized hike around the perimeter of the lake (2.6 miles). Quite popular, but it's a big campground so there are usually open sites. Downtown Mammoth is fifteen minutes away.

  • Pine Flats
  • Boise National Forest, Lowman ID
  • Cove Creek Hot Springs
  • Sawtooth National Forest, Stanley, ID
  • Nice pullover off Highway 75 east of Stanley. Park and walk down to a little 2 person pool by the Salmon River. No shade, so you'll need a sun-blocking plan in the middle of the day.

  • Allred Flat Campground
  • Bridger National Forest, Afton WY
  • not spectacular, but very convenient coming out of Star Valley. effing COLD when I was there in October, also no fee that time of year.

  • Las Petacas Campground
  • Carson National Forest, Taos NM
  • Good things about this place are that it's cheap and very close to Taos. Other than that, it's dusty, noisy, cramped and bumpy roads US 64 is way too close, so it's noisy, and after dark the headlights are annoying. It gets quiet later.