MATHER, Grand Canyon, AZ

MATHER CAMP GROUND

LOCATION:  Grand Canyon Village, AZ

UTILITIES: None

COST:  $18/night  

DISCOUNTS: Senior (50%) and other Interagency passes.

OUR RATING (1-5):  Category I, Rating - 4

NOTES:   Mather is a reservation campground.  We were able to get a place because it was the end of November and they had openings. There are some 386 camp sites in Mather.  We got a parallel spot right across the road from the toilets and we could hear the electric hand dryers every time someone went in. Once we realize the source of the noise it didn’t bother us.  This side of the park is, in fact, a town, and feels like it. The campground was pleasant and not crowded. There were trails to many of the places you’d want to go as well as to the canyon rim.

Environment:   A nicely wooded campground. You are at elevation, around 7300 ft.  The days were seasonably warm with very cold nights in the 20s and 30s. 

Amenities:  nearby store and gas station.  Bus service at the end of the campground.

Dump:  Yes.   A bit strange, but quite adequate.

Public Water:  Yes

Toilets:  Yes

Showers:  Yes  ($2/8min. Old with small stalls, but adequate.)

Laundry:  Yes    (lots of equipment and reasonably priced.)    

Phone Service:  Verizon poor in the campground but you can go a short distance and get an adequate signal.

Location:  The park signage is good. Follow the signs after passing through the entrance station.  Coordinates at the intersection of Market Plaza Rd and the campground:  36.051540  -112.121282

Proximity to shopping:  There is a market with souvenirs and back-country equipment very close. Of course, the village is filled with places to spend money.

Camping Population:  quite diverse. 

Sites:  All of them seemed a bit tight.  I believe there is a length limit.  Big rigs are best to go to Trailer Village where there are full hookups.  However, the Mather sites are more spacious and private than the Trailer Village.

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service  

MANZAHITA, Lassen Nat'l Park, CA

MANZAHITA CAMPGROUND

RUN BY:   Lassen National Park

LOCATION:   Lassen National Park north gate, Old Station, CA

UTILITIES:  none

COST:  $24                

DISCOUNTS:  Senior Access, Interagency (50%)

OUR RATING (1-5):  Category I.  Rating – 4.

NOTES:  This is a reservation campground most of the year. We were here in October. At this time of the year their A-loop was still reservation, B-loop was first-come for RVs and a third loop was first-come for tents. The area was phenomenal and the park is a must-see. 

Environment:  You are in a pine woods at elevation.  Elevation is 5,900 ft.

Amenities:  There is a camp store, gas and other amenities near the campground

Dump:  Yes

Public Water: Yes

Toilets: Yes

Showers: at camp store

Laundry: at camp store

Phone Service:  none

Location:  Going into the north entrance to the park, the campground is on the right just past the north entrance gate.   Coordinates at the campground entrance: 40.536771  -121.561249

Proximity to shopping:  There is a camp store with gasoline at the park entrance, and Old Station, CA, outside the park

Camping Population:  Quite diverse.

Sites:  Roomy and relatively level

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service  

LEE'S FERRY, Marble Canyon, AZ

LEES FERRY CAMPGROUND, Glen Canyon Rec. Area

RUN BY:  Dept. of the Interior

LOCATION:   Marble Canyon, AZ    36.858931  -111.605273

UTILITIES: None

COST:  $20/night

DISCOUNTS:  Senior (50%) and certain Interagency passes

OUR RATING (1-5): Category I, Score 4+

NOTES: Stopping here was a knee-jerk reaction to name recognition which really paid off. One of our advantages as full-timers is that we can stop anywhere, anytime. We were on our way from the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon when we saw the sign to Lees Ferry, which we knew from history, and decided to check it out. We stayed two nights and might have stayed longer if we had not been worried about weather on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. There is hiking and boating to go along with the fantastic scenery.  The campground sits on a rise near the Colorado River just at the point where the white water, going into the Grand Canyon, begins. I don’t think there’s really a bad site in the campground. We were on the inside and still had a great view. 

Environment:  High desert. We did have some small cottonwood trees providing a bit of shade. We were there in late October.  The days were warm and the nights were in the 30s.  The elevation is 3,280 ft.

Amenities:  None

Dump:  Yes

Public Water:  Yes

Toilets:  Yes

Showers:  No

Laundry:  No

Phone Service:  none

Location:  Marble Canyon, AZ is on US-89A. Turn north at Lees Ferry Road which is marked by the entrance to Glen Canyon Recreation Area. Follow the signs to the campground.  It is well marked.  Coordinates are:  36.858931  -111.605273

Proximity to shopping: Very limited options in Marble Canyon.  For anything more Fredonia, AZ, about 70 miles west, is probably the best bet.

Camping Population: very diverse. A lot of snow birds and full-timers when we were there in late October. During tourist season I would suspect a lot more people boating and fishing.

Sites:  They seemed a bit on the tight side, even with just a 20’ trailer.  A very high percentage had a great panoramic view of the Colorado River below.

Colorado River from the campground

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service  

ILLIPAH RESERVOIR, Eureka, NV

ILLIPAH RESERVOIR

RUN BY:  Bureau of Land Management

LOCATION:  east of Eureka, NV on US-50  (39.3344507  -115.390277)

UTILITIES: None

COST:  None

DISCOUNTS:  N/A

OUR RATING (1-5):  Category II, Score 3

NOTES:  Illipah actually wouldn’t be bad for multiple nights but I must admit I don’t know why you would unless you want to use the reservoir and/or just need time to rest. I really don’t mean for that to sound negative. It is a beautiful parking lot.  It was clean and had a good view but there weren’t any trails, etc. There was lots of room. We opted not to park next to one of the sun shelters. We had a nice view of the reservoir and mountains beyond.  There were wild horses grazing at the end of the reservoir.

Environment:   You are in the high desert. The camping area is a large parking area with sun shelters. Totally open. We were there in mid-October. The day was warm but it did get down to freezing at night.

Amenities:  None  

Dump:  No  (There is a KOA in Ely, 39 miles east.)

Public Water:  No

Toilets:  Pit

Showers:  No

Laundry:  No   (Laundry in Ely. 39 miles east)

Phone Service:  None

Location:  Located just off US-50 about half way between Eureka, NV 42 miles to the west and Ely, NV 39 miles to the east. Turn southwest off of US-50 onto NF-401.  Immediately turn left (NF-400) and follow the signs to the reservoir.   39.3344507  -115.390277

Proximity to shopping:  You are half way between two shopping area. Eureka is 42 miles west and Ely is 39 miles east.

Camping Population:  diverse. Combination of locals using the reservoir and those of us passing through.  

Sites:   dispersed camping.  Rough dirt road to get there but no problem for any size rig.

We elected not to use one of the shelters because the
wind block also blocked the view.

The reservoir just below the campground. Wild horses
grazed near the north end (to the right). 

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service  

HOH OXBOW, Forks, WA

Camp site was large enough that we had a friend join us. 

HOH OXBOW

RUN BY:  Washington State Parks

LOCATION:  US-101 south of Forks, WA   47.80871  -124.24991

UTILITIES:  none

COST:  none  (with Washington State Discovery Pass, $30 – well worth the money)    DISCOUNTS:  N /A

OUR RATING (1-5): Category II, Rating 4+

NOTES:  Right on the Hoh River and in the rain forest, this is a beautiful campground. Forget getting any direct sun. You are under a fabulous canopy of cedars and right on the river. You might be forced to pull out your generator, if you stay for any time.  If you do, please be thoughtful to those around you. It is a quiet, peaceful place. This place is so quiet that even a quiet Honda is going to be like standing next to a jack-hammer.  Large rigs might find getting in and out a bit tight but I’m guessing that rigs as big as 30 ft might fit in one or two of the campsites.  It is a great spot for just sitting, meditating or relaxing and enjoying marvelous nature. It is also a good base camp for exploring the west side of Olympic National Park. You need to go walk on the beach accessed via Kalaloch Campground about 19 miles south. It has the Tree Root Cave which is rather awesome.  You can’t stay at Hoh Oxbow without visiting the Hoh Rain Forest. It is a part of Olympic Nat’l Park and the road to the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor’s Ctr and trails is only 1.5 miles north of the Hoh Oxbow campground. 

Environment: deep forest with giant cedars  

Amenities:  none

Dump: No    (We dumped for $5 at a state facility called Fairholm, 44 miles toward Port Angeles. That’s because we were coming from Port Angeles and wanted to dump before we got to Hoh Oxbow. There is also a dump station at Kalaloch Campground 19 miles south. It cost $10 ($5 with Senior Access))

Public Water:  No

Toilets: No

Showers: No

Laundry: No

Phone Service:  Verizon 4G-2bars

Location: The turn to the campground is 18 miles south of Fork, WA on US-101.  The campground is on the east side of the road and right on a curve, which makes it difficult to spot, especially coming from Fork.  I did not get coordinates at the turn, and my maps do not show the actual road, but the coordinates of the campground are 47.80871  -124.24991.  

Proximity to shopping: Forks, about 14 miles north.

Camping Population:  It is a very small campground, and it was early October, so there were just a couple of us there and we did not get to meet the others. Considering the location, I would imagine that it is very popular among all types of campers during season.  Because of its remote location and popularity among visitors, I have doubts that you will find many residential campers*, if any.

Sites:  roomy and private.  We shared our site with a friend in a van. 

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.  

HICKISON PETROGLYPH, Austin, NV

HICKISON PETROGLYPH REC AREA

RUN BY:   Nevada Parks

LOCATION:  near Austin, NV   39.448637  -116.737703

UTILITIES:  none

COST:  none              

DISCOUNTS:   N/A

OUR RATING (1-5): Category I,  Rating 4

NOTES:  Beautiful view in remote area. Great night skies since no light pollution. Nearest town is 24.5 miles west behind a mountain.  The petroglyphs are not the best, but they are interesting. The trails in the area are very good and not very long.  There isn’t a lot to do here but relax. However, it is a beautiful place to relax.  If you’ve been on the move every day for a while and want a place just to stop and take a breather from being on the road, this place could fill that bill.  

 

Environment:   high desert. Elevation 6,605 ft.  In October the days were cool and the nights cold.

Amenities:  none

Dump:  No 

Public Water: No 

Toilets:  Pit type

Showers: No

Laundry:  No

Phone Service:  Verizon 4G 2bars

Location:  24.5 miles east of Austin, NV on US-50, turn left (west) at sign. Coordinates 39.448637        -116.737703

Proximity to shopping:  Austin – 24.5 miles

Camping Population:  Diverse. Seem to be lots of travelers like ourselves. Met people from across the country.

Sites:   All of them seem good size. We had no problem with our 20 ft trailer. Lots are not very level. The road and sites are dirt. They do have covers over the picnic tables.

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service  

LAHONTAN STATE REC AREA, Silver Springs, NV

LAHONTAN STATE RECREATION AREA

RUN BY:   Nevada State Parks

LOCATION:  Silver Springs, NV

UTILITIES:  none

COST:  $15                

DISCOUNTS:  State Senior Pass available to NV residents only

OUR RATING (1-5): Category I, Rating 4+

NOTES:  There were very few people camping in October.  The lake and area are beautiful but you can not eat the fish because of mercury and other heavy metals, and many warn you not to drink water even if it is labelled ‘drinking water’.  Sadly, this is true most places in Nevada because of mining. Most of the campsites have nice views and a majority look out at the lake.  We had a beautiful view from our back window. The entire road and sites is paved.  One can also camp on the beach for free. It does seem firm enough to support a good-sized trailer in many places.

Environment:   Very open. Some old, gnarly Cottonwood trees along the lake.

Amenities:  None

Dump:  Yes

Public Water:  Yes

Toilets:  Yes  (but closed in Oct.)

Showers: Yes  (but closed in Oct.)

Laundry: No

Phone Service:  Verizon 4G-3bars

Location:  At the intersection of US-50 and US-95ALT in Silver Springs, NV., 35 miles east of Carson City, NV., turn south on US-95Alt and go a short distance to Fir Road. Turn left on Fir Road and follow this road to the park entrance. Park entrance is 39.375120  -119.203965

Proximity to shopping:  very limited in Silver Springs. Carson City would be your best bet for something other than the very, very basics.

Camping Population:  In October there were lots of locals and people heading south for the winter. Summer it is packed with locals. Indicators of residential campers* but no problems. 

Sites:  Roomy and paved.  Dry camping on some of the beaches is permitted at no cost other than getting into to the park.

The view out of our big back window. 

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RATING KEY:    category - score 

Categories:  I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

                    II -  boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

                               one might choose to stay for more than a night.

                    III - over-night areas 

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service 

* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’.  It is only when you get a high proportion of residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft, etc.