Section 1, September Southwest campgrounds:
We left for our second visit to the southwest after the Labor Day holiday for our first fall trip since our first child was an infant in 1991. Before children (B.C.), we only traveled in April/May and September/October and the summer rush while traveling was a shock after children (A.C.). Campgrounds were lightly loaded on this trip from mid-day Sunday until mid-day Friday unless a campground was 100% reservable which were full everyday and required reservations. We again had reservations for one quarter of our nights only at 100% reservable campgrounds and arrived mid-day Sunday to mid-day Friday at the remaining campgrounds without reservations or difficulty.
Our first easy driving day was to Lake Anita SP in Iowa near I-80 which was quiet, hilly, partially shaded, and large. Our second long day of driving reached Prairie Dog State Park in Kansas on a two lane road crossing from I-80 to I-70. The State Park ranger sold us a "dispersed camping" permit which allowed us to camp anywhere without hookups at about a dozen different camping zones. After setting up camp, a camper several spots away started a generator and we used an important camper feature: 5 minute decamping and found a quiet lakeside site next for an enjoyable stay. Prairie Dog State Park is low rolling hills, large, quiet at the right spot, and mostly sunny. Another long day of driving reached Great Sand Dunes NP in Colorado which had plenty of no reservation sites mid-week but was full on weekends, quiet, on a hill side, and partly sunny.
After several days of good hiking at Great Sand Dunes NP, we moved on to Sugarite Canyon SP in New Mexico (Bosque Bill, we read your blog) just across the border from Colorado near I-25 for two nights and one day of hiking. Sugarite Canyon SP has a valley campground with hookups and a canyon rim top campground without hookups. The upper canyon rim campground has great views, large sunny sites, quiet, and is flat. The views were worthwhile but the hiking was degraded by a previous fire removing the trail forest. Our original plan was to visit and hike north of Pecos but forest fires and mud slides there rerouted our trip to the Red River Valley in northern New Mexico. Three days of flash flood warnings for the Red River Valley pushed us on to the BLM managed Wild Rivers NRA north of Taos where we enjoyed several days of hiking in ponchos and umbrellas. The Wild Rivers NRA campground has about six units spread around two canyon rims with flat, quiet, scenic, large, and sunny sites when it is not raining. The clear blue waters of the Red River turned red during out stay and the Rio Grande changed to red after the confluence with the Red River.
A short drive took us to Bandelier National Monument and an empty campground which was on a hill side, partially shaded, large, and quiet. The previously noted rains caused flooding and closed most of Bandelier NM and so we hiked peripheral trails.
A moderately long drive took us to Chaco Culture NHP after passing several NF campgrounds and trails closed by flooding which we planned to explore. Chaco NHP campground filled on weekends and was flat, sunny, quiet outside of generator hours, and scenic with some ruins adjacent to the campground. The east road in had several miles of washboard but was otherwise reasonably passable. Our site neighbors AWD SUV got stuck in mud on the south road in and had friends drag her out of the mud. The wind and rain squalls knocked down several tents and screen rooms but the FWC handled the sever weather well in the up position.
After several days of great warm sunny hiking at Chaco NHP, we moved on to Lees Ferry Arizona along the Colorado River. Lees Ferry campground was on a hill side, sunny, windy, scenic and quiet. We only came to explore Lees Ferry and moved on to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon without hiking. The North Rim campground is 100% reservable which we had and strongly recommend since we met campers from New Jersey and Germany who failed to get a site. The North Rim Campground is large, flat, shaded, quiet outside of generator hours, and almost always full. We explored dispersed camping sites in the Kaibab NF near the park and found only one camper and a site to fit every taste include plateau edge sites with a view. Carry a saw or ax since we cleaned several dead falls off the roads. With the government shutdown coming, we left the North Rim early after several fine rim hikes to allow a South Rim visit. We first stayed in the Desert View Campground on the South Rim east-end which is a non-reservable campground and fills mid-afternoon. Desert View CG is flat, sunny, busy, quiet, and has many small sites.
After exploring the east end of the South Rim, we arrived at Mather CG in Grand Canyon Village which is 100% reservable which we had. The coming government shutdown kept many people away from Mather CG but the CG was fully reserved since October is the most popular month to visit. We spent two days hiking from Hermits Rest to Shoshone Point and saw all the rim views we wanted before eviction. The first day of shutdown caused a terrible exodus with many unhappy guests from around the world but we played hooky and hiked to Shoshone Point from our campsite since the transportation system was shutting down. The park rangers were very helpful but the message was clear, time to leave after that day. Late September and early October are good times to see the elk herd which would walk through the campground with bulls bugling a few feet from the camper (no pictures since we were trying not to get gored).
We utilized state parks to return home starting with Bluewater Lake SP in New Mexico which is on a hill side, sunny, large, quiet and near I-40. Next came Foss SP in Oklahoma which is partially sunny, large, quiet and near I-40. Foss SP has many campground units and staff drive around in the early evening to collect payment or you need to wait and pay at the office at 8 AM the next morning. Nine Eagles SP in Iowa near Missouri was our final campground and was shaded, large, level, quiet, and near I-35. Nine Eagles SP has two campground units, one with hookups and one without. We stayed two nights at Nine Eagles SP and hiked the forest trails which were lonely.
After spending a few days at home doing laundry and mowing grass, we left for Tettegouche SP in northern Minnesota along Lake Superior to spend a week hiking since government shutdowns should not stop enjoyment of the fall weather and lonely trails.
We left for our second visit to the southwest after the Labor Day holiday for our first fall trip since our first child was an infant in 1991. Before children (B.C.), we only traveled in April/May and September/October and the summer rush while traveling was a shock after children (A.C.). Campgrounds were lightly loaded on this trip from mid-day Sunday until mid-day Friday unless a campground was 100% reservable which were full everyday and required reservations. We again had reservations for one quarter of our nights only at 100% reservable campgrounds and arrived mid-day Sunday to mid-day Friday at the remaining campgrounds without reservations or difficulty.
Our first easy driving day was to Lake Anita SP in Iowa near I-80 which was quiet, hilly, partially shaded, and large. Our second long day of driving reached Prairie Dog State Park in Kansas on a two lane road crossing from I-80 to I-70. The State Park ranger sold us a "dispersed camping" permit which allowed us to camp anywhere without hookups at about a dozen different camping zones. After setting up camp, a camper several spots away started a generator and we used an important camper feature: 5 minute decamping and found a quiet lakeside site next for an enjoyable stay. Prairie Dog State Park is low rolling hills, large, quiet at the right spot, and mostly sunny. Another long day of driving reached Great Sand Dunes NP in Colorado which had plenty of no reservation sites mid-week but was full on weekends, quiet, on a hill side, and partly sunny.
After several days of good hiking at Great Sand Dunes NP, we moved on to Sugarite Canyon SP in New Mexico (Bosque Bill, we read your blog) just across the border from Colorado near I-25 for two nights and one day of hiking. Sugarite Canyon SP has a valley campground with hookups and a canyon rim top campground without hookups. The upper canyon rim campground has great views, large sunny sites, quiet, and is flat. The views were worthwhile but the hiking was degraded by a previous fire removing the trail forest. Our original plan was to visit and hike north of Pecos but forest fires and mud slides there rerouted our trip to the Red River Valley in northern New Mexico. Three days of flash flood warnings for the Red River Valley pushed us on to the BLM managed Wild Rivers NRA north of Taos where we enjoyed several days of hiking in ponchos and umbrellas. The Wild Rivers NRA campground has about six units spread around two canyon rims with flat, quiet, scenic, large, and sunny sites when it is not raining. The clear blue waters of the Red River turned red during out stay and the Rio Grande changed to red after the confluence with the Red River.
A short drive took us to Bandelier National Monument and an empty campground which was on a hill side, partially shaded, large, and quiet. The previously noted rains caused flooding and closed most of Bandelier NM and so we hiked peripheral trails.
A moderately long drive took us to Chaco Culture NHP after passing several NF campgrounds and trails closed by flooding which we planned to explore. Chaco NHP campground filled on weekends and was flat, sunny, quiet outside of generator hours, and scenic with some ruins adjacent to the campground. The east road in had several miles of washboard but was otherwise reasonably passable. Our site neighbors AWD SUV got stuck in mud on the south road in and had friends drag her out of the mud. The wind and rain squalls knocked down several tents and screen rooms but the FWC handled the sever weather well in the up position.
After several days of great warm sunny hiking at Chaco NHP, we moved on to Lees Ferry Arizona along the Colorado River. Lees Ferry campground was on a hill side, sunny, windy, scenic and quiet. We only came to explore Lees Ferry and moved on to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon without hiking. The North Rim campground is 100% reservable which we had and strongly recommend since we met campers from New Jersey and Germany who failed to get a site. The North Rim Campground is large, flat, shaded, quiet outside of generator hours, and almost always full. We explored dispersed camping sites in the Kaibab NF near the park and found only one camper and a site to fit every taste include plateau edge sites with a view. Carry a saw or ax since we cleaned several dead falls off the roads. With the government shutdown coming, we left the North Rim early after several fine rim hikes to allow a South Rim visit. We first stayed in the Desert View Campground on the South Rim east-end which is a non-reservable campground and fills mid-afternoon. Desert View CG is flat, sunny, busy, quiet, and has many small sites.
After exploring the east end of the South Rim, we arrived at Mather CG in Grand Canyon Village which is 100% reservable which we had. The coming government shutdown kept many people away from Mather CG but the CG was fully reserved since October is the most popular month to visit. We spent two days hiking from Hermits Rest to Shoshone Point and saw all the rim views we wanted before eviction. The first day of shutdown caused a terrible exodus with many unhappy guests from around the world but we played hooky and hiked to Shoshone Point from our campsite since the transportation system was shutting down. The park rangers were very helpful but the message was clear, time to leave after that day. Late September and early October are good times to see the elk herd which would walk through the campground with bulls bugling a few feet from the camper (no pictures since we were trying not to get gored).
We utilized state parks to return home starting with Bluewater Lake SP in New Mexico which is on a hill side, sunny, large, quiet and near I-40. Next came Foss SP in Oklahoma which is partially sunny, large, quiet and near I-40. Foss SP has many campground units and staff drive around in the early evening to collect payment or you need to wait and pay at the office at 8 AM the next morning. Nine Eagles SP in Iowa near Missouri was our final campground and was shaded, large, level, quiet, and near I-35. Nine Eagles SP has two campground units, one with hookups and one without. We stayed two nights at Nine Eagles SP and hiked the forest trails which were lonely.
After spending a few days at home doing laundry and mowing grass, we left for Tettegouche SP in northern Minnesota along Lake Superior to spend a week hiking since government shutdowns should not stop enjoyment of the fall weather and lonely trails.
