REALLY would love some advice

[somedays]

I'm planning a trip with some friends for mid June and we want to go somewhere, anywhere that's very secluded and has beautiful views, preferably somewhere near water. We just don't want to run into anybody else. We want it to be us and nature. We were looking at places in South Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona. We just don't where we could actually go and be left alone without park regulations and those sort of things. If anyone has some advice, or if you could point in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Somedays

[renodesertfox]

Dispersed camping...boundary waters of Minnesota. Dispersed camping south of Cottonwood Cove on Lake Mojave, Nevada...that would be mid-basin cove, 9 mile cove, 22 mile cove. There a small campground in the Desert National Wildlife Range called Desert Pazz elevation is 7500'. No reservations, with 5 sites. 62 miles 4x4 road one way. Any beach on Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada/Arizona that you can access by boat. But the desert usually warms up a bit by late June. Bring plenty water! Good luck!

Thanks for joining the best camping forum on the planet!

[somedays]

I'm sorry but can you be more specific.. Are those all less populated places? And are there rules and regulations for building fires and those type of things? Sorry but I just don't even know where to begin to start planning this trip so help is greatly appreciated.

[renodesertfox]

Another thing is google "dispersed camping" in national forests(USA); BLM land. That will and could lead to you finding what your lookin' for. What I like for dispersed camping or "free" camping may not be what is another's cup of life. Some areas during the summer months have fire restrictions in place and the fines can be steep if you are caught having a fire someplace when it's agin' the law! I know camping in Canada is a lot more strict than here in the USA. Good luck! Hope to hear how your plans panned out?

[somedays]

Thanks for all your help... I'll try the google searching. I guess I'm just worried because I don't know the ends and outs to camping in the united states. I'm hoping to learn though through this sight. Hence why I joined in the first place. If you have any other helpful tid bits that could be useful I would love to hear them.

Thanks!

[renodesertfox]

West of the rockies...that's Colorado...camping away from other people is easier to do than in other parts of the country. It does take a good plan. Gotta make a list of what you wanna see and decide what to see when you get into the USA. Then you gotta plan your drive and figure how long it will take to get from once place to another. Google Earth or Map Quest are great sites for directions and figuring the amount of time it will take to get from point A to point B. If you plan on stopping between those points you gotta take all of that into consideration as well. The areas that I pointed out in earlier posts to visit are all dispersed camping places. Rugged roads, and long distances from any where. The places mentioned are not for the tenderfoot who hasn't experienced a summer in the desert. It's just pure heat! But you should first decide where you want to go. Then look for places to camp around the attraction that you have picked.

For example, the Grand Canyon...very popular. Something like that needs to be planned a year out. It's always crowded, but with the proper planning success is near. But first you have to decide where you want to go. Then I'll be able to help you more. Where do you want to go?

[Eaglebait Ranch]

Are you willing to entertain Oregon and/or Nor California? Are you tent camping, RV, or ?

If so, I can give you lots of places (with coordinates so you could locate them on google/whatever.

[somedays]

I'm still trying to get my group to agree on a specific place right now, but I do know for sure that we will have a trailer hitched to our van. We're probably going to all meet tonight and discuss the trip, so I'll have more information myself tomorrow. Thanks for all the helpful hints! It really has made me feel less helpless in planning this whole thing.

[Eaglebait Ranch]

I'm still trying to get my group to agree on a specific place right now, but I do know for sure that we will have a trailer hitched to our van. We're probably going to all meet tonight and discuss the trip, so I'll have more information myself tomorrow. Thanks for all the helpful hints! It really has made me feel less helpless in planning this whole thing.

Hey Somedays, That's why we are here, and we are glad to through our 2 cents out to help.

I will be bowing out of this thread as I read you are pulling a trailer. I'm not sure I know of any roads "in or out" which I would recommend taking in a trailer.

Enjoy your trip.

[renodesertfox]

Somedays....it's called team-work! There's Ontario Camper and he's on here too from time to time. He'll help-out some he too is from Canada. We have other campateers from England, Germany, South Africa, Australia and the USA. Ask and you will receive some bit of help from someone including the guy that taught me how to talk and type since in reality, I am a desert fox from Reno, Nevada!:rolleyes:

[somedays]

Ok here is the top five places we all seem to somewhat agree on. Any information about these places will be very much appreciated. The top 5 are:

1. The Badlands
2. Coconino National Forest in Arizona
3. Castle Rock in Utah
4. Yellowstone
5. Wisconsin Dells

This list is really rough. I just wish you guys could plan out this whole trip. I feel overwhelmed with choices. haha

[renodesertfox]

That's a tall order but with a little planning some of those places would be great for this year's trip. You need to tell us how long you will be going, what your time-line? How many days do you plan on seeing the USA?

In truth, you could see the Badlands of South Dakota, even stop for a time at Mount Rushmore and then it's just another day and half to Yellowstone. Yellowstone shouldn't be missed. But I need to find out how many days you are planning your tour? Time is wasting and June will be here quicker than you know. Are you using a trailer? How big? Do you to stay in campgrounds where you cook your own food? Help is here, but you have to help too...gotta give up some details. Yellowstone is always crowded during June, July & Aug.

Castle Rock, Utah and the Coconino National Forest in Arizona is a drive and a long way from Canada. The Coconino National Forest also encompasses a great deal of Arizona. There's the Grand Canyon both north & south rim. The White Mountains of Eastern Arizona and around Flagstaff. The driving distance from the north rim to the south rim is around 250 miles, 2-lane roads so that can't be hurried. Gotta give a few more details?

And you gotta figure in the fact that it's camping season for everyone on the forum. Many people are too busy with their own plans. I'm gone this weekend and in the middle of the month I'll be campin' again for ten days. Time is short! I don't take a computer with me when we go campin'! Help is here you just give us a few more details?

What highway will you be entering the USA on and where. Then the route can be selected from there. Even might be able to see the Dells in Wisconsin too?

[somedays]

Ok I'm sorry if I haven't given up enough details and I do appreciate all the advice I've been given because I do know a lot of people are trying to camp this season. The experience my friends and I want to have is to stay in one place for one week. Just explore the area because it'll all be our first time camping in the US. We want to be able to have a fire, camp next to water, and be left alone just to enjoy the scenery. We don't really want to socialize with other people or even run into any other people. We want to be able to be completely uninhibited. We will be staying in some tents but mostly we'll try and stay in the trailer we'll have hitched to our van. I'll have about 6 or 7 in my group. The dates we're wanting to go is around June 18th to possibly the 25th. I hope this is enough details. Oh and we want wherever we go to be truly beautiful, with positive energy.

Thanks!

[renodesertfox]

Thanks for the update and the added info!

My suggestion would be for you and your crew to see Yellowstone National Park.
I would further suggest to you that you camp, with tent and trailer in a campground called "Pebble Creek Campground". It located in the northwest corner of the National Park. You can not reserve a site on-line. You have to take a chance. There are 40 sites there...it is the most remote campground in the Park and that is why it is the least crowded. When-ever I have gone to Yellowstone, 5 times in the past ten years this is the campground we stay at. It is never crowded. Sure you have to drive to see the attractions of the Park like Old Faithful, Upper & Lower Yellowstone Falls. But to be left alone and have a more remote location this is the campground. It is not far from LaMar Valley where one can see Buffalo, wolves, bears, elk all in relative comfort of your vehicle. The surrounding peaks all tower over 10,000'. But you have to have all your supplies before-hand. Make a detailed list, decide on your meals and pack accordingly. There is a very small town right outside the park to get gas and other supplies.

One way to find the route is to use mapquest or "Google Earth" to find directions. Since you only have a week a lot of time will be spent driving to and from. So side-trips shouldn't be done.

Another US National Park that is wonderful with alpine lakes and tall mountains is Glacier National Park in northern Montana and it ends right on the boundary between Canada and the US and in Canada the National Park is called Waterton Lakes. I've only been there once and we stayed at a primitive campground for tents only called Kintla Lake.

The idea of camping in any place in the United States is that you should plan your stay to begin during the first part of any week(Monday) and arrive early to claim a site. What we do is spend Sunday night in an in-expensive motel then, on Monday we are out on the road before sunrise and at a campground by mid-morning. If you wait till Wednesday or Friday finding a spot is almost impossible. Of the summer months, June is the least crowded. If you enter Yellowstone National Park by way of the town called Redlodge, you're in for a treat. The road goes through the Beartooth Mountains and it is very scenic!
Good luck.

[ontariocamper]

Hey Somedays........where you from???
Just askin..........