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Frying Pan Campground, Utah
Howdy,
My wife didn't want me to include this because she is afraid that after it's been read, tent campers will flock to this campground, but I assured her that I won't tell everybody everything, just the good parts.
In South Central Utah about 30 miles Southeast of Richfield, Utah which is along interstate 70 just East of where I-70 begins after leaving Interstate 15, there is another well-hidden and well known area that many fishing people pilgrimage to every summer. That area is known as Fish Lake. Fish Lake is to Utah what Lake Tahoe is to Nevada, a very deep natural lake with excellent opportunities to catch large trout. Just North of Fish Lake is another small body of water called Johnson Valley Reservoir, from which the Fremont River starts and eventually runs into the Colorado River. Our secret campsite is located between these two lakes and is called "Frying Pan" Campground. We do not know how the campsite earned it's name but I reckon it has something to do with frying fish in a pan and having a feast.
Frying Pan Campground sits at an elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level. So even when it's a hot day along I-70 it's only in the upper 80s at Frying Pan. One is surrounded by wonderful second generation pine forrests, chirping birds, soaring eagles, hunting osprey and other large raptor type birds, and if you don't store-away your food properly you can have a visit of bears or mountain lions while you sleep. The sounds of wildlife can be heard everywhere. But what we really like is that there are only 10(ten) campsites there and they are spread out fairly wide so you never have nosey neighbors watching your every move. Another item that attracts us is that through either Recreation.gov or Reserve America one can only reserve four campsites out of the ten. There is a camp host every summer who has the nicest manners and takes great pride in his work and that is what is needed more at campsites that we regularily camp at. Frying Pan is not right on any lake, that is another factor why it's good for tenters. Most people that RV or tent camp and fish rather be near a lake and during the peak summer months Fish Lake is crammed with people. Even during the July 4th holiday, Frying Pan only had nine campsites full. Another thing that we like is that Frying Pan Campground is only 5 hours North of Las Vegas if you stay on the interstate highways to get close to it. Frying Pan's camping season is from the middle of May until the end of September(sometimes early October) if it hasn't snowed yet. The best time that we like to go there is before schools let out in the summer and then after schools start at the end of every summer. At 9,000' temperatures are cool and the majority of campers with children are few. We are in favor of camping with children after raising six kids ourselves but not children from families we have never met before.
This summer has been especially hot in Vegas this year so we broke tradition and drove up there during the first week in August. Some young lad, who was from another site at Frying Pan was interested in seeing our tandem kayak and he came over. The lad's father found him at our campsite while I was teaching him to tie different knots out of rope. Even his father was impressed with the number of knots his son showed him how to tie. I had kept asking this young teenager that he shouldn't be over here without his parent's permission but it was like talking to a brick wall. He just wanted to look at our kayak and he learned a good number of knots too!
Frying Pan Campground stays very quite too. You see, most of the time those four campsites that can be reserved are reserved and so the un-reserved campsites are never listed, you have to take a chance that a campsite will be empty. Most people with whom I've talked to have said that seeing a web-site that has a full sign on their posting won't check to see if the non-reserve campsites are busy. Because you can't do that on the web. Non-reserved sites are listed as walk-up only. Most people don't want to gamble on not having a place to take their families when they go camping. But I'm from Vegas and I have traveled to every continental state including Alaska and have never reserved a campsite ahead, so this takes the place of my gambling needs. We have always had a place to stay and usually the more scenic campgrounds or sites can only be found as walk-ups, go figure.
Seven days is the limit length one can stay at Frying Pan. Showers can be found seven miles away at Fish Lake for $1 for six minutes. Modern flush bathrooms are here also at Frying Pan. Dress warm, bring rain gear, fish if you must(we like to watch the birds fish) and perhaps early or late next season you'll find us there, kayaking.
My wife didn't want me to include this because she is afraid that after it's been read, tent campers will flock to this campground, but I assured her that I won't tell everybody everything, just the good parts.
In South Central Utah about 30 miles Southeast of Richfield, Utah which is along interstate 70 just East of where I-70 begins after leaving Interstate 15, there is another well-hidden and well known area that many fishing people pilgrimage to every summer. That area is known as Fish Lake. Fish Lake is to Utah what Lake Tahoe is to Nevada, a very deep natural lake with excellent opportunities to catch large trout. Just North of Fish Lake is another small body of water called Johnson Valley Reservoir, from which the Fremont River starts and eventually runs into the Colorado River. Our secret campsite is located between these two lakes and is called "Frying Pan" Campground. We do not know how the campsite earned it's name but I reckon it has something to do with frying fish in a pan and having a feast.
Frying Pan Campground sits at an elevation of 9,000 feet above sea level. So even when it's a hot day along I-70 it's only in the upper 80s at Frying Pan. One is surrounded by wonderful second generation pine forrests, chirping birds, soaring eagles, hunting osprey and other large raptor type birds, and if you don't store-away your food properly you can have a visit of bears or mountain lions while you sleep. The sounds of wildlife can be heard everywhere. But what we really like is that there are only 10(ten) campsites there and they are spread out fairly wide so you never have nosey neighbors watching your every move. Another item that attracts us is that through either Recreation.gov or Reserve America one can only reserve four campsites out of the ten. There is a camp host every summer who has the nicest manners and takes great pride in his work and that is what is needed more at campsites that we regularily camp at. Frying Pan is not right on any lake, that is another factor why it's good for tenters. Most people that RV or tent camp and fish rather be near a lake and during the peak summer months Fish Lake is crammed with people. Even during the July 4th holiday, Frying Pan only had nine campsites full. Another thing that we like is that Frying Pan Campground is only 5 hours North of Las Vegas if you stay on the interstate highways to get close to it. Frying Pan's camping season is from the middle of May until the end of September(sometimes early October) if it hasn't snowed yet. The best time that we like to go there is before schools let out in the summer and then after schools start at the end of every summer. At 9,000' temperatures are cool and the majority of campers with children are few. We are in favor of camping with children after raising six kids ourselves but not children from families we have never met before.
This summer has been especially hot in Vegas this year so we broke tradition and drove up there during the first week in August. Some young lad, who was from another site at Frying Pan was interested in seeing our tandem kayak and he came over. The lad's father found him at our campsite while I was teaching him to tie different knots out of rope. Even his father was impressed with the number of knots his son showed him how to tie. I had kept asking this young teenager that he shouldn't be over here without his parent's permission but it was like talking to a brick wall. He just wanted to look at our kayak and he learned a good number of knots too!
Frying Pan Campground stays very quite too. You see, most of the time those four campsites that can be reserved are reserved and so the un-reserved campsites are never listed, you have to take a chance that a campsite will be empty. Most people with whom I've talked to have said that seeing a web-site that has a full sign on their posting won't check to see if the non-reserve campsites are busy. Because you can't do that on the web. Non-reserved sites are listed as walk-up only. Most people don't want to gamble on not having a place to take their families when they go camping. But I'm from Vegas and I have traveled to every continental state including Alaska and have never reserved a campsite ahead, so this takes the place of my gambling needs. We have always had a place to stay and usually the more scenic campgrounds or sites can only be found as walk-ups, go figure.
Seven days is the limit length one can stay at Frying Pan. Showers can be found seven miles away at Fish Lake for $1 for six minutes. Modern flush bathrooms are here also at Frying Pan. Dress warm, bring rain gear, fish if you must(we like to watch the birds fish) and perhaps early or late next season you'll find us there, kayaking.
A canvas campateer