(non-skiing) Santaquin Meadows, UT camping 8/25-27/2017

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For this weekend Mrs. Admin, our dogs and I were looking for a new place to explore. Despite its proximity to home (only about 60 miles away) I have never before driven the Nebo Loop, a National Scenic Byway that runs around the east side of Mt Nebo, which at 11,929 feet is the highest summit in the Wasatch Mountains.

We headed up after work on Friday, encountering 30 minutes of rush hour delays on I-15. Bow hunting season began August 15 for both deer and elk, and most spots -- including the one I wanted from Google Earth recon -- were already taken by hunters who simply left their trailers there for the 14-day limit. We therefore left the Nebo Loop (FR-015) and headed west on the unpaved FR-014 toward Santaquin Canyon. There we found a delightful spot in Santaquin Meadows that while not entirely flat, I was able to successfully conquer the 5" side-to-side height differential and level the RV with some creativity.


Our camp.


Extreme leveling.




Another view of our camp.


Exploring around camp.

It was a wonderful weekend all the way around -- we drove most of the rest of the Nebo Loop on Saturday, checking out Devil's Kitchen and stopping at Box Lake to let the dogs swim. They needed it -- I took a walk from camp on Saturday morning trying to find a spring noted on my topo map. The dogs found it before I did, and it turned out to be more of a mud bog than the pristine spring that I was expecting.


Seriously?


Utah Valley and Utah Lake from near camp.


Box Lake


Mt. Nebo in the distance, from the Nebo Loop Road.


Mt. Nebo


Devil's Kitchen


Our camp.


Campfire Saturday night.


Our view of Mt. Nebo from camp.


Looking down on Santaquin Meadows from the Nebo Loop Road, our camp is clearly visible.

Returning home this afternoon, we opted to head up the west side of Utah Lake where we stopped to again let the dogs swim, and were stopped by the sheriff for a few moments to allow a helicopter to pick up water from the lake and ferry it to yet another wildfire above the road.
 
Marc:

Another great adventure with your camper! The scenery and camp site looked awesome! Can't wait until our return to Utah....
 
nice job. Love the leveling with the rock.. never had to quite go that far yet. =D> Glad to see the pups have a sense to find the "water".

We did the Nebo loop in the fall a few years ago and camped at the USFS campground on the south end (before we we were comfortable taking our rig too far off piste). Was surprised how many big rigs were up dispersed camping all along the loop.

We're headed out next week to do a little tour of the San Juans (Lake City, to Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Ouray/ Telluride-ish) If I'm not too lazy, maybe I'll post up a TR.
 
Funny! I'm just putting together plans to head to the San Juans next week as well, leaving Saturday morning. We're thinking roughly (all dispersed camping):

Saturday night: near Telluride
Sunday and Monday nights: near Silverton
Tuesday and Wednesday nights: near Purgatory (side trip Wednesday to Mesa Verde)
Thursday: drive back to SLC to attend the X concert on Friday night.

We should connect!
 
Just sent you a PM... looks like we're just going to miss each other by a couple days!

Have fun, and look forward to your report.
 
I'd love to see a trip report from telluride/silverton, especially dispersed camping. That area has been on my radar for a while and I might head out there soonish. Thinking to follow the changing season down the spine of the Rockies. Currently in gardiner, mt. heading north.
There are some sweet spots just 3 miles outside gardiner (and Yellowstone). Smooth gravel road, up the hill with commanding views of gardiner, the entire valley and mammoth springs and the mountains of Yellowstone in the background. Good cell coverage on att. And shockingly quiet on a holiday weekend. Between soaks in "boiling river" (where scalding hot springs meets ice cold Yellowstone river and makes for an excellent twist on typical hot springs action) and the quaintness of gardiner itself -- I may spend a few extra days. Then... heard rumors of a northwest passage -- must investigate.
 
Will do once we get home. We're on day 3 of 8 and have no service at camp in Telluride:
 

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psmurphy1981":5m2g2kf8 said:
Howdy. Do you recall how buggy this area was when you camped there? Thanks a bunch, Paulie

It wasn't at all. For Utah mountains in general, the bug season typically lasts about two weeks only.
 
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