Boondocking Recommendations (Master List)

Nomad

There's the master list for campgrounds but thought it might be nice to separate out "boondocking" sites as there's some of us who like boondocking and others that aren't set up to do it.


As with the other list, the purpose of this thread is to try to standardize this a bit and have one thread that we can peruse/search for boondocking recommendations. Doesn't mean you can't continue posting them in other threads but hopefully you'll also post them here in a standardized way. Might be useful if you included in the description the date you stayed there and/or what you paid (if anything) at that time and if you have a recommended area.

Here's the format...
Discussion Title: State Code - Nearest City - Area Name - Type (BLM NF, etc)
Location: Lat/Long (GPS) or Directions

Description:
Area Recommendations:

Cell Coverage:
Pictures:

Am thinking this thread shouldn't have comments unless it's to add some details or experience to an already listed location and one should still use the "Discussion Title" line to start it so it's still searchable.

Nomad

 CA - Lone Pine - Alabama Hills - Boondocking (BLM)

Location: From downtown Lone Pine (Highway 395), go west on Whitney Portal Road and up the hill to Movie Road. Movie Road has many offshoots, pick any that look navigatable and find your boondocking site of choice.

Description: Many western movies and TV series were filmed here in this valley lined with big boulder piles (museum in town)  - If you've ever watched a western, you'll recognize this place. You can camp down in the flatlands or find a road into the boulders. A bonus of this site is it's also at the base of Mt. Whitney to the west so in addition to the boulders, you have a great western view. Since this is a boondocking area, there are no facilities/services but, you're only a few miles out of town so if needed, it's an easy/short trip to cafes, laundromat, coffee shop, etc). I stayed here in March 2015.

Recommendations: The Alabama Cafe is a great little breakfast/lunch spot with wifi (closes at 2:00pm). The laundromat is right next door and the cafe leaves it's wifi active when closed. There's also a coffee shop on the main drag with wifi.

Cell Coverage: Pretty much a Verizon dead zone in the boulder field. Can make calls at the entrance and get good LTE data down the hill closer to town. Good coverage in town.

Pics...

I'm tucked in way up in the boulders. There's just enough level space for a T@B and your gear...See if you can find the T@B...



Here's a closeup...



And here's the view from my veranda...

jkjenn

Is that very first photo in the first post south of Factory Butte with the Henry Mountains in the background?

Nomad

Jenn - I believe so, sounds right, will have to go look. Was so many places in a short time. Huge, wide open BLM tract. Shot a wide angle, multiple exposure landscape but don't have it composited yet. Could have spent a week (or more) in that area but it was getting too cold - 27 degrees at night.
Man was it dark - like camping in an ink well.

jkjenn

PXLated said:

Jenn - I believe so, sounds right, will have to go look. Was so many places in a short time. Huge, wide open BLM tract. Shot a wide angle, multiple exposure landscape but don't have it composited yet. Could have spent a week (or more) in that area but it was getting too cold - 27 degrees at night.
Man was it dark - like camping in an ink well.

It's a cool area.

Nomad

Shot came out pretty good...Three shot composite - Late afternoon (grass/sky), Dusk (mountain left) - Dawn (mountain right)...

jkjenn

Nice shot. I am really fond of Factory Butte have never stayed to shoot it. It's on my list. There are some really nice sand dunes at the base.

Nomad

Was going to drive back and explore more but was too cold - didn't want to have to winterize.

mash2

Light on Henry Butte is great.

Nomad

AZ - Ehrenberg - Colorado River - Boondocking (BLM)

Location: From the Flying J gas station go west to the first street (Ox Bow Road) and take a left. The road starts out a little rough (by no means 4-wheel rough) but a couple of blocks down it widens out to a nice, smooth, flat gravel road. Proceed down Ox Bow for 7-8 miles. When you get to six miles, start looking for the small group of trees on your right - there aren't many so it should stand out ;-)

Description: The site is sitting up from the river but there is a little trail off the back side of the site down to your own private beach. To the south of the trees there's a big rock firepit. There are really no other sites close so your nearest neighbor will be at least a half mile away. No grocery stores in Ehrenberg but Blyth, CA is just 6-7 miles west on Interstate 10 and there's a good one there.

Cell Coverage: Verizon voice was spotty depending on where you stand. Had solid LTE data though.

Pics...

Nomad

AZ - Lake Havasu City - Craggey Wash - Boondocking (BLM)

Location: Just north of the Lake Havasu City airport - in fact, the entrance follows the airport's north perimeter fence. Camping starts about a quarter mile in on that road. You'll see a big open area with big rigs but if you veere right on the main road you'll find plenty of pulloff areas.

Description: This is BLM 14 day but they don't enforce it if you keep your site clean and behave yourself. The wash goes way back but I'm not sure I'd go much past the three mile marker as it gets soft and a little rough. If you rely on solar I'd make that first right and continue on past the left turn down a ways as that whole stretch is in the shadows most of the afternoon.
I like getting up high for the view so I filled in a ditch with dirt, rocks, and a couple concrete blocks. If you use UltimateCG, once you get to the BLM symbol for Craggy sart looking left and you'll find it. There's actually three site areas up there. If you like seclusion, I drop the T@B out by the entrance and go explore all the little side roads that go behind the berms. I wouldn't do it with the T@B as you may not be able to turn around. Backing out of some of them could be a challange.
Wide variety of people from big motor homes to homeless back secluded. Made me nervous the first time I was there last year but found everyone of any situation to be friendly. In fact I've found some of the scruffier to be real friendly and interesting.
Walmart, HomeDepot, Lowes just a mile south of the entrance.

Cell Coverage - Good Verizon 4G data and can't recall dropping any calls but that could change depending on how far in you go and how hidden you get.

Pics...







If you go up, you may have to rearrange my bridge a little as they shift a little with use.

Nomad

Article about one of my favorite boondocking areas ... Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, CA ... I'll be heading that way once it warms up a little on the route north of there...
http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/expeditions/united-states/alabama-hills-top-10-bucket-list/

jkjenn

Alabama Hills has been on my list for a while. You need a set of Maxtrax. will get you unstuck from sand or mud and can also function as a ladder over ruts like those.

Nomad

Jenn - Didn't have any problems last year. Of course I avoid anything that's going to get me in enough trouble that I'd need those matts.
There's so many great little, tucked away sites that only a T@B could fit in/on. The big rigs have to stay down in the flats.

Mr_Mrs_Gnome

@jkjenn, you have Maxtrax too? Where do you get all these marvelous toys???

Nomad

Don't ya know - Jenn's got everything, surprised there's anything left to buy. By the time she starts camping full-time she'll be hauling the T@B behind a big uHaul style truck :-)

jkjenn

Mr_Mrs_Gnome said:

@jkjenn, you have Maxtrax too? Where do you get all these marvelous toys???

I don't have the Maxtrax, although I have debated getting them because places like Coyote's Butte are infamous for people getting stuck in deeper sand and mud.  They are just so expensive....then again. getting a tow in these places is even worse.

PXLated said:

Don't ya know - Jenn's got everything, surprised there's anything left to buy. By the time she starts camping full-time she'll be hauling the T@B behind a big uHaul style truck :-)

Ha! I have actually paired way down.....and I'm not the one with a generator.

Nomad

Only because you currently don't have room for a generator till you get that uHaul truck ;-)

Ratkity

Bahahahahaha PXL and Jenn... luv you both! My morning smile.

Nomad

An ongoing minimalist/maximus volley :-)

jkjenn

PXLated said:

Only because you currently don't have room for a generator till you get that uHaul truck ;-)

I don't travel with a grill, either.

DeeDee

jkjenn said:

PXLated said:

Only because you currently don't have room for a generator till you get that uHaul truck ;-)

I don't travel with a grill, either.

That's not a grill, it's an Easy Bake Cookie Oven.

Nomad

Nope, a grill ...



I do trick it into making cookies though :-)

Ok, I suppose we should get back on topic - Boondocking

Ratkity

PXL is boondocking with an Easy Bake Oven aka Grill! (how's that?)

DeeDee

PXL, I've seen pics of your set up, what exactly do you put away when you hike/leave camp and what do you feel comfortable leaving out? You mentioned homeless near Havasu airport and you've got me concerned.

Verna

Hey, PXLated!  Baked chicken, baked potatoes and I'll bring the salad!

Nomad

DeeDee - When down SW, there's so many snowbirds that you're usually not alone in most boondocking areas (BLM, etc). Might be widely spaced but not alone so I don't secure anything unless there's some specific weirdness. In general, other campers are somewhat paying attention to who belongs to what, who should be there and who shouldn't. In campgrounds (even though it's dry camping), even more so. The times I am way out by myself, it's rare to even see anyone.
I also don't do a full deploy unless I'm going to be in a spot for a number of days.
In the summer when I'm shooting a lot and out in the middle of nowhere, I'm doing a lot of 1-2 nighters so it's usually just the solar deployed and I'm not wondering off too far.
When I first started it was rarer to see solar or generators but now they're everywhere and people are leaving all kinds of stuff out and unsecured.
Not saying there aren't areas where one might need to worry but in general I haven't worried about it much in the areas I have frequented so far.

Nomad

Sounds good Verna but we need to be roaming somewhere closer to each other. And you seem to like bigger campgrounds with lots of people and activities (teardrop get togethers - pot luck suppers, etc) whereas I prefer small, somewhat out of the way campsites/areas. About the only way you'd find me in a big, potluck enhanced campground is if I stumbled in by mistake :-)

Verna

I'll be heading towards Joshua Tree Monday.   It might take me a weeks or so to get there. 

Joe

Here is a link to Black Gap WMA in Texas.  

http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/wma/find_a_wma/list/?id=2

Sorry I don't have any vista pictures, but I can give a brief description.  Black Gap is next to Big Bend National Park.  It's big and isolated.  When I say big, I mean it's over 100,000 acres of isolated south Texas brush country on the Rio Grande river.  When I say isolated, I find it to be much, much more isolated than Big Bend National Park.  I was there for four days, a couple of years ago, and drove many miles.  Never saw anther human.  No potable water, no electricity, no cell service.  Most things there will stick you or sting you or bite you.

That said, it is truly beautiful if you like that kind of country.  It's like going back in time 100 years.

Here is a picture of BG from back before we had the T@B, when we were camping with the tent and the dogs (Morgan, Jesse and Cosmo).  Dry rolling hills.

LauraRey

This isn't a specific location, but in my search for camping/boondocking spots in Ontario, I found this: https://www.ontario.ca/page/camping-crown-land

I thought others might be interested in it as well.  If you go to the "Find Locations" link, it takes you to a map (eventually) show all the crown land.