Help Plan My Trip West

[Boort]

@Zaq

I'd suggest the following:
Not sure where in central Illinois you are, Assuming Bloomington area.

Friday May 26th- Leave central Illinois after work, drive 6 hours to Omaha, Nebraska for a head start to the trip. this may be a hard run. Figure you get off at 4 you don't get to Omaha till ~10:30, and you've got a long day of windshield time the next day.

Saturday May 27th- Omaha -> Moab is 12+ hours. I'd suggest Stopping in RMNP. (I80 -> I76 -> I25 -> Co66 -> US36) Good camping available on either side of the park. Book now as reserveable sites fill up quick. More camping available on Grand lake and Grandby Res. if RMNP is full. Trail Ridge Rd should be open unless a snowstorm hits right before. (it's already open to bikes). Drive time about 8.5 hours. When you get to Greeley check that US34 is open up to Estes. ( http://www.cotrip.org/ ) this can save you a bit of time if open. If closed you can take I25 South to Hwy 66 and pickup US36 to Estes Park.

Sunday May 28th- RMNP -> Moab ~5.5 hours (US34 -> US40 -> I70)
Monday May 29th- Enjoy Moab Stars and sun rise / sun sets are awesome here!

Here are some of my night photos from RMNP and Moab ​

Tuesday May 30th- Enjoy Moab

Moab -> Corona, CA. is a 12 hour drive w/o stops. So not much time to see or enjoy anything along the route. I'd suggest stopping in either Zion NP (~5.5 hours) or Lake Mead National Rec area (6-7.5 hours depending on where you want to camp https://www.nps.gov/lake/planyourvisit/maps.htm )

Wednesday May 31st- Moab -> Lake Mead ~6.5 hours

Thursday June 1st- Lake Mead -> Corona CA (~4.25 hours) Stopping in Vegas & Hoover Dam. Getting to Corona late night.

Friday June 2nd- Monday June 5th - Family time in Corona, California

Tuesday June 6th- Leave family very early, get to and start Mojave Trail, west to east.

Wednesday June 7th- Mojave Trail (I've not done this so can't speak to time or detials.)

Thursday June 8th- Fort Paiute, Mojave to Bisti Badlands NM (~8hours) Camp in parking lot.

Friday June 9th- Explore badlands to the east for a few hours on foot. Take dirt roads through the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness area to Nageezi, then continue to Heron Lake State Park (~5hours)
OR
Friday June 9th- Explore badlands to the east for a few hours on foot. Head North through Farmington to Great Sand dunes NP. (~5 hours)

Saturday June 10th- Leave HLSP (~8.5hrs) or GSDNP (~6.75 hrs) -> Lake Mconaughy NB. (stay off the sand unless you have maxtrax or sand ladders! good campgrounds on NE of lake or in Lake Ogallala Rec Area.)

Sunday June 11th- Driving home to Illinois ~11-12 Hours

This cuts a bit of time from Moab and offers up some alternate experiences that I've enjoyed.

Boort

 

[Trowbocop]

When you're down in Corona or nearby in SoCal- we can potentially meet up and camp out! Drop me a line before you make it!

 

[Jeremy •IIIIIII• Michael]

Zaq,

Our dates won't really jive, but if you find yourself in Corona around the 30&31, I can definitely link up with you and show you around Anzo Borego. And probably get in one night of camping out near Split Mountain.
I personally love the desert environment and can acclimate to the heat very well. If you and your family are prepared and your rig can handle it, AND you have at least one other rig with you, than Mojave wouldn't be bad at all. Corona can be just as hot during the time anyways lol.

 

[Zaq]

When you're down in Corona or nearby in SoCal- we can potentially meet up and camp out! Drop me a line before you make it!

Definitely. Will do!

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[Zaq]

Zaq,

Our dates won't really jive, but if you find yourself in Corona around the 30&31, I can definitely link up with you and show you around Anzo Borego. And probably get in one night of camping out near Split Mountain.
I personally love the desert environment and can acclimate to the heat very well. If you and your family are prepared and your rig can handle it, AND you have at least one other rig with you, than Mojave wouldn't be bad at all. Corona can be just as hot during the time anyways lol.

Man id love to but we won't be in corona till Thursday night at the earliest, and unfortunately Friday thru Monday is designated family and friends time the wife insists. Haha. I could possibly sneak out for a few hours during one of those days to do a few trails near by. I have been looking at that, if you, or anyone would be interested in being a tour guide. Haha.
And as far as another rig with us during the Mojave road, unless I can find someone on here before then, were going it alone. [emoji15]
Maybe I can convince trowbocop to come do the Mojave road with me. Looking like Tuesday and Wednesday the 6th and 7th of June.


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[Trowbocop]

I'm less than 10% in for the Mojave road, but 80% in for a trail or brewery if you can sneak away for a few hours over the weekend. Or- bring the wife? My wife and dogs will be with me

 

[Zaq]

In California with family for a couple days. Here's a couple pics from the trip so far. Moab and Utah are incredible. Can't wait to get back. Maybe try and get a trail in tomorrow morning right by the families house.

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[Boort]

@Zaq
Awesome pics of what is shaping up to be a sweet looking trip. Enjoy the Road!

Boort

 

[Trowbocop]

You found the waterfalls! Awesome pictures. That region of the country is incredible

 

[Zaq]

You found the waterfalls! Awesome pictures. That region of the country is incredible

We did! Awesome place! Planning in doing a trail here right behind the families place here in Corona tomorrow, if your free, if not, I may be able to swing something Sunday or Monday around here. If not, or either way, thanks for all the advice and everything!!

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[Trowbocop]

Glad I could help a bit! We just got back into LA from a Ventura surf trip. Wont be able to get down today, not positive on tomorrow's plans yet either. Let me know what trails you're thinking, we haven't wheeled out there yet. Basically just chill at the family house in Corona when we're down there.

 

[Zaq]

Got to get out on some trails right behind the families place in Corona, pretty awesome to be so close to awesome things out here.

Heading out tomorrow morning from the wife's friends place here in Laguna to finally head back out to the trails.
Be doing the Mojave Road, west to east.
Then hopefully getting back to Moab area for a day or two before heading home to Illinois.

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[Zaq]

Or head back to Moab, or maybe up through Idaho, Wyoming area...Mojabe seems hot. Lol.
What's good up through Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, as far as open land and dispersed camping goes?

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[Boort]

@Zaq

Or head back to Moab, or maybe up through Idaho, Wyoming area...Mojabe seems hot. Lol.
What's good up through Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, as far as open land and dispersed camping goes?

Try Bear Lake on the Utah/Idaho Border, Lots of trails and dispersed camping in the mountains on the west of the lake.
From there you can go north to Jackson Wy, and Teton NP/ Bridger Teton NF.
East out of Teton NP to I25, There is a small campground (6-7 sites 1st come 1st served) at Ayres Natural Bridge Park (turn off just east of GlenRock Wy.
Go east on I25 to Orin Wy to pick up Hwy 18 to the Black Hills NF, and on to Badlands NP. Deadheads are near by if you've never been to Mt Rushmore. There are a number of nice places to camp in Oglala National Grassland (though I've not been there in many years)

Boort