(Need help) First big overland trip to KS, CO, & UT.

[Alex Moranz]

Hey everybody,

Still new here but very excited to finally be a part of the community. My wife and I are planning our first big Overland adventure with our 4 year old son and need some help as we're going into unknown territory. We are looking to head out August 8th thru the 15th.

A bit of background on us, where we've been, and the rig we're taking. We are both in our 30's and grew up camping and spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, etc. I did several years in the military and we were stationed in WA state for 6 years and spent most our time exploring the mountains and surrounding areas. (Lake Chelan for the win). We now live in St. Louis MO and have been missing the wide open spaces and mountains. Our rig is a pretty stock 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser (Elsey) that my grandma bought new in 97. I took ownership in 08 with 100k miles and drove straight to WA with it and have daily driven it since. We are running BFG KO2's (305/70/16) for the tires and have had great luck so far with them.

In terms of our camping set up, I just picked up a 2021 Opus 4 trailer (which my son quickly named Opie) a few weeks ago and have only had it out for a few weekend adventures so far. Our old set up over the past couple of years has been a 12 x 12 canvas tent with cots, etc. Great for longer stays and deer camp, especially with the wood stove however way to long of a set up time and fills the back of the rig pretty quickly.

We are planning a 9 day adventure with the end goal being Lehi UT to visit the Museum of Ancient Life as my son absolutely loves dinosaurs. Outside of that, we don't really have any solid places we have to be. We really want to explore Moab for a bit and camp high in the mountains and wake up to amazing views. Maybe do some fishing, but I need to see about getting licenses for those states. We are looking to take 70 for the most part and are looking to take our time driving. Where we need help is places to go and trails to take in both Colorado and UT. We are open to going anywhere a stock 80 series and trailer can go.

Any recommendations would be great appreciated.

 

[Tundracamper]

Moab to Zion via Byway 12 is too scenic to pass up, IMHO.

National Park Tour (Video Edit of the Summer Trip added)

Hey friends! My gf and I are working out details for a month-long trip. 7/14 to 8/18 and thought I'd run this through the group here on suggestions or potential offshoots. We're taking the first two weeks off then will have to be working remote and driving evenings/weekends the second half...

www.overlandbound.com

 

[Kent R]

@Neal A. Tew Any suggestions for this member.

 

[Neal A. Tew]

@Neal A. Tew Any suggestions for this member.

I puzzled over this a good bit the other day. Based on the time window and interstate route nothing jumped out at me.

Alex, you're probably aware that UT & CO have a lot of other dinosaur attractions such as the Dinosaur National Monument, for example. Also, watch for the signs around Moab for the Dinosaur tracks. There are a couple interesting little side trips to those. One is along a backdoor trail going into Arches NP.

There are no shortage of trails to do while around Moab. Just keep in mind it could be quite warm. Camp and drop your trailer along Willow Springs, Dalton Wells, or Klondike Bluffs roads. For a fun drive go up Long Canyon towards Canyonlands NP and return via Schafer Trail and Potash Rd.

Check out the Overland Bound trail map for things to do along your route. If that's not enough, check out the CO & UT sections of TrailsOffroad.com.

 

[Alex Moranz]

Moab to Zion via Byway 12 is too scenic to pass up, IMHO.

National Park Tour (Video Edit of the Summer Trip added)

Hey friends! My gf and I are working out details for a month-long trip. 7/14 to 8/18 and thought I'd run this through the group here on suggestions or potential offshoots. We're taking the first two weeks off then will have to be working remote and driving evenings/weekends the second half...

www.overlandbound.com

Hey Tundra, thanks for the idea, looks like an amazing drive. Going to plan it in the trip for sure!

 

[KonzaLander]

What is your plan for Kansas? Most folks like to get it over with as quickly as possible, but if you want to see some remarkable scenery there is some to be found...but it is not on the Interstate.

 

[Alex Moranz]

I puzzled over this a good bit the other day. Based on the time window and interstate route nothing jumped out at me.

Alex, you're probably aware that UT & CO have a lot of other dinosaur attractions such as the Dinosaur National Monument, for example. Also, watch for the signs around Moab for the Dinosaur tracks. There are a couple interesting little side trips to those. One is along a backdoor trail going into Arches NP.

There are no shortage of trails to do while around Moab. Just keep in mind it could be quite warm. Camp and drop your trailer along Willow Springs, Dalton Wells, or Klondike Bluffs roads. For a fun drive go up Long Canyon towards Canyonlands NP and return via Schafer Trail and Potash Rd.

Check out the Overland Bound trail map for things to do along your route. If that's not enough, check out the CO & UT sections of TrailsOffroad.com.

Hey Neal,

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the insight. Places to drop the camper has been a big concern for us as we've never been out there and were not sure on where we could set up. And yeah the warm weather will be interesting, I've got a couple portable fans for the camper but might need to invest in some additional cooling. Going to do a bit of research on these places and figure out our exact route.

And thanks for the trailsoffroad recommendation, never been to that site, looks incredible.

 

[Alex Moranz]

What is your plan for Kansas? Most folks like to get it over with as quickly as possible, but if you want to see some remarkable scenery there is some to be found...but it is not on the Interstate.

Hey Konza,

Haha yeah that's where we are struggling a bit as well. We've found the KU Biodiversity Institute which has a dinosaur exhibit that my boy will love, but after that we're pretty stumped. Really just looking for a good place to camp and then move on into Colorado. You have any good campsites in mind where we could set up? I was probably just going to find a spot on hipcamp and set up for the night.

 

[KonzaLander]

Sounds like you will probably be on I-70 through Kansas.

The Sternberg Museum in Hays would probably be a joy for your kiddo.

Camping in Western KS is limited, but with Hipcamp a few options are available. C2 T Ranch is super popular (for a good reason). There are a few State Lakes that offer free camping near the I-70 in the eastern part of the state: Geary, Pottawatomie, Leavenworth. A few State Parks (fee camping + vehicle fee) in proximity to the interstate are: Cedar Bluff, Wilson, Milford, Clinton, Tuttle Creek.

There is a lot of cool scenery that the interstate will bypass, but finding a good camp spot will give you a slight glimpse of what us locals like about the state.

 

[Alex Moranz]

Sounds like you will probably be on I-70 through Kansas.

The Sternberg Museum in Hays would probably be a joy for your kiddo.

Camping in Western KS is limited, but with Hipcamp a few options are available. C2 T Ranch is super popular (for a good reason). There are a few State Lakes that offer free camping near the I-70 in the eastern part of the state: Geary, Pottawatomie, Leavenworth. A few State Parks (fee camping + vehicle fee) in proximity to the interstate are: Cedar Bluff, Wilson, Milford, Clinton, Tuttle Creek.

There is a lot of cool scenery that the interstate will bypass, but finding a good camp spot will give you a slight glimpse of what us locals like about the state.

I had not seen either of those places before, but it looks incredible. And C2 T Ranch looks super awesome as well. I just sent that all to my wife as I think we'll plan to stop at both places. Maybe do a bit of floating as well.

Thanks for the info.

 

[JPPNC]

Hey everybody,

Still new here but very excited to finally be a part of the community. My wife and I are planning our first big Overland adventure with our 4 year old son and need some help as we're going into unknown territory. We are looking to head out August 8th thru the 15th.

A bit of background on us, where we've been, and the rig we're taking. We are both in our 30's and grew up camping and spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, etc. I did several years in the military and we were stationed in WA state for 6 years and spent most our time exploring the mountains and surrounding areas. (Lake Chelan for the win). We now live in St. Louis MO and have been missing the wide open spaces and mountains. Our rig is a pretty stock 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser (Elsey) that my grandma bought new in 97. I took ownership in 08 with 100k miles and drove straight to WA with it and have daily driven it since. We are running BFG KO2's (305/70/16) for the tires and have had great luck so far with them.

In terms of our camping set up, I just picked up a 2021 Opus 4 trailer (which my son quickly named Opie) a few weeks ago and have only had it out for a few weekend adventures so far. Our old set up over the past couple of years has been a 12 x 12 canvas tent with cots, etc. Great for longer stays and deer camp, especially with the wood stove however way to long of a set up time and fills the back of the rig pretty quickly.

We are planning a 9 day adventure with the end goal being Lehi UT to visit the Museum of Ancient Life as my son absolutely loves dinosaurs. Outside of that, we don't really have any solid places we have to be. We really want to explore Moab for a bit and camp high in the mountains and wake up to amazing views. Maybe do some fishing, but I need to see about getting licenses for those states. We are looking to take 70 for the most part and are looking to take our time driving. Where we need help is places to go and trails to take in both Colorado and UT. We are open to going anywhere a stock 80 series and trailer can go.

Any recommendations would be great appreciated.
View attachment 202938View attachment 202939

How’s the Opus 4 holding up?
JP

 

[Alex Moranz]

Hey everybody,

Still new here but very excited to finally be a part of the community. My wife and I are planning our first big Overland adventure with our 4 year old son and need some help as we're going into unknown territory. We are looking to head out August 8th thru the 15th.

A bit of background on us, where we've been, and the rig we're taking. We are both in our 30's and grew up camping and spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, etc. I did several years in the military and we were stationed in WA state for 6 years and spent most our time exploring the mountains and surrounding areas. (Lake Chelan for the win). We now live in St. Louis MO and have been missing the wide open spaces and mountains. Our rig is a pretty stock 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser (Elsey) that my grandma bought new in 97. I took ownership in 08 with 100k miles and drove straight to WA with it and have daily driven it since. We are running BFG KO2's (305/70/16) for the tires and have had great luck so far with them.

In terms of our camping set up, I just picked up a 2021 Opus 4 trailer (which my son quickly named Opie) a few weeks ago and have only had it out for a few weekend adventures so far. Our old set up over the past couple of years has been a 12 x 12 canvas tent with cots, etc. Great for longer stays and deer camp, especially with the wood stove however way to long of a set up time and fills the back of the rig pretty quickly.

We are planning a 9 day adventure with the end goal being Lehi UT to visit the Museum of Ancient Life as my son absolutely loves dinosaurs. Outside of that, we don't really have any solid places we have to be. We really want to explore Moab for a bit and camp high in the mountains and wake up to amazing views. Maybe do some fishing, but I need to see about getting licenses for those states. We are looking to take 70 for the most part and are looking to take our time driving. Where we need help is places to go and trails to take in both Colorado and UT. We are open to going anywhere a stock 80 series and trailer can go.

Any recommendations would be great appreciated.
View attachment 202938View attachment 202939

How’s the Opus 4 holding up?
JP

She’s holding up great! Our big trip was amazing and the whole set up and pack down every day wasn’t bad at all. We are really loving the opus so far and are planning many more adventures later this year.

If you are thinking of one and have any specific questions I’d be happy to answer them

 

[Dalton Crew]

How was ur trip last year? We are leaving at the end of the month for our first overland trip. We have 2 boys 2 & 4, every year we drive out to see the balloons in NM. Then visit family in AZ and work our way back through UT, CO, KS, MO back to Illinois. Defiantly hitting Dino’s in Austin this year on the way west. Any spots or not to do’s you came across?

Thanks In advance,

Hey everybody,

Still new here but very excited to finally be a part of the community. My wife and I are planning our first big Overland adventure with our 4 year old son and need some help as we're going into unknown territory. We are looking to head out August 8th thru the 15th.

A bit of background on us, where we've been, and the rig we're taking. We are both in our 30's and grew up camping and spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, etc. I did several years in the military and we were stationed in WA state for 6 years and spent most our time exploring the mountains and surrounding areas. (Lake Chelan for the win). We now live in St. Louis MO and have been missing the wide open spaces and mountains. Our rig is a pretty stock 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser (Elsey) that my grandma bought new in 97. I took ownership in 08 with 100k miles and drove straight to WA with it and have daily driven it since. We are running BFG KO2's (305/70/16) for the tires and have had great luck so far with them.

In terms of our camping set up, I just picked up a 2021 Opus 4 trailer (which my son quickly named Opie) a few weeks ago and have only had it out for a few weekend adventures so far. Our old set up over the past couple of years has been a 12 x 12 canvas tent with cots, etc. Great for longer stays and deer camp, especially with the wood stove however way to long of a set up time and fills the back of the rig pretty quickly.

We are planning a 9 day adventure with the end goal being Lehi UT to visit the Museum of Ancient Life as my son absolutely loves dinosaurs. Outside of that, we don't really have any solid places we have to be. We really want to explore Moab for a bit and camp high in the mountains and wake up to amazing views. Maybe do some fishing, but I need to see about getting licenses for those states. We are looking to take 70 for the most part and are looking to take our time driving. Where we need help is places to go and trails to take in both Colorado and UT. We are open to going anywhere a stock 80 series and trailer can go.

Any recommendations would be great appreciated.
View attachment 202938View attachment 202939

How’s the Opus 4 holding up?
JP

She’s holding up great! Our big trip was amazing and the whole set up and pack down every day wasn’t bad at all. We are really loving the opus so far and are planning many more adventures later this year.

If you are thinking of one and have any specific questions I’d be happy to answer them

 

[Alex Moranz]

How was ur trip last year? We are leaving at the end of the month for our first overland trip. We have 2 boys 2 & 4, every year we drive out to see the balloons in NM. Then visit family in AZ and work our way back through UT, CO, KS, MO back to Illinois. Defiantly hitting Dino’s in Austin this year on the way west. Any spots or not to do’s you came across?

Thanks In advance,

Hey Dalton,

Of course, we ended up having to modify our trip due to fires in the north which resulted in heavy smoke covering both UT and CO, was even in Kansas.

We really enjoyed Crested Butte CO and actually stopped there on the way out and back for a few days. Super cool little town with great camping sites not too far away. We were able to leave the camper on site and head into town for a day of activities and food. Highly recommend stopping in for at least a day if you can.

I’ll talk to my wife on all the museums we stopped at and get back to you soon. We hit quite a few of them and they were all great.

Will get back to you this evening and really give you as much details as I can.

 

[Alex Moranz]

Hey Dalton,

So to give you a bit better answer on our trip and where all we went that the little one enjoyed.

Kansas:

Sternberg Museum Sternberg Museum of Natural History - Sternberg Museum of Natureal History . We stopped at this place on our way out and wasn't really expecting much, but were ultimately surprised and had a great time. It is a ton of fun for the kids and has that "old school" vibe to it when you get into some of the science rooms. Lot's of things for the kids to touch and play with. Highly recommend if you're out that way.

Colorado:

There actually was a really cool museum in Woodland Park CO called Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center Home | BUSINESS NAME . It was super cool and the best part for the parents is there is a brewery right next door. We let the kiddo run rampant in the museum for a bit then sat outside and had food and beer next door enjoying the scenery. I highly recommend you stop here if it's anywhere close to your route.

Our favorite camp site and where we spent most of our time camping in CO was Crested Butte. There are some really great camp sites just outside of town, especially if you're headed towards Lake Irwin. If you stop at the welcome center they have maps which show you the surrounding area's and where you can go camp, swim, etc. I'd recommend picking one of them up. We did stay in a couple of other places in CO however I couldn't tell you where as we would just drive around and explore on our way to UT and stop wherever felt right.

Utah:

We went to Moab only in UT so our stops we're pretty limited. We hit Moab Giants Moab Giants | Dinosaur Museum in Utah which isn't too far outside the city. It's pretty cool because they have a ton of life size dinosaurs outside along this path you walk and there are fossilized footprints and a playground as well. Once you go inside they have a pretty cool little museum and movie you can watch. Overall it was great for the little kid as after a long day in the car he could run around like a wild man and hit the playground. Good little cafeteria as well full of the essentials for little bodies, thinks like PBJ, Chicken Fingers, etc.

There is also the dinosaur bone trail pretty close by, but we did not go to that. It was so hot and that was more of an outdoor thing we ended up skipping it. Looks really cool, but not sure how entertaining for the kids it will be.

There are supposed to be some really amazing dinosaur exhibits and museums in Salt Lake City as well. We really wanted to get up there and visit them but the smoke was too bad from the fires that we didn't venture north.

Hope this helped.