We didn’t have much luck camping in national parks on this fall vacation and because Arches campground was full we went right outside the park to BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land and camped along the Colorado River at Big Bend Beach.
There are seven campgrounds within 7.4 miles of US191. Pulled into the first one and did the loop. Full. Second, third, fourth…you get the picture, all full. Finally at the last one we got the last site. And what a fantastic view of the Colorado River cutting through the towering sandstone bluffs.
Some of the sites look big enough for large RVs, first come first serve, with picnic tables, drop-pit toilets and a few water spigots. In fact BLM offers many “camps” along the Colorado Riverway further along UT128 30 miles to Dewey and on the southwest side of US191 on both sides of the river. Paid half price with ‘Geezer’ card.
A loud noise caught my attention in this quiet landscape and a tour boat came whipping down stream full of smiling and screaming passengers.
Woke up to light slowly sliding down these steep canyon walls with the moon overhead.
Packed up camp, headed to US191 and turned north towards I70 where we’d go west to Green River on the way home to Kanab saying goodbye to the Colorado River. We did take a long drive to Hanskville before crossing through Capitol Reef National Park on the way. Our last day of vacation on the 1st of October.