HIDDEN GEMS

[Mr. Camper]

One of our long trips this year is to tour Arizona and the National Parks of Utah.  We have it planned and know about all of the usual things to see (National Parks, Monuments, Historical Sites).  We are always on the lookout for the hidden gems that don't either have the funding to advertise or attract enough visitors for word-of-mouth.  Our interests are varied so any suggestions would be welcome and we can go from there.  Thanks.

[trailertraveler]

In Arizona: 

Homolovi Ruins State Park, Winslow Arizona, Sunset Crater National Monument, Wupatki National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well National Monuments, Tuzigoot National Monument,  Palatki and Honaki Ruins,  V-Bar-V Heritage Site, Verde Canyon Railroad, Fort Verde State Park,  Cathedral Rock, Gold King Mine,  Jerome State Historic Park.

In Utah:

UT-12 Scenic Byway, Scenic Backways off UT-12, Calf Creek Falls,]Hells Backbone,  Burr Trail,  Fishlake Scenic Byway, Kane Creek Road, UT-261 (the Moki Dugway), Flaming Gorge Scenic Byway,  Potash Lower Colorado Byway, Upper Colorado River UT-128 Scenic Byway, Goosenecks State Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Bluff Fort, South Fork of Mule Canyon and House on Fire, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument,  Sago Canyon, Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Goblin Valley State Park, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Anasazi State Park, Dead Horse Point State Park,  Valley of The Gods,  Edge of the Cedars State Park,  Dinosaur Museum,  Utah Field House State Park, Dinosaur National Monument,  Newspaper Rock, Sand Island Petroglyphs. 

 

Edited January 24, 2020 by trailertraveler

[SWharton]

Goblin Valley SP, Kodachrome Basin SP, Escalante Byway(Hwy 12), Capital Reef NP, Sedona, Oatman, AZ(feed wild donkeys in town), North Rim of GC, Vermillon Cliffs(beautiful going east from Jacob Lake), Antelope Canyon(we did both the Lower and Upper)

[Mr. Camper]

We appreciate the time and effort on these responses.  We'll be busy this weekend checking them out.  Keep them coming.  We have all of the information on the National Parks and National Monuments.  Haven't spent too much time on State Parks so we will look at those very carefully.  Thanks

[trailertraveler]

I added spots in Utah on edit.

[2gypsies]

AZ:  Canyon de Chelly,  Nat'l Mon.; Pipe Spring Nat'l Mon.; Sunset Crater at Flagstaff - stay at Bonito national forest campground by the entrance gate. . lovely.  Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood to tour Sedona, Jerome and Prescott, Petrified Forest Nat'l Park; it might be too hot to tour the Phoenix or Tucson areas but lots to do there

UT:  Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (no kill) by Kanab, UT - sign up for the amazing tour in a beautiful red canyon setting. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is a good place to stay.  You won't believe the color of the sand!   Monument Valley

[bobsallyh]

Yuma Territorial Prison. Plan accordingly, as I doubt you want to do the tour at 115 degrees. But it sure would give the "real feel" of what is was like. Yuma Proving Ground museum.

[sushidog]

On 1/24/2020 at 3:07 PM, 2gypsies said:

Sunset Crater at Flagstaff - stay at Bonito national forest campground by the entrance gate. . lovely. 

We visited there last year. I have a good boondocking recommendation there. Right after you turn in on 395, take the first road on your left, which is 545B. There are several boondocking locations down this road and the view is outstanding. I ended up camping right next to an extinct volcano cinder cone a couple miles down the road on the left, passing up several sites on the way. 

https://www.campendium.com/forest-road-545b 

This is the exact GPS coordinates of our campsite where we stayed in a 36ft MH with toad. 35.381992,-111.560695 The road that goes past it is very rough so gets very little traffic, but we did go down it a ways and saw a couple people camping with travel trailers in a beautiful remote valley. You'd probably have to have a 4wd to get your trailer there though. We barely made it with our little car. I think this is the best campsite on the road, but it was occupied for the entire week we were there. 35.378660,-111.555925

Directly opposite of Sunset Crater, on the west side of hwy 89 is a beautiful spot on top of Sugarloaf mountain called Lockett Meadow CG. You should not try to go there in a big RV as the road is steep and windy. But it is definitely worth a day trip in a smaller vehicle if you are not afraid of heights and don't mind narrow twisty mountain roads. There are a couple places to camp off road 553 before it starts to climb around here 35.379411,-111.589536. 

Chip

[Mr. Camper]

Thanks to all who posted hidden gems.  We will be finalizing our plans and wanted to thank all of you and we will be adding some things to our trip.  Safe travels.

[rfcn2]

Here are a few places that fit your request we have been to that no one else has mentioned.  

Arizona - Meteor Crater - close to Winslow AZ.  It is privately owned and the largest meteor crater in the US.  There is a very nice RV Park close to it.  

Page AZ-UT border -  and Glen Canyon Dam area.  There is a very nice RV Park inside the Glenn Canyon recreational area.  Take a boat trip on the lake.  This is a beautiful area and a lovely drive up RT 89 from Flagstaff AZ.  

Monument Valley - Navaho Nation.  Stay at Gouldings RV Park inside this area.  

We love Bryce Canyon and staying at Ruby's RV Park next to Bryce.  Even in the middle of summer a good place to stay as it is at 8,000 ft.  

[agesilaus]

Karchner Caverns and Chiricahua NM are two in AZ, Chiricahua seems to be rarely visited I never see mention of it here or on other lists.

[2gypsies]

1 hour ago, agesilaus said:

Karchner Caverns and Chiricahua NM are two in AZ, Chiricahua seems to be rarely visited I never see mention of it here or on other lists.

Both are tops in our book. We volunteered at Kartchner and hiked Chiricahua many times.

[agesilaus]

We haven't made it to Kartchner yet but it is high on our to-do list. We've been to Chiricahua twice, once when we had a small popup and could camp in the park. The second time we had a 35 ft fiver and found no campsites closer than I-10 which was discouraging. We have 25 ft TT now and I think we might fit. And that is part of the reason so few people ever visit the park, the other reason is that it is just plain out in a corner by itself away from almost everything. It is a fascinating park and I want to spend a week or so there, maybe next fall when we are semi fulltiming. Bisbee and Kartchner are within daytrip range too. And very close is Ft Apache which is worth a trip just for the cemetery.

[Mr. Camper]

Those locations are on our list.  If we go, (plan is still not finalized due to COVID-19 issues) we plan on taking in Chiricahua NM, Ft. Bowie NHS, Coronado Nat'l. Mem, Tombstone Courthouse SHP, and the Cochise Stronghold as we cover the AZ Southeast.  Thanks for the helpful suggestions.

[agesilaus]

Go by Bisbee, see the mine and the unique town layout too.

Coronado is a new one on me, I added it to my map of attractions. You want to check out this page tho: Partial closure until 12/20

 

Edited March 8, 2020 by agesilaus

[2gypsies]

Cochise Stronghold is a pleasant campground... gravel road to get to it but in good condition. Very suitable for visiting Chiricahua NM.  There are also BLM areas around and some national forest lands for boondocking.  Popular area in Jan/Feb when the Sandhill Cranes are there.  Big birding festival in January.  If coming from the east via I-10 take Hwy 80 on the other side of the Chiricahuas.  Rusty's Ranch RV is popular and there are also some nice forest service campgrounds at Portal.  Continue south to Douglas - nice courthouse tour - and then to Bisbee from the south.  The mine tour at Bisbee is worthwhile.  You don a yellow slicker and hardhat w/miner's light and hop on a mining car for the tour given by ex-miners.  

If you stay at the Escapee park in Benson you can to all of this as a day tour along with Kartchner Caverns and the birding canyons at Sierra Vista.  Pretty country!

[Mr. Camper]

I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to this request.  We've taken many of the suggestions and added them to our itinerary.  However, since the spread of the Coronavirus and my underlying health issues we have had to cancel this and our other trips until such time as it is safer.  Again, thanks to all who provided suggestions.  Hopefully we will be taking this trip in the future.

[michaelnielson95]

Well there is this country called Tuvalu and is about an 11 hour flight from LAX. Its said to be the least visited country in the world and has no tourism infrastructure and yet is like something ive never seen before. 

[Mr. Camper]

2 hours ago, michaelnielson95 said:

Well there is this country called Tuvalu and is about an 11 hour flight from LAX. Its said to be the least visited country in the world and has no tourism infrastructure and yet is like something ive never seen before. 

Thanks for that.  When we get to Phoenix do I make a left or a right?