Tent Talk

Picacho State Recreation Area, or Picacho SRA, is a beautiful estuary that protects 8 miles of the California side of the Colorado River. The park has a rich history of mining and the old town of Picacho, but now is a haven for birds and birdwatchers, boaters and anglers, and – of course – campers. Picacho SRA might be most notable for its sheer remoteness. The quickest and most accessible route is from Interstate 8 in Yuma (from the east) or Winterhaven (from the west). Although only about 24 miles north of I-8, the trip can easily take over an hour, depending on how well your car handles the 18 miles of dirt road. The road is well-maintained and often graded, but can be rendered impassable during monsoon season from flooding. 2WD and low clearance vehicles should have no problems, and trailers and RV’s work as well when the road is in good condition. California State Parks reminds all visitors to travel prepared through the desert, as there can sometimes be a lengthy period of time b...

  Dead Horse State Park sits at the end of Utah 313, occupying a slim peninsula that ends in Dead Horse Point, a spectacular viewpoint of the Colorado RIver as it meanders towards Canyonlands National Park. Here is a great little video interview about the park from the Colorado River Re-Storied team, featuring ranger Megan Blackwelder. Although Dead Horse Point is considered a “Moab-area” park, it is actually a 40 minute (30 mile) drive from Moab to the parks entrance. Taking US 191 north out of Moab will take you to the junction with Utah 313, which then climbs back south onto the plateau. After a few miles, you will approach an intersection, where the 313 makes a left and continues to Dead Horse Point (if you stay straight, the road will take you into Canyonlands National Park). There are a handful of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sites along the 313 that you can opt to stay at if Dead Horse Point is full, including Cowboy and Horsethief , as well as the group site Lone Mesa....

Many people will tell you Havasupai is the most beautiful place in Arizona, and I'd be hard pressed to disagree. Also known as the Grand Canyon's Garden of Eden, the blue-green waters of Havasu Creek flow from the red rocks of the canyon down to the Colorado River, creating a spectacular canyon full of life and awesome waterfalls. The Havasupai (people of the blue-green waters) still make the canyon and the village of Supai their home, and only let a certain number of people enter per day (day hiking is not permitted, nor practical). Posted above is the "Vlog" style video from our recent three day trip to the campground at Havasu Falls. If you're ready to go, make your reservations here ! The Havasupai Tribe have recently updated their website, and are currently only accepting reservations over the phone due to overwhelming demand. This post will refer to Havasupai as a whole place , encompassing the Village of Supai, the Havasuapi People, and Havasu Cre...

Mather Campground is the main campground on the West Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, located right outside Grand Canyon Village. With over 300 sites, Mather is one of the biggest campgrounds we’ve been to, but it’s usually full every single night, and is open year-round. We’ve already been to Mather twice, once in the heart of winter and again in the peak of summer. This review will focus on what the campground is like in the summer, but check out the video below of our winter trip, where we stayed the first night at Mather before backpacking through the canyon. As you can see, the campground is open year round, although there are only a few loops open during the winter months. The campground sits at just a few hundred feet below 7,000ft., so prepare for biting cold and snow in the winter, with more moderate summer temperatures usually around the 70-80’s. The main attraction here is tent camping. RV’s are welcome, but there are no hookups inside the campground, although Trailer Vill...