Our Top 5 Favorite Camp Spots from Two Years on the Road!

We both grew up camping in Colorado, Blake more-so than me since he’s an Eagle Scout. We’ve camped in negative degree weather, we’ve both slept in snow caves, and we continue to have camping family reunions every year. I could list a hundred of our favorite places to camp in Colorado and Moab, but this list is going to only include new places we visited since we moved into the camper. These are all free dispersed camping spots, because we only pay for camping when we’re in a national park.  Here you go! 

1. Tecolote Beach in Baja Sur: Playa Tecolote is a bit further down the Mex 11 from the more touristy Balandra Beach.  If you drive the length of Tecolote, which can be quite crowded, and continue along the coastal road, you come across a more secluded section of beach, and the road gets sandy, making it tough for big rigs to come that far. We camped on the bluffs overlooking the ocean and you can walk out into the bay on sand bars when the tide recedes. Balandra Beach is absolutely worth checking out while there- the tide recedes so far at this beach that you can walk directly across it in waist deep water.  You can also hike up the cliffs overlooking the beach. There is only a parking lot to camp at for this beach, so you’re better off visiting Balandra for a day and then camping at Tecolote.

2. West Glacier by Blankenship Bridge: This spot was pretty crowded with other campers who didn’t want to pay to camp in the National Park, and it was visible from the road, but it was such a neat spot that I had to include it in the list. The water was just such a unique blue color contrasting the red cliffs and the green mountains.  This camp spot had a really friendly vibe since so many other campers were around. We actually ran into people there that we already were following on Instagram but hadn’t met in person. 

3. Alabama Hills: It’s just such an iconic place that it’s hard not to make the list. The contrast of the hills with Mt. Whitney is stunning. Visit in spring when the mountains are still snow capped. Theres a few small hikes to do, and can visit the sites of where several movies were filmed. Climb to the top of some of the rocks. Take a long exposure at night. Visit the nearby town of Lone Pine. 

4. Sequoia National Monument near Dome Rock. This place had some of the best pine trees we’ve camped in. It was quiet, it was not overcrowded, and it had this really cool dome rock we could hike up and get a view of all of Sequoia National Forest. 

5. Top of Kelly Grade on Smokey Mountain Utah Scenic Backway: Should not be attempted with rain in the forecast and not for those with fear of heights, this is a curvy steep mountain pass, but once you’re at the top overlooking Lake Powell, the views are absolutely amazing.