Moab: camping in the desert
We spent more than a day in Moab, eager to explore the Canyonlands, the Arches National Park, and with the desire to try some more adventurous sports in the home of downhill and rock climbing. An anonymous U.S. town in Utah, it has no peculiarities other than being in the paradise of hikers, climbers and lovers of two-wheeled sports. The center of Moab, therefore, offers no attractions, no tasty restaurants, no cozy accommodations, but it is teeming with sports equipment stores and rentals.
We spent two days exploring the park's canyons and arches. We rented two mountain bikes and downhill through the dunes and rocky plateaus, and to do all this, we spent 3 nights camping. The campsite is the most used accommodation for sports enthusiasts who come to Moab, perhaps because in this way you only have to get out of your tent or caravan in the morning to be in front of the wall to climb, or just to reconnect with Nature. Outside the edge of the town, there are plenty of camping areas where you can pitch your tent or park your caravan.
These are not the usual areas equipped with services to which we are accustomed, but simply areas, mostly desert, where parking is allowed, where there are numbered not-equipped places. Access to these areas is via controlled roads, and you pay a fee for the overnight stay. It is not possible to reserve a place, first arrived first served.
We searched for a long time among the authorized areas, some in the desert, others on the river, and chose the place where we would try to earn an early morning pitch. Our choice fell on the San Flats Recreation Area, an almost deserted clearing, far enough away from the city to be properly isolated and little frequented.
We didn't bring a tent, but rented a fantastic mini trailer, with the bare essentials for a sheltered sleep. It was a wonderful experience. The organization that rents the vehicle is called Red Rock Base Camps, and they provide a small caravan that has just enough space for a bed and a tiny camp kitchen.
You have to get your own parking space, and occupy it. Once the location has been communicated, the small caravan is taken to the designated location and parked. It can no longer be moved on its own. It has a solar panel to generate electricity for a small lamp an a plug, enough water, gas for the stove, an airtight refrigerated container, but beware, no toilet!
Some campsites have toilets somewhere along the nearest road. Others do not, and you will have to immerse yourself completely in nature. Apart from that, the caravan has everything you need, it is very comfortable (maybe less for very tall people, sorry, short people sometimes win!) and allows you to spend the night in the wilderness, with some more comfort than a tent. We even cooked, comfortably, a spartan dinner and a quick breakfast.
The most beautiful part of camping in Moab, is being able to stay in touch with nature even during the night, when in the darkness of the desert you can observe the sky without the disturbance of a light for tens of kilometers, with the soundtrack of some coyotes in the distance.
COST
Prices are variable depending on the season. We paid about $900 a night.
WHERE TO RENT
The teardrop can be rented directly on the organization's Website
It is also available on Airbnb under the name Red Rock Teardrop Trailer.
SMART TIP
The teardrop is delivered within 4 hours of your notification of the reserved pitch.
Make sure you go early in the morning to try to ensure a place at your chosen campsite, but bear in mind that if it was full the night before, the pitches will not start to vacate before 10am. If you plan to arrive late in the afternoon, therefore, consider the timetables, because you may have to wait a long time before the caravan is delivered.
GOOD TO KNOW
You are allowed to rent the teardrop for no less than 2 nights. It does not have a toilet, but it has a full kitchen. A refrigerated trunk is also provided to keep food cool.
This content is NOT SPONSORED, but based on my genuine personal experience. Spontaneous opinions, positive and negative, shareable or not, that I hope will help to live better travel experiences. My advice is a guide to lead you through world explorations, but the real journey, you build it!
