By Mike Morin
From Evergreen, CO
Jun 7, 2011
| While I've only been to the Red once, I found the tent camping at Natural Bridge State Park to be quite nice. It's probably more pricey than most of the areas listed so far, but I spent 9 days there and found it to be pretty darn sweet. I was extremely glad that I didn't opt for the refugee camp at Miguel's. Nothing against the establishment, I ate there a couple of times and was blown away by the pizza, but that's just not my scene anymore. | 
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By Woodchuck ATC
Jun 7, 2011
| !! /:-( I guess I haven't outgrown the Miguels scene.....but so much hate!,,,! agree that Lago Linda's is a good spot at the Red. |
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By Carl Sherven
From Madison, WI
Jun 7, 2011
| Nick Mardirosian wrote: I agree, I won't stay at Miguel's anymore. I stayed at Lago Linda's a couple weeks ago and it was much better! LL's is $3 more but has free showers, private sites, and no groups of idiots yelling until 4am.
John Wilder wrote: agreed. Linda's is much better. If you climb outside of the southern region, its a bit far, but the scene there is pretty awesome and the quiet is much appreciated when i'm planning on actually climbing the next day!
Thanks for the bookmark guys. I'm gonna check out Lago Linda's next time I get down there. I love the food and conversation at Miguel's, but it gets ridiculous when it's time to quiet down for the evening. |
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By Dustin B
From Steamboat
Jun 7, 2011
| +1 for tres piedras NM. Easy access, great camping a stones throw away from world class climbing. |
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By DrApnea
From Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 7, 2011
| +1 for leavenworth, WA. Great scenic area. |
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By Timmamok
From Durango, CO
Jun 7, 2011
| J-Tree? You can belay from your tent. |
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By Wombat
From Boulder, co
Jun 9, 2011
| The Final List... Unless someone has more to add:
Turkey Rocks (CO) - quiet and free
Shelf Road (CO) - scenic and cheap
City of Rocks (ID) - scenic and convenient
Indian Creek (UT) - scenic, remote, free, and lawless
Enchanted Tower (NM) currently debatable - remote
Leavenworth (WA) - scenic
Tres Piedras (NM)
Unaweep (CO)
11 Mile Canyon (CO)
Lime Creek (CO)
Maple Canyon (UT) - convenient and plush
New River Gorge (WV) - Rogers Campground and Chestnut Creek Campground
North Rim of the Black Canyon (CO)
Banks Lake (WA) - scenic and no crowds
Squamish (B.C. Canada)
Red River Gorge (KY) - Miguels Campground - Challenged!
Devils Lake (WI) - Green Valley Campgrounds
Cochise Stronghold (AZ)
Penitente Canyon (CO)
Wild Iris (WY)
Smith Rock State Park (OR) - Bivy Site
Lovers Leap (CA)
Joshua Tree (CA) |
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By J. Albers
From Colorado
Jun 9, 2011
| thecornyman wrote: I'm jealous, all the camping in CA near the best rock is extremely over crowded.
Huh? One of the best things about CA is the insane amount of free, amazing, crowd free camping near world class stone. If you are near crowds, then you need to explore other rock options. |
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By Andy Librande
From Denver, CO
Jun 9, 2011
| Not that much climbing but the camping/climbing combo make it worth it:
| Great free camping right across from the Fingerbanger boulder along the river.
Submitted By: Andy Librande on Dec 28, 2009
| |
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By Tim Davis
From Atlanta
Jun 9, 2011
| Seth Derr wrote: The Gunks! Oh wait you said best camping. Never mind.
+1 for Camp Slime! |
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By ian watson
From Albuquerque, NM
Jun 9, 2011
| Andrew Shoemaker wrote: And, btw, City of Rocks is in Idaho not Colorado
Or New Mexico, bouldering for weeks. |
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By Tom Rangitsch
From Lander, WY
Jun 10, 2011
| Had to add a couple that weren't on the list yet.
El Rito, NM. Great camping in an open meadow surrounded by ponderosas and wild flowers and humming birds (at least 6-8 years ago) and a kick ass New Mexican restaurant in town that lets you bring in your own beer.
Sinks Canyon, WY. Free (early in the season) improved camping with a pit toilet and a beautiful river next to your sight. Also free camping in city park in Lander (and you can walk back to your tent from the Lander Bar).
Suicide Point, WY. Heinous driving approach, but an amazing vista of the Baldwin Creek valley from your tent site and a 30 second walk to the crag. Plus I can almost guarantee you will be the only party there. |
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By Jim Lawyer
Administrator
Jun 10, 2011
| ...and a couple more:
- The Pinion Pines site at Owens (CA)
- AAC Ranch in the Tetons (WY)
- Panthertown Trailhead for Laurel Knob (NC)
- Dirt road sites at the trailhead for the Needles (CA)
- Alabama Hills, pretty much anywhere (CA)
- Sites in Penetente Canyon (CO)
- Smith Rock State Park (OR)
- Blackwoods Campground at Acadia (ME)
- Trailhead at Blue Cloud Spires (Montana)
- Field next to river at Avalanche Gulch (Montana)
- Upper trailhead at Lost Horse Canyon (Montana)
- Rim camping at Cochiti Mesa (NM)
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By Mike Lane
From Centennial, CO
Jun 10, 2011
| Its been a while for me, but at Fremont Canyon a cool aspect to the camping is the dozens of bats zipping around at about 8' off the deck by the campfire. |
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By mission
Jun 10, 2011
| Jon H wrote: Add Roger's Campground to the list at New River Gorge, WV. Very similar to Miguel's - fairly cheap and great party scene. If you want to avoid the scene, head over to Chestnut Creek which is just a couple miles up the road and offers private campsites, private showers, and only about $3 more per night.
Roger's is not cheap. As the poster above mentions, there are loads of other camping options at the New that offer such amenities as actual plumbing, showers, and flat ground for only $2-3 more, to say nothing of quiet. I love the social scene at Roger's, but it is just not a good deal. |
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By Sam Stephens
Jun 10, 2011
| mission wrote: Roger's is not cheap. As the poster above mentions, there are loads of other camping options at the New that offer such amenities as actual plumbing, showers, and flat ground for only $2-3 more, to say nothing of quiet. I love the social scene at Roger's, but it is just not a good deal.
I can't say enough good things about Roger himself but I think I'll be staying at Chestnut from now on. It actually has showers and bathrooms, individual sites, fire rings at each site, tables at each site and it's nice and quiet when it's time to go to sleep.
I spent three years staying at Rogers almost every weekend I was in school and I love the guy to death, but when I head to the NRG now I go to get stuff done, not to be hung over the next day or sleepy because people keep walking past my tent all night stacked right up against a ton of other tents.
And +1 for nixing Miguels. There's Nat'l Forest camping that's way better, Lago Lindas, and a new place near the Muir. Go to Miguels, get pizza, buy your gear if you need something but don't stay there. I stayed there in March and I won't stay there ever again. It's too loud and (in my personal opinion) out of control to get decent rest and relaxation at the end of the day. The people that come in for the weekend come to party first, climb second it seems like. And the camping sucks period. It is relatively hard to find a dry spot on a crowded weekend if it's been raining that week and half of it is so low lying that it never dries out. But it is cheaper than all hell. |
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By Tony B
From Around Boulder, CO
Jun 11, 2011
| CIty Of Rocks is my favorite.
In Jtree, Indian cove is good, because the stoned drummers are all up at Hidden Valley.
I CAN'T BELIEVE that nobody mentioned Squamish. |
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By Olaf Mitchell
From Paia, Maui, Hi,
Jun 11, 2011
| In the summer time Lincoln Creek camp ground on Independence Pass is worthy.
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By Wombat
From Boulder, co
Jun 13, 2011
| What is the camping like around Joe's Valley? I heard it's good. |
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By pooler
From Albany, NY
Jun 13, 2011
| +1 for the Dacks, too many awsome places in Keene valley to list |
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By Andrew Shoemaker
From Garden Valley, ID
Jun 14, 2011
| Tony B wrote: CIty Of Rocks is my favorite. In Jtree, Indian cove is good, because the stoned drummers are all up at Hidden Valley. I CAN'T BELIEVE that nobody mentioned Squamish.
But, but!!! I mentioned Squamish days ago!!! |
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By Tony B
From Around Boulder, CO
Jun 14, 2011
| Andrew Shoemaker wrote: But, but!!! I mentioned Squamish days ago!!!
Whoops! OK, well then, we agree. I wonder if its larger absence here is related to an idea that Canada is not 'American' or if people just don't think it's great, or perhaps just so few users have been there.
I think being down in those big cedars is very cool, myself. |
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By Ty Harlacker
From Albuquerque, NM
Jun 14, 2011
| La Posada? I guess it's debatable whether or not it's camping, but if Miguel's is considered camping; it should be on the list.
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By DavidCollins
From Grand Junction, CO
Jun 14, 2011
| Sam Stephens wrote: I can't say enough good things about Roger himself but I think I'll be staying at Chestnut from now on. And +1 for nixing Miguels.
I'd vote for removing Miguel's and both the NRG sites. I've camped at all of these as well as City of Rocks, J Tree and Leavenworth. The last three are in a league above anything at the NRG or Miguels. The campsites at the City, Leavenworth and J Tree are in spectacular places and I've enjoyed big chunks of daytime, just exploring the vicinity of the campsite or looking at the scenery, in them without actually climbing. While the spots at the NRG or Miguels are good places to flop for the night there is no way I could imagine enjoying, say, looking at the scenery from them or spending much time during the day at any of these.
Icicle Creek in Leavenworth squeaks in at the top of my list, mostly because of that nice rushing creek nearby. Put that creek in the City and that would be hard to beat! |
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