Squaw Flat Campground Moab

Hey, I was just wondering what your guys' thoughts were on the Squaw Flat Campground in Indian Creek. Is there a better place we should be staying? A group of 6 of us will be staying in the Creek from March 4-12, if you're around, come find us. The more the merrier.

If you want to pay for your site and want a developed area with bathrooms and water, then stay there. Its about 20-30 mins to the crags.

If you want to NOT pay, dont stay there. Do some research.

Hey Ahk, there are "improved" camping sites at Beef Basin,throw down sites at the Cottonwoods (to the left of Beef Basin) and additional throw downs at Superbowl(harder to find if you haven't been there) & Creek Pasture. Depending upon the weather and proximity to spring break, you can usually find a free site. Just tread lightly, don't make any new fire rings and have a fricken blast!

If the weather is good, I just may be out there that weekend.

Camping anywhere there is a firering in the desert is some piss poor beta, unless you want to be hassled by BLM, NP or SP rangers. Camping near newspaper rock is closed. The indian creek guidebook has great beta on the free camping closer to the crags. Like andy said, the free ones are less improved, but FOIC has been putting port-o-johns during high season at superbowl, creek pasture and there is a pit toiled at beef basin turnoff and now the supercrack parking lot. The campsites down hamburger rock road are unimproved, free and a bit more secluded than the normal climber haunts.

AhK wrote:From what I've heard, you can pretty much camp anywhere in the desert with a fire ring. Any of those close to Newspaper Rock? I'm having a hard time finding a specific location of designated free camping. Even other forum posts are pretty vague on where this can be found.

When I need beta for a new area I buy the guidebook.
Try that.
Bloom's guide is not only the prettiest but the most informative guide to the creek.
It gives detailed directions to the standard camping areas.
Also, check the friends of indian creek's website, for up to date closures/restrictions/regulations.

Last time I was there hamburger rock wasn't free. It wasn't expensive but somewhere in the $10-15 a night. There are picnic tables and pit toilets. And campsites are decently secluded from others.

the bridger jacks camp ground is a personal favorite, and also the way rambo camp sites are great too. if going down beef basin road make sure you check the depth of the creek before you cross it with any vehicle with minimal clearance. a buddy of mine flooded his engine (2005 outback) one spring trying be a bad ass. he's also the group idiot though.

A couple of nights at Squaw Flat is great fun if you want to spend the money. Great hikes right out of the campground. Hikes to Chandler Park, Druid Arch, the Joint Trail, and other wonderful places can be launched right from the campground. I'd wager maybe 10% of the people who go out to climb at Indian Creek even get into the Park. It's so worth the effort even if it's a short walk to Wooden Shoe Arch on a rest day. With six of you I think you could get the group site there. It's real nice and isolated from the rest of the campground. We stayed there a lot in the eighties and early nineties and made a lot of noise as only climbers in their twenties can and we never heard a complaint or had a visit from a ranger.

Uncle Ben wrote:Last time I was there hamburger rock wasn't free. It wasn't expensive but somewhere in the $10-15 a night. There are picnic tables and pit toilets. And campsites are decently secluded from others.

Oops, I stand corrected. The official hamburger rock campground is a pay to camp place, but there is also unimproved sites before and after the campground along that same road.

AhK wrote:Thanks for all the info. The map on the Friends of Indian Creek website was very helpful. It shows cliff locations and camping areas. I think we'll be set and probably staying at the Bridger Jacks Campground. If anyone's in the area from March 5-12, come have a drink with us.

Great organization. Consider picking up a few T-shirts (you'll want some anyway) from FOIC at Gearheads or Pagan Mountaineering in town. I think they just got a batch of the new shirts in, so they should be around next week.
Also please keep researching the area. I am sure you can learn some good and bad habits from any dirtbags that are around, but there are some ideal ways to do things to keep the place nice and accessible.

Put your waste where it needs to go. Poop, trash, really anything. LNT is really the only option in the desert (especially a busy desert)

Follow existing trails and respect wall/route closures.

Buy your beer out of state and if you are short on cams, beer in the evening is a great way to lure those folks with too many cams into being your friends.

FOIC does a lot of work down there for climbing all over the Moab/Arches/Canyonlands area. Throw some cash/thankfulness their way.

Zac Robinson wrote: Buy your beer out of state and if you are short on cams, beer in the evening is a great way to lure those folks with too many cams into being your friends.

But note that CO beer from the gas station and grocery store is 3.2 ABW as well.

Wikipedia wrote:The states of Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Utah permit general establishments such as supermarket chains and convenience stores to sell only low-point beer.[5][6][7][8][9] In these states, all alcoholic beverages containing more than 3.2% alcohol by weight (ABW) must be sold from state-licensed liquor stores. Oklahoma additionally requires that any beverage containing more than 3.2% ABW must be sold at normal room temperature.[10]

it seems that to get the climbing beta, you have to have the beer beta.

but how to get the beer beta? Quality AND Quantity. The creek will wear you out. Beer thirty comes early there.

Zac Robinson wrote:but how to get the beer beta? Quality AND Quantity.

And, my bet is that the Utah state liquor stores are cheaper than the ones in Colorado. If you're just going to swill gobs of natty light, you can pick that up at the Shitty Market in Moab.

Of note, Left Hand, Stone and New Belgium offerings aren't available in Utah liquor stores. If you're curious about the selection and prices:

abc.utah.gov/products/docum…

No not at all. The Utah state stores are far more expensive than private Colorado stores. So much so that a friend who lives in Castle Valley drives to Grand Junction every other week or so to stock up.

The Moab State liquor store is like stepping back into a time machine... warm beer sitting on the floor!

I might be convinced to appear this weekend.

Allen Hill wrote:No not at all. The Utah state stores are far more expensive than private Colorado stores. So much so that a friend who lives in Castle Valley drives to Grand Junction every other week or so to stock up.

Well, your going to have to pony up some details. Which beer?

Colorado's Liquor Mart
Anderson Valley Brother David's Trippel: 7.99
Utah: 6.21

Liquor Mart: Sierra Torpedo: 8.99 for six
Utah: 8.94 for six (dang it, just raised to that price too).

Not seeing it being "far more expensive".

Post up!

Beer prices at regular small liquor stores in CO are about the same as Utah, though CO liquor stores are more likely to store beer cold instead of on a hot warehouse floor - i've gotten more skunked beer and corked wine in Utah than anywhere else that isn't tropical. The real difference is that big CO liquor stores often have really good sales, and i'm not sure that UT liquor stores are even allowed to have sales. You can often get Sierra Nevada, Dales, etc. for $5 a six pack or even less at Applejack, Argonaut, Incredible Wine and Spirits, etc. Colorado also tends to discount price on 12 packs of microbrew, whereas UT pricing is by the bottle. CO also tends to have a much better selection.

Is there any question that Utah beer (and its prices) suck? I'll be at the creek this weekend. (and i love free beer)