Camping this summer..

[Chad4000]

Well my annual guys trip is coming up and we are all a little worried about camping with the fire ban.

Doesnt seem like the 6 or 8 of us can agree on what to do in lieu of using the camping spot we have been going to for 10 plus years... I am hestitant to even ask anybody because I know that camping spots arent something to be shared. but I guess I am looking for some advice on where to go that doesnt have a fire ban.

a close neighboring state? someplace where we can get loud and stuff. we dont tear stuff up or anything, but some shooting during the day, and out comes the keg at night. we are the "leave the spot better then you got it" kinda people.

anyway, if somebody had a good time somewhere once, maybe point me that direction. Moab area? NE? WY? etc?

[Ronin13]

Well my annual guys trip is coming up and we are all a little worried about camping with the fire ban.

Doesnt seem like the 6 or 8 of us can agree on what to do in lieu of using the camping spot we have been going to for 10 plus years... I am hestitant to even ask anybody because I know that camping spots arent something to be shared. but I guess I am looking for some advice on where to go that doesnt have a fire ban.

a close neighboring state? someplace where we can get loud and stuff. we dont tear stuff up or anything, but some shooting during the day, and out comes the keg at night. we are the "leave the spot better then you got it" kinda people.

anyway, if somebody had a good time somewhere once, maybe point me that direction. Moab area? NE? WY? etc?

I hear WY has a fire ban in effect in the majority of it's counties- but can't be too sure, just the scuttlebutt from friends- but I haven't heard anything about NE since my buddy moved back to CO before the "Great Burn of 2012". I would think NE would be your best bet, but it's pretty flat, and I like waking up out of my tent in the mountains up here with a nice stream nearby and some pine trees... Not my cup of tea, but I think now we might have to sacrifice. I'd look into NE on fire bans and see... that might be interesting to see how those neighbors are fairing.

[Chad4000]

I hear WY has a fire ban in effect in the majority of it's counties- but can't be too sure, just the scuttlebutt from friends- but I haven't heard anything about NE since my buddy moved back to CO before the "Great Burn of 2012". I would think NE would be your best bet, but it's pretty flat, and I like waking up out of my tent in the mountains up here with a nice stream nearby and some pine trees... Not my cup of tea, but I think now we might have to sacrifice. I'd look into NE on fire bans and see... that might be interesting to see how those neighbors are fairing.


thats actually what I was thinking too.. WY is obviously very close to where the fires are in CO so we were thinking east too.

Im with you on waking up in the mountains and stuff. our spot has a stream (mini river depending on the season) on one side, open spot on the other side, trees, etc...

[yankeefan98121]

Utah is dealing with some fires there as well so they have a ban there too just not exactly sure what counties

[tmckay2]

just go to a designated camp site with fire pits and its fine. its a bit annoying because there are more rules but it still works out alright. i went last weekend and had to do that but it was fine.

[sniper7]

I think anywhere you want to go within driving distance is going to have some fire issues.
We are going to steamboat (planning on it at least) for the 4th for a few days. But there is going to be some strict (from me) no fire, no fireworks, no parking your truck in tall grass kinda of rules. The last thing anybody needs is another damn fire that could be prevented.

[SuperiorDG]

I for one am not going this year.

[Chad4000]

just go to a designated camp site with fire pits and its fine. its a bit annoying because there are more rules but it still works out alright. i went last weekend and had to do that but it was fine.


so this place that we normally go to has a well established fire pit. Im talking 12"x12" rocks in probably a 6 foot circle. dug down etc.

I dont supposed that would be ok? i mean if you are allowed to burn at all, then there has to be regulations on what a fire pit is?

or maybe I am just wishful thinking...

[Great-Kazoo]

Glendo WY.

Unless you are in the mountains, the view of the front range is next to nothing.

[Mtn.man]

Lake Powell on a house boat.

[Chad4000]

Glendo WY.

Unless you are in the mountains, the view of the front range is next to nothing.


Now we are talking.. Thank you Jim. only a few hours away, and looks very nice. I just sent them (yeah the town lol) an email to see what their situation is up there.

Thank you again!

[colorider]

No, a rock build pit is not legal no matter what size you use or how you dig. Only established pits are allowed. These are pits made of concrete and you mostly see them at trailer parks and koa type camp grounds. If you have any doubts , don't light a fire. You will be greeted by less then friendly rangers and campers. I guaranty you will get a hefty fine. They are not messing around.
Oh, there's also no shooting in the forests.

[Chad4000]

No, a rock build pit is not legal no matter what size you use or how you dig. Only established pits are allowed. These are pits made of concrete and you mostly see them at trailer parks and koa type camp grounds. If you have any doubts , don't light a fire. You will be greeted by less then friendly rangers and campers. I guaranty you will get a hefty fine. They are not messing around.
Oh, there's also no shooting in the forests.


bummer... thats what I figured.. thanks for the post man...

[The Heretic]

Glendo is under a fire ban to. Lookin for somewhere myself so I checked into it.

[Chad4000]

Glendo is under a fire ban to. Lookin for somewhere myself so I checked into it.


damn!!!!

[twitchyfinger]

Glendo is under a fire ban to. Lookin for somewhere myself so I checked into it.

http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/Press/Release.aspx?ID=900

Ditto same here! Been looking for a few days now and I don't think you will be able to find a place in Colorado or any neighboring state that fits your criteria. Well unless you all want to go shoot air-soft and sit around a flashlight!

Just heard on the news: red flag fire warnings are being posted from Kansas all the way west to Cali.

[Bang]

[The Heretic]

Im just gonna go to my normal spot with a shit ton of MRE's and crash out when it gets dark or night hike.

[Chad4000]

Lake Powell on a house boat.


ya know we were thinking that too... we havent done that since we graduated HS lol....

buuuuut,, house boat is really expensive, and we just heard that you arent allowed to camp on the beach anymore because of the "pollution".. ie, you have to have access to toilets... suppose thats true?

[Chad4000]

Im just gonna go to my normal spot with a shit ton of MRE's and crash out when it gets dark or night hike.


i am thinking about just talking my boys into that...

but if you arent allowed to shoot..... maybe I will push vegas.. lol

[sniper7]

i am thinking about just talking my boys into that...

but if you arent allowed to shoot..... maybe I will push vegas.. lol


wolf pack

[Chad4000]

wolf pack


lol.. exactly.....

I was asking my buddy, telling him that I actually have a hook up for one of the planner guys that puts together trips, and he goes "well I feel like we could just get drunk in denver for 1/10 the cost"..

"yeah maybe so man... but denver aint vegas baby...."

[sniper7]

lol.. exactly.....

I was asking my buddy, telling him that I actually have a hook up for one of the planner guys that puts together trips, and he goes "well I feel like we could just get drunk in denver for 1/10 the cost"..

"yeah maybe so man... but denver aint vegas baby...."

hit the clubs in denver, then limo to blackhawk and drink the whole way/gamble etc etc. it's a good time

[Chad4000]

hit the clubs in denver, then limo to blackhawk and drink the whole way/gamble etc etc. it's a good time


not a horrible idea.... and it probably would be cheaper then vegas.. but still more then camping somewhere....hmm... any hook ups?

[olopc]

BLM land outside Moab, UT, is mainly rock. Hopefully there is no ban on fires or shooting there. I've had some great times there and would recommend it to anyone.

[tmckay2]

so this place that we normally go to has a well established fire pit. Im talking 12"x12" rocks in probably a 6 foot circle. dug down etc.

I dont supposed that would be ok? i mean if you are allowed to burn at all, then there has to be regulations on what a fire pit is?

or maybe I am just wishful thinking...

you gotta call the rangers to ask. they were really nice about it but they did have some technicalities that disqualified some things

[colorider]

Moab area is brutal hot.

[Chad4000]

BLM land outside Moab, UT, is mainly rock. Hopefully there is no ban on fires or shooting there. I've had some great times there and would recommend it to anyone.

Thanks man! I'll look into that option..

[Chad4000]

you gotta call the rangers to ask. they were really nice about it but they did have some technicalities that disqualified some things

Yeah I figured it would be best to just talk with them... Still sounds like it won't matter much on the fire issue

[CO Hugh]

We went camping a few weeks ago, with the fire bans in place, and a cold camp even in the summer is for the birds. It sucked. All you can do is look at the rocks and visualize the fire.

I cannot imagine a cold camp during elk season, without a stove or fire to warm up with. I hope we receive enough rain in the fall that they lift the bands before hunting season.

[Irving]

What about the sand dunes?

[ray1970]

I'm going camping next weekend. Just won't be building any fires. Probably ride the trails all day on the ATV and hang out by the light of some battery powered lanterns and drink beer at night. Should still be a good time.

[Chad4000]

What about the sand dunes?

Thought about that too.. Just need some dirt bikes lol [Muaha]

[colorider]

I have been camping the past 3 weekends in the tarryall area. Riding the dirt bike on all the trails. Last weekend a lot of people did not get the memo about no shooting. There were several people shooting although it is banned. Several online sites say nothing about the shooting ban with a stage 2 restriction.
No camp fire at night does suck, but it is still great being in the mountains camping. Sure beats the 100+ degree weather down here.

[One Shot]

I just got back from Pathfinder Reservoir in WY. Everyone had a fire going so no bans in that part of the state. It was windy and I didn't catch any fish but my buddy caught fish. Its about a 4 hr drive from Denver.
Not sure how far you want to drive but you can try Mcconaughy in NE or Glendo in WY might be a good choice or Powell.

[waxthis]

Well my annual guys trip is coming up and we are all a little worried about camping with the fire ban.

Doesnt seem like the 6 or 8 of us can agree on what to do in lieu of using the camping spot we have been going to for 10 plus years... I am hestitant to even ask anybody because I know that camping spots arent something to be shared. but I guess I am looking for some advice on where to go that doesnt have a fire ban.

a close neighboring state? someplace where we can get loud and stuff. we dont tear stuff up or anything, but some shooting during the day, and out comes the keg at night. we are the "leave the spot better then you got it" kinda people.

anyway, if somebody had a good time somewhere once, maybe point me that direction. Moab area? NE? WY? etc?

Where have you guys gone in the past?

[Chad4000]

I just got back from Pathfinder Reservoir in WY. Everyone had a fire going so no bans in that part of the state. It was windy and I didn't catch any fish but my buddy caught fish. Its about a 4 hr drive from Denver.
Not sure how far you want to drive but you can try Mcconaughy in NE or Glendo in WY might be a good choice or Powell.


thats awesome!! thank you.. I will look into Pathfinder in WY. I mean if everyone had fires going up there and no rangers came up to kick em out, that has to be a good sign.

how remote are we talking?

Glendo has the fire ban going, we looked into that. Mcconaughy was a good idea but they have quiet hours lol.. and powell apparently doesnt allow beach camping anymore, so it's way out of our price range. thanks again for the info!!! [Beer]

[Chad4000]

Where have you guys gone in the past?


we have this spot up near red feathers. we have some great stories from up there.

it wasn't as built up and it is now (not that its built up lol), but it used to be kind of an adventure getting up there when we were kids. my best friends parents went to this spot and literally had it marked with an x on the map. it was kind of cool being 18 or 19 and having them pass the map down to us.

it's not as out there as it once was, but we love this spot. takes a little fourwheeling to get there, we can shoot, and depending on the time we go, we dont see anybody for as long as we want.

we actually ruined an explorer last time we went. there is a river crossing that was a little to high... my other buddy thought he could do it, and sure enough, it sucked water up. good thing we had my truck to tow it out dead weight, otherwise that thing would still be at the spot lol...

[Chad4000]

I have been camping the past 3 weekends in the tarryall area. Riding the dirt bike on all the trails. Last weekend a lot of people did not get the memo about no shooting. There were several people shooting although it is banned. Several online sites say nothing about the shooting ban with a stage 2 restriction.
No camp fire at night does suck, but it is still great being in the mountains camping. Sure beats the 100+ degree weather down here.


thanks man.. I will look into Tarryall as well!

[Chad4000]

I just got back from Pathfinder Reservoir in WY. Everyone had a fire going so no bans in that part of the state. It was windy and I didn't catch any fish but my buddy caught fish. Its about a 4 hr drive from Denver.
Not sure how far you want to drive but you can try Mcconaughy in NE or Glendo in WY might be a good choice or Powell.


I hate to look like an idiot (more so then normal) but it doesn't look like there is a fire ban up there..

https://sites.google.com/a/wyo.gov/wsfd-fire-information/

are there spots to camp that are off the beaten path? it sounds like it judging from the touristy info on the website, but we dont really want to get up there and find that we have to camp near 10 rich old people in $500k campers lol.. (not that that is a bad idea lol)

[kilovictor]

Lake Powell on a house boat.

Now that is what I'm talking about. Used to go there yearly growing up... I've heard the water isn't quite what it used to be, but it's still a monstrous lake. I remember not being able to see land in certain sections of it.

[Chad4000]

Now that is what I'm talking about. Used to go there yearly growing up... I've heard the water isn't quite what it used to be, but it's still a monstrous lake. I remember not being able to see land in certain sections of it.


Ive only been there once... I certainly miss it. we did the house boat, jetskis, 19' boat etc.. that was a blast...

[Irving]

It's too bad no one can camp on any of the islands some of the lakes have. That would be a blast and seems likely to be able to contain any fires pretty well.

[Chad4000]

^^ that's a really good point... this summer is killing me!! lol.. (not to make light of the real issues.. but i want to go camping!!!!)

[One Shot]

thats awesome!! thank you.. I will look into Pathfinder in WY. I mean if everyone had fires going up there and no rangers came up to kick em out, that has to be a good sign.

how remote are we talking?

Glendo has the fire ban going, we looked into that. Mcconaughy was a good idea but they have quiet hours lol.. and powell apparently doesnt allow beach camping anymore, so it's way out of our price range. thanks again for the info!!! [Beer]

Well there weren't alot of tent campers... actually about 90% of the people camping up there had an RV or a Camper. Only a few of us in tents. There were quiet hours at 10pm but we stayed up alittle later and didn't have a problem, but there werent very many of us and we kept it quiet. You could try the primitive camping side of the Dam. It looked like it was mainly beach camping over there. There werent very many people over there and they were pretty well spread out so you might get away with gettin alittle rowdy over there.
You may also check out Alcova which is a couple miles north of Pathfinder. If you're really wanting to get into some nice fish then check out Grey Reef which runs into Alcova from my understanding. There are some VERY nice fish in Grey Reef.
As far as shooting.... I couldn't tell you where to go up there. But Casper is like 40 miles north of Pathfinder and I know they have shooting ranges.

Wyoming can be windy, but there weren't very many mosquitos. Actually I didn't get one mosquito bite.

[Chad4000]

^^ I will look into it further for sure. if there is a possibility of just getting up there and finding a spot,, I think we can do that..

thanks again!

[rockhound]

so this place that we normally go to has a well established fire pit. Im talking 12"x12" rocks in probably a 6 foot circle. dug down etc.

I dont supposed that would be ok? i mean if you are allowed to burn at all, then there has to be regulations on what a fire pit is?

or maybe I am just wishful thinking...

Wrong, the only fire pits allowed during a stage one fire ban is inside a national forest campground, park county for one is in a stage two, no fires period, unless propane or natural gas, nothing that would cause an ember including smoking of any kind

Pony up the bucks and get a propane fire pit and a spare tank of gas and be safe about its use

[Chad4000]

Wrong, the only fire pits allowed during a stage one fire ban is inside a national forest campground, park county for one is in a stage two, no fires period, unless propane or natural gas, nothing that would cause an ember including smoking of any kind

Pony up the bucks and get a propane fire pit and a spare tank of gas and be safe about its use


certianly always safe... i never said that the rock pit was for sure good, i was asking a question, so thank you for the clarification.

so a portable propane fire pit would be ok.. cool.. that might be an option right there....