Suggestions - Car camping outside Needles

[mroy]

I'm headed to Needles this weekend, and need a place to crash before heading into the park the next day. I've never been, but see a ton of dirt roads branching off of 211 so I'm assuming there's some decent places to camp down one of those. Does anybody have coords for where they like to camp when they're down there?

[Alex]

I did the exact same thing a couple of years ago. First we checked out the campground right before the Visitor Center and it looked ok, but we wanted more privacy. So I drove back a couple of miles on the main road and went off road onto Lock Hart Road.

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=3...16866&t=h&z=17

There are a TON of camp spots there, just drive farther into the rocks and there are a lot of great looking spots among the slickrock. If you drive closer to the river there is a great big camp site among the cottonwoods.

You will come to the river finally and there is a very steep climb to get passed it. I couldn't do it in my Honda Element with a trailer behind me. But any truck and 4wd should be able to do it. You can see it on google map right above the river is a steep ridge.

Be careful though, those spots are very sandy, if a dust storm comes up, you are going to be hating it. I speak from experience!

Good luck and enjoy the park.

PS: The campground by the park has a gift shop/bathrooms and a gas station (very expensive, but worth it if you run out).

[denaliguide]

a little ways before you get to the entrance to the park there will be a road on the left (south). a sign says to lavender and davis canyons. go back on thi road just past the first semi steep downhill (i've done it with 2wd) and you will see a very nice camp site under some big cottonwoods.

or if you have 4wd. you can go into the park and take the road north of the ranger station out toward the colorado river overlook, about 7 miles and there is a dirt road to the right (east) go about a mile on it and you will be back on BLM land. some nice legal camps there.

campsites are also available around newspaper rock and a little further down on the left side of the road. its handy if there is still daylight.

be sure to check out shay canyon petroglyphs. its a mile of two past newspaper rock on the other side of the canyon. park in a pullout near a big flat rock (near mile marker 5 or 7? cant remember which) and cross indian creek. hike up to the base of the cliff on the right and enjoy.

let me know if you have any other questions. have fun. pm me and ill give you the gps data.

[mroy]

Thanks guys. I'll have to see how I'm doing on time when I get there, it sounds like there are plenty of options, and if I can hang a hammock - even better. I drive a 2wd Toyota Pickup, so I know sand is my enemy. I've been in a few sand storms in Moab. I know how those go.

[Alex]

Make sure to fill up before going past Newspaper rock