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Thread: Best Camping/Backpacking in November

  1. #1

    Best Camping/Backpacking in November

    Hello everyone!
    I am interested in planning a Camping/Backpacking trip for the last week in November. I was looking at the Arches National Park in Motab, Utah but it seems like it might get a little too cold over there at night. I would be traveling from Champaign, Ilinois so it would be best if it was not extremely far west. Any advice either about Arches National Park or just good camping locations for that time of the year in general would be greatly appreciated.

    Cheers!
    Izabela

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  3. #2
    Arches would actually be one of the warmer places around in November. If you say that that is too cold and you still want to go to Utah, the only areas that would be warmer are around St George or Lake Powell.

    If you have a high clearance vehicle, one good hike that would be one of the warmest around is Ticaboo Creek, entering at the South Fork.

    If you want to stick closer to paved roads, Fourmile Creek and North Fork Ticaboo would be a good one.
    Utah is a very special and unique place. There is no where else like it on earth. Please take care of it and keep the remaining wild areas in pristine condition. The world will be a better place if you do.

  4. #3
    South Rim of the Grand Canyon? It will be cold at the rim, but you don't have to sleep there. Maybe Grandview or Tanner trails? Great time for Kalalau Trail on Kauai, but I guess that's a bit too far west for you and the drive is brutal.
    It is good that warriors such as we meet in the struggle of life... or death. It shall be life. - Ten Bears, "The Outlaw Josie Wales"

  5. #4
    Hmmm...once you get to Utah, how many days do you have before you drive home? That will determine whether or not you can venture away from Moab or not. I have an awesome suggestion, but I won't bother with it if you only have two nights or something like that.
    The end of the world for some...
    The foundation of paradise for others.

  6. #5
    Explorer Swimswithtrout's Avatar
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    How cold is "too cold" ?

    I spent 3 nights in Moab last Thanksgiving, in a motel, since it was a blast through road-trip going and coming to my mothers home in Phoenix,AZ but it never dropped below 27F at night and was ~ 70 during the day. My camping gear can more than cover that.

    But late Nov. is the rock bottom price for the motels in UT/AZ.

    You can get a very nice room for ~< $50/night and dayhike from there. A Park pass and back country permit will cost you nearly as much.

    That's how I visited Arches last year, and how I will be doing it again in few weeks.

  7. #6
    The problem with camping at that time of year are the cold and long nights. I always go to Moab in Nov and get a hotel for around $50 a night. If you camp in Nov just remember that you will be in your tent at 5pm until 8 am. That is a long time to do nothing. I prefer a hotel, at least you can watch TV or read a book in comfort. I find that mountain biking is a better option than hiking at that time of year.

  8. #7
    I have a week so I would love to hear your suggestion Byron!

  9. #8
    Yeah...a week is good. Sorry for it being a few days getting back on this one...I forgot about it!

    Arches is good for a one day visit. There's not much in the way of backpacking there. If the weather is cold, windy and being outside kinda sucks, well...it's going to suck being you no matter where you are. You'll be holed up in a motel room or hunkered down in a tent. Let's hope that doesn't happen, eh?

    If the weather is mild, this is what I recommend. Stay a night in Moab, see Arches for a day and then head south to Natural Bridges National Monument and camp there. It's nice. Hike down the trail to Sipapu bridge and go upcanyon...it's awesome and has tons of great ruins.

    Spend the rest of your time just south of there on Cedar Mesa...you can backpack one or two nights ALL OVER THE PLACE with great scenery and ruins to see. There's a ranger station there, Kane Gulch, they will fill you up with info.

    Stock up on food at the City Market in Moab before heading down there. Once at the places I've mentioned, the nearest town is Blanding, which is about 30 miles away with a somewhat crappy grocery store.

    You could hang out in Moab for a week...and probably fill the time doing this and that, but you'll have to endure traffic and noise...take the more wilderness experience just a little further south and see more stars than you ever have in your life.
    The end of the world for some...
    The foundation of paradise for others.

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  12. #10
    Or spend a couple days around Moab and then head over to San Rafael Swell and explore some of the canyons. Lots of primitive camping areas accessible by car/truck. Camp around Goblin Valley and explore Little Wild Horse, Chute, Crack canyons or Wild Horse wash. Go east over to Canyonlands, you can camp near Blue John Springs and hike into Robbers Roost, The Outlaw camp in Horseshoe Canyon.

    Looking into Horseshoe Canyon in Robbers Roost.


    Wild Horse Wash in the San Rafael


    Earnie Canyon in the San Rafael

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