Next stop on our camping tour: Cathedral Gorge...and I need to talk about how underrated this place…read moreis in Nevada. We did the Moon Canyons and Cathedral Canyons, and honestly...why is this not on everyone's list?? For like $5 (Nevada resident win), you get access to these insane slot canyon formations that feel like you're walking through another planet. The further you go in, the better it gets, not just visually, but temperature-wise too. It was still in the 90s outside, but inside the canyons it was actually COOLER, which felt like a luxury at that point in our trip. We basically spent the whole time weaving through these super-narrow canyon passages and just being in awe the entire time. At the visitor center, we realized this is basically the thing Cathedral Gorge is known for, and it makes total sense. The slot canyons alone are worth the stop. We didn't even do much else in the park, but honestly, we didn't feel like we needed to. 10/10 recommend. Hidden gem. Easily one of the best surprises of the whole camping era so far.

Just outside of the little town of Panaca, NV, this is a really fun little side naturally wonder to…read moresee. There are moon slots that you can walk and sometimes squeeze in between the walls. A little hiking up can also be done but be careful. If you knock on the walls of this place it has a hollow sound so walking on top of these natural structures might give way. $10.00 for a non resident to park and $5.00 for Nevada residents. Don't skip out paying as they come around and check to see you have a receipt on your dashboard.

It's a great place to understand how the birds migrate and what it takes to manage the wildlife…read morerefuge

Absolutely beautiful and peaceful place. Wonderful lake, teeming with wildlife, bats, herons,…read morevarious birds.. quiet and dark at night. All of the camping spots are spacious, well laid out and with amazing lake views. The team here are very friendly and helpful. There's a perimeter path around the lake with benches every so often, so you can go for a walk or a cycle, or bird watching all around. There are also available restrooms sprinkled around the 'road side' of the lake. Highly recommend if you enjoy peace and quiet and being 'out in nature' - I certainly intend to return!

Excellent state park with 2 super campgrounds. The lower loop has gorgeous sites with no hook ups,…read morethe upper on has large full hook up Rv sites awesome picnic sites with view overlooking the reservoir. Fishing or paddling in the reservoir

We had plans to camp at Upper Pahranagat Lake for Easter weekend, but they were full by 2:30pm. We…read morethen decided to try Kershaw-Ryan State Park, one hour away from our first choice. We arrived at Kershaw-Ryan and weren't happy about how small and close the campsites are to each other. We were looking for a spacious area. Our next choice was Cathedral Gorge Campground, but we learned they too were full when phoned. Next option, Echo Canyon State Park, which is 43 mins away from Kershaw-Ryan. Our hour and half trip turned into a well worth it three hour journey. Echo Canyon is exactly what we initially wanted for a campground. Beautiful scenery, spacious, remote, plenty of availability, water stations at each campsite, trails, lots of geodes for kids to find, a fishing lake, an unexpected mini library and clean restrooms. Very well maintained campground. We loved everything about Echo Canyon State Park. Our kids didn't want to leave. We'll definitely make the three hour drive back here.

You can use your national park pass to avoid the fee here. You just have to display it on your…read moredash. Maps took us like 2 miles north, then back track to the tunnel to get in. Not sure if that was the best way or not. The parking lot is not huge, and you can't park in the designated camping area spots. There are plenty of picnic tables, probably more than parking spaces. There are at least 20 tables there. There are a few trails to choose from. Very close the parking and campsites is a short 1/4 hike (or shorter) to the dinosaur prints. There is a hike in the other direction to the mini waterfall and pond. Probably about a mile or a little over a mile (1direction). We also found an old almost petrified bristlecone tree (that was neat). We got lucky with the weather for Dec, it was probably about 60 degrees and very nice. I saw that in the summer it can be over 110 so I am glad that we got the nice weather. The red /orange scenery is spectacular and representative of the area, like it is at zion, bryce, snow canyon, pioneer park, etc. We enjoyed a picnic lunch there, and we had a blue bird, a scrub jay, come join us and beg for food. Check out my photos.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DO NOT FOLLOW THE YELP…read moreDIRECTIONAL MAP TO GET HERE! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To reach the Red Reef trailhead, take Exit 23 off Interstate 15 S and head east on Red Cliffs Campground Road. The trailhead is located at the campground, which is about 5 miles down the paved road. GPS Coordinates: 37.224794, -113.406300 It is $5 to park your car here in the parking lot, follow directions to the trail. It is a beautiful and easy hike - until the very end. it meanders along a path - then at the end you need to climb some pretty big rocks to see the payoff of the beautiful canyon. We loved this hike. (but were thrown off by the Yelp directions that sent us in an alternate direction.

So I had been hearing about these falls from friends and knew I wanted to come and see them…read more These falls are located within Gunlock State Park. In addition to the waterfalls, there is a large reservoir where you can fish, swim and boat. The park is located about 10 miles out of St. George, Utah. My good friend and I decided last spring (2023) to come and see the falls. I checked the park website to make sure they were running. The falls don't run every year so always make sure to check the park website before heading up here. We arrived early afternoon but there were way too many peeps so we left to return later. We came back close to 5:00pm and the crowds had thinned. We paid the $10 fee and enjoyed the falls. You have to climb up to the falls so be sure to wear some trusted footwear so you don't slip. So much water rushing over the beautiful red rocks. It was quite a show and I highly recommend if you find yourself in the area. Remember to Leave No Trace and take care of our public lands.

So beautiful - Even though I wasn't able to walk a lot I'm glad I was able to catch this view…read morebefore they got dark. Some of the areas nearby make you pay but this was free. Please note there's no chairs around so if you're thinking about coming make sure you pack something to sit on the ground with and it does get a little buggy since you're so close to the water. Happy traveling!!!

Not sure what the big hype is here. This is a man made reservoir surrounded by lots of red rocks…read moreand sand. I have driven by plenty of times but never stopped. They do have a beach and offer boating rentals, fishing, swimming and off roading. It seems to be a popular place for some people, but I think I can pass on hanging out here. I prefer a genuine lake created by nature.

Really looking forward to coming her to camp outside of Zion during summer. Seems like a great…read moreplace to avoid a lot of the crowds closer in to Zion and unwind on warmer days. Also, not very expensive for day use! Staff was helpful.

When you start low, you can only go higher. There's something so very liberating about that--about…read moreknowing that you're as low as you're going to get--and that no matter what step you take forward, you're going to stumble higher. Beaver Dam Wash, besides being a small but relatively unknown national conservation area in the southwest corner of the state, also holds the state's low point. There's some disagreement on just how low that point is (I find most sources say it's 2350ft, but a geologist with the USGS was in the local paper many years ago saying it's probably more like 2178ft). No one disagrees that it's here in the wash, however. It's also Utah's hottest point, so let's get the safety talk about of the way now: come prepared. The thriving metropolis of Shivwits, UT doesn't exactly have a 24-hour big box store, so if you're going to make the trek all the way out here, fuel up in St. George (and maybe pack an extra canister) and bring all the water, food, and supplies you'll need. Ya, it's technically not too far at all from St. George, but when you get out there running those dirt roads it starts to feel a little bit lonesome, and you'll want to give yourself the freedom to explore, too. You'll want to explore, but it's not the most hospitable territory. You don't have any recreation facilities, at least that I saw. This is a national conservation area, not a national recreation area. The landscape is mostly brush and there are Joshua trees out this far, and you've got 60,000-plus acres to stretch out. Mostly it's about the dirt roads that wind and twist and turn and lead over through Arizona and Nevada. All motor vehicles must remain on designated roads, and not all roads are designated for OHVs or motor travel. Do your homework and get a map. Note that it's probably equally as popular to access this from the Arizona side, by going to Littlefield, AZ and heading north on the road out of Beaver Dam (HWY 91) and later it turns to a high clearance 4WD situation when you head back west into the wash. So, what's out here, really? Well, there's a neat confluence of different landscapes, so you get this funky variety of brush, Joshua trees, bighorn sheep, and other flora/fauna that are coming together. It's not in-your-face amazeballs, but if you're quiet and know what you're looking for, it's really something simple and special. Get out on foot and walk around. Just don't do it in the summer. It's extreme weather and totally inhospitable. I wish I could spend a lot of time here. Not too, too much... but sometimes you have to get low to appreciate the highs.

This review is for Scout Cave Trail which was a ~3.5 miles round trip that took ~2 hours to…read morecomplete. This was an unique and casual hike near St George, Utah. The first half of the trail was mostly flat with sand and lava rocks. The second half was a steady incline starting from the stairs. The end requires a little bit of rock scrambling to reach the cave. The views from inside and around the cave were spectacular. Utah residents ($15 entry fee) and non-residents ($20 entry fee). Decent sized parking lot to the left shortly after entering the state park. Trailhead and restrooms are located across the street from the parking lot. The only con would be that a small portion of the trail was next to the residential area. Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/JekEJc_95hg

This mid March weather was hot during the day, but early morning hikes made it totally worth while…read more Tons of road biking, mountain biking, and hiking trails to enjoys, as well as rock climbing. The views are amazing and there are plenty of parking areas to pull off to adventure hike or bike. The campground is about $35 per night depending on your camping needs (car/tent camping-fulk RV hookups) This facility has bathrooms and shower rooms as well as covered pick up tables for some of the full hookup sites. Weekends get busy so highly recommend booking online early.

This place is so beautiful and peaceful. It's hard to imagine how hard it must have been to live…read moreback then. Take the hikes if you can. Get tickets at the main office to hike down to the dwellings. They will only let so many people down a day.

I was thinking about slot canyons today …read more.. Check out the original review! What a trip down memory lane. I choked up a little.