12 days camping outside Hurricane, UT

Last year while driving thru Utah we blew our transmission.  A very long and expensive weekend from which we learned the following:

  1. Things can always be worse.  We were luckily in a town when the truck broke down.  A few days prior we were in the middle of nowhere.
  2. There are still businesses out there with exceptional service.  Rare Form Auto is one of them.
  3. Hurricane, Utah and the surrounding area has some beautiful scenery, delicious food and absurdly kind people.

It may have been an expensive repair but all-in-all we couldn’t have had a better experience that weekend in Hurricane.  Why am I mentioning this now?  Because ever since then we’ve been looking forward to going back to this little town that we’d never heard of before breaking down there.

free camping utah

We arrived right at dusk and since crankiness was on the horizon, we settled for the very first available BLM campsite we found.  Too many times in the past we’ve pressed on trying to find the perfect spot when we’re hungry, tired and just want to be settled.  The next morning, feeling refreshed, we set off for a better spot and found perfection.
free camping utah

For 8 days we basked in the beauty of the Utah desert with views of Zion National Park out our door.
free camping utah
free camping utah

free camping utah
free camping utah
free camping utah
free camping utah
free camping utah

With Zion only about a half hour away we were finally able to explore this park that I’ve heard people rave about for years.  Spoiler alert:  It is indeed, all it’s cracked up to be.

free camping utah

One of the best parts of being in Hurricane was running in to other full-timers that were also camped in the area.  I’ve been following Tim & Amanda Watson’s travels for years now (www.watsonswander.com).  Between RV Happy Hour and accompanying them on a hike in Zion, I felt like we were quickly settling in to a life that suits us perfectly.

free camping utah

free camping utah

free camping utah

free camping utah

When boondocking you’re living with limited resources.  At some point you’ll run out of water or will need to dump your tanks and will have to leave.  We assumed our limiting factor was our black tank and once it was full, that would be when we would move on.  While it was a close tie it was actually the copious amounts of all-encompassing red sand that caused us to pack up and move on.  By the 8th day we were ready to not only be clean but stay clean.  Sand was EVERYWHERE and it was going to take some doing to get rid of it.
free camping utah
free camping utah
free camping utah

That’s Kaia getting cleaned off with compressed air : )
free camping utah

We were ready to leave the dirt behind but we weren’t ready to leave the area so we traveled a short 30 minutes down the road to Sand Hollow State Park.  For $28/night we enjoyed full hookups and a paved pad to park on.  Talk about pure luxury.
free camping utah

We really enjoyed this park with it’s clean facilities, beautiful views, and excellent proximity to St. George and Zion.
free camping utah
free camping utah
free camping utah
free camping utah
free camping utah
free camping utah

With lows about to dip below zero, that was our cue to continue South.  However, those 12 days could not have been more perfect and Hurricane will always be a place we look forward to returning to!

6 Comments

Leave a Reply to micheleCancel reply

  • Did you really need the four wheel camper on the truck or would have the Casita sufficed leaving mucho storage in the bed of truck?

  • Sure do love hearing about what you do and the happings you go through. Your pictures put us there with you. Keep the blog going. It fills us in ways I think you can guess. Thanks!
    Jim & Genie

  • Fantastic! We didn’t get to explore the Zion area when we were in UT last time but it is definitely on our list when we go back. Thanks for the post!

By michele

About

Hi!  We’re Mark & Michele, a couple of modern-day nomads perfecting the art of slow, perpetual travel.  Our tiny home on wheels and slow-paced travel style allows us maximum freedom at minimal expense.  This blog is where we share our travels as well as our insights in to this lifestyle that we absolutely love.  Thanks so much for being here.

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