Best Dispersed Camping near Altonah, UT

Over Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I got away for a night and dispersed camp in the Unita National forest near the Mill Creek campground. We were planning to stay at the campground but it was closed, so we took advantage of free dispersed camping right outside. This is LNT(leave no trace) camping so be sure to pack out what you pack in. There are no amenities but you are along a water source so if you have a filter, you have water. All along the road there are open fields that can accommodate trailers and bigger parties then just a single tent. Near the campground (and the site we chose) is an outdoor education center which would be fun to go back and visit later in the summer. We really enjoyed camping here as it was peaceful and private (at least when we visited).  Later in the summer that may not be the case, especially close to the road. The biggest issue may be the road. My Mazda3 was able to make it up, but the road was quite rutted and rough and you had to go through a small runoff stream. If you have a lowered vehicle, you may have a tough time but anything with a higher clearance will do just fine. Overall, I loved exploring a new area that I will definitely return to.

McCoy Flats BLM is a mt bike focus recreation area with a network of excellent nonmotorizrd singletrack trails. Dispersed free camping allowed, and currently there are several nice vault toilets scattered along the main access paved road.

This camping area is at the third new vault toilet. Lots of room for large TTs. No trash dumpsters and no water, but cell signal is excellent 5g five bars. Only few miles from main hwy on an old paved pothole filled road. And then only 3 miles back into Vernal and a Walmart on this end of town, so logistics are very good.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/mccoy-flats-trailhead#

Campground Review: Dispersed Camping at Pyramid Lake, UT

Pyramid Lake is another gem of a mountain lake found in the Uinta Mountains of Utah. It is a small-medium sized lake you can drive to (with a small walk in) and has lots of National Forest dispersed camping. This area, while on National Forest, does require a recreation pass. A three-day pass is $6 which you can get at the various self-serve stations found along the main Mirror Lake Highway or it is free if you have a National Parks pass. It is on the honor system. So before I go into the camp area a few notes on getting there. Once you turn off highway 150 towards Murdock Basin, you have 6 miles of dirt/rock road ahead of you. A car can make it the first four miles, but a vehicle with at least 18” of clearance (and recommended AWD/4WD) is required as the road turns into sections of just really large rocks. You can stop and camp anywhere along that forest service road, but to get to either Pyramid or Echo Lake, you need the higher clearance.

The camping area and lake: it is dispersed camping so it is very primitive. No running water (either bring your own or a way to filter lake water), no pit toilets (bring a spade to dig a cat hole and bury or pack out your TP), tent or hammock camping (a pull behind trailer won’t make it the last few miles), scattered fire pits (practice extreme fire safety and make sure you fully put out any fire you start), and no garbage service (pack out whatever you pack in), aka typical backcountry camping. I loved it! The lake is beautiful and there is a trail you can walk around it. I did bring my inflatable paddleboard but didn’t end up breaking it out because it was too windy. But I will definitely return to paddle the lake another day. Multiple people were fishing and I could see the fish jumping as well. There is also a large boulder field on the South side of the lake which is fun to scramble around. I have decided my dog is part mountain goat. I chose a small spot about 50 meters from the water—halfway between the lake and where I parked the car. It was small and perfect for just one person and dog.

Downsides to the lake: While visiting a small mountain lake is always fun, there was a few things that didn’t meet my expectations (which are relatively low). The biggest thing which surprised me was how busy it was considering how rough the road was. It is really fun to see lots of people enjoying the outdoors but there were two larger groups of twenty-somethings that were really loud the whole night. I think one group played music and stayed up all night long and randomly walked down to the lake loudly with flashlights (which was really not necessary considering it was a cloudless, full moon night). They had dogs barking and generally seemed to not take the other people camping at the lake into consideration. Granted it was a killer spot for a group campout but it definitely affected by enjoyment of the evening. Overall, I really enjoyed the area and will return to camp again.

Gear Review: Matador Transit30 Duffle

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get the opportunity to test out gear for our awesome partners from time to time. I was given the privilege of testing out the Matador Transit30 packable duffle bag in grey. This bag, when stuffed is shorter but thicker than my phone but when unpacked is a full 30 liter duffle bag. For those who don’t speak liter size it is about the size of a typical medium Adidas duffle bag. It is made up of water resistant ripstop material, has one seam sealed zippered pocket, and the main pocket is accessed by a two-way seam sealed zipper. 

Pros:

• It is super lightweight, which is what Matador is known for, and unstructured. This allows the bag to mold to whatever is inside and be able to fit itself inside another bag. I took this bag filled with my overnight camping stuff when I hiked by paddleboard to another lake and I was able to keep my camping stuff contained while fitting it in my SUP bag.
• The zippers are seam sealed which help with water resistance, overall durability, and versatility of the bag.
• It fits so much stuff!
• It only has hand straps, no shoulder strap (depending on your preferences this is both a pro and con). If you don’t every use shoulder straps why have to keep track of something you never use? The straps are long enough to put over your shoulder and you can wear it as a backpack.
• The stuff sack is attached to the inside so it is a bonus pocket for small items when the bag is not stuffed inside.
• There is a front small zippered pocket for important things such as keys, wallet, etc.

Cons:

• It is super thin and durable material but I am still nervous about puncture potential. I am really hard on my gear and I guess time will tell if I rip and hole in it or not.
• I am trying really hard to think of something and I am coming up short.

Overall, I am very excited to use this bag for quick overnight camping trips and overall general duffle bag usage. I can see myself including this bag when I travel in case I need extra storage space. If you have a slight love obsession with gear bags (as I do), this is a must addition to your packing arsenal. Its versatility and weight are unmatched and time will tell on the durability (but I have a feeling it will hold up just fine!).

This is a great free camping site on BLM land. It is right across from the Moosehorn campground and is very close to Mirror Lake. Also only 5min drive from the Bald Mountain hime which offers incredible sunsets. There are a number of sites in this area and requires going down a dirt road. RVs can access the majority of sites. There are preexisting firepits and small clearings where tents can go. The prime, level spots are the best. There are a number of other sites that still have fire pits, but it is hard to find level ground for tents. There are lots of trees for those who like hammocking. Services are about 30 min drive from this location. Pack your own water!

Ranger Review: INNO INH120 2-Tray Bike Rack at the McCoy Flats Dispersed Camping

Campground Review: This type of camping is my jam…not crowded, primitive and scenic, and free. The only reason why it is getting 4-stars is because of the wind…not so much my jam. It did die down overnight but then it picked up again the next afternoon. McCoy Flats is located about 6 miles southwest of Vernal, UT and you stay here for the proximity to amazing mountain bike trails. This trail system boasts 46 miles and 15 trials for all skill levels. If you are a mountain biker, this area is not to be missed. The camping, therefore, is dispersed along the main road from the designated trailhead. The main road is paved then you can pull of and set up camp along any unpaved spur road. It is primitive camping…whatever you bring with you is what you have. When you are done, don’t be that guy, and pack out your trash. The area is wide open but is susceptible to wind, which makes this a great area for vans, RVs or trailers. But if there is no wind, tents are awesome. You are also in the high desert plain, so watch for snakes. Because you are within the trail system, you can set up camp close to a trail and not have to move your vehicle, which is nice. The other nice thing about this area is a forest service pit toilet at the trailhead. So if digging a cat hole is not your thing, there is a toilet accessible. Overall, this area is going to become one of our regular haunts not only for the scenery but the trails.

Gear Review: Since we were visiting McCoy Flats, I figured this would be the best time to test out the INNO INH 120 2-tray bike rack and as a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get the opportunity test out gear from their awesome partners from time to time.. The popularity of tray racks have grown over the past few years and this rack clearly demonstrates why. It was super easy to put together right out of the box. It fits both 2” and 1.25” hitches securely so you don’t have to purchase converters which extend the rack out further. It fit our two fatter tire bikes (3” tires) with ease and the grooved channel in the tray would easily fit the skinny road bikes as well. Plus, it can adjust to different size bikes (i.e. kid sizes). 

Sure, it can fit a lot of bikes, but how secure is it? One word…AMAZING! Each tray has two arms which secure over the tires so both the front and back tires are secured. The bikes have very little movement when loaded (any movement detected is normal from the rack in the hitch or due to the car hitting a bump) and the bikes don’t touch each other. This prevents any scratching or potential damage while in transport. The latching mechanisms are durable and easy to tighten/loosen, making loading and unloading super easy. We have had this rack on our car for the past week and due to the ease of use my husband has gone riding every day. When not in use, the rack folds up easily and sleekly (it does not stick out obnoxiously from the back of the car).

Three things I want to warn about. 1) If you are at risk of scraping your car when going over a bump or down a curb, you will definitely scratch with the hitch on. Higher clearance vehicles won’t have any issue, but a car may risk some loud scrapes. The hitch seems to be taking them well, though. One benefit is the trays are slightly tiered, so if you do scrape, you scrape the area where the rack goes into the hitch and not the trays. 2) Be sure to load and secure your bikes with fully pumped tires. While this may be a no-brainer for some, we caught this before heading home. As mentioned, it secures your bike by the tires, so if your tires are low, it may not be as secure. 3) While the rack is metal, it does have plastic coverings and the plastic covering the area between the hitch and the rack has already started to crack along seams. This may be due to the scrapes from bottoming out or perhaps it is designed to come apart as I can push it back together, but in any case it has no impact on the performance of the rack, so I am not too worried about it. 

Overall, the INNO INH 120 is an amazing bike rack and well worth the investment for anyone who is or wants to ability to easily pack up for a ride. I don’t think I will ever own a prong bike rack again.