Best Glamping near Beaver, UT

Did you know that a lot of Airbnb listings have their own websites OFF of airbnb where you can book them for much cheaper since you aren’t charged an Airbnb service fee? I did, but totally forgot to check for this yurt. Shoot! 

We checked in to the yurt on our way to Bryce canyon which is half an hour away. The location was tough for us to find, especially considering that we had some traffic behind us so we couldn’t slow down too much as we looked for the driveway. The sign that they have does not have great visibility so we definitely missed the driveway going past it both directions. It definitely helps to familiarize yourself with the buildings on the other side of the road as landmarks if you are going to be coming and going frequently from here. We used a“no passing zone” triangular sign that was kind of by the driveway as our more immediate landmark. 

Jeannie and her husband live in the center yurt and are friendly, but they give you your space. Of all of my airbnb experiences where the hosts were on-site they were by far my favorite. It is really hard to find hosts that strike the perfect balance of friendliness. Apparently the 3 yurts on the property used to be an art studio and they have converted the two side yurts into liveable spaces. We stayed in the studio yurt which was cheaper, the deluxe yurt is more spacious and includes a couch and its slightly more removed from Jeannie’s yurt so your deck is more private.  A mini-fridge, microwave, and other kitchen small appliances that we didn't use were available.  

The BEST part of this yurt was the view from the deck. We passed up a sunset in Bryce so that we could hang out here instead. My husband spent a significant amount of time taking slow-mos of their hummingbird visitors- there were A TON of them. The other great thing is that there is a washer and dryer. It took me a while to figure the washer out since water would not run unless the lid was closed. It was great to be able to get laundry done in the middle of our trip while we could lounge on the bed watching tv instead of having to go to a laundromat- there is also wifi available! We would definitely stay here again, and if you look at their website you can see some other nearby cabins/tipis that are available to rent.

Beautiful location and it was a nice place to walk around. Outdoor kitchen and showers as well as community space.

Camping was about $25/night.

You do have to make a reservation on the website and call for details when you get here, Soaking happens in 2 hour windows and isn’t included in the camping fee. Because of where the pools are, I recommend soaking before dark.

If you have mobility issues, be aware that there are stairs to get to the pools and the upper pools require a bit of climbing.

The outdoor kitchen space was a nice space to use after time on the road.

So, take Ruby's with a grain of salt. It's historic, big, and tourist-y. We camped in the tipi (most tipis are ON the highway, so request tipi 10) that was by the lake. The tipi is probably the only secluded camping available. It was fun and pretty comfortable. It was cool at night in June, unlike all the other places we have camped in Utah. Sadly, there are so many lights at Ruby's, you can't see the stars. But, the atmosphere at Ruby's is more like being at an attraction than being outside in nature. Bathrooms are too small and there aren't enough of them to support the campground. There are shuttles to Bryce Canyon park available from Ruby's. There are shops, groceries, and anything you need at Ruby's. If you're used to nice mountain bikes, do t get your hopes up with the rentals. They are in bad shape. Also, there really are not mountain bike trails in the area. Even mountain trails that allow bikes are really horse trails and terrible to ride.

We booked Cedar City KOA as our first trip to a KOA. The park is on the edge of town but close to anything you might want or need. Our site was directly across from the playground and 50 steps from the off-leash dog park. Both the kids and the dog greatly appreciated both. Unfortunately, some campers struggle with quiet hours and allowed their kids to scream and play in the playground until as late as 1am. The second night of our stay the kids were back after 1ppm, but the staff swooped in and gently moved them along. Speaking of the staff, they were friendly, attentive, and professional 100% of the time. The grounds were well maintained and clean and the campground full of friendly faces.

This is my second review of this KOA on our 2nd trip to it. This trip was a part of a kids baseball tournament.
The staff was as friendly as before and the grounds were still clean and well maintained. The last visit had us next to the playground (spot G8) who's quiet hours were not observed or enforced. This time we were in spot C12 and the noise was never an issue and the kids were far enough away to not be a concern. The corner spot was roomy enough for my tow rig unhooked or hooked up.

Campground WiFi was a little spotty Friday morning as we attempted to log into some online classrooms, but it stabilized after a few tries.

Still a highly recommended campground for RVers.

We booked a reservation with a small group and asked to be next to each other.  They accommodated that request.  The spaces were roomy and all of ours were pretty level.  The hookups on our sites were more to one end of the site and not so much in the middle of the site which was not a problem for any of us.  It seemed most sites had great shade trees in the area we were in.  There is a newer area towards the back that did not have the large trees but those sites had a nice little grass area at each site.  The in-ground fire pit is a nice feature.  Clean showers, restrooms, and laundry room.  A well-equipped store and a restaurant are within a short walking distance.  

Oh, Bryce Canyon is right next door!  

The office personnel gave us great information on trails for some 4Wheel drive adventures.  

Great stay!

We spent a fun day exploring Cedar Breaks National Monument. However, we lost track of time, the sun was setting and we had not chosen a place to camp. 

Campground Review of Fremont Indian State Park:

We searched on TheDyrt app for nearby campgrounds and found Fremont Indian State Park. We drove down the mountain and around another mountain and found the campground. It was totally dark by the time that we arrived and so we quickly parked and set up our campervan to sleep. 

A gentleman emerged from the shadows and approached our site. It seemed a little sketchy at first. However, he ended up being friendly and inquired if we’d like to join him and his friends around their campfire. After we prepared our campervan and cleaned up a bit, we dropped by the campfire. It turns out the party included some park staff and researchers. One lady was researching dark skies and one gentleman was researching astral alignment with ancient rock art. They shared about their research and showed us some of their amazing photos of the night sky. A warm way to end the day.

The next morning, we woke up to snow on the ground and the nearby mountaintops. Having learned from our new friends that the park contained some pretty significant rock art, we decided that we should check it out. We hiked on a couple of the trails and discovered quite a few of the rock art pieces created by the Fremont Indians. There's an easy trail that is located adjacent to the park office. There are other trails that run along the river. It is amazing that so much of the rock art was in such good condition.

The campsites provide the basics like a parking space, picnic table, electrical & water hookup and firepit/grill. The restrooms were conveniently located close to our campsite and were clean. There are showers behind the restrooms. During the winter the showers may be closed. The campground is somewhat small, but is surrounded by beautiful mountains and bluffs. The staff were super friendly and helpful.

For more info: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/fremont-indian/

Product Review of Travelers Autobarn Campervans:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I am provided products to test. For this outing I was provided a Travelers Autobarn Kuga Campervan. 

For more info: https://www.travellers-autobarnrv.com

The best thing about traveling in a campervan is the ease, flexibility, and ability to make detours if needed. 

We picked up our Kuga Campervan in Las Vegas. The Travelers Autobarn office is just west of the the main strip and easy to find. We arrived early in the day to begin the registration process and campervan orientation. The process was quick and easy. The Kuga Campervan is a hightop van conversion with couches, a table, two beds, propane stove, sink, water, kitchen, interior lights, fan, window shades and solar power. We also had the free living package which included kitchen pots, pans, utensils, cups and accessories. It also included sleeping bags, sheets, pillows and towels. The package pretty much made it super easy to get in the van and go. 

The Travelers Autobarn staff member was super friendly and provided an orientation of the basic operation of the campervan. The campervan drives like a normal van, but learning about the camper functions was helpful. 

We had charted a route around Utah and Arizona visiting a number of towns, parks, roadside attractions and hot springs. The day that we started a weather system passed through which made the temperatures drop in the northern part of our route. We simply flipped our route to avoid the cold weather and traveled the southern route first. By the time that we circled north the weather had warmed up and it was perfect weather for exploring. Traveling in a campervan made it super easy to be flexible with our route and schedule. 

On our seven day trip we visited Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Horseshoe Bend National Monument. Monument Valley National Park, Arches National Park, Mystic Hotsprings, Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Meadow Hotsprings, Valley of Fire State Park and Fremont Indian State Park. 

If we were not traveling in a campervan it is unlikely that we would have had the flexibility to camp anytime and anywhere. We would have never found and stayed at Fremont Indian State Park. It ended up being a gem of a park and a great overall experience. This campervan camping adventure opened up my mind to new opportunities and travels. So much fun!

For more info: https://www.travellers-autobarnrv.com