Best Cabin Camping near Castle Valley, UT

I paid more than two times a National Park or state park campground for the world’s tiniest site in the middle of what is essentially a parking lot with trees and a few tables…

Slickrock Campground should only be a last resort for tent campers as it was for me. I chose to camp here exclusively for the showers which had insanely variable water temperature. The bathrooms are in need of repair (moldy sinks and such) but were overall clean.

The only redeeming factor was going to be the hot tub. Doesn’t soaking in a hot tub after a day of hiking sounds great? Even if the pools are right on the main road. When I checked in I specifically asked if the hot tub was open, the woman at the desk looked me in the eye and said, “yeah the pool is open 10-10.” Which was true enough, the pool was open but BOTH hot tubs were closed…

They currently have a deal that it’s only $20 for a single tent site as a walk-in camper. If reserve ahead of time it’s considerably more. This encourages people not to make reservations and is thus a bad business move.

Perhaps if you have an RV this is a nice place to spend an evening or two, it’s conveniently located near the town of Moab and the nearby national parks.

With no camping in the National Park this season, it makes it hard to find a good spot close. Slickrock campground is a small accessible family style camp ground. They have a pool and a hot tub and its minutes from the park entrance. They had a bunch of open sites when I showed up last minute...phew!

the sites are packed in close together but I was exhausted from a day of travelling that it didn't bother me at all. In fact I met some nice campers!

The only drawback is that I couldn't build a fire, but I was grateful that I had a spot to sleep...so I overlooked it. 😊

We wanted a to share our time between BLM free camping and having amenities and Slickrock Campground was the only RV park that has space for us. I'll start with the good. Nice showers and large bathrooms. The laundry room was nice and machines were credit card (no coins or tokens needed). The pool is refreshing on a hot day. We had a 35' rv hookup site for a hybrid trailer and 2 vehicles. 30 amp power, water and sewer. That's about it for the good. The bad as of mid October 2020: The sites have no privacy and some sites have 2 picnic tables side by side, one for you and one for your neighbor which makes it difficult to stay 6' from your neighbor to help prevent the spread of Covid. The hot tub is filled with concrete. Which was one of the biggest disappointments. We were really looking forward to a soak after a hard day of mountain biking. WiFi doesn't work and due to construction power is iffy in a lot of sites (multiple people drawing on 50amps).

Construction. The entrance has been moved and is a steep ramp in soft Utah Red dirt. Construction starts at daylight and continues until evening. There's red dust everywhere. Traffic into town is insane due to construction (the the campground's fault) and a left turn out of the campground can be nearly impossible 8am-7pm.

RANGER REVIEW:

CAMPGROUND REVIEW: SLICKROCK CAMPGROUND, MOAB, UTAH http://slickrockcampground.com/

The Office/store/pool/hot tubs/laundry room/pool baths located to the right as you enter the campground..

The clerk was pleasant and informative. Registration was quick and you are encouraged to drive through the campground to choose the site of your liking. Tent sites were a flat $20.

PROS:

•Relatively inexpensive

•Pool

•Hot tubs (2)

•Stocked store

•Free showers

•Clean spacious restroom/shower house

•Close proximity to everything in area

CONS:

•Stacked on top of each other

•Tent sites aren’t clearly discernible

•Tent camping in Moab in August is unpleasant due to heat and blowing dust (campground cannot control this one)

•Road noise

•Pool is only open 10:00-10:00 (I really wanted to cool off at 2:00 a.m.😉)

If you are purely looking for an inexpensive place to plop your tent or RV/Camper that is conveniently located to all things Moab…choose Slickrock campground. Slickrock Campground is located directly between Arches National Park and the cool little town of Moab.

In mid-August, it’s hotter than hot…87 degrees at night with no wind (which may keep you up at night) as I write this at 1:00 a.m. 108 degrees during the day.

Very diverse crowd, as foreigners choose economy camping to tour USA. Which is pretty cool.

RV/Campers have full hookups/electric and are priced higher, and A/C Cabins are also available for rental.

Tent sites are entirely dirt/powered sand. No electric, no water. Some offer a corrugated plastic shed roof shelter, others do not. We were early enough on a Sunday to secure a shelter. We also waited until evening to erect the tent due to a fine dusty sand that permeates everything…and to attempt to keep things cooler. Each site has an elevated charcoal grill and a stunted picnic table. If you drive a small economy vehicle you park that between the grill and your tent for line of sight barrier from your neighbor. The slightest squeak is heard from site to site.

We chose site 126, along the back of the property, furthest from the roadway. We still needed earplugs. A property line wire fence separates from the neighboring company that just so happened to leave their overhead light on all night…a small annoyance. Site 127’s vehicle was a few feet from our tent. No measure of privacy. But again, the price for the area…and a pool.

Arches National Park is 3 minutes north, Trendy Moab 3 minutes south. We visited both. Being a cyclist,..it’s Nirvana. Never have I seen so many bicycle/outdoor shops within one square mile…I trembled with excitement.

If you are looking to get away, enjoy solitude and be immersed in nature…Slickrock Campground is not for you.

If you are looking for a place to lay your head with pretty decent amenities within a rocks throw of all things cool…Slickrock is a great choice.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Inno Racks INH330 Two Bike hitch mount.

Inno Racks is not new to the bike rack community. Originating in the 60’s in Japan, they have been in the U.S. for almost two decades. Inno Racks offers several dIfferent style bIke racks, as well as attachments for wInter sports, water sports and cargo boxes. http://usa.innoracks.com/

The INH330 came packaged lIke Fort Knox…every part securely In Its place. No assembly required. DIrectIons do come wIth the rack, but adjustments are intuItIve and simple. Pop-pIns secure the wheel trays either flat for mountIng bicycles or uprIght/folded for storage. A pop-pIn also allows for angled tIlt.

The Inno INH330 can fit eIther 1.25 or 2 Inch receIvers and comes wIth an allen key to help wIth that transItIon.

Also Included Is a four foot cable and keys to secure your bIkes or rack to your receIver via an integrated lock.

Adjustable Wheel Trays slide along the horizontal rails to accommodate bicycles of varying lengths. To adjust, simply unloosen a large nylon wingnut and slide…when the wheel tray is in the desired position, tighten the wingnut securely. That simple. Each Wheel Tray has a dual ratcheting strap that is slipped through the bicycle wheels spokes and over the rim to secure the bicycle wheels and prevent the bicycle wheels from bouncing out of the wheel trays during transport. Wheel Trays accommodate tire sizes from less than an inch wide to five inches wide.

Frame Attachment: The Inno INH330 utilizes two vertical telescopic/ratcheting center posts with swivel-style ratcheting adjustment strap for each bike frame. Directions display this attachment on the bicycle's "down tube." The strap has both a sliding rubber bushing and a rubber pad on the center post to prevent damage to the bicycle finish. I found that I could also utilize the "seat tube" for attachment to the vertical attachment posts…if a water bottle cage was not attached to the bicycle seat tube.

Once secured properly at the horizontal center post and each wheel tray, the bicycle was held fast…no movement was observed…which is imperative if you don't want damage to bicycle frame or finish.

Removal is equally quick and simple…both the bicycles from the carrier and the carrier from your vehicle. (See video below)

A single Pop-pin through each horizontal wheel tray arm pops out with a pull, which allows you to fold the wheel tray arm up and re-insert the pop-pin. A directional pop-pin secures the INH330 in your vehicle's receiver, a push and twist removes the pop-pin and the bicycle carrier can be slid out of the vehicle's receiver. A centered T-handle between the vertical/ratcheting posts allows you to easily carry the INH330 to storage. At 30lbs, the INH330 is manageable.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I liked the simplicity of the INNO INH330. Over the past four decades I have owned a myriad of different bike racks from various high profile companies…roof mounts, gutter mounts, window/trunk mounts, and hitch mounts. Some racks required removal of wheels with fork attachments. I suppose each have their place. For fuel economy reasons, I no longer desire a roof rack style carrier. The rear liftgate/trunk style rack has contact points on my vehicle's paint, which I no longer desire. The hitch style is my preferred method of attachment as it prevents the rack from stealing away fuel consumption, it doesn't mar my vehicle's paint or dent it's metal, furthermore, I have easy accessibility waist-to-shoulder height to my bicycles (a plus for aged and repaired shoulders).

I believe INNO Racks has a winner! (I would like to see the ability to add a third and fourth bike attachment, though😏).

After driving the majority of the day from Denver to Moab and managing to escape the upcoming winter weather blowing into the Colorado I-70 corridor, there was nothing I wanted more than to find a campsite which was dry and warm. Traveling with my friend, which had not been camping with me before it was imperative that we found a campground that would have facilities which were both accessible and acceptable.

Entering Moab we found a great fit in SlickRock Campground, just a 3 mile drive from Arches National Park, it was a perfect stop for the night. Arriving late in the day just before sunset, the campground host was pleasant and let us drive in to select which tent site we preferred. Offering both covered and uncovered sites as well as single and double sites it appeared to meet the needs of campers of all kinds.

The site offered a pool and hot tub for those wishing to soak a bit after a long day wandering around the natural wonders of Moab or just wanting to soak away the evening hours. The office offered a variety of supplies and snacks including canned goods, ice creams, drinks and beverages for adults and candy for the kids. Also inside were a full listing of attractions in the Moab area which could help the traveler still trying to figure out just what they wanted to do in their time away from home.

With three bathhouses throughout the property the campground really seemed to have the campers needs at heart offering services within only a short few yards of each campsite. The bathhouses are large with several showers as well as toilets and plenty of sink space for spreading out for your morning routine. A bathhouse of this size could easily accommodate the crowds during the busy season and prove to be a cool retreat during warm summer months.

When we actually arrived to our site we were pleased to find even ground free of debris or rocks, a picnic table and a charcoal bbq station. We selected an uncovered space, which turned out to be our only negative of the evening as in late fall the leaves were falling constantly and hitting the tent making for some adjustment when attempting to settle for the evening.

The campground was relatively quiet with only a little noise from fellow campers. Though it seemed to dwindle as quiet time hours fell around 10 p.m.

And the bigger bonus…. All tent sites were only $20 because of an offseason special being observed when we visited late in October. Typically for $20 you almost have to be in a primitive campsite without amenities or a state or nationally run facility, however this was a privately run facility with more than a few perks. In comparison, a campground just up the way was double in price point with similar amenities.

On the negative side around 7 a.m. nearby roadwork or construction woke us aggressively alongside the cold. The cold obviously was a product of our choice to camp during fall however the construction was a byproduct of local elements, so if you are choosing to visit Moab you might want to select a campsite toward the back of the property to avoid a bit of the sounds generated.

Great experience! Really helpful staff, clean and quiet sites, and lovely views.

When we arrived with my 21 foot travel trailer, we were told that site 28 can be difficult to park in due to the angle and size, but just as panic started to seep into this trailer-newbie’s brain, they said, “But don’t worry, Jake can help you park your trailer into the spot.” And he did! Jake was super helpful and within 5 minutes my RPod was happily parked at site 28!

The site was clean, with water, sewage, and electric hookups on the left side. It comes with a picnic table and fire pit (fire wood can be bought at the shop).

I was remote working, and the wifi worked pretty well (I just had issues once during a meeting when video + screen sharing was on).

The site is right on the La Sal Mountain Loop, which is a beautiful drive up the mountain and down through Castle Valley and along the Colorado River.

We really loved our stay.

The Portal RV Resort (the North Campground) was an excellent place to stay. It was very well maintained and obviously cared for. The pool and jacuzzi were a great touch to end a long day of hiking all over Arches NP.