Best Dispersed Camping near Thompson, UT

First off do not pay attention to google directions as it will take you out of the way through a wash. There is quite an easy turn off right off of highway 70 (whether heading east or west, you can turn north off the highway). Once you turnoff of the highway there is a gate that may or may not be closed so once you go through leave it how you found it. 

Follow the very manageable dirt road and there will be multiple pull out areas to camp in. The closer to the highway the more busy it is so keep driving. We found a small pull out between the two trails that take you on hike to the Spirit Arches and Petroglyphs and the other up through the wash to the pictographs. 

The hike to the pictographs is much more interesting as you enter the narrow canyon. There are several spots that are reachable by RV, but further back you’ll need high clearance and possible 4x4. 

There is no camping allowed within the canyon. At the trailhead though there are a few large areas for camping but probably easier with higher clearance. There is no bathroom, trash or water so pack in and pack out even that which you have already digested.;) 

No cell service from ATT, Verizon or TMobile, but was able to get a bar or two on Verizon with the cell booster.  Oddly we did have cell reception on the hike within the canyon.

We arrived to this campsite at sunset as the plan was to camp at Porcupine Ridge; however, it was closed. We found this campsite as our back up plan which did not disappoint. It’s somewhat close to the road; however, we only had one vehicle pass by during the night. We chose this campsite due to it being more remote compared to the other busy campsites near the entrance of Sand Flat Recreation. This campsite also offers gorgeous views with never ending large, flat rocks and juniper trees. To get into this campsite we would recommend having high clearance and off roading tires. The campsite was clean and all around a wonderful experience for our first time boondocking in Moab!

This campground is about 11 miles south of Moab, and one of the only FREE places in camp in the area. There are no amenities (with the exception of occasional fire pits), but plenty of space for campers, large RVs, tents, etc. We were fine with a 2WD car. When you drive in, make sure you are far enough to be in the designated camping area (0.6) miles from the mail road (past the cattle guard). There are several options once you pull in, (the road splits 3 ways), all are good! The one furthest to the left has a little shade and goes up a slight canyon where we saw some people using hammocks.

We camped here for 3 days during our stay in Moab, with three cars and about 8 people and had no issues finding a spot. We set up tents in a slightly "grassy" patch. There is little shade. We packed up every night and did not leave our stuff while we were gone, however- other people did, and had no issues with theft.

GEAR REVIEW

Renology Water filter

https://www.renogy.com/renogy-portable-outdoor-water-filter/

As a Ranger, I occasionally get the chance to test out gear for The Dyrt!

I collected water from a slightly moving canyon stream along one of our hikes in a canyon, and brought it back to camp to filter. I usually do this when filtering water rather than filtering at the source (I've dropped too many things, and it's hard balancing along muddy creekbeds).

What I loved about the Renogy Water Filter, was it's size. It's nice and small and comes with a little carrying case. It was pretty easy to put together (via the photograph/instruction card). I pumped a liter of water in about 2 minutes with set up and balancing. My arm didn't get tired at all, and I could have easily done another 2 L! It was also awesome that the intake tube is so long - for when you are collecting at the source, you have a little more leeway with your set up. I only ran into one problem - my output tube popped out of the clean water nalgene and landed on the ground once, thankfully it didn't get muddy or gross.

A couple cons about the filter include the carrying case and tube storage. It's suede, which is aesthetic and nice, but possibly not the most durable or waterproof for long backpacking trips. Also- all filters I've had in the past came with baggies to keep your intake and output tubes separate to prevent cross contamination. This filter didn't stress that at all, but I brought my own baggies just to be safe.

Final conclusion - This filter is a nice size for backpacking and easy to use. I'll be taking it on all my trips this summer, but might find a different carrying case for it.