South-East Utah March RME Trip; The San Rafael Swell

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
For the Month of March the RME Trip will be into the San Rafael Swell. We're going to make this one an overnighter, for those that can make 2 days work out. Shall we plan on a Saturday & Sunday? If others want to meet us for a either day, we can make plans and meet up at a pre-determined time & location.

Some have mentioned that they wanted to drive thru Eagle Canyon, where else would you guys like to go? Black Dragon Canyon? The Buckhorn Pictograph? See the Mat Warner inscription? Anyone want to see Goblin Valley, perhaps hike slot canyons like Little Wild Horse & Bell Canyon, or possibly the more challenging Ding & Dang canyons?



  • March 10th & 11th!
  • Meet up around 9-10 AM on the 10th.
  • A capable 4x4 is required, stock rigs could make most trails in the Swell but a little lift, body protection and larger tires are recommended. This will be overnight camping trip in March, so come prepared as it will be chilly at night and possibly snow on the ground. If you come to camp, you will need to bring all your own food, water, appropriate clothing, gear & boots.
  • Lets camp at the San Rafael Bridge Campground - https://www.google.com/maps/place/S...47!8m2!3d39.0795723!4d-110.6661174?shorturl=1
  • Group Size... up to 10-15 rigs, but the more we have, the slower we'll be moving. Please RSVP so we have an idea how many to expect.
 
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ChestonScout

opinions are like Jeeps..
Location
Clinton, Ut
I’ve never been to the swell at all. So not a lot of help on where to go. I would like to see goblin Valley and some slot canyons. Not afraid of some hikes but nothing too long

As for dates, the 3and 4 is fairly close to the dune trip but probably make it work. I like the 10, 11 weekend best.

Tentatively in!
 

Hickey

Burn-barrel enthusiast
Supporting Member
It really just depends on where the group decides to camp for the night. There are lots of places in the Swell that can be accessed with a mid-sized RV.
 

Kevin B.

Big hippy
Moderator
Location
Vehicular limbo
If you wanted to be closer to Goblin Valley, there's some good primitive sites farther down Behind The Reef Road at Crack Canyon and Chute Canyon.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
If you wanted to be closer to Goblin Valley, there's some good primitive sites farther down Behind The Reef Road at Crack Canyon and Chute Canyon.

It all depends on the group size, IMO. The more people, the bigger site we'll need. I'm not against a formal CG if we're going to have 10+ rigs.
 

Homefryy

Active Member
Location
Salt Lake City
Regarding the campsite, I had 2 places in mind.

Temple Mountain CG - https://goo.gl/maps/e4cFimiSR3U2 - I think there are handful of sites, but it's a pretty busy place.

San Rafael Bridge CG - https://goo.gl/maps/pUNJ1D5RDZ32 - Lots of camp sites, spread out. Very scenic, more dirt roads to get there and seems less busy. This would be my preference.

In both of these areas you can find primitive camping nearby that should have plenty of space for a bunch of rigs and shouldn't be as busy.
As Kevin said if you drive down Behind the Reef Road there are a lot of campsites.
Near San Rafael Bridge Campground you can head southeast along I San Rafael River Road and there are a lot of primitive sites with plenty of room along the river.

I've camped in both areas and found good sites away from other people.

There are also a bunch of spots in the Wedge Overlook area not too far from San Rafael Bridge that put you up high over the canyon for some nice views.
 
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