Central Utah Topaz Mtn ideas

[Maverick]

I'm taking the scoutlings to Topaz Mtn in a couple weeks. We went a few years ago and found a crappy camping place and a cool place to find glittery things...but I don't remember where. I'll dig out the books but I thought I'd check here too.

My rockhounding brother is out for this trip, so I've got to figure out where to go this time.

Any recommendations on places to camp and then to take a bunch of kids to rockhound?

We'll have lots of adult supervision. We managed to go to Goblin Valley a few weeks ago. Played some vigorous capture the flag and managed to not topple anything but old bald guys.

Anyway, I'm thinking of camping at Topaz Mountain and then working our way back to SLC via PET and Dugway Geode Beds.

Kind of the reverse of the route here: http://rockhoundguide.blogspot.com/2007/11/july-2007-dugway-and-thomas-range.html

Thoughts?

 

[gertsch]

I have done this very trip numerous times. It's always been enjoyable.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I think Dave B knows that area well, he will likely chime in.

 

[Troop92]

We're going to do this with our scouts in the coming months. Curious to know where you end up.

 

[DaveB]

I think Dave B knows that area well, he will likely chime in.

Yes I know the area well and have camped out there quite a few times. We camp on the east side of the range in a little box canyon where we find garnets. Its a couple of miles north of the main collecting area. We usually come in from the Pismire wash road. You can get to the geode beds by taking Pismire road north and go over Dugway pass or you can go around the west side of Topaz Mountain past the mining areas and come out just west of the geode beds. There are some areas on the west side where you can find garnets, obsidian, and topaz. There are even some camping areas up in some of the canyons on the west side. If your scouts don't find many geodes they can stop by my house and I'll give them some.

 

[Maverick]

Thanks DaveB! Can you shoot me some GPS coordinates of the locations so I can go into google earth or maps and eyeball things before I get out there?

 

[DaveB]

Thanks DaveB! Can you shoot me some GPS coordinates of the locations so I can go into google earth or maps and eyeball things before I get out there?

I'll try to get our topo map program up and running and see if I can get you some coordinates.

 

[Maverick]

Dave,

Got your PM, thanks! We'll have a couple full size pickups and my eXcursion plus a couple more SUV's probably. As I recall from previous trips out there, most of those locations are just high-clearance 2wd. One of the leaders has a mega-van that is great on rafting trips, but I'm wondering if it can make it out there.

 

[DaveB]

Dave,

Got your PM, thanks! We'll have a couple full size pickups and my eXcursion plus a couple more SUV's probably. As I recall from previous trips out there, most of those locations are just high-clearance 2wd. One of the leaders has a mega-van that is great on rafting trips, but I'm wondering if it can make it out there.

A friend at work that we used to go out there with had one of the Dodge maxi vans and it was fine. It will drag its back end in some of the wash crossings up the canyons but the main roads will be fine.