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| Dispersed campers below Haystack Mountain |
OK, July isn’t over just yet. We still have three more days, including the
31st which is not only a full moon but a blue moon. But wow, has July ever been busy. From the 4th of July weekend on,
our campground has been packed. We’ve
been completely full every Friday night and most Saturday nights, and we
actually had to put the “Campground Full” sign up on Sunday, July 19.
And it’s not just us.
Every campground along the south slope of the Mirror Lake Highway was
full last weekend. I spoke with two distraught
dads after 8:00 PM on Friday, July 24.
The trailer was packed, the family was excited to go camping, and they
just couldn't find a spot. I advised them
to go up and over the pass and try the campgrounds on the North Slope heading
toward Evanston – or to just pull off on a dirt road and camp.
Yes, you can do that.
Our Forest Service reps tell us that people are allowed to camp pretty
much anywhere along the Mirror Lake highway – which is one of the reasons they
instituted the Recreation Fee program.
They call it dispersed camping, and a lot of people do it. If you’re self-contained, or at least
self-reliant, dispersed camping can be a fun experience. The upside – it’s a lot cheaper than camping
in an improved campground. Your $6
Recreation pass covers you for three days.
The downside – there are no restrooms, picnic tables, or improved fire pits. Also, no cool camp hosts there to answer your
questions and sell you dry firewood.
Campers are actually just a small part of what’s been
keeping us busy this July. Washington
Lake is located less than a quarter mile from the Crystal Lake Trailhead, which
leads to several lakes and is extremely popular with hikers, backpackers, and
scout troops. According to the Forest
Service, there is room for 57 cars in the trailhead parking lot. It’s usually full by 10:00 AM on Friday.
We were warned by the Forest Service that last year so many
cars parked along the roads of our campground that trailers couldn’t get in or
out. So we’ve been very proactive about
directing hikers to the overflow parking.
We answer a lot of questions about the hiking trails, give out a lot of
trail maps and sell an occasional recreation pass. Good customer service to be sure, but it’s
more for the campers in our campground than for the hikers. And it takes a lot of time.
We finally got a breather on Sunday, July 26. Most of the campers left, and just a few
arrived to take their place. We actually
had a chance to do some cleanup, and then to sit on our front porch and enjoy
the afternoon. We think the worst is
behind us – at least until Labor Day weekend.
Wish us luck!
Cheri,
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed reading your posts about one of my favorite places in the state! I, along with numerous members of my extended family will be up at Washington tomorrow for our annual reunion. We have reserved the upper two group sites (Kennedy and Lincoln?). I hope to meet you while we're there!
We really enjoy those sites. The only negative is the incessant line of massive rigs that truck up to Kennedy thinking they'll find somewhere to set up. Then they have to dodge our trailer hitches and our kids as they make the round-about back out.
I'd like to clarify-- if you happen to read this prior to our arrival tomorrow (Thursday for my family)-- what pass is needed for my vehicle? The site is already paid for and I don't plan to go anywhere else on the highway. Do I need to buy a rec pass?
Thanks, and maybe we'll see you later this week.
Thanks for finding me in camp! It was great to meet you and your family. Sorry I missed your post but in case you didn't get your question answered, if you're in the campground and don't plan on driving anywhere else on the Mirror Lake Highway, you don't need the Rec Pass. Hope our closing the gates helped a little with the traffic, but I suspect they were open more often than closed because of the comings and goings of the Boy Scouts.
DeleteThanks again for your kind words on my posts. I'll keep writing....
It was great to meet you too, Cheri! I must compliment you on your customer service. I've done a lot of camping in campgrounds up and down the Mirror Lake Highway, and most campground hosts ranged from curmudgeonly but helpful to downright hostile. You were the first I've met that understands the customer/host relationship.
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you for shutting that gate! The scouts were up and down but very respectful and a joy to share the area with.
Incidentally, I discovered your blog while researching the Fairy Forest at Shady Dell. I heard about it initially from Michelle Powell, who I work with occasionally on history/outdoors stuff. In fact, she and I are working with BYU TV to film a documentary on the Great Salt Lake this week! Small world.
Do keep writing, and have fun your last month up at Washington!