Dalton Wells Road

Stayed here for 2 nights during the week. There were a lot of big RVs and ATVs back there, all of whom had to navigate the wash to get back there. The was was no problem for our Xterra and while the road is in rough shape we were able to get back to the camping area by taking it slow. The camping area is about .5 mile off of the main road. Fairly open, not much privacy but great views. Maybe 15 minute drive to Arches NP.

After reading other reviews, we drove in, crossed the sandy wash, which was dry. It was so soft with a 10,000 lb trailer that I was a nervous wreck. My husband who doesn't rattle easily, got us through. The road was so rough we crept along until we could turn around. There were plenty of people and rigs in there, lots of ATVs and motorcycles. I guess it works for them.
It took 4wd going faster than we liked to get back across the sandy wash. It's a definite no-go for me. We went south to willow springs, much more accessible.

Let me say, I had never truly boondocked on BLM before. I came to Moab specifically to do so. We tried to find another BLM site but nearly flipped our trailer doing so. The experience shook us up a bit and we almost drove to Thompson Springs with our heads hung low to find a campground spot (as all the local parks were booked out the wazzoo). But we kept seeing people parked under the sea green mountains and mesas and were re-inspired to try once more.

I had no idea this was called "Dalton Well Road". It certainly is not marked or labeled in any way, shape or form. It was simply a dirt road off the highway. You cross a cattle guard and go down a ways. You'll pass a sign that says something about "SITLA" Public Land. You basically just drive off and pick a spot for yourself. We traversed the 4x4 roads with our Ram 3500 and 23' airstream. The AS does not have a lift on it but it does have 15" rims and tires, an upgrade over the 14" rims and tires. We picked a fairly rough and rugged spot to get into but with some crafty driving and parking, it was so worth it.

Tons and tons and tons of land all around for you to wander, hike, climb. Dog friendly. While there were people camping around us, everyone kept a good distance from each other so you never felt you had people encroaching upon your spot.

10/10 would do again, if you dare to find it!

About 15 minutes from town. Try Eclectika Cafe for breakfast.

Now, we haven’t gone to every single boondocking spot in and around Moab, but I can guarantee this one is the best combination of convenience/access to town, solitude, beauty and cell service.

But you don’t have to take my word for it, ask Levar Burton the next time you see him.

But if you don’t tend to run into the actor most famous for his role as a guy wearing a hair clip over his eyes in space, just give it a quick look.

A few things to note: It’s pretty clean here. Try and leave it even cleaner because judging by the fencing at the BLM land south of here, Moab is on the edge of what the authorities are willing to tolerate. Also, this is not BLM land. It’s some other thing that isn’t public but is available for us to use. So there’s no digging cat holes for your poo, it’s 100% take it with you, so you’ll need a compost toilet, RV type setup or several good bags. If you’ve never had a baby before, the method is to twist the bag up, spin the top down over the bottom, and tie tightly. Double bagging is an option. And consider the place you throw it away, no one wants to handle that bag.

Oh, and the good stuff is beyond the first few big spots where the RVers tend to congregate. You’ll pass the turquoise and black hills on your left completely and you can go left for a bunch of other spots, but of the several areas we stayed the best ones were just going straight. You’ll come to another sign about the rules and regulations and from there you can choose from a big open spot just behind that sign, or a little up the hill where you’ll be in some small junipers for shade and rocks to climb. If you keep going passed the sign (kind of to your left) there are more open spaces and then another final awesome in the junipers and boulders spot.

Enjoy!

Stayed here a week or so in early November 2016. Went further in than most folks past a little spot that longer rigs would bottom out in and found a private spot tucked away off the 4x4 road at 38.728356, -109.691241

Sandy wash you cross as you enter wasn't bad while I was there, but having 4WD available if I needed it was nice peace of mind. Flash flood area, so keep a very close eye on the weather so you don't get trapped in, or worse.

Primitive camping. Nothing but a fire ring and a nice flat spot to camp with gorgeous views out towards Arches NP and the La Sals. Had some Verizon 4G service that was strong enough to work from, but I neglected to record how many bars.

This was a much quieter option than now super popular Willow Spring Rd. We found a beautiful spot off the main Rd when it branches to the left. It got a bit busier on the weekend (Jeep/4-wheelers), but still very peaceful. These flats gets very windy (just like Willow Spring Rd), so keep your awnings in during the night or if you leave for the day.

This is a great alternative to the always busy Willow Springs Rd. boondocking area. Tons of room out where with large, open spots and awesome mountain views. We spent an enjoyable 12 days here away from the crowds that you'll find in virtually every other part of Moab.

The only issue with this area is that to reach the boondocking sites you must cross a 100-foot sandy wash that require 4WD. Seriously, don't try to drive out here with your Class A. You will get stuck! However, if you tow a trailer or fifth wheel with a 4WD truck you should be fine. We made it with our 25-foot trailer with no problems and saw multiple other RVs much bigger and heavier than us who also made it. When you first turn on the road there's a large parking area where you can unhitch and drive across the wash without your RV first to make sure you can make it.

This road is the access point for a series of OHV and mountain bike trails, but if you don't park right on the main road any traffic going past should not be an issue.

The cell service reported is with a booster. Despite the solid signal it was slow at times depending on how many other people were hitting the tower. Without the booster it was really, really slow.