Northern Illinois-Colarado-Moab. Need some advice

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matty patty

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Traveler I

Hey everybody! So I'm pretty new to this forum, so that being said I apologise if I'm posting this in the wrong place. That being out of the way, I am planning a trip for mine and wife's anniversary this year and we are heading from northern Illinois through Colorado springs and then to Moab. We have about 9 days for this adventure possibly 10? I was looking for some advice for some boondocking spots that might be accessable for my 2wd Chevy Sonic. Fully loaded up I have about 8inches of clearance, and hopefully by July (date of trip) I will have at least a front skip plate installed.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks for your time!
-matt
 

Boort

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Colorado
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@matty patty

There are lots on nice places in the Ntl. Forests of Colorado. I assume that you are not looking to sleep in a truck stop or Wal-Mart parkig lot.
Closer to Denver:
You can't camp in the parking lots but there is good dispersed tent camping on the trails leading to Maxwell Falls Near Evergreen, Co. https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7013028
Coming from Co Spgs:

Near Leadville Co. there are some good spots for boondocking
Camp Hale:
Lots of RVs here easy in and out but depending on who's there and if they have any respect you might need to deal with Generators or engines running all night. Details here: ( http://www.rv-camping.org/co_leadville/ )​

Up on Haggermans Pass:
It's a washboard road going west from Leadville until the you get to this big hairpin ( 39.248812, -106.469862 ) there are a handful of pull outs along this road that are good spots to pull off and camp. (plenty of pay camping at Turquoise lake too) Past that hairpin it gets rougher and I would not take your Sonic over the top. That said I've been up there in a stock Ford Econoline 150 Long wheelbase Van, and a VW Baja Bug. I've also seen a crazy SOB take a stock 1990's Honda Civic over it at unreasonably high speeds. If you do choose to go over the top you'll find a river ford not far down the west side ( 39.284947, -106.519563 ) by late July it should be down to a trickle or empty if no rain in the proceeding days. Could be 12-18" deep and running cold and fast on July 4th. Beyond that you'll have a beautiful graded washboard road out to Basalt Co and on to Carbondale Co. (avoid the temptation to turn north and connect to I-70 in Eagle Co. The roads are just pothole roads and there is lots of great camping spots back there but there are also some sick steep bentonite clay hills that if wet are really easy to get stuck or slide off of with road tires.)​

In either case call the local Land Manager (either BLM or Correct Natl forest station to find out about any current restrictions (Fires will likely be banned by July)

Boort
 
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matty patty

Rank 0

Traveler I

Thanks so much for the pointers! I truly do appreciate it. I'm just a couple days away here from leaving and as per usual, we have procrastinated and have yet to plan our route. So if anyone has any last minute pointers I'm all ears. Thanks!
 
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