From Great Basin to Cedar Breaks
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After leaving the quiet landscapes of Great Basin National Park, we headed into Utah to begin our trek through the state's famous red rock country. When we were originally planning our route, we made the conscious decision to skip Zion. While it is one of Utah's Mighty 5, we had spent time there back in 2015 and decided to use this journey to cover new ground.
Our planned trip had shifted back at Lake Tahoe when we decided to shave several California parks off the itinerary. We were starting to feel a little travel weary. Because of that, we were flying by the seat of our pants with no reservations. Instead we planned to rely on a mix of First Come First Serve campgrounds and dispersed camping. This mindset is exactly how we ended up at Cedar Breaks National Monument. A park volunteer at Great Basin had mentioned an astronomy event happening there that weekend, and since we were not beholden to a calendar, we figured why not.
On the drive toward the monument, we stopped at Milford Historic Park. Milford is a classic Western town with railroad and mining roots, and the park acts as a local catch-all for that history. It was a bit of a grab bag ranging from heavy railroad artifacts to a stray school bell. It was the perfect place to stretch our legs and soak in the transition from the Nevada basin to the Utah highlands.
The gamble of traveling without reservations paid off once again at Cedar Canyon Campground. We snagged the very last campsite that could actually accommodate our RV, right on the doorstep of the monument.
We spent the following day on the essentials. After the remote stretches of rural Nevada, the proximity to Cedar City felt like a luxury. We spent the day on a Walmart run, a pile of laundry, and a haircut for me. It was a necessary chore day before we continued through Utah.
On the drive toward the monument, we stopped at Milford Historic Park. Milford is a classic Western town with railroad and mining roots, and the park acts as a local catch-all for that history. It was a bit of a grab bag ranging from heavy railroad artifacts to a stray school bell. It was the perfect place to stretch our legs and soak in the transition from the Nevada basin to the Utah highlands.
The gamble of traveling without reservations paid off once again at Cedar Canyon Campground. We snagged the very last campsite that could actually accommodate our RV, right on the doorstep of the monument.
We spent the following day on the essentials. After the remote stretches of rural Nevada, the proximity to Cedar City felt like a luxury. We spent the day on a Walmart run, a pile of laundry, and a haircut for me. It was a necessary chore day before we continued through Utah.