Camping near Bryce?

[AustinCronnelly]

Im planning to do some camping along the HIR road but I won't be able to leave Davis County untill after 5. I was hoping to make it down as far as Bryce so I could grab a quick sunrise before we continue onto Escalante. Does anyone have an area in mind for this situation? Free is ideal but I'm not against paying for a night. Depending on the number of tents we have, I might try for the first come first served sites in the park. Any info is appreciated!

 

[Nick]

I like to go to Escalante via Torrey rather than Bryce. In that case, camping just outside of Capitol Reef is convenient and then you have an amazing drive on Highway 12 over Boulder Mtn first thing in the AM. Meeks Mesa is good and easy to find. There is also the Sunglow Campground between Bicknell and Torrey that looks good. If it's late enough in spring, there are tons of great camping options on Boulder Mountain along Highway 12. And if you get a really late start, there is great camping between Scipio and Aurora on Highway 50 at the Maple Grove campground or at one of the many primitive sites nearby.

As for coming in from Bryce, I know there is a campground in Red Canyon but I don't know of any primitive stuff until past Bryce and for that you'd be diverting pretty far out of your way to get to it on the Cottonwood Canyon or Skutumpah Roads. If you make it all the way to Escalante but don't want to start down Hole-in-the-Rock, I know of some spots that are not far from town.

 

[AustinCronnelly]

Great suggestion, for some reason I thought Bryce was the quickest route. A quick look at google maps has proven me wrong. Thanks Nick, I'll be looking at options along that route.