If there’s any outdoor activity made for social distancing, it’s camping.  While you may find yourself wanting to avoid big state parks or campgrounds that are still open, there are still plenty of places to camp, especially in Western Colorado. As long as you are on BLM land, you can camp in designated areas (unless otherwise posted). So, we’ve got tips for camping and social distancing, where to go and what to do.

BLM Land

First, Western Colorado’s Rabbit Valley area has quite a few campgrounds and we’re pretty sure you can find a spot that’s quite isolated from others. You’ll be boondocking, so make sure you have plenty of water and either a generator or solar power. It’s still getting chilly at night. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure your battery is fully charged for running lights, the radio, the heater fan, etc.

In Rabbit Valley you’ll be able to hike, 4-wheel, jeep, and mountain bike. All of these are great activities that don’t require any close contact with other people. The Western Rim trail is our favorite for mountain biking. The McDonald Creek trail is great for hiking to see petroglyphs, and the Kokopelli Trail is great for jeeping and 4-wheeling. You’ll see awesome views of the La Sal Mountains and the Colorado River.

Out in the North Fruita Desert the 18 Road campground is still open and not very busy. You’ll be right in the middle of a great set of bike trails out here, or you can find OHV and ATV trails just as the road turns from pavement to gravel. All the trails out here are also fine for hiking.  There are pit toilets available at the 18 Road Campground, but make sure you have hand sanitizer with you (which you probably do anyway).

STATE PARKS

All Colorado State Parks are open for business.  That means you can STILL go to state parks and camp.  They’re cleaning bathrooms more regularly, but if you’ve got a trailer with a bathroom, you can use your own facilities and still enjoy great views, hiking, biking and more. Restaurants are serving take out and need all the support they can get! Head down to Ridgway for a long weekend. Let the kids ride their bikes around the campground, take a hike, or even take a drive to look at the mountains. All of these things are still available! Camping and social distancing aren’t two things that don’t belong together. Just the opposite. You can camp with your family, have a campfire, eat s’mores, wave at others in the campground, and get outside. Whether it’s at a state park campground or on BLM land, there are plenty of ways to get out and camp.

Now more than ever we think it’s important to realize what we have. We have time to slow down and reconnect with our families. Let’s try to find the good and get outside with our kids, our spouses, our pets.  We’re open and willing to help! Our parts and service department is open too if you need accessories.