In the June 2014 edition of RV Life you will find an article I wrote about the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway.
In the article I made mention of dispersed camping (aka boondocking) opportunities along the upper tributaries of the Logan River. There are some awesome places to boondock while exploring Logan Canyon. In the Franklin Basin you will find numerous places to camp in the vicinity of N41 56.295 W111 34.235 Along Swan Flat you will find a nice camp area at N41 57.430 W111 29.290 (pictured) that can easily handle a dozen or more RVs in and among the trees.
Now if you visit Logan Canyon in late summer / early fall and plan to boondock, you are in for two surprises. First is the explosion of fall colors up and down the canyon. New England has nothing on Logan Canyon when it comes to brilliant reds, radiant oranges and dazzling yellows. Once settled in your colorful boondocking paradise, you may not want to depart until the leaves drop off the trees. The second surprise is deer season which generally runs from September 1st – October 31st. Many a hunter drags their RV into the Franklin Basin and Swan Flats and, from my experience, appear to leave them there for weeks on end regardless of the 14 day limit imposed by the forest service.
During our visit, when my wife and I attempted to find a boondocking site for the evening, we were stunned at the number of RVs parked in the woods. Not wanting to crowd other campers, we looked at each other and wondered, “where are we going to camp”? However, we soon realized that only a very few were actually occupied and by the number of dropped leaves on patio mats, pulled shades, dropped branches on the road, that some hadn’t been occupied in quite some time. Locating a couple of “abandoned” RVs, we set up camp about 100ft from them and enjoyed the fall colors. Needless to say none of our neighbors showed up that evening and my wife and I enjoyed having the place all to ourselves.
Boondocking surrounded by luminous fall colors with absent RV neighbors, just another adventure in RVing.
Dave Helgeson’s many roles in the RV industry started before he even had a driver’s license. His grandparents and father owned an RV dealership before the term “RV” had been coined, and Dave played a pivotal role in nearly every position of an RV dealership. He and his wife Cheri launched their own RV dealership in the Pacific Northwest. The duo also spent 29 years overseeing regional RV shows. Dave has also served as President of a local chapter of the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA), worked on the board of advisors for the RV Technician Program of a local technical college, and served as a board member of the Manufactured Home and RV Association. Dave’s reputation earned him the title of “The foremost expert on boondocking,” bestowed by RV industry icon, the late Gary Bunzer (The RV Doctor). When he’s not out boondocking, you’ll find Dave in the spotlight at RV shows across the country, giving seminars about all things RVing. He and Cheri currently roam in their fifth travel trailer, with Dave doing all the service, repair and modifications to his own unit.
Leave a Reply