Jacob’s Chair

In the past couple of installments we have been traveling along Utah Highway 95 from Hanksville to Blanding.  After driving the route just once, it has become one of my favorite lengths of pavement in Utah. This stretch of highway crosses some of the most scenic lands in the Southwest – red sandstone, twisted cottonwoods, and gaping canyons combined with that always deep blue Utah sky are just a few of the items that will assault your visual senses while RVing the highway.

The best section of the drive is the 40-mile stretch as you cross the Colorado River drainage.  Virtually every dirt road leading off the highway in the area beckons adventure. One such road is Jacob’s Chair Road accessed via Gravel Crossing. Jacob’s Chair resembles a gigantic straight-backed chair sitting atop a mesa. It was named after Jacob Adams, a well-known cattleman in the area who lost his life while trying to cross nearby White Creek too soon after a storm.

Start your journey by dropping your RV at an awesome boondocking site located at:

N 37 42.422  W110 14.363   From there proceed with your tow vehicle, dinghy (4×4 preferred, but a high clearance two wheel drive vehicle and capable driver would suffice), motorcycle or ATV down and across the White River (normally dry) and start the climb towards Jacob’s Chair. When you approach the first major grade after exiting the White River Canyon, look left to N37 43.305 W110 13.330 for the ruins of an old uranium mining camp and the remains of some very photogenic vehicles that were used by the miners.  Be sure to take your camera for pictures at the camp and to capture the scenic vistas that beckon at every twist and turn of the road as you ascend. When the road becomes too much for your nerves, vehicle or both, turn around and return to camp via the way you came.

Surviving a trek to Jacob’s Chair and back, just another adventure in RVing!

Dave Helgeson

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.