2020-15 Western Wyoming, Stateline Cove, Green River and Fontenelle

2020-15

Exploring Wyoming

Campground: Stateline Cove Campground. Border of Wyoming and Utah, Flaming Gorge Rec area. $7 senior rate. No hookups. Dump station available at full service State park next door, $7.00. Great location, close to waters edge. Boondocking sites available further along the lake shore.

Stateline Cove Campground

Stateline Cove Campground, walks on the beach
what could be better

Campground: Wild Horse Loop, Green River Wyoming. High up on a mountain overlooking Green River. Dispersed camping. Cold nights, 40’s. Wild horse in the morning. Spectacular vistas.

my campsite on top of the Wild Horse Loop Rd.

leading up to the Wild Horse Road Loop

Campground: Fontenelle Wyoming. Slate Creek Campground. BLM. Picnic tables, pit toilets, trash bin. Many sites among cottonwood trees and grass, next to Green River.

Slate Creek Campground.

Slate Creek Campground.

free camping at its best

Rv Tip: if you use a swiffer wet or dry sweeper, did you know you can use both sides of the pad? After cleaning the floor with the front of the pad, turn it over (yes it will be dirty) and use the back side to go over the floor one more time. You’ll be surprised at how much more dirt you can pick up, before disposing of the pad.

RV status: Class C, Forest River, Sprinter, Mercedes diesel. Currently getting 15 to 17 mpg.

Really lovin the additional possibilities this type of camper provides. Especially being able to boon-dock. Being completely self contained with all the power requirements onboard has extended my camping options enormously. Being able to pull over more often for those all important photo opportunities is amazing. Having the camper with me where ever I go, whether touring a small town or those awesome scenic destinations. Unlike using the truck to tour, I literally have everything at my disposal. From restroom, food, snacks, drinks. Or just taking a break from touring to relax for a bit.

Distance traveled: 46 miles

I enjoyed a few days on top of the mountain range in Ashley NF, next to the Flaming Gorge area. Loved all the trees and meadows at that high elevation. But even though there were many camper trailers in the forest, there were hardly any people. You see, many locals bring their campers up onto Forest land and just leave them here for the summer. Coming up only on weekends. So at first, I thought I’d try to distance myself from all the Rv’s, then realized, most of them weren’t even occupied. Making for a peaceful setting a bit too isolating for me. And no internet service or Tv signals was a bummer.

descending 8 grade

Flaming Gorge, green lake, green river

get ready, 8% grade, down, down, down

With that thought, I headed on down to the Green River, lake level, descending about 5+ miles of 8% grade. I’m not overly happy with the Sprinter/Mercedes manual setting as it only lets me downshift into either 4^th or 3^rd gear. Necessitating the need to tap the brakes more often than I would care too. Later, I would find out that it could shift into 2^nd gear, apparently I didn’t tap the shift lever as firm as I should. Hmmm.

I arrived just outside of the very small town of Manila Utah at the Stateline Cove campground. My GPS kept welcoming me to Wyoming, then a mile or so further welcoming me to Utah and back to Wyoming…. Obviously, I’m right on the border of these two fine states.

Mermaids on the lake shore 

Forts

toys left behind

loved being able to walk along the shoreline

evening with dramatic skies

I could have driven along the rugged shore a bit further and gotten a free dispersed campsite, but of the two parks here, one having electric hookups and the other one I chose, with semi-established sites with picnic tables, no hookups and most along the shoreline with sandy beach. I was smitten. Signed up for a couple of days and haven’t left the site once.

What makes a place special? To me it often changes. But here some things just came together. I could enjoy seeing others enjoying themselves, at a safe distance of course. Providing a sense of not being completely isolated. People watching is a great sport. I get to go for wonderful walks along the beach. The scenery of course is wonderful. Just sitting outside looking out on the lake reading a good book. Temperatures have been awesome. And on a few afternoons when it’s gotten a bit to hot or windy, I just turn on the generator and a/c and enjoy the cool air inside for a couple of hours. haven’t felt the urge to go into the little town at all. Even though one or two restaurants are open, I don’t feel comfortable going in them, except for possible takeout. And I’d already stopped into their hardware/grocery store, yes the town is that small. Another factor is that I have fairly good internet/cell phone service, lots of over-the-air TV stations for entertainment. Even a couple radio stations.

What a great way to spend a couple of lazy summer days.

Distance Traveled. 50 miles
Green River, Rock Springs Wyoming

Road leading to the top of Wild Horse Loop Road

First off, I’m in this area to pick up meds at Walgreens. I have to pick them up monthly for two of the 4 eye drops as they cost over $250 for a months supply. Then of course getting some supplies for more dispersed camping. While in the area, I drove up to the top of the mountain/ridge overlooking Green River. There I’d only spend one night as the weather has turned quite chilly for a couple of days. And up on the mountain, it would get down to around 41 degrees. You can imagine me fully clothed, with 6 blankets on top of me so I’d be toasty warm overnight. Getting up in the middle of the night to Pee of course is quite the challenge, but necessity requires it.

In the morning, as I hoped would happen, I was able to witness a small herd of wild horses grazing along the Wild Horse loop road. A mare was with baby, as she laid down by the side of the roads for a while. Beautiful horses. They say there are around 1,200 wild horses in this area and last time I came through this area, I saw where Wildlife management had herded some together for sale to the public. Both horses and mules. Needless to say, witnessing wild horses in their natural setting really made my day, or should I say early morning. Oh and how the light turned a golden yellow at sunrise. Lighting up the hills surrounding my camper, on the edge of the steep cliff.

Wild Horses, oh yeh, 

beautiful

really made my day

okay, enough already
yes it sure was great to see wild horses
in their natural habitat.

Distance Traveled: 56 miles
Fontenelle Wyoming

view from my front window
at campsite

views across the Green River

a couple horses got out of their pen....

evening view....

Dory boats very popular with the many fishermen

pronghorn

only downside, moths about flying bugs
none biting, just get in the camper, ekkk

Then after a few days quick visit in the area, it was time to locate a campsite for the 4^th of July weekend. I Chose the Fontenelle Wyoming, Slate Creek Campground. Actually there are a number of campgrounds in this area, some above the dam, all along the Green River. It was no problem securing a campsite right along the river. Where I get to watch dory boats float swiftly by. Usually with 3 boaters in each. The middle one handling the oars while the other two get to fish.

This is a remote location, and Fontenelle has no services, and no actual town. Though there are ranches in the area, all along the river. Haven’t heard any fireworks so far, maybe tonight, July 3^rd. Pronghorn come down to the rivers edge for a drink of water every evening, and I often see then on the low plateau just above the river. Ground squirrels and a few chipmunks along with all kinds of birds surround the campground.

My next destination will be Pinedale Wyoming. Where I plan to stay for about a weeks time. Small town, trying to stay away from larger towns. Before deciding whether to continue my journey in Wyoming or cross over into Idaho. Still doing my best to be proactive regarding Covid 19. There are just too many folks who aren’t following the proper protocols, so I’m having to either walk out of a place, often scope out a place before attempting to enter, or adjust my time for shopping, etc.

Hoping to meet up with good friends Susan and Michele once I get to Pinedale.

More Photos:

Stateline Cove, Utah/Wyoming

Rock Springs Wyoming

Green River, Wild Horse Loop, Wyoming 

Fontenelle Wyoming

bonus pics:

Road Scenes heading to Pinedale WY