Down at the Bottom of a Canyon in UT in the Middle of Nowhere!

Sept. 8-9.  What a pleasant drive out of Salt Lake City.  We followed the valley on the east side of the Wasatch Mountains heading south.  Up and over mountain passes and back into rocky cliffs.  There were lots of clouds that made taking pictures facing the early morning sun difficult at times.  But still pretty country.  Hill AFB is right on the other side of the mountain range in the 1st picture. 

 
Since it is September, it looks like the foliage on the east sides of the mountains at higher elevations is starting to turn and the hillsides look so colorful. 
   
As we head to our next destination, we pass the rocky cliffs, cross a valley and drive by the Strawberry Reservoir in the mountains in the 3rd picture.  
  
We pass the Strawberry Reservoir and keep going. 
 
This is where it got interesting!  Our destination was a small campground past the reservoir and on the Strawberry River.  There was hardly any traffic on Highway 40 and now we turned onto a road that made us a bit nervous towing a large RV.   We turned in Duchesne at the sign that said Strawberry Pinnacles and the road was roughly paved but we weren’t sure for how far or what to expect.   We must have missed the sign for the campground but GPS did mark the road at the Strawberry Pinnacles sign as the road we were to take.  We knew the campground was 6 miles from the main road.  “Look, there is a house and an RV, so we can’t be totally off the grid!”
  
Here we go!  The landscape starts to give way to a canyon that follows the Strawberry River.   The scenery got really unique and interesting, yet pretty in its’ own special way.  We have never driven to a campground this remote and in such an unusual setting.   Closer to the campground and lodge, the road became dirt for the last mile and a half.  But it was well packed and not too bumpy.  We passed other dwellings, and still find it hard to believe people are living way down this canyon.   Some dwellings were average looking and others looked like the land was used for a dumping ground and the people put a trailer or built a house in the middle of it.  I guess if you are that remote you figure nobody is going to see how you really live!   
 
Then the road narrowed and hugged the sides of the rocky cliffs.  Another landscape we didn’t expect. 
  
 
Then we spot the campground.  What a pleasant surprise.  We made it just fine, thanks to RV Park Reviews on the Internet.  Wow, you would never guess this place was here!  It is small but has green grass and is nestled in this bowl in the canyon.  We are the only ones here the first day and had the campground to ourselves. Ahh.. the setting, peace, and quiet were great.  What a unique and unusual camping experience to add to our adventures.  And the sky even cleared up for us!
  
   
But that wasn’t all of it!  The Strawberry River is behind us and mostly overgrown with brush.  It is very narrow and shallow at this location.  While waiting to see if anyone was around, an elderly couple on a golf cart came by passing through the campground.  Now what on earth are they doing out here!? We thought the place was deserted.  Property owners next to the campground use the campground outer road to get to a private little group of properties where folks have a cabin or RV of some type.  Who knows how on earth, or why, people have bought lots and spend the summer way out at the bottom of this canyon, miles from anywhere!  The couple were really nice and the wife had been to Virginia Beach to visit relatives nearby.  Small world! 
Later, when the campground owners were home, we went to pay for our site.   The couple has a nice piece of property across the river and behind the brush in the above pictures.  The road to their house is a turn off the road to the campground.  They also run a small lodge of about 6 rooms and 3 cabins.  Instead of just paying for our site, we wound up talking away the afternoon with them.  Just super nice people.  They even gave us home grown tomatoes and squash out of their garden!  They also gave us a box of really good chocolate chip cookies!  We really enjoyed their company.   You don’t often find campground owners like that!
Their home is a log home, and just what I would love to have when we come off the road.  They are selling the property and will home base in St. George, UT.  They want to travel in a 5th wheel or motorhome during the summer.  So we got to answer questions and talk about travelling.  They make most of their income from family reunions who rent out the whole campground and lodge.  The couple also owned the lots that are now private.  I guess people really do like the seclusion out here because the couple sold enough lots to pay off the mortgage and will have no worries when they sell the property.  But the campground could use some maintenance.
The only down side is that it rained the rest of our stay. We hadn’t planned on going anywhere anyway.  But the 2nd day, Doug decided he did want to see the dam to the reservoir.  I caught his cold, so didn’t feel like going. It gave me a chance to catch up on my blogs but knew I would have to post them later when we had better internet service.  We did have another young couple in a travel trailer show up late the 2nd afternoon.  Our next destination is Dinosaur National Monument and sunny skies! 
(We have been without internet service, so I finally get to post this blog and the 2 previous ones from Dinosaur National Monument, today, Sept.10.)