Castleton Tower Campground

The area around Moab is so rife with spectacles you can drive in any direction and be awestruck. So many people come here the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has signs posted at every turnout, side road or view point saying: NO CAMPING DOWN THIS ROAD or NO CAMPING BEYOND THIS POINT or simply NO CAMPING.

So it was with some trepidation that I returned to the La Sal Loop Road after piddling around the town of Castle Valley until nearly sunset. But something told me to check this one out. I made a U-ee and found this finely crafted latch-pin securely keeping the sign-in door shut.

There're several signs that tell about the place, exhort people to take care of it and there's a vertical cannon-like container for donations to pay to pump the toilet. I gave $20.00.

Utah Open Lands, a non-profit, raised the $640,000.00 to buy the 221 acres that comprise the campground. Other than the toilet, which includes a broom and dustpan, there are two level tentsites; nothing else. The "parking lot" is so uneven a trailer would hang on the embankment. The total effect brought forth a chuckle of appreciation; in my (alleged) mind THIS is "developed" camping. 

I mention the place in case you too happen to be out there and don't want to drive to the BLM C.G. And it was so clean I donned my lederhosen, got down on my hands und knees und crawled aroundt making sure. Und yah, der vuz not eeffen ein schpeck uf trash. 


This, of course, is what all the fuss is about.

The white blocks in the lower left are the facilities.