Epic Colorado and Utah Campsites in the FJ Cruiser

August 2020 was spent mostly on the road in The Gear Bunker’s FJ Cruiser. Spreading the word about our website while exploring some of the great trails that weave their way through the Rocky Mountains. From historic passes built by early settlers to rugged forrest service roads that access our beautiful National Forests. With a loose timetable and only a general idea of the trails I’d be traveling, I packed the FJ and headed west. First stop was Podium Ink in Iowa for a partial vinyl wrap of the vehicle. Then onto the Rockies to find some epic campsites.

This FJ will be for sale on the Bring a Trailer Website this fall!!

For the first leg of a three week trip, the plan was to remain in the Rocky Mountains as much as possible. Traveling south from Laramie, Wyoming through Colorado, ultimately ending in Santa Fe New Mexico. Here I would visit my oldest son who’s working at a local golf course. And pick up my wife and youngest son at the airport. They would accompany me for the next 10 days back into Colorado and Utah. Following beautiful mountain rivers and crawling up rugged forest service roads, I was able to locate secluded spots to camp along the way. The FJ’s ability to navigate rough trails allowed me to get off the beaten path and away from the weekend warriors in their RV’s. 876 miles of mostly forest service roads, five days of driving and four pretty nice campsites to pop open my RoofNest Falcon.

Epic Campsite Video:

My main tool for navigation is GAIA GPS (Not Sponsored). This app allows me to look ahead using several layers of map data to scout routes as well as potential campsites. When looking for campsites, I take into account the type of road, the rougher the better. And if it’s a dead end, you can ensure there will be no drive-by traffic. Topographical lines will indicate sites on a ridge, mountain top or valley. Forecast wind and weather will dictate whether I look for exposed or protected sites. Satellite layers provide a realistic look at the trail condition and also expose new trails not indicated on the GAIA topo base layer. The more you use the app and explore, the more proficient you become at selecting potential epic campsites. There’s up-to-date forest fire information and even a cell coverage map layer.

This type of trip is something I’d like to do annually if work allows it. 3-4 weeks exploring some of Americas beauty. Might be aiming for Montana and the Glacier Park area next time. But I’m open to suggestions. Let me know in the comments if there’s somewhere you’d recommend.