The 99 Cent Chef: Camping in Moab, Utah - Indian Summer Vacation Video Series

I'm roughing it in my next Indian Summer Vacation Video. My intrepid vacation-planning wife found a campsite in the small town of Moab, Utah -- just 5 miles from Arches National Park. This video covers our camping time, then it's on to eye-popping Arches. You will not believe the next video I have in store for you, this one is just a warm-up.

The campsite is called Up The Creek and is located a few blocks from the center of downtown. Click here to see the website.

Downtown Moab, Utah

Moab is small, with a few thousand residents, so the campsite was quiet, especially with a small creek rushing by.

It's a little high-end at $32 a night for two people, but a good deal when you include: shower stalls, restrooms, an outdoor sink, charging station for electronics, gas grills, and even wheelbarrows to roll in your camping equipment.(Of course, always best to check on their website to see latest daily rates and all the campsite details.) Click here for a link to more campsites, cabins, and RV parks.

The campsite takes up about half a city block - not huge, but spacious enough. You park in a car lot by the entrance and carry, or wheelbarrow-in, all the camping stuff.

It's tent only, no RV's or car camping here. I saw about a dozen tents setup when we were there. And there are plenty of cottonwood trees, so you keep cool in the shade.

We stayed two days and nights and have no complaints. Although, we found out it was the hottest it's been all year (end of May.) While mostly sunny, but with those giant puffy white clouds you see in all the Western movies, the clouds were welcome shade providers -- however brief (pack plenty of sunblock.) And at night it cooled down comfortably. There are insects, but not biting ones (at least no bites on me.)

We had a neighbor who brought his dog - it costs another $5 per day. The animal was well behaved, friendly but quiet.

Having free access to showering was especially welcome after a sweltering day of sightseeing in Arches National Park. And right around the corner of the shower/restrooms is an outdoor kitchen sink, with fresh water for water bottle refills.

Since I was documenting stuff with my digital cameras, the charging station by the kitchen sink got a lot of use. There is no WiFi in the camp, but a couple blocks away are cafes and a visitors center for free online access.

They have a couple gas grills on a picnic table for public use, since no camp fires are allowed. If you don't like cooking and the cleanup, there are plenty of dining options in Moab.

The first night we had a tasty Happy Hour pizza, all-you-can-eat salad, and draft beer at Zax Restaurant & Watering Hole (click here to read all about them.) There are at least a dozen more dining and fast food destinations and a large grocery store, along the main street.

The main attraction was the short drive to Arches National Park - barely 5 minutes away. So it's easy to do a morning hike, take a break at camp, and return to the park later in the day when it has cooled down. Of course you can camp in the park itself, but good luck getting a spot (go ahead and read about it here.)

My Camping in Moab, Utah is a short video and I think you will enjoy it. It's just an appetizer - my next video on Arches National Park is a feast for the eyes, so do check back next week, too.

Camping in Moab, Utah - Video #7