Quick Stops in Utah and new State: Nevada

In our trips out west, somehow, our travels had not taken us to Nevada; the only state in the west, we had not yet spent the night in our RV. We stayed in several small cities in Utah on our way there; Green River and Delta. Pretty little towns, but not a lot to do; perfect for just relaxing. In Nevada, we stayed at a very small RV park and gas station called the Stargazer, in the small town of Baker. The town is absolutely tiny with just a grocery store, gas station, restaurant and post office; but it was very cute, and right next to Great Basin National Park. Our first day at Great Basin, we took the tour of Lehman cave which was very cool, both literally and figuratively. You definitely need a jacket! The hiking was just spectacular! It was so exciting to hike in July in the snow to a glacier, but the rock scramble to get there and back was a little dicey, but fun. We both especially loved hiking to the Alpine lakes; Teresa and Stella. They were just so peaceful and beautiful, with lovely streams and wild flowers. The most interesting part of the park however, were the Bristlecone Pines. We learned that they are the oldest non-clonal species on the planet. The Bristlecone Pine Tree grows at high elevations and can survive in harsh environments. It was definitely worth the hike to see them.

Our next stop was something new to us, a Love’s RV stop in Salina, UT. It definitely did not seem like a truck stop, and actually had very nice sites and good views. Palisade State Park was nearby, and a great place to spend the afternoon in the mountains by the lake. We went back to Green River and were able to visit Goblin Valley State Park, which was really amazing. The hoodoos and rock formations make you feel like you are on Mars.

Next stop; back to Colorado and a new to us state park, Rifle Gap