Trip
Camp – Canyonlands Needles District
We will be at a group campground in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The group site will be our "basecamp" where we will depart from each morning whether a canyon hike or nearby mountain hike.
Contacts
- Thu, Jun 5, 2025 — Sun, Jun 8, 2025
- Denver
- Camping, Hiking
- Adults
- Easy to Moderate, Easy to Moderate
- Easy
- Elevation Gain: 900 ft
- High Point Elevation: 5,500 ft
- Pace: 1.5
- 10 (10 capacity)
- FULL (2 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
Contact co-leader Claude Neumann for trip deatils. He can be reached at 720-231-3039 or claudeneumann@earthlink.net
Claude will be sending out a group email a day or two before departure describing the daily hikes.
We anticipate at least one full hike each day. However, to help participants plan ahead and accomadate some difference in hiking level ability, hikes may split off into a more abbreviated shorter/easier version. Or, we may simply create two hikes each day - one being shorter and easier or the aforementioned 11+ mile outing up to 11 miles (roundtrip) and about 900 feet of overall elevation gain.
Weather and other consideration can dramatically change our plans on any given day. Therefore, we ask that everyone attending come with a sense of adventure, flexibility, and fun!
Leaders will be Claude Neumann and Roger Wendell. Primary contact will be Claude and can be reached at 720-231-3039 or claudeneumann@earthlink.net
The earliest we can occupy the site is at 1 pm on Thursday afternoon, June 5. Therefore, we plan on leaving the Denver area at around 8 am in the morning. That will get us into the campsite by early evening - in time to set up camp and prepare dinner. Those who wish to carpool can meet at the "dinosaur" lots on I-70 at the Morrison exit. Those not wishing to carpool can meet us at the campground.
We are strongly emphasizing that participants carpool - not only in the interests of the environment, but the Park Service limits us to five cars at this particular site. Any additional cars will have to be shuttled to the visitor center's overflow two miles from the campsite.
Please coordinate with co-leader Claude Neumann for carpooling and other logistics.
Please bring a parks pass if you have one. $220 is the camping fee for this site - this amount will be divided up evenly between all participants and leaders at the start of the trip. This expense does not include any fees for park entry or carpooling.
Carpooling expenses are usually shared evenly between all occupants of the vehicle, including the driver. The Denver Group has a carpool reimbursement rate schedule on their page at; https://cmcdenver.org/membership/mileagereimbursement
It's roughly 830 miles, roundtrip, from the dinosaur lots to the park entrance. At that distance, Denver's current recommended reimbursement rate is 32 cents per mile for a total of $256 per vehicle - or $64 per person in a car with four people.
Required Equipment
Be prepared for any kind of weather this time of year - layered clothing, sturdy footwear suitable for difficult terrain, rain gear, jackets, hats, and sunglasses are all recommended.
Note! Early June can mean summer heat. If we do have any hot days, we as a group can instead decide to hike for the day in the nearby Abajo Mountains and return to camp late afternoon.
We will be spending three nights in this campground. It's a very quiet and private site that offers potable water, clean toilets, picnic tables, and a fire pit.
You'll need a tent, sleeping bag and pad, and most of the typical items you'd use in a public campground. Things like a camp chair, outdoor light, insect repellant, outdoor shower bag, and even a small amount of firewood will add to your experience.
We'll be sending everyone on the roster an email with additional hints and suggestions but want to remind you that almost all of our meals will be in camp. As such, you will need a stove and cookware for any hot food along with a cooler for anything that needs some refrigeration. We are planning on one evening potluck - please contact Claude with any questions.
The Needless Outpost Store, nearby, can provide some of the ice, fuel, and food you may need but at a greatly increased price - it's usually better to bring things in the car from town - either the Denver area or a short stop in Moab along the way.
You'll also need suitable hiking equipment. A pack with good water capacity, snacks, and the ten essentials are needed. That includes headlamp, first aid, map, compass, etc. Sturdy footwear for what's known as "slick rock" throughout the area is necessary. The sandstone can be difficult to walk along, especially when wet from rain or snow.