Camping options, suggestions needed, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado?

Hey all, I need some suggestions from the TW family.

I'm going to be traveling from Tennessee to Idaho with a pitstop in Grand Junction, Co. in early October. Below is the perspective route I'm planning to take, I-40 to I-35 to I-70 to get to Grand Junction.

I'm stopping to see relatives in Memphis and Littlerock on Oct 1st. But west of Little Rock, I have no idea where are the best places to stop? I'd prefer to camp vs getting a hotel, eyeing cheap or free camping to keep the budget down. I'll be traveling with my dog, which is always a pain dealing with hotels. There is very little if any BLM/Forest Service land to camp on east of the Rocky mtns.

Based on the distances of 500 miles per day give or take a little. I'd like to stop somewhere between Tulsa, OK, and Wichita, Ks Oct 2nd and Somewhere east of Denver on Oct 3rd, and on Oct 4th somewhere close to Grand Junction.

I'll be in GJ Oct 5th. After GJ, I'll likely stop somewhere between SLC, and Twin Falls, on Oct 6th, and reaching my hunting camp on Oct 7th in the Idaho mountains a couple of hours out of Orofino.

If you have any suggestions on places to stop or places to avoid, please let me know!

 

kind of a weird route to take tbh, I'm driving to colorado and moab next week from SC. I take 26 up into TN and then go all the way through TN, KY, IL to St Louis for rt 70. Might be quicker for you. I also did 1100 miles in one sitting which was a lot yes, but I made the solo drive in about 25 hours (drive time only) and slept in my back seat at a truck stop. You can definitely do more than 500 miles a day if you want to cut down your overall trip time. As for camping east of colorado, I'm no help there.
I am 6'0 and managed to semi comfortably sleep in the back seat with my passenger seat reclined for my legs to stretch out every once in a while. With your dog, I don't see there being much room for that unless it's a chihuahua lol.

 

Stay on I40 until you get to Amarillo. Head NW across the TX panhandle towards Raton NM. Get on I25 north to Denver then head west on I70. Stopping to visit in Memphis, Little Rock and Grand Junction is really making the trip a lot longer. You'd save about 200 miles going to St. Louis, across Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming then Idaho.

What type of camping? Tent, travel trailer, or back of truck. If you take my suggested route you'll be in Colorado from Little Rock in one day of hard driving. Lathrop State park isn't too far west of I24 at the Walsenburg exit. Remember the 1 hour time difference is going to help you going west. Hurt you coming home.

I've traveled and camped all over Colorado and been to Yellowstone twice. Never as far as Idaho. There are lots of places including private campgrounds along the way. More options for free camping in National Forests in Colorado. I've never done the trip solo, but with another driver have driven straight through before by swapping out driving and sleeping in passenger seat.

Be prepared for the possibility of snow in mountains. Make sure you have tire chains, they are required in some places.

 

If you go I-70 across KS, I have camped and kayaked at Lake Wilson, right off of I-70 and a little north of Wilson, KS. Excellent state park facilities, you’ll want to make a reservation asap if you stay there.

Cheney State Park and El Dorado State Park are close to Wichita, KS. It’s about $15 to camp overnight.

https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks

 

I'm older, with back issues. My days of doing 1000 miles in one sitting are long past me. The trip time is not an issue, I can leave on the 1st and need to be in GJ on the 5th, and in Idaho NLT on the 7th. That's almost double the time necessary, which will be easier on my back. I've done the TN, KY, IL to St Louis route on I-70 before, and my route this trip is flexalbe. I'll probably come back via that route, but going through Memphis on the way makes going through St Louis a longer route to GJ.

 

I'll be tent/hammock camping. I'll check the NM route. This routing is google's suggestion based on the required stops in Memphis and GJ. This is my 6th trip crossing the country and I've been able to adjust my route to stay with friends and family. But this trip will be different, I don't know anyone in Ok or Ks anymore. They all retired and moved to Florida.

 

ahh gotcha, well drive safe and enjoy the trip!

 

Cedar Bluff State Park in Kansas is clean, has showers and decent water. Most spaces have shade.

We don't stop much in Kansas because we live so close and usually just pass through. Cedar Bluff is the one place we have stopped. Sorry if that doesn't help, but

 

Keystone or Osage Hills are up near Tulsa.

https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/keystone-state-park

https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/osage-hills-state-park

But there is a bunch up in the corner of the state.
https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/search

 

I’m currently on the road back from CO. Just woke up after sleeping at a “roadside table” in the OK panhandle. These are all over the highways (not interstate). I’ve never had an issue sleeping at them.

Not sure how much time this will add, but if you want easier free or cheap camping and would like to see a better view of KS and history, split near Wichita and head west from there. 400 will take u across CO border at Holly. You can camp at John Martin Reservoir...it’s always empty and night sky is beautiful. You can take 50 through and pass Sand Dunes and/or hit up Grand Junction via Gunnison. I’m not a fan of 70 these days. And the options to camp along alternate routes are better (IMO).

 

Mike, I can’t help you with camping locations along your route but offer this suggestion. Pick up the TAT after Memphis, seems to be lots of camping options along that route and the mileage between towns will be closer to your limit I think. Not sure where you will need to come off the route to get to GJ but I think it will get you close.

On the return, there is a route called The Northern Route that runs east/west along the northern most states then down toward Chicago if I remember right. From there you could connect to the interstates or stay on secondary roads home.

This may add some days to your trip but it sounds like that will be on, at least on the return leg. I think there will be more camping options available for you and a lot better scenery than the interstate.

Hit me up in DM if you want more info.

 

I live in Tulsa and if I'm going to Grand Junction I would stay on I40 all the way to Gallup and go north. You avoid Denver and I70. That's how we get to Moab. Tulsa to Denver is about 10 hours.

 

I live in Wichita and there are a few places nearby. Cheney Reservoir is gross, but does have free camping options if you're willing to look for them (most of the free are at dead end dirt roads on the West/Northwest side of the lake.) Lake Afton is a small lake but it is affordable at $10 bucks a night. There is also an public Observatory at lake Afton which operates through the end of October.