The Wedge Overlook Camping area is an incredible place to camp and even just to visit!  There are 9 campsites in all, but I think Campsite #9 is the best one since it’s about a 20 second walk to the cliffs edge and has the best view of the Little Grand Canyon.  I haven’t been to all the other campsites, but they are spread out before you get to #9.  I think #1 and #2 have impressive overlooks as well, but nothing like what #9 offers.

The camping is free – you don’t even need to register.  You just find a good spot in the designated area and set up camp (the designated camping area at #9 is inside of the wooden fence).  You can drive your car right to your campsite too.  Campsites are first-come-first-served.

Since this is a remote location, you will need to bring everything with you including:

• food
• water (I brought 4 gallons since I was planning on camping there for 2 nights)
• extra fuel
• spare tire and tire changing equipment
• camping equipment
• camp chairs
• cooler and ice
• fire wood
• there is a pit style outhouse, but bring some toilet paper as it’s not always stocked
• bug spray (if camping in the warmer months)
• bags for trash (there are no dumping facilities or hook ups for RVS and trailers).  You will need to pack everything out you brought in.
• Remember to clean your campsite up before you leave

Always keep in mind standard camping etiquette.

Here are The Trek Planner General Camping Guidelines:

• only camp in designated camping areas
• quiet hours are from 10 pm to 8 am
• leave your campsite cleaner than you found it.  Pick up some extra trash on your way out too!
• pack out all your trash and food waste (bring some trash bags)
• be a friendly camper and be cordial with other campers

From a sign at the campsite the BLM states:

• “Camp only in designated sites.  Do not gather or cut wood.  Stay on designated roads.  Do not collect any plants.  Pack out any garbage.”

When I was camping there were probably 10 other groups of campers many of which had children.  The people next to me brought a violin, so it was kind of nice to hear music while I was setting up my tent.  Then about an hour later I kept hearing the violin music, then another hour went by and it started to get annoying, but hey!  You do you!  There are lots of juniper trees to provide shade and some privacy.  Just make sure to check for ant hills before putting up your tent.

Even though the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages this area and does a great job at keeping this area nice and the road graded, I wouldn’t bring a super long trailer up here.  I did see some trailers, but they were all about 25 ft or shorter.  I’m sure you could fit bigger ones at the other campsites or if you wanted to be creative at campsite #9 you might be able to make something work, but just know there aren’t many turn around points and the roads are very narrow.  In fact, I was making dinner when I saw a truck pulling an RV go down the road and I could hear it scraping along the branches of the juniper leaves. Ouchie!

There are two overlooks: The Wedge Overlook and the Little Grand Canyon Overlook.

The campsite is literally feet away from the incredible overlook of the Little Grand Canyon.  Keep an eye on your kids since the cliff’s edge can be 15-100 ft high depending on where you are.  The San Rafael River cut this canyon and the river sits about 1000 ft below where you are standing.  There is probably a way down to the river, but I wasn’t interested in finding one yet.  You can drive down the short 1/2 mile east to the actual Wedge Overlook.  This is also a great turn around area if you are having troubles turning around in an RV or trailer.

The Wedge Overlook is absolutely incredible and worth it to drive or walk to!

I know it might be tempting, but the BLM doesn’t want you to camp outside of this camping area.  I was camping on a Friday and Saturday night and it got crowded fast.  Many people were just driving all over the bushes parking wherever despite signs saying that camping outside of the boundary was forbidden.  Please don’t do this. There are plenty of other camping sites back down the road.

What did I eat for food? Well, I bought some pulled pork and added some cut pineapple and bbq sauce and cooked that up.  I then bought one of those mixed veggie bags of carrots and peas to heat up on the pan.  I brought hamburger buns for the pulled pork sandwich and then ate the veggies along with some fresh cut mango and cantaloupe!  For breakfasts I had sausage, eggs, fried potatoes, and left over fruit I had from the previous night.  For lunch I made sandwiches and had plenty of snacks along the way.  I love car camping!

There are some fire pits already made in the campsites, so feel free to camp next to one.  They are just piles of rocks that someone created so make sure to have your fire in an appropriate area and to tend to it.  You must bring in your own wood if you want to have a fire.

I have AT&T and had excellent cell service.  I think I averaged about 2-4 bars of LTE service while at campsite #9.

My gear on this camping trip:

• Marmot Tungsten 3 person tent (I love all the space!)
• Yeti 20 Roadie Cooler
• Marmot Rockaway 35 degree sleeping bag.  It was still over 70 degrees at night so I just used a blanket and had my sleeping bag nearby just in case it got too cold
• 3 pillows. Yes, I need three pillows when I’m car camping
• Exped Mega Mat 10 sleeping pad
• Coleman old school double burner camp stove
• GSI Pinnacle Backpacker Mess kit