July 25, 2019 - Trip to Lucerne Campground in Flaming Gorge WY

The trip there took just over 3 hours. Not too many photos were taken as the main photographer was otherwise engaged driving, and the second busy with navigating and reassuring Roxy through the not so good roadway we took. The scenery, however, was as everything in Wyoming... Beautiful. Of particular interest was the town of Afton WY, in Lincoln County (same as Star Valley Ranch and Thayne, elevation 6,240 ft. It had a population of 1,911 as of 2010 (estimated at just over 2000 currently) and is home of the World's Largest Elk Antler Arch, made entirely of elk antlers. It spans 75 feet across four lanes of Hwy 89 traffic, consists of 3,011 elk antlers and weighs 15 tons. (That's 30,000 lbs, folks). We got nervous just driving under it.

 

 We love this old homesteads and barns seen on the drive down.

 

State line Wyoming - Utah on Hwy 530/43. It's funny that in this area one goes from Utah to Wyoming and back into Utah, all within 5 minutes.

This is the one pre-reserved trip that we had already made, prior to buying a lot in Star Valley, reason for which we cancelled the rest of the reservations after this one, until October. We had been to this campground in the Ashley National Forest two years ago and were looking forward to returning to it as it is a beautiful area with a very reasonable rate. Given our Geezer Pass for all US National Parks and Forests, the camping rate is 50% of the standard $20/night... so $10/night plus $8.00 for 50 Amp. electric. There is no water or sewer (at the campsites), but there is water available to be filled into our 7-gal. Aqua-tainer from which we can refill our water tank, and there are rest rooms and showers also available. Given the campsite that Mary picked out (for the view) the bathroom/shower building was just a short walk away.

  

Roxy was so easily amused by just watching the cute little ground squirells running around and disappearing into their holes, like this little guy (or gal) below, who would come up and stand there just 15 feet away, teasing Roxy.  However, she always stayed on her bed or lying on the concrete or grass and never tried to chase any of them, once we told her that it was not OK to do so.

Our campsite with a view of the lake awning facing East-Southeast so in the evenings we would haave shade and were blocked by the RV from the previling winds.

The girls relaxing outside.

When it was too hot for her outside, she could be just

as easily amused watching the squirrells from inside.

 

The prong-horn antelope can be seen wondering

about the campground grazing on sweet grass.

Photographer.

Our campsite.

Eastern view from our campsite.

Southern view from our campsite.

As you can tell the campground was getting full by the evening, readying for the weekend.

These ground squirrels are all over the place and one has to watch out for the holes they make their homes in or one can mistep into one while walking around.

Upon arriving the campground was fuller than it was the last time we were here, but still had a lot of open campsites. There are some campsites that are strictly 'reserved', as well as others that are strictly 'First come, frist served' (open to whoever finds such a campsite open can take it. In a 'reserved' site, if there is no reservation card on it, anyone can also take that site, until the date that the next reservation starts. This campground is incredible. The sites are ample, paved and have large picnic areas with large concrete picnic tables and either a charcoal grill or table for the campers' own grill. Some even have a wooden-fence wind break on two sides to protect the picnic area from the (somestimes) strong prevailing winds. And there is also a concrete fire-ring for wood-burning, though we carry our own propane fire pit. The campground is always clean and not noisy, despite the large number of campsites and campers of all ages. Even with all the dogs, one hardly ever hears any barking, and the bathrooms/showers are constantly maintained and kept clean. The only negative we have is that they do not post the hours that the bathrooms/showers are open/closed, so when Bill went at 10:15 to take a shower, figuring that by then all the campers who have been out on the lake fishing and boating all day would be done with their showers, he was very rudely interrupted by a staff member pounding on the shower door ordering him to leave because they were closing the shower. Another young man who was in the shower next door had to come out naked (in a family campground) to finish drying himself outside. Bill was not as easily intimidated and made them wait until he (at least) had a towel wrapped around himself. We complained the next day and they said that they were just about to remove the doors to paint them and stencil the open/close times, but to date of our leaving nothing has been done to them.


This campground has so much to offer and gets visitors from all over, but most of the license plates were from California, Utah, Idaho, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington and Oregon (i.e. the Western states). Two things are primary here, apart from the RV/camping lifestyle... its boating activities and its gorgeous sunrises and sunsets.

Boating activities...

 

And the sunrises and sunsets...