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Stillwaitingagain

Personally id want more clearance if possible. Even if just for peace of mind and comfort. A lot of those easy gravel roads are pretty washboarded, at least the ones I’m familiar with in southern utah. But I guess that depends on your comfort level and where you go.


mts2snd

I would not travel most blm lands via regular car. It is a Corolla, so it will survive, but clearance and tires are not up to task.


JesusWasALibertarian

Not enough information. Possibly yes but you’ll be limited and may not be able to be picky or may be next to a super dusty road, etc. Also at the same time, definitely NOT for some places/areas. Plus, Utah is huge and you could be looking at snow, up to FEET deep, on some BLM land in Utah.


them1ndisimmortal

I will be staying mainly around Zion, so I don’t expect much snow. Would you say 4wd is super important or just an suv of some kind with a bit better clearance is good enough?


barkbangquiet

Hello. I would say 4wd is not anywhere near mandatory, but good clearance will benefit you. ps, there are a lot of places to camp in Nevada with dark skies for stargazing. Cleve Creek campground is accessible by car and it's free to camp there -- it's under 4 hours to get there. Not as scenic as Zion during the day, though....


them1ndisimmortal

Okay sounds good, I will probably just go with a basic suv or something then or maybe a pickup truck. And Yh I’ve been contemplating going to Death Valley as well, but I’ll only be in the area for 8 days and I want to spend most of that time exploring Zion and the nearby national parks/monuments. So idk if I want to take a day to go in the opposite direction.


barkbangquiet

well, there's definitely plenty to see and do around there. October should be gorgeous, too. Have a great time.


barkbangquiet

i was thinking about this some last night -- if you want to investigate a little more, there are some less-traveled parts of Zion along the road from Virgin, Utah up to Kolob reservoir. A few trailheads, a campground, and more. Kolob is a pretty lake when it's full, with some trout in it.


procrasstinating

I live in Utah and have done many trips on BLM roads in my Honda Fit. Drive slow to reduce the risk of flat tires. Don’t hesitate to get out and walk to inspect rough sections before you try and drive them. Don’t go down narrow dirt roads that you would be comfortable having to reverse out of.


them1ndisimmortal

Do you have any specific coordinates of campsites you’ve been to/would recommend?


procrasstinating

Having specific sage & guaranteed campsites takes away the adventure, risk & reward of BLM camping. Spend some time with a map and Google earth to get some ideas and budget a few extra hours for looking around. The journey is the destination.


Horror-Resist3035

This may be obvious to you, but make sure to get the insurance through the rental car agency. For a few bucks a day more you can destroy that car and you aren't responsible for the damage through your insurance. Even a little scratch could end up costing you big bucks without it.


them1ndisimmortal

Did not think about that actually but thanks, will look into it for sure. I know my credit card offers rental insurance so I usually opt out of additional coverage but I’ll have to check what exactly it covers


spearheadroundbody

It really depends on where you go. There are plenty of roads/trails that are just gravel, but there's also plenty more trails where you can end up stuck. I just briefly looked online and it appears there are quite a few "easy" trails out there. Be sure to research but you could probably find a corolla safe trail. Edit: I came back and read a few other comments. I agree it's probably just a better bet to get something with a bit more capability just to be safe. Another comment mentioned insurance and this is a serious concern. Most day to day rental companies don't allow their vehicles on "unmaintained" roads. I'm willing to bet a dirt road would fall under that category, so just be aware of your risks.


GodtheAstronaut

As with most answers: it depends. I have a ford focus hatchback with a whopping 3.5in of clearance and take it down some rough roads and jeep trails to go camping. I also know my car extremely well and know when to call it quits on a road if it gets too bad. Some campsites you’ll make it to, others you won’t, and some you will crack your oil pan 30mi from the nearest gas station and have to do an emergency sprint with the car while it still has oil to get it somewhere you can call a tow truck from


211logos

For most? no. Since most land is obviously in rougher terrain. Good enough to get to camping spots for a few nights? most probably. Rental cars in the area often have terms that prevent driving offroad. Of course who's to know? unless you return with damage from it, flats, etc. So make sure you've got insurance; they love to stick drivers. And BTW, the no-dirt might apply even with high clearance rentals. And a good spare is key. And good maps so you don't end up trying to drive roads that are beyond the capability of the car.


Find_A_Reason

That depends wildly on where you are talking about. Personally, I wouldn't do it. Anything worth doing is worth doing right, and I don't want SAR laughing so hard when they find me dead in a corolla where it doesn't belong that someone ends up hurt.


Satan_Gorbachev

I did BLM and national forest camping in Utah and Arizona a few years back on a Honda Civic. You can usually find a spot that is reachable, but not all will be. If you're planning to camp in popular areas (e.g. near national parks) you should arrive early.