The dots in the picture above are part of the 356 dispersed campsites the Bureau of Land Management is looking to designate in a new plan for the Labyrinth Rims and Gemini Bridges area near Moab. This will bring a dramatic change to those who camp in this
area. Currently you can camp mostly anywhere along the vast majority of the routes in an area of over 100,000 acres (some areas are already restricted to designated sites only).
With the proposed changes, you will only be able to camp in the designated sites that they choose to leave open. They are currently only looking at designating up to 356 sites. They are choosing which sites to designate based on whether the sites show signs
of previous camping disturbance such as presence of a fire ring.
This means that if you camped responsibly and followed “leave no trace” principles, you are being punished with the loss of your preferred camping experience. By only designating sites that show signs of disturbance, the BLM is creating a perverse incentive
for users to leave impacts in order for their sites to be left open in BLM planning processes.
This area has seen increased use, and in the time I’ve spent doing fieldwork in the area, I’ve found these sites are utilized by all types of vehicle based camping users. From mini-vans, Subarus, RVs, campers, overlanders, and adventure
vans, I’ve documented these sites being used by everyone.