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May 2026

Camp · Cast · Climb — Orem → Ashley Gorge Trip Plan

A sample of the kind of plan my trip-planning skill produces — a two-day cowboy-camp, cast, and via-ferrata run from Orem out to Vernal, May 13–14, 2026.

Trip overview

Leave Orem in the late afternoon Wednesday, drive east on US-40, set up a cowboy camp on public land near or before Vernal, fish and burn a fire in the evening, break camp Thursday morning, pick up via ferrata gear in Vernal, run the Ashley Gorge route, and head home.

Conditions check (verified Tue, May 12)

  • Weather: Duchesne/Vernal — Wed high ~80°F with a 20% rain chance, clear and ~78°F Thursday. Overnight lows in the 40s — cowboy camping is viable, but bring a bivy or tarp as rain insurance.
  • Fire: No restrictions in effect for Ashley NF or BLM lands as of May 2026. Verify the morning of departure at utahfireinfo.gov before lighting anything.
  • Fishing: Strawberry and Starvation reservoirs are fully ice-off and fishing. Starvation's most recent report (4/21) listed trout as "good."
  • Elevation note: High-elevation campgrounds (Currant Creek at 8,000 ft) don't open until early June — sticking to lower BLM/USFS dispersed sites in the 5,500–7,200 ft range.

Land-status caveat

Big chunks of Duchesne and Uintah counties sit inside the Uintah & Ouray Indian Reservation — a checkerboard of tribal, BLM, and private land. Free dispersed-camping rules do not apply on tribal land without a permit. Both camps below were verified outside that checkerboard: one BLM-managed dispersed area and one Utah State Park primitive area.

Route

  • ~2 hrs Orem to Starvation; ~3 hrs Orem to McCoy Flats. All paved US-40 east through Heber, Daniels Canyon, the Strawberry corridor, Fruitland, Duchesne, Roosevelt, to Vernal.
  • Gas in Heber, Fruitland, Duchesne, or Roosevelt. After Roosevelt, services thin out — top off.
  • Cell signal is reliable through Heber, patchy in the Strawberry/Fruitland corridor, back near Duchesne, strong again in Roosevelt and Vernal.

Campsite option 1 (primary): McCoy Flats BLM dispersed

Free BLM dispersed camping on the high-desert flats 6 miles west of Vernal.

  • GPS: 40.3796° N, 109.5943° W
  • Land status: BLM Vernal Field Office (free dispersed) · Elevation: ~5,400 ft
  • Access: From Vernal, US-40 west ~6 miles, left on McCoy Flats Rd ~3 miles. Passenger-car friendly.
  • Amenities: Multiple vault toilets along the access road; no water, no trash service. Existing fire rings.
  • Cell: Excellent (5G reported). Drive to Vernal Thursday: ~15 min. Cost: Free.
  • Why this one: 15 minutes from Vernal means you sleep in, eat a real breakfast in town, and roll into the via ferrata morning relaxed. Tradeoff: not on water, so you'd fish earlier in the drive.
  • Mud warning: McCoy Flats roads turn extremely slippery if it rains. If Wednesday's forecast shows precip, pick a spur close to the paved access road.

Campsite option 2: Starvation — Juniper Point (primitive dispersed)

Documented Utah State Park primitive area on Starvation Reservoir. Sleep within yards of the water.

  • GPS: 40.1864° N, 110.4258° W (park HQ) · Elevation: ~5,720 ft
  • Access: Paved all the way, passenger-car friendly, 4 miles NW of Duchesne off US-40.
  • Amenities: Vault toilets only. No water, no shade. Showers in the main campground for $5. Bring your own firewood.
  • Cell: Reliable Verizon. Drive to Vernal Thursday: ~55 min. Cost: $15/vehicle, first-come-first-served.
  • Why this one: Shore-fishing within yards of your bedroll — the best fish-from-camp option. Tradeoff: $15 and a longer Thursday drive.

How to choose: McCoy Flats if you want free camping and a relaxed Thursday morning. Starvation if evening shore-fishing matters and $15 isn't a deal-breaker.

Fishing spots

  • Starvation Reservoir (best evening / fish-from-camp): Mountain View boat ramp. Walleye, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass. Jigs tipped with nightcrawler near rocky points at dusk. Keep walleye under 15".
  • Strawberry – Soldier Creek side (great drive-by stop): well-signed off US-40 ~32 mi east of Heber. Cutthroat, rainbow, kokanee. Leeches, wooly buggers, or PowerBait off the bottom. Best in the first/last 1–2 hours of light.
  • Strawberry River below Soldier Creek Dam (blue-ribbon water): walk-and-wade, mid-May is prime. Artificial flies and lures only; no overnight camping on DWR land here.
  • Currant Creek Reservoir (only if you side-trip): 14 miles up graded gravel at 8,000 ft — verify open water before committing.

License reminder: Every angler needs a current Utah fishing license (wildlife.utah.gov). Print or save it offline before losing signal east of Duchesne.

Itinerary — Scenario A (McCoy Flats camp)

  • Morning: Yardwork in Orem.
  • 1:00 PM — Final gear check; top off water jugs (no potable water at McCoy).
  • 2:30 PM — Rendezvous and depart Orem, US-40 east.
  • 3:30 PM — Heber pit stop: last reliable gas + grocery before Strawberry.
  • 4:30 PM — Soldier Creek Marina: shore-fish Strawberry ~90 min.
  • 6:15 PM — Push east through Fruitland, Duchesne, Roosevelt.
  • 8:00 PM — Roosevelt or Vernal: last gas + ice.
  • 8:30 PM — Arrive McCoy Flats, set up near the road by headlamp.
  • 9:00 PM — Fire + dinner (verify fire restrictions; keep it small).
  • 10:30 PM — Lights out. Alarm for 7:00 AM.
  • 7:00 AM Thu — Wake, break camp, drown the fire dead, pack out trash.
  • 8:00 AM — Breakfast in Vernal.
  • 9:30 AM — Gear rental pickup (confirm hours the night before).
  • 11:00 AM — Start the Ashley Gorge via ferrata.
  • 3:00 PM — Finish, return gear. 4:00 PM — Late lunch. 5:00 PM — Depart; home ~8:00 PM.

Itinerary — Scenario B (Starvation camp)

  • 2:30 PM — Depart Orem (cash for the $15 self-pay).
  • 5:00 PM — Arrive Starvation, claim a Juniper Point spot.
  • 5:30 PM — Cast first lines; shore-fish from camp through golden hour.
  • 8:00 PM — Fire + dinner (bring your own wood).
  • 6:00 AM Thu — Sunrise fish. 7:30 AM — Break camp + breakfast.
  • 8:30 AM — Drive to Vernal (~55 min). 11:00 AM — Start via ferrata.
  • 3:00 PM — Finish, return gear. 5:00 PM — Depart; home ~8:00 PM.

Gear & prep checklist

Cowboy camp: sleeping pad (R-value 3+), bag rated 30°F or warmer + bivy/tarp, headlamp + spare batteries, stove + fuel, 4+ L water per person, trash bags, bear-aware food storage (cooler in vehicle), local firewood, stakes/cord.

Fishing: Utah license (offline), rod/reel/tackle, nightcrawlers + small jigs for reservoirs, artificial-only for the Strawberry River section, polarized sunglasses, pliers, net.

Via ferrata day: sturdy approach shoes, long pants, gloves, day pack with 2 L water + snacks, sun + wind layer, cash/card for rental.

Day-of checks: fire restrictions (utahfireinfo.gov), zoomed-in Duchesne/Vernal forecast, confirm gear rental, download offline maps, tell someone your plan.

Risk & safety notes

  • Cell signal is spotty east of Heber — download offline maps first.
  • Tick season is active in May; check after any walk-and-wade fishing.
  • Rattlesnakes are active in the high desert in late spring — watch where you sit and where your bedroll lands.
  • Spring runoff is starting on the Strawberry River; don't wade above mid-thigh.
  • Black bears are present in Ashley NF foothills — no food near your bedroll; vehicle is the food locker.
  • Cowboy camping = no tent walls. If wind or rain picks up, a low tarp or the vehicle is plan B.

Quick-reference card

  • Trip: Camp, Cast, Climb · Dates: May 13–14, 2026
  • Primary camp: McCoy Flats BLM (free, 15 min from Vernal)
  • Alternate camp: Starvation – Juniper Point ($15, fish from camp)
  • Via ferrata: Ashley Gorge, Vernal (Justin guiding)
  • Fire restrictions: utahfireinfo.gov morning of · License: wildlife.utah.gov
  • Closest hospitals: Heber Valley (west) or Ashley Regional in Vernal (east)
  • BLM Vernal: 435-781-4400 · Starvation State Park: 435-738-2326