And the hands-down winner of “best laundry” and “best showers” for this trip is Kodachrome State Park. Seriously, no contest at all. Yeah, yeah, this place has got some gorgeous scenery. And yes, it is right on the way from Capitol Reef to Bryce, so it does make a good pit stop. And oh, by the way, it does have some hookup sites, so you can recharge the RV batteries if you’ve been caught in days of bad weather or overcast skies.
It was also a good place to recharge my personal batteries, with reading, napping, and staring up at the moonless sky at night, enjoying the Milky Way over my head. But honestly, this stop was all about getting clean.
It’s rare to find a campground that has a laundry right onsite, let alone one that has super-modern front-loading washers and dryers AND only charges $1.50 for each. But it’s the view that seals the #1 ranking for this campground laundry. I mean, just look at this shot.
That’s the view from the Red Dirt Laundromat. Right across the parking lot are two picnic tables in the shade, which is where I sat outside and enjoyed the breeze and the views while my clothes were getting clean.
I didn’t take pictures of the bath house, but I really should have. Instead, enjoy this photo taken on the short drive to the bath house.
You’ll have to picture the individual shower rooms (!) in your head: fully tiled floors, bamboo benches and a handful of solid hooks for hanging stuff up. Now, add in the two most important things in any shower facility: endless hot water AND a rain shower head. Like this one…
Yes, that is a hand-held wand PLUS the rain shower head. I might have taken the longest shower of my life in that place. After 22 nights with just my little trailer shower closet and monitoring my fresh water tank usage carefully, it was pure luxury to stand under this fake rainfall and let it wash me clean for as long as I could stand the hot, hot water.
Some campgrounds are about the sites, the hikes, or the company. And some campgrounds are all about the shower and the laundry. That’s just the way it is when you’re living the vagabond life.
I will never lose the love for the arriving, but I’m born to leave.
As far as state parks go, Kodachrome is next level when it comes to services. Yes, the showers were by far the nicest I’ve ever seen while on the road. The stone tile shower floors are gorgeous. No contest. Enjoyed a few late day hikes (to avoid the heat) while camping in Kodachrome. The view from my campsite was magnificent AND the site came with a free bundle of firewood. I would definitely camp there again.
Yes those showers are wonderful. The group campground closer to the laundromat, have “family” or in our case “couple” showers. Great memories of Kodachrome. Really enjoyed the trails within the Kodachrome Park and the Red Canyon Recreation area just north of Bryce – as they allowed us to hike with our dog with scenery just as gorgeous as Bryce without the crowds. And that one rock formation in the campground that I passed on the way to the campground bathroom made me laugh every morning! Glad you enjoyed it!
Long, hot showers fix a lot.
Hi!
Took a random drive after seeing Bryce and stumbled upon Kodachrome. What a find that park is!
Glad you enjoyed it.
Best,
Val B
I heard about the shower but didn’t have time to check it out, we were there 4 nights and always came back to camp late because there’s so much stuff to do… we were in one of the new loop (the outside loop of arch ) and it’s even landscaped! there’s a resident scorpion at our campsite too, saw him every night at the same spot
My wife and I have stayed at Kodachrome twice and much enjoy this “away from the crowds” little park. Nice scenic hikes and there is a small corral of horses with a guide in the park if that activity is something you enjoy. Last spring we camped here and did easy day trip hikes at Bryce NP. The modern showers are plus for sure.
I always enjoy your blog – this one is wonderful – imaging standing under a rain shower head and thinking – hum can I install one in my shower here at the OFH or is that the sort of gift I should give my kids who just moved into their house in Carmel! (probably not because of California’s strict water use regulations that required quite a lot of changes to the plumbing to be in compliance). Happy Holidays
When I was there recently, a fellow camper and I bonded over those shower heads. He had come back to the bathroom just to take a photo of the shower. All in all, I think Kodachrome Basin is one of the most beautiful campgrounds. The trails and facilities are wonderful and the rangers were helpful. It is a nice alternative to the craziness of Bryce.