22+ Best Campsites in Utah (Free & Paid Camping)

We’re sharing over 21 of the best campsites in Utah, both free and paid campsites, to help you plan your next Utah camping adventure.

Utah is world famous for its outdoor recreation like hiking, biking, climbing, and just about any outdoor activity you can think of. But beyond that, it also is one of the best states for epic camping. The state boasts almost 23 million acres of public land – that’s a lot of room to pitch your tent!

From redrock deserts to alpine mountains, the camping opportunities are almost endless. You could spend a lifetime camping in Utah and never camp in the same spot twice! While there are thousands of paid campgrounds across the state, much of the public land is open to camp on for free, making it the best state for van life, in our opinion!

Because of this, we’ve spent a lot of time camping in Utah. And in this guide we are sharing our favorite free and paid campsites in Utah. It’s not an exhaustive list of every camping option, but rather our go-to spots from our experience in the state.

The Best Places to Camp in Utah

For each location on this list of the best camping in Utah we’re sharing what amenities it offers (hookups, flush toilets, laundry, etc), how much it costs, if you need to make a reservation, and a link to read recent reviews. While we’re sharing our personal experience at these campsites, we always suggest reading recent reviews to learn about conditions and any changes.

Also, when camping in Utah (or anywhere!), always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace principles. It’s important to follow so that we can preserve our outdoors for others and future generations. 

These include packing out ALL of your trash, planning ahead and being prepared, traveling and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly, minimizing your campfire impacts, and being considerate of others.

Parowan Gap Petroglyphs Dispersed Camping

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

Located in southwestern Utah near Parowan and Cedar City, Parowan Gap is a 600 foot natural gap through a hill created by water erosion over millions of years. Today there is a road passing through this gap, where you can find a collection of centuries old Native American petroglyphs. As well as markings from Spanish explorers and 19th century pioneers. 

But beyond the petroglyphs, it also makes for an awesome free campsite! The Parowan Gap Petroglyphs Dispersed Camping area is flat and open which makes it easy to find a spot and it offers lots of sun exposure for solar. We camped on the western side and during our visit we found that the cell coverage was solid. 

But you can also camp on the eastern side. Some of these sites might be a bit more rugged to get to, but we saw several people camped there when we stayed. We did note that in this area, the cell service was much less reliable. 

Parowan Gap is a great spot to camp before or after visiting Zion or when traveling north, as it’s only a few minutes off I-15. This is a true dispersed camping area, as there are no services or water available.

Lone Rock Beach

Amenities: Toilets, dump station, and potable water (seasonal).
Cost: $14 per night, plus an entrance fee of $30 per car for 1 week (free with the America the Beautiful Pass)
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

One of the most popular and iconic camping spots in Utah, especially in the summer, is Lone Rock Beach. This beach area is on the shores of Wahweap Bay, which is part of Lake Powell on the border of Utah and Arizona. Here you can camp right on the beach with an epic view of the giant rock column known as Lone Rock. 

The primitive area costs $14 per night and allows you to camp wherever you can find space on the beach. There are no reservations and it’s first come, first served. But beware when venturing out to find a spot as it is very common for rigs to get stuck in the sand. It’s best practice to scout out your route on foot before driving on the sand. If you do get stuck you’ll likely have lots of people around to help you get unstuck. 

Don’t expect peace and solitude at this spot. It gets very crowded on weekends and around holidays, but if you’re open to making friends and spending time on the water it’s a great option!

Stateline Campground

Amenities: Picnic table, fire ring, and pit toilets.
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

The Stateline Campground is a free BLM managed campground, located on the Utah and Arizona state line. And it is a prime spot to access several popular sites like Buckskin Gulch, The Wave, and The Arizona Trail!  

The campground itself is very small with only 8 first come, first served sites. Each site has a covered picnic table and fire ring. There are pit toilets as well, but no water is available. 

One thing to keep in mind if you stay here is the time zone. Arizona does not follow Day Light Savings Time, but Utah does. So even though you’re in the same time zone, there could be an hour difference at certain times of year. Make sure to have both times saved on your phone, so you’re aware what time it actually is!

Valley of the Gods

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

One of our favorite campsites in Utah is the Valley of the Gods, located just north of the famous Monument Valley!

Along this 17 mile road there are tons of pullouts where you can camp for free with amazing views of massive rock formations that are similar to Monument Valley. There are no designated sites and since this is a dispersed camping area, there is no water or electricity. 

While camping here, make sure to check out the Moki Dugway, which is an unpaved, rugged set of switchbacks. And if you’re brave enough and have a rig that can handle it, drive it!

Old Highway 89 Dispersed Camping

Amenities: None 
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

Located east of Zion National Park and south of Bryce Canyon, Old Highway 89 Dispersed Camping is a great option to camp when exploring both parks!

There are about 8-10 spots, with some able to support bigger rigs. The cell signal for Verizon and AT&T is pretty strong and the views are pretty killer! But since it is close to the parks, it can be very popular, so try to arrive early on a weekday to snag a spot.

I’d say it’s only downside is there will likely be some road noise for most of the day, but it dies down around 9 PM or 9:30 PM.

Sheep Bridge Road Dispersed Camping

Amenities: there are lots of hiking and biking trails weaving through the area as well as 2 pit toilets
Cost: free!
Reservation required?: no, first come, first serve
Recent reviews

Another fantastic dispersed camping area near Zion National Park is Sheep Bridge Road. Located west of the National Park (only 20 minutes!), there are more than 50+ campsites of differing sizes all with fantastic views. You are only allowed to camp in designated campsites and they can fill up, even midweek. We spent about a week here in mid April 2025 and most, if not all, sites were taken most nights as far as we could tell. We recommend getting here in the early afternoon to have a good chance at a spot.

If you’re into history, I recommend venturing out to the east end of Sheep Bridge Road to check out Sheep Bridge Park along the Virgin River.

Snow Canyon State Park

Amenities: Hookups, showers, dump station, picnic tables, fire pits, and water fill up.
Cost: $40-$45 per night, depending on the site. 
Reservations required?: Highly recommended, as it does fill up!
Recent reviews

With over 18 miles of hiking trails, a 3 mile paved walking and bike trail, and epic canyon scenery, Snow Canyon State Park is a gem in Southern Utah! The park is near St. George, Utah and offers tons of outdoor recreation and a reservable campground. 

The campground offers 14 RV sites with water and electric hookups as well as 17 multi-use campsites. All sites come with the stunning backdrop of towering red and white sandstone cliffs just steps away. 

When we visited in the spring of 2024 we had a blast bike riding and hiking the trails, plus exploring the lava tubes! It’s one of Utah’s best parks. In fact, it’s often referred to as Little Zion!

Sheep Creek Road

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

Sheep Creek Road is located a little over an hour southeast of Salt Lake City and offers a great spot to boondock for a night or two. There is a large fenced camping area where you can camp with room for many rigs. The camping area offers a few bars of cell service, but it’s not the fastest (Starlink works great though). 

While a bit far to use as a homebase for Salt Lake City, it is located near lots of great hiking and the popular Diamond Fork (Fifth Water) Hot Springs. Some things to keep in mind though is that privacy is limited and there is some road noise during the day, but it quiets down at night.

You can also continue up Sheep Creek Road to find more secluded and primitive boondocking spots. As well as a more developed free campground, Unicorn Ridge.

Flight Park State Recreation Area

Amenities: Pit toilets
Cost: $15 per night (you can pay here, but make sure to only do this the day you want it valid for)
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

If you’re looking for a cheap and easy dispersed campsite near Salt Lake City, our favorite is Flight Park State Recreation Area. This recreation area is popular with those who love to take to the sky via paragliding. 

Flight Park is perched high on a hill above the valley below, which seems to provide conditions for paragliding. If you stay here you’re almost guaranteed to see a handful of them zooming through the air. But be warned, the windy conditions are great for the paragliders, but high winds are no fun for camping. Luckily, there is a berm built that (mostly) blocks the wind for the campsites. 

The fee for camping here is $15 per night and it’s a very primitive camping area with limited amenities. In fact, the only amenity is the pit toilet. The camping isn’t glamorous and resembles more of a parking lot than a campground, but if you need a quiet place to camp near Salt Lake City, it’s hard to beat.

Note: While we had cell service with Verizon, it was pretty slow here. We hear T-Mobile works well! 

Antelope Island State Park

Amenities: The amenities vary across the different campgrounds, but some offer toilets, water, electricity, covered picnic tables, and a dump station.
Cost: $20-$40 per night
Reservations required?: We highly suggest making a reservation, especially for weekends. Reservations must be made at least two days ahead, but day before and of camping is first-come, first-served, if available. 

Even though Antelope Island State Park is right next to Salt Lake City, you’ll feel like you’re worlds away! 

The park is home to hiking trails, biking, horseback riding, a historic ranch, and even a herd of bison. Plus, the Great Salt Lake, where you can float on its salty waters. On top of that, the park is an International Dark Sky Area so you’re likely to see tons of stars at night!

At the state park you’ll find multiple large campgrounds, with a mix of tent and RV sites with power and water. As well as some backcountry sites and a few cottages! 

Cow Pasture

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

Along US 191, north of Moab, lies a dispersed camping area we lovingly refer to as “the Cow Pasture.” There are lots of camping areas along this stretch of highway, many of which we will cover down below. But if you don’t mind driving a bit further from town, this is a nice, quiet spot with WAY less people. 

The camping area is overall very unglamorous and bare bones, but there’s always space here. It has great cell service, is very peaceful, and you’ll have some fun, bovine neighbors. We like to camp about a quarter mile into it away from the road, but be careful going too far off the dirt roads. When it rains the dirt turns to a sticky muck and your vehicle could get stuck. We almost found this out the hard way!

This is a great spot if you just need a place to hunker down between adventures in the Moab area to get some work done or to simply relax. 

La Sal Mountains 

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

When exploring the Moab area and all of its red rock nooks and crannies, you may be surprised to find out that you can also drive to a snow covered mountain. The La Sal Mountains, just southeast of town, are an alpine paradise. And the second highest mountain range in Utah!

Along La Sal Loop Road you’ll find a variety of pullouts and side roads where you can set up camp. We loved camping here because the views are incredible! You can really see the contrast of scenery between the red, desert landscape against forested and snow capped mountains. Plus, it’s at a higher altitude than town, so it is a bit cooler. Which is very helpful on warm days!

Dead Horse Point State Park

Amenities: Many sites come with a covered picnic table, fire ring, and access to bathrooms with running water. 
Cost: $40-$50, depending on the type of site. 
Reservations required?: Reservations are highly recommended!

Dead Horse Point State Park is known for its commanding views of towering canyon walls carved by the mighty Colorado River. While the nearby National Parks get a lot of the love, we loved this state park just as much! Especially at sunset.

There are two paid campgrounds in Dead Horse Point State Park, the Kayenta and Wingate Campgrounds. It isn’t the cheapest campground around, but if you want epic views just steps away, then it’s a great option. 

Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway Campgrounds

Amenities: Picnic table, fire ring, and access to a pit toilet. 
Cost: $20 per night (cash or check)
Reservations required?: No, these are all first-come, first-served.

The Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway, aka UT-128, travels 44+ miles east from US-191 as it snakes its way along the Colorado River. Along the way there are 12 BLM managed campgrounds that are first-come, first-served. These sites are pretty popular so try to snag a spot earlier in the day if possible!

Some campgrounds are designed for tent use like Grandstaff Campground, while others like Drinks Canyon and Big Bend Campgrounds are RV friendly.

One thing to know is that these campgrounds are along the road, so during the day there will be noise. We also do not have cell phone service along this road with Verizon.

Kane Creek Road Campgrounds

Amenities: Picnic tables, fire pits, and pit toilets.
Cost: $20 per night (cash or check)
Reservations required?: No, these are all first-come, first-served.

Kane Creek Road, which runs west and south of Moab also offers hundreds of campsites in a handful of campgrounds. The Ledge Campgrounds are five separate campgrounds with 105 sites total. These are pretty popular so try to get there earlier in the day if you can!

Fruita Campground at Capitol Reef National Park

Amenities: Picnic table, fire ring, toilets, water fill up, and a dump station.
Cost: $25 per night
Reservations required?: Yes! Reservations can be booked up to 6 months in advance, so if you’d like a spot here, keep an eye on the reservation website. It does fill up in the busy months between April and October.
Recent reviews

The Fruita Campground is a unique and historic campground within Capitol Reef National Park. Sitting along the Fremont River and surrounded by orchards, it is often described as an oasis in the desert! 

The campground is the only developed option in the park and offers 71 campsites. Each site comes with a fire ring and picnic table, but there are no individual electric or water hookups. But a water fill up and dump station are located between loops A & B.

And the best part? You’re within walking distance to the park’s famous pies!

Capitol Reef Dispersed Camping

Amenities: Porta potties
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

Can’t snag a site at the Fruita Campground in Capitol Reef? Don’t fret! This dispersed camping area is located steps outside of Capitol Reef National Park on the northside of US-24. You can’t get much closer to the park than this! 

It’s a no frills camping area with no amenities, but there are two porta potties available.

Beas Lewis Flat Dispersed Camping

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

The Beas Lewis Flat Dispersed Camping area is located just outside the west entrance of Capitol Reef National Park near the town of Torrey, UT. 

We’ve stayed here a couple times over the years and it’s a solid free option near the park. Here you’ll find a large area with lots of options for several different sized rigs. While you may not have a ton of privacy, depending on how busy it is, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find a spot here.

And there is cell phone service, so if you need to work remotely, this is a great spot to do so!

Moonscape Overlook

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

One of the most epic campsites we’ve ever had in Utah was the Moonscape Overlook near Hanksville, UT. This overlook perches you atop a massive cliff which overlooks cracked and broken desert terrain that resembles the moon’s landscape. 

This is a true dispersed site, so there are no amenities like water, trash service, or bathrooms. And the road to get here can be pretty bumpy and pothole filled, so take your time driving in (and try to avoid driving in at night). It was a rough drive for us, but totally doable in our 2WD Sprinter van. 

Even with the road conditions, this is a VERY popular spot. We rolled up after dark and there were dozens of people already camping. While we normally hate crowds, it was worth it to see the sunrise here, when the landscape is slowly bathed in long shadows and soft golden light. 

Goblin Valley State Park Campground

Amenities: Covered picnic tables, fire rings, and toilets.
Cost: $45 per night, which does include the park’s entrance fee.
Reservations required?: Reservations are not required, but are highly recommended!
Recent reviews

If you’re into otherworldly experiences then you MUST check out Goblin Valley State Park. The park is home to thousands of unique sandstone goblins, hoodoos, and formations. 

And if you want to stay in the park, Goblin Valley State Park has a campground with 24 sites and even 2 EPIC yurts, if you’re feeling fancy.

Wild Horse Road Dispersed 

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

Let’s be honest, the campground at Goblin Valley State Park, while nice, is a bit pricey for what you get. Luckily there are lots of areas surrounding the park along Wild Horse Road where you can camp for free. 

We’ve camped along Wild Horse Road both times we’ve been in the area and there are lots of dispersed campsites to choose from. With unique rock formations and wide open desert surrounding you, this is one of the best places to camp in Utah. Plus, you’ll be close to Little Wild Horse Canyon, an amazing slot canyon hike!

Just keep in mind that there is no cell service out here. But Starlink will work great!

Tom’s Best Spring Dispersed Camp

Amenities: None
Cost: Free
Reservations required?: No
Recent reviews

Out of all the camping we’ve done in Utah, Tom’s Best Spring Dispersed Camping Area still stands out as one the best! 

Located right by Bryce Canyon National Park, this easy to access area has plenty of spots for just about any size rig. Plus there is enough room to spread so it feels like you’re the only one out there and there is decent cell coverage.

If you’re visiting Bryce Canyon and do not want to stay in the park, we couldn’t recommend this spot more!

Kodachrome Basin State Park

Amenities: The BEST campground showers, plus toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, and hookups.
Cost: $35-$45 per night
Reservations required?: Campsites fill up, so we suggest making a reservation in advance!
Recent reviews

We found the best campground shower in the history of campgrounds and it’s at Kodachrome Basin State Park. They are hot, have great water pressure, and with the stone and pebble decor you’ll feel like you’re at a spa!

Kodachrome Basin State Park is famous for its monolithic spires, chimneys, and sandstone cliffs. The shades of reds and oranges that contrast against the blue sky inspired the National Geographic Society with agreement from the Kodak Film Co. to name the park Kodachrome in 1949. 

The park offers more than 50 sites over 3 small campgrounds, with a mix of first-come, first-served and reservable sites, both with hookups and without. Sites can book pretty quickly so make reservations as soon as possible. And don’t forget, you get access to those wonderful showers!

But if you’re a big fan of free camping, like us, you’ll be happy to learn that you don’t have to stay here to access these showers either. You can pay a small fee to be able to use the showers!

Save this guide to the best camping in Utah