Recreational
Vehicle Camping In Utah
Utah
has wonderful RV camping locations throughout the state. From
the Grand Staircase Escalente National Monument in the south, to the
Wasatch Mountains of the north, Utah has widely varied and beautiful RV
camping areas. Private RV parks offer a wide range of
facilities to meet anyone's camping expectations, and free dispersed
camping (boondocking) is available.
Public
campgrounds and free camping locations follow Utah RV camping resources.
Utah
Resources for RV Camping Information
-
Private RV Parks
- Research tools for finding the best RV parks and campgrounds in Utah.
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National
Park Service - NPS information about
camping at National Park Service administered lands in Utah.
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US Forest Service - USFS information about
free dispersed camping (boondocking) and developed campgrounds on
National Forest administered lands in Utah.
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Historical
Weather - Know what to
pack. Includes monthly average highs, lows, mean
temperature,GPS location and elevation.
RV
Camping pages with more information
-
Boondocking
- Learn how to find the very best RV camping locations
anywhere. Regulations and information about dispersed camping.
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USFS (US Forest Service) -
Describes USFS policies and rules about RV camping. Information about
dispersed camping, and tips on how to find great free
RV camping sites.
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BLM (Bureau of Land Management)
- Vast areas of the western USA are available for free RV camping on
lands managed by the BLM. Rules and policies about recreation
and RV camping.
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NPS (National Park Service) -
General information about RV camping and campgrounds in US National
Parks. With campgrounds in the most historic and scenic
places in the country, the NPS offers some of the best places for RV
camping.
Utah
Free Camping
Free camping is available
throughout Utah on public lands managed by
the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park
Service (limited use), and even the Goosenecks State Park offers free
RV camping. The following list is only an example of free RV
camping locations available in Utah. Boondocking
can help you find the best free dispersed camping locations.
KANAB
East
of Kanab is the beautiful Grand
Staircase Escalante National Monument.
This National Monument has provided a great list of free camping sites
around the Monument. This is remote country, so be prepared with plenty
of
water, food, and fuel. The rewards are great for those seeking the best
RV camping sites.
MEXICAN
HAT 
Just
10 miles north of Mexican Hat is Goosenecks
State Park. This primitive
desert park has spectacular views. Picnic tables are
scattered around the campground as there are no designated campsites,
and only a vault toilet is provided. Hot temperatures in
Summer. This Utah State Park is a great free RV
camping
location.
MOAB
Public
lands surround Moab. Moab
BLM (Bureau of
Land Management) dispersed camping opportunities abound. North of Moab
on the road to Dead Horse Point for example are several
designated free RV and tent camping locations. There is a
kiosk shortly after you start up the Dead Horse Point road with
information about locations of the camping areas. BLM official Moab
area Camping Page has additional information about
campgrounds and dispersed camping locations.
MONTICELLO
Hamburger
Rock Campground is Located north off highway 211, approximately 3 miles
west of Canyonlands National Park. There are 8 campsites and $6 fee. No
facilities other than picnic tables and fire pits.
Check with the Monticello BLM Field
Office for other dispersed camping
opportunities.
NEPHI
Yuba
State Park is administered closely
with BLM (Bureau of Land Management). There is Dispersed
Camping available for both RV's and
"boat in" if you are prepared.
PRICE 
Southeast
of
Price is the Range
Creek Wildlife Management Area. While
camping is not available within the Management area, just outside
the North gate RV camping is available with vault toilets, but no water.
The Price BLM Field
Office (Bureau of Land Management) has
several Dispersed
Camping Areas listed suitable for RV
camping in the San Rafael Swell.
SUNNYSIDE 
Not
far from
Sunnyside is the Cold
Springs Wildlife Management Area.
While camping is not allowed within the management area, BLM surrounds
the area and camping is widely available.
We recommend the Utah Road and Recreation Atlas to find RV
camping locations. This Utah atlas features separate
landscape (shaded relief) and recreation map sections. The
recreation section shows public, state and private lands using
different colors to make land administration agency determination
easy. Campgrounds, lakes and streams, parks, forests, boat
launches, wildlife areas, back roads, and RV parks are just a few of
the information areas covered by this recreation atlas. Put
that together with DeLorme
Topo 6.0 Software and you have a versatile set of tools to
find RV camping sites all across Utah.
More
Free RV Camping Ideas
Here's a list
of
places to consider when looking for a free overnight RV camping or
parking location. We always recommend asking for overnight RV
parking permission when looking for a free spot to spend the
night. The smaller your RV, the better chances you will have
finding places to stay if you choose not to ask permission. If you
don't ask permission, you end up "sneaking" into places and
hoping nobody bothers you or issues you a
trespassing ticket before you move on.
Be smart and Be
Safe...Ask Permission.
- Truck
Stops -
Asking permission is usually not a requirement Be considerate
of the big rigs!
- Walmart
- Not all
stores in Utah allow overnight RV parking due to city
ordinances.
- Check
store for policy.
- Nightclubs
- Had
one too many or just pretending?
- Grain
Elevators -
Ask where you can park your RV out of the way for the night.
- Fraternal
Organizations - VFW, Elks etc. may allow members free overnight RV
camping.
- Cemetery
- Sounds
creepy to us, but we've also heard they may have water
available.
- Fairgrounds
- State
and County facilities may allow RV camping when not otherwise in
use.
- Parks
- City,
County, State, and Community parks often have free RV
camping.
- Churches
- You can
almost make "reservations" by calling ahead for permission.
- Hotel
Parking Lots
- Assuming a nightclub/bar is inside, had one too many or just
pretending?
- Truck
Terminals -
Parking areas for large trucks might allow you free RV camping
permission.
- RV
Dealers - Pretty
brave to us, but you could fit right in.
- Cracker
Barrel -
These nationwide restaurants usually allow free overnight RV
parking.
- Movie
Theaters -
Too tired to drive home after the late show?
- Highway
Rest Areas
- All rest areas allow a few hours of free RV parking, but
noisy.
- Drive
In Movies -
Got a small RV, park in the back row and enjoy the show. Fell
asleep by accident right?
- Vehicle
Repair
Shops - Need to see the repairman first thing in the morning?
- Big
Box
Retailers -
Kmart, Best Buy, Sams Club often allow free RV camping.
- Roadside
Parks
& Picnic Areas - The early day version of the rest
area.
As you can see,
there
are a lot of free RV camping and parking possibilities in
Utah. If you are not asking permission to camp or
park, it's best to keep a very low profile. If your RV has
slide outs, jacks and TV antennas, don't use them so as not to draw
attention to yourself. Consider your surroundings carefully
and if you feel uncomfortable with the area, move somewhere else.
Utah
Public Campgrounds
Public RV camping in Utah
offers great opportunities for outdoor
recreation. National Park Service (NPS), BLM (Bureau of Land
Management) and Utah State Parks offer
RV camping. USFS (US Forest Service) campgrounds offer cooler locations
to escape the Summer heat. Amenities range from dry RV camping with
only trash and pit toilets to RV camping sites with full RV hookups.
The following list is only an example of available RV camping
locations in Utah.
BLUFF
Our August 2007 -
Campsite of the Month is located just outside Bluff.
This BLM campground is an oasis for RV travelers.
Any size RV campsites, vault toilets, water, trash and more.
Remotely
located Natural Bridges
National Monument offers first come first serve RV camping at
it's 13 site campground. 26 foot maximum length limit, but
we've heard larger rigs up to 33 feet will fit.
BRYCE CANYON 
RV camping is
available at Bryce Canyon
National Park. The beautiful scenery, hiking and
mule trails, and comfortable summer weather makes Bryce
Canyon well worth the visit.
CANNONVILLE 
Primitive
campsites and developed campgrounds are available for RV camping in the
Grand
Staircase Escalante National Monument. Administered
by the BLM, these campgrounds are well off the beaten path, and well
worth the visit.
LOGAN
RANGER DISTRICT 
The USDA
Wasatch-Cache National Forrest offers great camping locations. The
Logan Ranger District for example has 16 developed campgrounds.
The Box
Elder Campground is one example. From Highway
89/91 travel 4.5 miles east of Brigham City, Utah. Look for highway
signing at town of Mantua.
MOAB
The Dead
Horse Point State Park offers spectacular scenery, and 21
electric RV camping sites.
52 basic campsites are available for RV camping at Arches
National Park. This park has a great collection of natural
arch and bridge sandstone formations.
RV camping along the Colorado River is available at several BLM (Bureau
of Land Management) Campgrounds
Near Moab.
NEPHI
The Little
Sahara Recreation Area is administered as a motorized
recreation area and is a fun RV camping destination, even if you only
watch the ATV, 4x4, and motorcycle riders. Over 250
designated campsites.
SILVER REEF 
Located at
6800 feet, the Oak
Grove Campground may be just what you are looking for with
great views of the Pine Valley Mountains. Recreation activities include
hiking, sight-seeing, and wildlife viewing. Not recommended
for large RVs.
SPRINGDALE 
One of Utah's
natural gems is Zion National Park.
Spectacular scenery, hiking, biking, camping and more await
you. Reservations recommended.
VERNAL 
The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) manages vast tracts of land
throughout the western USA. The Vernal
Field Office offers information on several RV camping sites
off the beaten path.
Public lands offer great RV camping in Utah. State, Federal, and
private campgrounds have basic service campsites with picnic tables and
fire rings, to full hookup RV resorts. Free dispersed camping
(boondocking) is available on BLM and National Forest lands. Use the
links to the public lands websites above for specific
information about camping and public lands access. Research and
explore, and you should have no trouble finding the best campsites.
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