Best Places To Camp Near Salt Lake City

The spring through the fall there are some reservation sites but most sites are first come first serve. This State Park is gorgeous and is one that all rock climbers, bikers, and families will enjoy. With seasonal nature programs that can help families discover the desert landscape, biking opportunities, and fun horseback trails/tours this park really is unforgettable. A quick walk from the Three Forks Trailhead is a perfect place to park your camper if you love hiking and love hot springs. This beautiful park is fitted with fire rings for campfires and picnic tables for eating, but other than that this first come first serve campsite has a bring your own mentality. So, staying here with your family can be unforgettable and incredible as you hike, bike, and stroll through this amazing national park.

Debatably better than the real thing if you’re crowd-averse, because this one’s secret is pretty well kept. Often overshadowed by its proximity to neighboring Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, you’ve got to be pretty unlucky not get a (free!) campsite.Learn More. Sign up for the Weekend Wanderer to join thousands of readers getting epic travel, hiking, camping and gear ideas every week. While Stansbury Island is accessible by car, the rugged landscape and bumpy dirt roads usually require a truck or SUV. Thanks to its prime position on the Wasatch Front, an unforgettable camping trip is never far from home in Salt Lake City. We integrate with the National Weather Service to provide valuable fire advisories to Hosts and Hipcampers.

Best Free Camping Near Salt Lake City

Most people come for the water sports, but the most interesting attraction at Rockport is the 3D archery range. The range features an assortment of lifelike targets including deer, warthogs, and even a few zombies. Of course, with so many options choosing a campground may be a little overwhelming for some people. Walmarts in Syracuse, Saratoga Springs, and Springville allow overnight parking, as does Cabelas in Farmington. Flight Park State Recreation Area is another Campendium community favorite. Interest in outdoor recreation has spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic—and it doesn’t seem to be …

A subreddit for campers concerned more about the act of camping and less concerned about hiking long distances or light gear. Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a spectacular 74,000-acre national wildlife refuge located along the delta of the Bear River, where it flows into the Great Salt Lake in Box Elder County. The refuge, which was established in 1928, is known as a significant habitat for migratory bird species, including bald eagles and tundra swans. Visitors can learn about bird species and wetland habitats at the James V. Hansen Wildlife Education Center, which is home to a half-mile accessible walking trail and recreated wetland habitat. A 12-mile one-way auto touring loop is open to the public daily between sunrise and sunset, accompanied by an audio tour elaborating on the area’s wilderness habitats. But if you’re looking for a place to rest your weary feet after your adventures, most tourists are out of luck with only two local campgrounds to choose from which are often extremely full.

Backpack To Silver Lake

The hike itself is worth the one-hour drive as it weaves through a red rock canyon and alongside a slow stream. Park City is a famous tourist destination that’s known for its ski resorts. Its high elevation and isolation from major cities also make it a great place to watch the night sky.

Take a peek at the amazing photos of Smith & Morehouse Reservoir surrounded by the forested Uinta peaks and you’ll quickly see why this is such a popular campground. Summer is the best time to visit Mirror Lake, when you’ll find ample shade under the white fir forest and wildflowers dotting the landscape. Bring your kayak, canoe, or SUP and enjoy a day on the glassy lake, then pull out your fishing rod to catch some rainbow trout for dinner. Thanks to its prime location between two national forests, Park City offers stellar camping sites in any direction. Summer in Salt Lake City isn’t complete without a trip up the Cottonwood Canyons. The drive alone is a must, and once you reach the top, you have miles of well-marked tracks and some of the best views you could ever ask for.

On site, however, there are trails for biking and off-road vehicles, as well as excellent areas for campfires and testing out new s’more recipes. Salt Lake City’s proximity to amazing outdoor recreation almost eliminates the need to own a tent. Then again, there’s something pure and recalibrating about rolling out a mat and sleeping on the lumpy ground. And with so many amazing camping spots hiding around the Salt Lake Valley, the decision to get out and rough it gets a little less rough.

Twin Lakes Reservoir

RVs are permitted, but there aren’t any hookups for electric, water, or sewage. Whether you’re looking for a mountain escape, desert adventure, or weekend on the water, Salt Lake City has you covered. With hundreds of campgrounds available less than an hour from the city, your camping options are nearly limitless along the Wasatch Front. Plus when you come here you don’t have to worry about rustic camping, because this RV park has all of the amenities to keep everyone in the family happy. With a Spa and a pool, you can come back and relax after a great day hiking with the family. The Needles Campground has a total of 29 camping sites with three of those spots being group sites.

If everyone contributes a few campsites, we’ll all have more places to go camping. Utah Olympic Park preserves significant venues connected to events of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games, located just half an hour east of the city’s downtown district in Park City. The massive winter sports park was originally constructed in phases beginning in 1991. When it was completed, it served as the site for many Olympics events throughout the Games, including its ski jumping, luge, skeleton, bobsled, and Nordic combined events. Today, it stays in operation as an Olympic training center and visitor attraction, showcasing two museums connected to its Olympics festivities and sporting event history.

East Canyon also has boats, yurts, cabins, and RVs available for rent. Best-known for its impressive network of limestone caverns at Timpanogos Cave National Monument, American Fork Canyon is a canyon in the Wasatch Mountains 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. Thanks to a large population of Aspen trees, American Fork Canyon is especially gorgeous during fall color season. The Granite Flat Campground is located just a few miles up canyon and offers both RV and tent sites although no electric hook-ups are available. The KOA Salt Lake City is one of the most conveniently located Salt Lake City RV parks.

Explore The Areas Public Parks

The campground is connected to a network of hiking trails, and you’ll find world-class fly fishing at Big Cottonwood Creek. So enjoy a day out on the trails and then swing home for some horseshoes and WIFI. Seriously this unforgettable campground has something for every member of the family and you get to camp without giving up the comfort of modern amenities. There is a nice set up of flushing and well as vaulted toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings.

All of the 14 single sites have fire rings and picnic tables with a few grills scattered around. The views of the mountain are beautiful and the paths can take you to quiet lakes that are tucked away. Overall, even though Storm Mountain is only for day trips, it’s really worth checking out if you’re hankering for an outdoor fix. Just remember to make a reservation at least five days in advance if you want to use a group site.

Our blog is the source for everything you need to know about the city. You can even drag the route around if you see something interesting you’d like to check out. Just add your must see destinations as extra stops along the way. If you like, we’ll even optimize the route to save you driving time.

You’ll find a boat launch and on-foot access, and most importantly, fewer visitors. The Upper Weber River explodes with spawning Rainbow Trout in the spring runoff and stays hot into the fall with big Browns. The Middle Weber is a year-round Brown Trout fishery, with decent catches of Rainbows and Cutthroats. Lastly, the Lower Weber offers fun but challenging terrain as it flows through narrow canyons out of the mountains. What you need to know is that the campground at Dinosaur itself (if there even is one- can’t remember) is often closed. But all the land SURROUNDING Dinosaur is governed by the Bureau of Land Management.

If you want an unforgettable RV vacation with your family then you need to come to Mountain Valley RV Resort. It is extremely family friendly and has all the fun of camping without some of the more rustic camping amenities . Just a quick drive away from Arches National Park, Spanish Trail RV Park is well worth the drive.

Worry not — public lands account for almost two-thirds of real estate in the state of Utah, so free camping is always a viable option. The Bountiful Peak Campground sits in an alpine basin high in the Wasatch Range, shaded by a mixed forest of aspen and conifer trees. It’s less than 10 miles from Farmington, making it a prime campground for folks living at the north end of the Salt Lake area.

The Best Rv Parks Around Salt Lake City, Ranked

This camping space is not a real campground, so there are no reservations and no assigned spots, and along with that there are no fees. And although there are no RV hooks ups, there is a water fill station and an RV dump located at the entrance to both the A and B loops, so camping with an RV can be more enjoyable. If you haven’t camped in Utah before, now is the time, and here are the 17 most memorable RV campsites in Utah. When I visited Utah’s Saratoga Hot Springs, I was woefully underprepared. For starters, it was the middle of winter, which required extra layers, thick socks, and closed-toe shoes.