Best Campgrounds Utah • Nomads With A Purpose

20 Best Utah Campgrounds — There are so many epic hikes, climbs, biking, and camping destinations I Utah, you could spend a really long time her and never be bored!

Utah truly is the adventure hub of America. There are so many epic hikes, climbs, biking, and camping destinations, you could spend a really long time in Utah and never be bored.

We’ve camped in a lot of places in Utah but there really is so much more to explore in Utah. Some of our Utah travels have been in our Class C RV which is great for taking to free BLM dispersed camping spots and other times we travel in our 42′ fifth wheel, which is much more enjoyable with full hookups.

We are huge fans of the Utah State Parks that have full hookups because they are such a great value. If we missed one of your favorite spots, feel free to add some of your favorites in the comments below.

Table of Contents

Best Campground St George, Utah

St George, located right by the southwest border of Utah, is commonly known as the gateway to iconic Zion National Park. With warm weather, amazing hikes, and great climbing, St George campgrounds can fill up fast. here are our favorite campgrounds we recommend you stay at in the St George area.

Sand Hollow State Park

Sand Hollow Campground — Sand Hollow is no doubt the best Utah campground! These views and the accessibility to adventure is what makes it so great!

$38.00 per night
Full hookups
Flushing Toilets + shower
Max RV: 60 ft
Reserve here

Sand Hollow is a beautiful campground that’s in the neighboring town of Hurricane, 12 miles from Saint George.

This is a great campground to stay at if you want to explore all of what St George has to offer. It’s not too far from Zion and the campground itself is so nice that we recently stayed here for over 2 weeks!! (If you don’t know us well, we’re very restless and we usually prefer to move around.)

Snow Canyon State Park

Snow canyon campground — Camping in Snow Canyon State Park gives you quick access to dozens of amazing adventures in Utah!

$35 per night
Full Hookups
Flushing Toilets + showers
Max RV: 40 ft
Reserve here

From rock climbing to hiking and mountain biking, Snow Canyon State Park is filled with dozens of amazing adventures, including some of the greatest hikes and climbing areas in all of St George. A camping trip here MUST! I love that it takes big rigs up to 40′ (although it is a little tight between sites) and you literally can walk out your RV and play all day long.

Red Cliffs Campground

Red Cliff Campground, Best Campgrounds Utah — From right out your door, you can go explore and scramble the cool Red Cliffs!

$15 a night
No hookups
Pit Toilets
Max RV: 25 ft (although we fit our 30′ there)
First come first serve

14 miles northeast of Saint George, just off the I-15 is Red Cliffs Recreation Area. This campground is tucked into a vivid red canyon that will make your stay unforgettable! My kids loved getting to climb all of the huge rock features right by our campsite and exploring the canyon the next day.

An important note is that in order to access the campground and the recreation area, you have to go through a tunnel with less than 12′ clearance. Momo (our Class C RV) just barely made it through so keep that in mind when planning your trip. If you have a bigger RV, there is a KOA right outside Red Cliffs, but if you can stay at Red Cliffs, it’s amazing!

Quail Creek State Park

Quail creek campground — Quail Creek Campground, Utah provides beautiful lake views like this!

$25 a night
Partial hookups
Flushing Toilets
Max RV: 35 ft
Reserve Here

This campground is similar to Sand Hollow but is even better because you have views of the lake from your campsite. We don’t stay there because it has a max 35′ RV length and we kind of like the other 3 more. But it looks beautiful sitting right on the dam!

Cedar Breaks is a great area to explore in Utah.

Best Utah Campgrounds: Big 5 National Parks

Big 5 national parks are something everyone has to see once in their life. Utah’s Big 5 include Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef.

These are our favorite campgrounds we stay at when we visit Utah’s Big 5.

Watchman Campground, Zion NP

Best campground Zion, Utah, Watchman — Sleep right under the towering red rocks of Zion, Utah at Watchman Campground

$30 per night
Electric-only (no generators)
Flush toilets
Max RV: 50 ft
Open year round and reservable Feb 26 to Nov 29

Camping inside Zion National Park is one of our favorite experiences. You literally get to sleep right under the towering red rocks and be close to a lot of great Zion Hikes and the shuttle, which can take you further up the canyon.

In summer, it’s fun to camp here and play in the river and then at night, you can walk right into the town of Springdale and grab a beer and dinner.

Right next door to Watchman is South Campground that is open Mar to Oct and allows generators but doesn’t have any hookups (it’s also only $20/night).

Free Camping near Zion NP

While there are a lot of private campgrounds near the entrance to Zion, we don’t usually stay at them since they are expensive and not our jam.

What is our jam is free BLM camping and there are great spots just north of the town of Virgin, Utah at North Creek Dispersed Camping.

This is great if you have the ability to drop your trailer and are comfortable with free camping.

It’s about a 30-minute drive from here to the entrance of Zion NP and it’s close to a lot of other off-the-beaten-path areas on the backside of Zion like hiking, climbing, and canyoneering.

Related: How To Free Camp in the USA

North Campground, Bryce NP

Best Campground Utah, Bryce Canyon — A trip to Utah is not complete without camping at Bryce Canyon

$30 night
No Hookups
Flushing Toilets + showers
Max RV: 50 ft
First come first serve

This was one of the first places we camped when we moved into our RV. I loved how you could walk just a few steps from your campsite and be standing on the edge of Bryce Canyon.

Plus, you can hike our favorite Bryce Canyon trail, Fairyland Loop right from the campground.

Fruita Campground, Capitol Reef

Utah Road Trip Itinerary Capitol Reef Visitor Center — The Capitol Reef visitor center

$20 a night
No Hookups
Flushing Toilets
Max RV: 40 ft
Reservable Mar – Oct

Another hidden gem we discovered on our first road trip as full-time RVers and it was definitely one of the reasons we’ve stuck with living on a permanent road trip for so long. Cheap camping in quiet settings, with hikes right outside your front door, what’s not to love about it?

Tip: If you can’t get a campsite here, there is a lot of free BLM land with dispersed camping along Highway 12 within a few miles of Capitol Reef.

Devil’s Garden Campground, Arches NP

$25 a night
No Hookups
Flushing Toilets
Max RV: 40 ft
Reserve early

This campground is right in the heart of Arches which is great if you want to explore the park because Moab can get crowded plus, it’s a bit of a drive from Moab into the park.

But if you are looking to be in a central area for all the adventures in Moab, then you may want to stay closer to Moab or choose one of the many free dispersed camping areas nearby.

Best campgrounds Utah, free camping Moab — Free camping outside of Moab, Utah

Goblin Valley State Park

$35 a night
No Hookups
Vault Toilets
Max RV: 50 ft
Reserve here

About an hour away from Moab is Goblin Valley which has many unique rock formations that are a must-see! While there is a lot of free dispersed camping near Goblin Valley, if you are traveling in an RV, it might be better to camp in the Goblin Valley SP campground.

The sites are paved and have a gazebo over each site’s picnic table. It doesn’t’ have electricity or sewer, but there is water, restrooms, and showers, except in the winter!

Green River State Park

Best Campgrounds Utah, Green River — Green River is, unexpectedly, one of the best campgrounds in Utah!

$45 a night
Partial Hookups
Flushing Toilets + Showers
RV Max: 50 ft.
Reserve here

If you want to be in a central location to both Goblin Valley and Moab, then Green River State Park is a good option. It’s right off the I-70 and less than an hour away from both areas.

We stopped by Green River last year in May on our way to Colorado and loved how comfortable and spacious the sites were.

The girls loved being able to camp in the tent at our campsite without being too cold. There isn’t much to this town though so it’s more of a jumping-off place for other nearby adventures.

Related: Best Campgrounds in California

Best Campgrounds Near Salt Lake City, Utah

There are so many fun adventures near Salt Lake City and so many camping options, but you don’t want to end up in some ugly city central campground when there are so many more radical options!

Deer Creek State Park

$25-35 a night
Full Hookups
Flushing Toilets + Showers
Max RV: Big Rig Friendly
Reserve Deer Creek State Park here.

This is a great summer destination and boaters will just love staying here. I like all the quieter adventures that are near here and I love visiting Heber City.

Park City RV Resort

$55-65 per night
Full Hookups
Flushing Toilets, Showers + Laundry
Pool and Spa
Max RV: Big Rig Friendly
Reserve here

This is my preferred campground in the Salt Lake area when I’m towing my big fifth wheel because then I can unhitch and take my truck exploring Park City. It’s a typical RV resort with full hookups and amenities like hot showers and laundry so it’s also a place I stay when it’s time to clean up when we are living the dirtbag life.

Pony Express

$55-65 per night
Full Hookups
Flushing Toilet, Showers, + Laundry
Max RV: Big Rig Friendly
Reserve here

This is definitely not my first pick but if you are looking for an RV park in Salt Lake, I’ve stayed here when I want to ski the Cottonwood Canyons. I liked that Alta Shuttle can pick us up right from here and take us to Alta, which is nice since parking is limited here.

Personally, I wouldn’t stay here in the summer since I would rather be up in the mountains close to the adventure, but in the winter it is a good option for skiing the canyons.

Two small features I do like about this campground is that

It is gated.
It is located next to a paved bike path so I can get a run or bike ride in.

Redman Campground, Big Cottonwood Canyon

$26 per night
Full hookups
Flushing Toilets
Max RV: Big Rig Friendly
Reserve here

After a fun day near hiking and biking near Brighton resort, we love coming back to this quiet campground tucked into Big Cottonwood Canyon. This campground takes big rigs up to 40′ but nearby is Spruces campground, which accepts big rigs up to 75 ft.

Albion Basin, Little Cottonwood Canyon

$25 per night
Full hookups
Flushing Toilets
Max RV: 25 Ft
Reserve here

This campground only takes RV’s up to 25 foot but it puts you right by trailheads at Alta, which is a really beautiful area to hike. There’s another campground a few miles lower in the canyon if this one is booked.

Best Campground Near Bear Lake

Rendezvous Beach, Bear Lakes State Park

$35 per night
Full hookups
Flushing toilets & free, hot showers
Max RV: 50 Ft
Reserve here

We recently stumbled upon this campground when traveling from Lander, Wyoming to City of Rocks, Idaho. This route takes you through the cute lake town of Garden City. Bear Lake’s turquoise waters, sandy beaches, and surrounding mountains make for the perfect summer vacation destination.

Best Campground Near Lake Powell, Utah

Lone Rock Campground

Lake Powell, camping at Lone Rock — Views of Lake Powell from our Utah campsite at Lone Rock

$12 per night
No hookups
Flush toilets + outdoor shower

Lake Powell is must-see stop on a Utah Road Trip Itinerary! When you camp here you literally get to camp on the shore of Lake Powell. There are no assigned campsites, you just pick on open area on the beach and pull up.

The sand can be soft driving in so be sure to keep your speed so you don’t get stuck like I did the first time. In the spring and fall, the temperatures are amazing for swimming and boating during the day and then chilling by a campfire under the stars watching the bats fly by at night.

Best Campgrounds near Escalante, Utah

Escalante has so many treasures to explore such as Zebra and Peek-a-Boo slot canyon and Calf Creek Falls. Depending on how you are traveling, here are 3 options for campgrounds near Escalante, Utah.

Escalante Petrified Forest

$26 per night
Full hookups
Flushing Toilets
Reserve here

This is a great campground if you need hookups and showers. There are hiking trails from the campground to the petrified forest and it also sits on a nice lake for fishing. The campground is a little tight for large RVs but there are a few sites that can accommodate rigs up to 40 feet long.

Highway 12/ Hole In The Wall

If you love free camping off dirt roads, you’ll love it here. It’s right off highway 12 and on the same road you drive to get to Zebra slot canyon. The only drawback is that it can get a little crowded.

Calf Creek Campground

$7 per night
No hookups
Vault Toilets
Max RV: 25 ft
First come first serve

This very popular campground and hard to get a spot at. We’ve never stayed here because of that plus, it only accommodates RV’s up to 24 feet. Even if you don’t camp here it’s worth stopping to hike to Calf Creek Falls.

Best Utah Campground For Rock Climbers

Maple Canyon

$10 per night
No hookups
Vault toilets
Open May to Oct
Max RV: 35 ft
Reserve here

This is a great destination for rock climbers. The walls of conglomerate climbing are literally in the campsites.

Little Mill, American Fork Canyon

Camping in Utah, Little Mill — Looking at Little Mill Campsites nestled in American Fork Canyon, Utah

$26 per night
No hookups
Vault toilets
Open May to Oct
Max RV: 30 ft
Reserve here

I love how the campsites are nestled into this canyon with a stream running through it and how close the climbing walls are to the campground.

Logan Canyon

$26 per night
No hookups
Vault toilets
Open May to Oct
Max RV: 60 ft
Reserve here

Logan Canyon is also home to great climbing and camping. There are numerous campgrounds along Highway 89 that are all close to some great rock climbing, but only Guinavah-Malibu, which is directly across the street from the Wind Cave trailhead, fits large RVs.