Moonflower Canyon Group Site, near Moab, Utah, is a unique camping spot that offers a blend of natural beauty and adventure. This area is surrounded by stunning sandstone cliffs and provides a soft sandy floor, making it a comfortable place to set up camp.

The site features a group camping area with picnic tables and fire pits, perfect for gathering with friends or family. Visitors have noted the proximity to the Colorado River and nearby petroglyphs, adding a touch of history to your outdoor experience. As one camper mentioned, “Great views of the canyon and Colorado river,” highlighting the picturesque scenery that surrounds you.

While the amenities are basic—no showers or water hookups—there are clean restrooms available, and the location is just a short drive from Moab for supplies. The area is popular for hiking and exploring, with a trail leading to an amphitheater and ancient rock art. Just keep in mind that the site can get busy during peak seasons, so expect some daytime visitors.

For those who enjoy a bit of solitude at night, the site offers a sense of privacy, especially when the sun sets behind the cliffs. If you're looking for a camping experience that immerses you in the heart of Utah's red rock country, Moonflower Canyon is a solid choice.

## Overview

 Moonflower Canyon Group Site offers shade year-round and is ideal for small family or groups in tents. No RVs, tent trailers or campers/camper vans are allowed. Within close proximity to national parks and open space, outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and four-wheel drive tours in the surrounding area. The town of Moab is approximately 10 minutes away and has dining, shopping, sports rentals, tour companies and museums.
## Recreation

 This popular site is near Moab and close to hiking, mountain biking and four-wheel driving opportunities. Kane Creek Road is a popular 4WD and OHV route. 
## Natural Features

 Moonflower is located at the mouth of a shady canyon and a popular, short hiking trail leads to a cool oasis. Large cottonwoods provided ample shade. Historic and pre-historick rock images are on nearby canyon walls. Please do not mark or scratch on rock surfaces. 
## Nearby Attractions

 There are many hiking, mountain biking and four-wheel drive trails along Kane Creek Road. The site is about 15 minutes from Arches National Park and 45 minutes from Canyonlands National Park.
## Charges & Cancellations

 You may contact the BLM Moab Field Office for assistance with changes and cancellations at 435-259-2100. Changes You can make changes to a reservation through your online Recreation.gov user account any time prior to the arrival/first date of the reservation. There is a $10 change fee If you wish to change to dates entirely outside of the original reservation dates. There is no change fee if you wish to extend or shorten the original reservation dates as long as the changes include dates from the original reservation. You cannot make changes to your reservation after the arrival/first day through your Recreation.gov account. However, the BLM Moab Field Office may be able to assist you, 435-259-2100. For reservations with dates at the end of the available booking window (a.k.a. sliding window), you will not be able to make changes or cancellations until the site has been available to the general public for four days. Cancellations Please cancel your reservation if you do not plan to use it. This opens highly sought-after campsites for others to reserve. You can cancel your reservation online through your Recreation.gov user account or through the call center the (call center incurs an additional fee). You may also contact the BLM Moab Field Office for assistance. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Late Cancellations A late cancellation occurs less the 14 days before the arrival/first date of the reservation (a.k.a. cut-off window). Late cancellations will incur a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. Early Departures If you spend at least one night and then leave prior to the scheduled departure check-out date, please contact the BLM Moab Field Office (435-259-2100) to open the remaining nights for others to use. You will not be able to cancel these nights through your Recreation.gov account. You will be eligible for a partial refund of the nights AFTER you depart that you did not use. If you depart after the facility check-out time, you will not be eligible for a refund for that night\_ No-Shows A No Show occurs if you do not arrive at your campsite or cancel your reservation by check-out time (Noon) on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time (Noon) on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed a $20.00 Recreation.gov service fee and forfeit the first nights recreation fee. Refunds You can submit a refund request through your Recreation.gov account within 7 days of the departure/end date of your reservation. Applicable fees, such as the Recreation.gov reservation fees, service/cancellation fees, lottery application fees, and change fees, are non-refundable. Refunds cannot be issued to any card other than the one used to pay. In the event of an emergency closure, all fees will be refunded. Attempts will be made to notify you using the contact information within your Recreation.gov customer profile. Interagency Pass Discounts Interagency Pass discounts do not apply to group campsite reservations.

Moonflower Canyon Group Site

Nestled in the sandstone of eastern Utah is the small town of Moab. This outdoor-lover’s paradise is the gateway to Arches National Park, with Canyonlands just a short drive away. Camping near Moab means unfettered access to BLM lands with rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, ATVing, horseback riding, rafting, and more.

Whether you’re heading in for a day-hike, scenic drive, or staking your tent at a campground, a visit to Arches is a must. Tent and RV camping near Moab provide easy access to one of Utah’s most iconic landmarks: Delicate Arch. (It’s even on their license plate!)

Downtown Moab is certainly worth a visit too. Grab an al fresco lunch at the Food Truck Park, visit the galleries and boutiques, or stock up on gear rentals for all your outdoor adventures. The area is also known for its petroglyphs and petrographs, which were created by Paleo-Indian, ancestral Puebloan, and Ute artists.

Moab

Searching for the best camping near Moab, UT? Moab is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Discover great camping spots near Moab, reviewed by campers like you.

The Best Moab Camping | Utah Campgrounds

This campground is pretty primitive but that is just how I like it! All the parking is together and then you walk down a path to the different camping spots. Because of this, it is a little hard to see availability from the road. Lots of spots for tents and located so close to Moab that we forgot some birthday balloons that we were supposed to bring and were able to run right in and grab them without a problem. There are lots of shade trees and soft red sand.

Moonflower Canyon 

Stayed here one night solo after trying to camp at the riverside sites further down the canyon. All cars park in a lot near the road, then campers walk their gear to sites. Maximum walk-to length is probably .1 mile. There are a couple sites near the road, these are good for bigger groups. The further back you walk, the smaller the sites get. All have fire pits. A rivulet runs through the sites. There is a very small box canyon at the end of the trail that is fun to spend a few minutes exploring.

Very close to Moab, private, quiet, fire pits

We spent four days and three nights at the Moonflower Canyon campsite this year right after the Easter Jeep Safari. The weather at that time was perfect for our own Jeeping experience (not too hot) and we avoided the huge, and possibly unruly crowds.

The campsite was rimmed with towering sandstone cliffs of the Moab Rim trail. The floor was a fine, soft sand that made playing a joy. The canyon itself featured a 1/10 mile hike to a large amphitheater where centuries of erosion have deposited a large pile of rocks, forming a small pond. Near the mouth of the canyon, early Native Americans carved petroglyphs into the sandstone walls. These ancient writings add beauty and diversity to the impressive sandstone basin of the Colorado River. For those feeling adventurous, there is an ancient Indian ladder hidden in a crack in the sandstone wall. This ladder ascends about 40 feet to the top of the precipice.

For those wishing to travel to this paradisaical camping location, keep in mind that as of May 2017, there is only one group site in the canyon. Previously, there were eight (8) smaller sites, but these have been eliminated for habitat restoration. Numerous signs have been posted warning potential campers that camping is not allowed anywhere but the single group site. We witnessed a few violations of those new policies, but generally, people are willing to obey the regulations.

We experienced very few difficulties while camping at Moonflower Canyon. Campers should keep in mind that this area is fairly highly-trafficked and so they should expect passing visitors throughout the day. We did have a group of raucous teenagers in cars and side-by-sides stop by late one night for a get-together. They made some noise for a while, but were not crass and not threatening to those of us in the campsite. One thing that could be better about the site is that the parking area is across a small ravine from the camping area, meaning that you have to carry camping equipment through the ravine when arriving and leaving. This may prove somewhat challenging for folks with disabilities. We worked around it by parking temporarily in a different parking area until all the equipment was into or out of the vehicles.

Moonflower Canyon:  A Great Moab Camping Experience

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This is a group site on one side of the (sometimes dry) creek, and a hiking trail on the other side. It is reservable in advance, and only used as walk-in if it hasn’t been previously reserved. It’s a popular spot, so reserved online. The group site is between the creek bed and the curved rock wall. 

There are two parking areas. The campsite is closest to the smaller, parking area, however, campers are supposed to use the larger one by the pit toilet to save the smaller one for day visitors checking out the petroglyphs. 

All gear will need to be walked in from the parking area. This is a minimum walk of 30 feet, but likely between 30-60 feet (but know that I am not a good judge of distance). You won’t be able to drive up to the tent spot, so just be aware. You will find about four picnic tables, one large grill, and a fire pit.

Also, the entire area is deep sand. It’s a great soft surface for sleeping on, but will add some challenges too. You will have sand in and throughout everything you own. Find a way to cover it if that’s not appealing to you. It was windy while we there, and sand blew in through the mesh of our tent, from under the rain fly. It’s just sand though, so a tumble dry of our gear at home changed things up nicely.

There is only the one group site on this side of the road and as such it is wonderfully private-ish at night. During the day, there is a steady flow of visitors hiking down the canyon. If camping here during Jeep season, and especially during the Easter Safari week, expect a lot of road noise during the day as well. The weekend may also have random visitors playing music during the night (while remaining active in their vehicle), or using the parking lot to camp-in-vehicle, etc., so consider earplugs.

The site is wonderfully close to Moab, Arches NP, Colorado River access (check out Mild to Wild Rafting). No water and no showers at the site. However, water can be found at nearby Lion’s park. And several other RV parks and centers offer pay-for-showers. A quick Google search will reveal all, but note that you will not do any googling at the campsite. It’s in a canyon and therefore you will get no signal at all. You find much of Moab to be this way. 

All in all, a great site, and a great experience. I highly recommend it for groups. You will feel like you are in the heart of Moab red rock when you camp here. Also, if you get hungry, check out Milt’s!

Like camping at the beach without the ocean

Not the best option in Moab but definitely a good one that serves it's purpose. Great views of the canyon and Colorado river. 

Fun view of river

Great spot, close to the road, trailhead and river with some petroglyphs right there. 4 picnic tables, 1 fire pit and 1 bbq available as well as toilets, and large parking lots. flat sites in canyon for tents. I believe the pricing was $25/ for up to 5 people and an additional $5.00/ camper per night. No cell signal but close enough to town for connection or supplies.

Actually $25.00 / Night 

Nice bathrooms. A few spots and a huge spot across the street. Close to the river and petroglyphs

Photos of Moonflower Canyon Group Site

Real photos from real campers