Best Tent Camping near Ogden, UT

Absolutely awesome spot. Hosts were really friendly. Stayed in my pop up camper for a night and there was tons of space for pop up and our site (A1) was the best in the campground, I think. It was secluded with tons of trees. Not all sites had a lot of tree cover. It wasn’t right off the river but it was still only a 30 second walk to the river. There were fire bans in Utah but because of the type of fire set up on concrete and built in fire places, we were able to have a fire all night which was awesome. Also my buddy is a professional singer and brought his guitar so I’m impartial. We had such a great time!!

This campground much like the others in this canyon is situated along the banks of the South Fork of the Ogden River.  Before you get to Causey Reservoir and Weber Memorial Park, this is the biggest campground you'll encounter.  There are 35 single sites @23$ and 8 double sites @46$.  Some campsites are reservable and some are walk in sites.  A picnic table and metal fire ring is at each site along with vault toilets and drinking water scattered throughout the campground.  The campsites in the teens seemed to be the closest to the creek

As for activities to do in the area, there are plenty of options!  Right by most of the campsites you can fly fish or set off on a tubing adventure down the Ogden River!  It is required that you have a life jacket before setting off.  If you're looking for bigger accumulations of water you can either head back down canyon to the huge Pineview Reservoir or head up canyon to the steep walled Causey Reservoir!

We were road tripping through with no reservations. The whole South Fork area has many campgrounds. Magpie is the first and one of the smaller of the campgrounds as you drive up the canyon. We drove through all the campgrounds and didn’t find any hosts to talk with to find out if we could occupy a spot. We thought it would be ok but weren’t sure if we could stay in a spot that had a weekend reservation posted. Plus there was simultaneously not very much shade and lots of overgrown vegetation that made tent camping not very feasible. All the sites with actual river frontage were occupied and most folks had campers. This was especially true at South Fork, Lower Meadows, Upper Meadows & Perception Park campgrounds. We finally found a host at Willows campground who explained the process but we didn’t see any sites we liked there. Magpie actually had some shaded sites so we headed back down there. We grabbed a spot that had no obvious river access but good shade right next to the host site. It was pretty overgrown but had enough of a flat spot to set up our tent and a big concrete pad for the picnic table and huge fire ring. Midweek it was only half full. Campground is literally mere feet from the road. Lots of road noise. Bathrooms were good enough. The host when he finally came around was very nice. The adjacent site was vacant (a double site that cost more $$) and we were able to get to the river there. We stayed two nights mid week and it never filled up but all the sites had weekend reservations. There isn’t a lot of hiking but if you like river recreation or we saw lots of paddle boarders headed up to the reservoir. We drove up Monte Cristo which was still closed for the season but probably would have been more our style. Birding was good around the campground probably due to the river. Again, road noise was annoying but expected. Also note that the forest service’s website was out of date as far as all the campgrounds in this area being open.

You really need to know this: No dogs are allowed because this campground is in the Salt Lake City watershed.

And this: As inviting as the water running through the campground may look, you are not allowed to swim, wade or wash in it.

One more thing: Gate closes at 10 pm although that didn't stop some partiers at the next site in from us. They partied and left around 11 or so. There was no payment tag on the post. The exit is open but has tire shredders if you enter over them.

A pleasant surprise at a Forest Service campground: 10 lbs of ice for $2! (There was also the usual bundle of firewood for $6.)

An unpleasant surprise: Old, dirty bathrooms. I've seen cleaner vault toilets elsewhere than these flush toilets.

There is no water for now (July 2018) in bathroom sinks or at spigots. The host said something about a pipe issue and water needing to be tested. That covers the amenities other than dumpsters.

What about the sites? We arrived on a Sunday morning when the host was putting up signs indictating which sites were reserved. We had 3 possible sites among 1 through 19 and grabbed #9, a pull through site with a buffer between the road in the parking/small RV area.

Sites in the other area (higher numbers) were becoming available, but that area's host said many of the sites were only appropriate for tents.

Our site #9: There are a few steps down to the picnic table, fire ring and grill plus a separate area to the left for a tent. See photos.

General site info:

• Some sites have a concrete pad for the picnic table, etc.

• Many sites have an area for the tent that is away from the picnic table and concealed from the road.

Campground Review:

One of my favorite things about this campsite is that I had zero cellphone reception! I got to spend the day/night truly unplugged there are a variety of sites to choose from here including some with water access. The South Fork Ogden River runs right through the campground and is a great place to float, stick your feet in, or take a shallow dip. Warning: the water is freezing! Each site comes with a sizeable fire pit and picnic table. They all seem to be surrounded with trees and plenty of green! The spots also vary in privacy,and we unfortunately ended up in a spot with neighbors with a bright light on all night. Bright enough to obstruct our star view quite a bit. Otherwise, the view of the stars is breathtaking and you will wake up in a lovely canopy of trees.

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I get to review a lot of great products. On this trip I tried out two of Klymit’s high quality items. I already have a Static V2 sleeping pad that I love so I tested the Luxe Pillow and Quilted V Sheet. First of all, I cannot say enough good about the Luxe pillow! It is the most amazing camping pillow I've ever slept on. I even used it at my friend's house because it was more comfortable than her actual pillows. I am pretty picky with pillows because I have some neck issues and this pillow hits the spot. This pillow will be with me on every trip from now on, and it gets very compact for packing. The inflatable inside combined with the plush pillow case is a winning combination. Add the Quilted sheet to your Klymit sleeping pad and you will feel like you are sleeping in the lap of luxury. The combination of the pillow and sheet with my usual bag and mat made my slumber outside better than some I've spent in hotels. I can't say enough good things about these products!

This is a huge campground that sits on the south side of Pineview Reservoir that has a multitude of options for camping and day trips as well as a marina.  The first Forest Service Campground you'll encounter heading up Ogden Canyon and the only major campground on the south side of Pineview.  There are 58 single sites for 28$ as well as additional tent sites that are cheaper for 21$.  There are also 9 double sites and 4 group sites along with parking for boat trailers and day use for picnic and beach access.  Every site has a metal fire ring and a varying amount of picnic tables.  There is a small convenience store kin the reservation hut as well as vault toilets and drinking water spigots spread throughout the campground.

For fun things to do in the area look no further than Pineview Reservoir just to the north!  From chilling on the beach to fishing from shore or swimming.  There are many options for easy, cheap recreation direct from camp.  There is also a boat launch ramp right in the campground that makes it easy to spend the day motor boating around the reservoir.  Just down canyon there is also a decent amount of decent climbing on some good to high quality quartzite rock.