Best Campgrounds near Alta, UT

Camping areas near Alta, Utah span across the Wasatch Mountains in northern Utah, providing access to high-elevation forests, alpine meadows, and mountain lakes. Established campgrounds like Albion Basin, Redman, and Tanners Flat accommodate tent campers and smaller RVs, while offering convenient access to hiking trails and ski areas. The region includes several national forest developed campgrounds with varying amenities, from primitive tent sites to more developed facilities with drinking water and vault toilets. Mixed-use campgrounds like Spruces in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Silver Lake Backcountry provide alternatives for those seeking different camping experiences in the mountains surrounding Alta.

Seasonal limitations significantly impact camping availability in the Alta area, with most campgrounds operating from late May through mid-October due to heavy snowfall at higher elevations. Road access can be challenging, particularly to dispersed camping areas, with some requiring high-clearance vehicles to navigate rough terrain and stream crossings. Many sites require advance reservations through recreation.gov, especially during peak wildflower season in July and August when the area sees increased visitation. Camping at 9,000+ feet elevation means cooler temperatures even in summer months, requiring appropriate gear for comfort. As one visitor noted, "The campground is at 9400 ft so the temps are usually 20 degrees cooler than the city."

Campers consistently praise the natural beauty and wildlife viewing opportunities around Alta's camping areas. The Albion Basin area receives particular attention during wildflower season, with multiple reviews highlighting the spectacular alpine blooms. Several visitors mentioned moose, deer, and other wildlife sightings as highlights of their stays at Redman Campground. Proximity to hiking trails ranks as a major advantage, with easy access to destinations like Cecret Lake, Catherine Pass, and various alpine lakes. A visitor to Albion Basin shared that "several trailheads to alpine lakes are in or near the trailhead." While most developed campgrounds provide basic amenities like picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets, campers should note that many areas prohibit dogs due to watershed protection regulations. Campgrounds in both Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons provide strategic basecamp locations for exploring the surrounding wilderness areas.

Best Camping Sites Near Alta, Utah (281)

    1. Granite Flat (utah)

    38 Reviews
    Mutual Dell, UT
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 785-3563

    $28 - $358 / night

    "Tucked in very back. Long ways to walk from car. Water spout next to car area. Will be sharing parking with 2 other sites. 2 lakes nearby. Fire pit with grill gate. Shaded area."

    "Utah is such an amazing place to visit for the outdoors. My family and I come here once a year because we love hiking and being in the outdoors."

    2. Spruces - Big Cottonwood

    33 Reviews
    Mounthaven, UT
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 733-2660

    $29 - $346 / night

    "Bathrooms always close by, no showers. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit. If you’re lucky, you can get a site close to the creek. Nice, cool nights in the summer."

    "Right up Big Cottonwood Canyon, this campground has the advantage of being up the canyon so you feel far away from the city, but close enough that you could go on a work night and still make it to the"

    3. Hailstone - Upper Fisher Campground — Jordanelle State Park

    38 Reviews
    Park City, UT
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 649-9540

    $35 - $50 / night

    "This isn't the prettiest lake. It is nice and big, but since it is one of the closest to Utah Valley and Salt Lake Valley, it gets a lot of traffic."

    "We stayed at the "McHenry" campground in a spot right next to a creek. The traffic noise was a bit prevalent during the day because it's close to the highway. Great tent pad."

    4. Tanners Flat

    19 Reviews
    Snowbird, UT
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 733-2660

    $29 - $217 / night

    "The single sites are $23 a night and be sure to make your reservation early as you are unlikely to get a walk in."

    "It was quiet, tucked away from anyone.  Didn't really see anyone for the three days we are there.  Our site was next to the river, which really helped drown out all other sounds! "

    5. Redman Campground

    15 Reviews
    Brighton, UT
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 733-2660

    $29 - $217 / night

    "This is super close to my favorite mountain bike ride in Northern Utah - The Wasatch Crest Trail. As you can tell in the pictures, this area is very lush and rich with pine trees."

    "The campsites are clean, the bathrooms are exceptionally clean with flushing toilets, you are a walk or hike away from Brighton and immersed in some of the most beautiful mountains around."

    6. Little Mill

    20 Reviews
    Mutual Dell, UT
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 785-3563

    $28 - $229 / night

    "We got a site with access to the river which my kids really enjoyed. There was a fun giant "sliding rock" in the area to climb on. Lots of trees for hammocks."

    "The lake is right up the road and a great place to swim and fish. There is a sliding rock for kids to climb and play on near the camp grounds. So many bike and walking trails."

    7. Pine Creek Campground — Wasatch Mountain State Park

    14 Reviews
    Midway, UT
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 654-3961

    $45 - $90 / night

    "Close to fishing pond, play area for kids, beautiful golf courses, hikes, Midway/Heber cities, fishing rivers and beautiful drives up the mountains for more exploring."

    "Eventually was able to get the camphost to y’all to the folks next to us. Otherwise beautiful and super convenient. Would return again"

    8. Mountain Valley RV Resort

    21 Reviews
    Heber, UT
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 657-6100

    $30 - $129 / night

    "Located in beautiful Heber City, Utah. We felt at home as soon as we arrived and were greeted by a nice man on a golf cart who lead us to where we’d be staying."

    "He was helpful and provided wonderful advice for the rest of our trip in Utah (Moab). The sites are a bit close, but the campground was quiet and clean.

    Our girls enjoyed the pool and hot tub."

    9. Timpooneke

    15 Reviews
    Mutual Dell, UT
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 785-3563

    $28 - $205 / night

    "I love how it is near a river. You can hear it at night. It's so nice to get to a cool area out of the hot valley and into the cool scenic back country of Utah county."

    "While there are many campgrounds in Utah that rival it, this one is special because it's such a short drive after work."

    10. Silver Lake Backcountry

    8 Reviews
    Alta, UT
    4 miles

    "You can’t drive to the coordinates, you have to park at the uppermost parking lot for Silver Flat and hike up to a camping spot. Camping anywhere along that road will give you gorgeous views, though!"

    "There were a lot of off road vehicles and people fishing. More crowded then we were expecting, but the views were amazing! Not a lot of shade, as in bring your own. Perfect place for dogs to play!"

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Recent Reviews near Alta, UT

1475 Reviews of 281 Alta Campgrounds


  • AThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 4, 2025

    Anderson Cove (uinta-wasatch-cache National Forest, Ut)

    No bang for your buck

    I wish I read the reviews better before stopping here. It’s $38 a night. That gets you a spot on a paved pad, no hook ups. There are shade trees but they don’t offer privacy. Only out house/pit toilets, the one near my spot was dirty. The campground is on a busy road so lots of noise there. I don’t need to stay here again.

  • Sary W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 4, 2025

    Flight Park State Recreation Area

    Good price

    Instructions for the campsite are a bit confusing. Don’t pay for a site until you get here even if you book online. There are limited spots. People camping around are nice and say hello.

    We camped on a Friday night and it was full when we arrived around 6pm but we snagged the last spot available. Otherwise I would have camped down the road in a dirt patch anyway.

  • Mike C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 3, 2025

    Sheep Creek Dispersed Camping Area

    Good overnight spot

    Quiet and easy to get to from road. Got crowded as the evening went on but plenty of room for all

  • TThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 30, 2025

    Squaw Peak Road Dispersed

    A hard way to the Top

    We fought hard to get to the spot. Up to Hood Campground, the road was a normal, winding road. Really great. After that, however, a stretch began that was really only suitable for 4WDs. Rocks, deep ruts, etc. We managed it with the 2WD, but we had to give it our all. There aren't many spots. The spot we found was right on the mountain in the forest, but it wasn't worth the effort. We still enjoyed the night very much. We didn't have an internet connection with T-Online. Apparently, the spot serves the locals as a picnic destination, love nest, or even wedding photo spot until sunset. We had a bit of everything that evening ;)

  • Cali C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 23, 2025

    Mud Creek Campground

    Spacious campground close to town

    There are tons of spots to choose from, and it always felt very safe. Lots of people with ATV’s and dirtbikes but not loud at all.

  • Jeff R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 23, 2025

    Miner's Canyon Dispersed

    Beautiful spot but trash everywhere

    Great views of the lake and surrounding mountains, but has trash, broken glass and junk everywhere.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 22, 2025

    Sheep Creek

    Convenient overnight spot

    Plenty of space for any camper. tents to fifth wheels. The night I camped 9/20/25 there were about a dozen vehicles.

  • Alisa P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2025

    Heber Ranger Station

    Parking Lot Camping

    You can stay at this ranger station up to 14 days. Heber city has a lot to offer. There was a large trash can available but the ranger station was closed due to electrical problems so I don’t know if they allow you to use the bathrooms inside.

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2025

    Bountiful B Dispersed

    Popular re recreation area with good camping

    There's 4 fire rings around the coords, probably only 3 actual camp sites. The one fire has trails going all around it. If you continue up the mountain, there's more sites at the top. This whole area seems to be a local atv, dirt bike, mountain bike, and shooting area. Definitely lots of people shooting guns into gulleys during the day. Everybody seemed friendly though. The road up takes about 25 or 30 minutes to get to the coords. Its a bit rough but if you have awd or 4wd its no problem. Great views on the way up and down. I have Verizon and had coverage off and on, its enough to send texts but not much more.


Guide to Alta

Dispersed camping near Alta, Utah provides access to high-elevation environments, typically between 7,400-9,400 feet. The surrounding areas feature both developed campgrounds and backcountry sites within the Wasatch National Forest. During peak summer months, temperatures at these elevations average 10-15 degrees cooler than in Salt Lake City, with nighttime temperatures frequently dropping below 50°F even in July.

What to do

Mountain biking on Wasatch Crest Trail: Located near Redman Campground, this trail offers technical riding with significant elevation changes. "This is super close to my favorite mountain bike ride in Northern Utah - The Wasatch Crest Trail. As you can tell in the pictures, this area is very lush and rich with pine trees," notes Brendan A.

Fishing at multiple reservoirs: Several campgrounds provide access to fishing areas with stocked waters. At Silver Lake Backcountry, "Fishing, and light watercraft permissible in Silver Lake Reservoir. Not crowded at all," reports Michelle B.

Hike to Scout Falls: This 2-mile round-trip hike starts directly from Timpooneke Campground. "Scout Falls (while not overly impressive) is about 1 mile into the hike. Make sure you camp in designated spots as fires are prohibited everywhere else," advises John M.

Paddleboarding on alpine lakes: Several small lakes in the area allow non-motorized watercraft. "We were able to paddle board which was a blast! I loves being so close and having access to so many beautiful hikes and Rick climbing," shares Kaitlin R. about her experience at Granite Flat.

What campers like

Year-round accessibility options: While most campgrounds close seasonally, Spruces Campground offers winter camping opportunities. "Wonderful winter wonder land you can snowshoe into in the winter and camp at! You can also stay here during the summer just be prepared to book a couple months in advance!" explains Shilah M.

Close proximity to Salt Lake City: Campgrounds in Big Cottonwood Canyon provide quick wilderness access. "Right up Big Cottonwood Canyon, this campground has the advantage of being up the canyon so you feel far away from the city, but close enough that you could go on a work night and still make it to the office the next day," shares Jenny W. about Spruces Campground.

Wildlife viewing opportunities: Multiple campgrounds report frequent animal sightings. "This campground is quiet and has abundant wildlife. It's better for small campers or tent campers as the driveways were not designed for big rigs," notes a camper at Redman Campground.

Hammocking options: Many sites feature mature trees ideal for hammock camping. "We had a blast at this campsite! There were lots of great trees for hammocking, fire pits, and bathrooms! Overall this place was beautiful and perfect for what we were doing!" explains Michael B. about his stay at Redman Campground.

What you should know

Reservation requirements: During peak season, walk-up availability is extremely limited. "After failing to get a walk up at granite flats because everything was reserved, we tried Timpooneke. Online it indicates that they have lots of walk ups, however, driving through we only saw 2 with the W designation and everything else had a reserved sign up," reports Stacy D.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best season to camp in Alta, Utah?

The best season to camp in Alta, Utah is summer (late June through early September) when snow has melted and wildflowers bloom. Tanners Flat in Little Cottonwood Canyon is accessible during this window with 31 single sites that book quickly during peak season. Spring camping is challenging due to snowmelt, while fall brings beautiful colors but cooler temperatures. Winter camping is not recommended for most sites due to heavy snowfall and avalanche risk. For slightly longer seasons, consider Payson Lakes which sits at a lower elevation but still offers the alpine experience with a slightly extended camping season.

What amenities are available at Alta Camping areas?

Alta camping areas offer varying levels of amenities. Albion Basin provides basic amenities with established campsites and onsite camp managers. The area is well-maintained but doesn't offer hookups. For those seeking full amenities, Rock Cliff Area Campground near Alta offers full RV hookups in a clean, functional setting. Many Alta-area dispersed camping options like Soldier's Pass have no amenities and require bringing all water and supplies. Most established campgrounds in the region provide fire rings, with some offering toilets, but amenities are generally minimal compared to lower-elevation camping areas.

Where is Alta Campground located in Utah?

Alta's primary camping area, Albion Basin, is located at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, approximately 6 miles up from the canyon entrance and about 25 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. This campground sits at the base of Alta Ski Resort where chair lifts pass overhead during ski season. The high-elevation setting (over 8,500 feet) places campers amid alpine meadows and stunning mountain scenery. For nearby alternatives, Pine Creek Campground in Wasatch Mountain State Park offers camping in the same general region with more traditional wooded sites, though at a lower elevation.