Top 10+ Dispersed Free Camping near Altamont, UT

Windy Park, like a lot of camp areas in Ashley National Forest is free, dispersed camping. The only rule is that you have to camp within 150 feet of a developed road. There is a 16 day camp limit for leaving your camper in the same camp spot like most of the locals from Vernal do (leave it on the mountain, and come up on the weekends, or for the hunt, etc.). There are many ATV roads, and hiking trails in the area. It's a quick drive to Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Enjoy the aspen and pine groves located throughout Ashley National Forest. Weather can be unpredictable in the Uintahs, so prepare for anything! We've had hail and snow in July!

Over Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I got away for a night and dispersed camp in the Unita National forest near the Mill Creek campground. We were planning to stay at the campground but it was closed, so we took advantage of free dispersed camping right outside. This is LNT(leave no trace) camping so be sure to pack out what you pack in. There are no amenities but you are along a water source so if you have a filter, you have water. All along the road there are open fields that can accommodate trailers and bigger parties then just a single tent. Near the campground (and the site we chose) is an outdoor education center which would be fun to go back and visit later in the summer. We really enjoyed camping here as it was peaceful and private (at least when we visited).  Later in the summer that may not be the case, especially close to the road. The biggest issue may be the road. My Mazda3 was able to make it up, but the road was quite rutted and rough and you had to go through a small runoff stream. If you have a lowered vehicle, you may have a tough time but anything with a higher clearance will do just fine. Overall, I loved exploring a new area that I will definitely return to.

This is a great free camping site on BLM land. It is right across from the Moosehorn campground and is very close to Mirror Lake. Also only 5min drive from the Bald Mountain hime which offers incredible sunsets. There are a number of sites in this area and requires going down a dirt road. RVs can access the majority of sites. There are preexisting firepits and small clearings where tents can go. The prime, level spots are the best. There are a number of other sites that still have fire pits, but it is hard to find level ground for tents. There are lots of trees for those who like hammocking. Services are about 30 min drive from this location. Pack your own water!

Campground Review: Dispersed Camping at Pyramid Lake, UT

Pyramid Lake is another gem of a mountain lake found in the Uinta Mountains of Utah. It is a small-medium sized lake you can drive to (with a small walk in) and has lots of National Forest dispersed camping. This area, while on National Forest, does require a recreation pass. A three-day pass is $6 which you can get at the various self-serve stations found along the main Mirror Lake Highway or it is free if you have a National Parks pass. It is on the honor system. So before I go into the camp area a few notes on getting there. Once you turn off highway 150 towards Murdock Basin, you have 6 miles of dirt/rock road ahead of you. A car can make it the first four miles, but a vehicle with at least 18” of clearance (and recommended AWD/4WD) is required as the road turns into sections of just really large rocks. You can stop and camp anywhere along that forest service road, but to get to either Pyramid or Echo Lake, you need the higher clearance.

The camping area and lake: it is dispersed camping so it is very primitive. No running water (either bring your own or a way to filter lake water), no pit toilets (bring a spade to dig a cat hole and bury or pack out your TP), tent or hammock camping (a pull behind trailer won’t make it the last few miles), scattered fire pits (practice extreme fire safety and make sure you fully put out any fire you start), and no garbage service (pack out whatever you pack in), aka typical backcountry camping. I loved it! The lake is beautiful and there is a trail you can walk around it. I did bring my inflatable paddleboard but didn’t end up breaking it out because it was too windy. But I will definitely return to paddle the lake another day. Multiple people were fishing and I could see the fish jumping as well. There is also a large boulder field on the South side of the lake which is fun to scramble around. I have decided my dog is part mountain goat. I chose a small spot about 50 meters from the water—halfway between the lake and where I parked the car. It was small and perfect for just one person and dog.

Downsides to the lake: While visiting a small mountain lake is always fun, there was a few things that didn’t meet my expectations (which are relatively low). The biggest thing which surprised me was how busy it was considering how rough the road was. It is really fun to see lots of people enjoying the outdoors but there were two larger groups of twenty-somethings that were really loud the whole night. I think one group played music and stayed up all night long and randomly walked down to the lake loudly with flashlights (which was really not necessary considering it was a cloudless, full moon night). They had dogs barking and generally seemed to not take the other people camping at the lake into consideration. Granted it was a killer spot for a group campout but it definitely affected by enjoyment of the evening. Overall, I really enjoyed the area and will return to camp again.

Gear Review: Matador Transit30 Duffle

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get the opportunity to test out gear for our awesome partners from time to time. I was given the privilege of testing out the Matador Transit30 packable duffle bag in grey. This bag, when stuffed is shorter but thicker than my phone but when unpacked is a full 30 liter duffle bag. For those who don’t speak liter size it is about the size of a typical medium Adidas duffle bag. It is made up of water resistant ripstop material, has one seam sealed zippered pocket, and the main pocket is accessed by a two-way seam sealed zipper. 

Pros:

• It is super lightweight, which is what Matador is known for, and unstructured. This allows the bag to mold to whatever is inside and be able to fit itself inside another bag. I took this bag filled with my overnight camping stuff when I hiked by paddleboard to another lake and I was able to keep my camping stuff contained while fitting it in my SUP bag.
• The zippers are seam sealed which help with water resistance, overall durability, and versatility of the bag.
• It fits so much stuff!
• It only has hand straps, no shoulder strap (depending on your preferences this is both a pro and con). If you don’t every use shoulder straps why have to keep track of something you never use? The straps are long enough to put over your shoulder and you can wear it as a backpack.
• The stuff sack is attached to the inside so it is a bonus pocket for small items when the bag is not stuffed inside.
• There is a front small zippered pocket for important things such as keys, wallet, etc.

Cons:

• It is super thin and durable material but I am still nervous about puncture potential. I am really hard on my gear and I guess time will tell if I rip and hole in it or not.
• I am trying really hard to think of something and I am coming up short.

Overall, I am very excited to use this bag for quick overnight camping trips and overall general duffle bag usage. I can see myself including this bag when I travel in case I need extra storage space. If you have a slight love obsession with gear bags (as I do), this is a must addition to your packing arsenal. Its versatility and weight are unmatched and time will tell on the durability (but I have a feeling it will hold up just fine!).

McCoy Flats BLM is a mt bike focus recreation area with a network of excellent nonmotorizrd singletrack trails. Dispersed free camping allowed, and currently there are several nice vault toilets scattered along the main access paved road.

This camping area is at the third new vault toilet. Lots of room for large TTs. No trash dumpsters and no water, but cell signal is excellent 5g five bars. Only few miles from main hwy on an old paved pothole filled road. And then only 3 miles back into Vernal and a Walmart on this end of town, so logistics are very good.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/mccoy-flats-trailhead#

We go several times a year. You have to be willing to “rough it”. There are no facilities and no toilets. But it’s gorgeous. Wildflowers as far as you can see. Wide open spaces. Dispersed camp sites.

Soapstone basin is dispersed camping at its best! I stayed here for three nights in July, it was quiet and secluded. The road at times was a bit rough for my little Ford escape and tab camper however the sunsets were amazing as was the dark moonless night. one night while falling asleep I hear a few little sneezes outside. It was a squirrel. Later I was told female squirrels will sneeze after mating! Not sure that's entirely true but the sneezing part was pretty cute!

40.47015, -111.06317 Lots of dispersed camping up here.

Dispersed camping all along the road past the Washington Lake established campgrounds

I love that you can camp just about anywhere off of the main drag here. There are several dispersed camping areas here, I liked Oaks Park the best! This is a great second option though. Lots of ATV trails and like previous reviewers have said, many people leave their RVs parked up here. We camped near two RVs but no one was home so we had the place to ourselves. Flaming George is close as well, but we prefer free, solitary camping.

Our family really likes dispersed camping near Mill hollow reservoir. It’s very peaceful and scenic! The main road in is fairly easy to navigate but if you venture off the main path you’ll want a vehicle with clearance and possibly 4X4. We cherish the ability to camp like this so we always take out everything we brought in “leave no trace” unfortunately not everyone has the same respect so we typically end up taking out any trash we find from the previous campers. Overall a great place to camp if you’re equipped for dispersed camping!

Lots of wildlife, didn’t see a bear though. Stargazing!! Tons of hikes in the area, can’t remember the names of the trails I did. This is dispersed camping from the US Forest Service so you drive around until you find a patch of grass or sand you like by the road (but only drive on the roads). Dispersed camping is very popular out west---do not expect any facilities. Best place to get more detailed info is just by calling the ranger office, as the road is closed in winter and reopening times vary. Beautiful and a true wilderness experience without having to haul your gear on your back!

The Wasatch National Forrest is beautiful. There are many hidden lakes to explore and lots of big trees to help keep cool in the summer. Lots of dispersed camping sites.

Based on the review above, we stayed at the dispersed camping site just past sulphur campground and we were not disappointed. There was a little stream in walking distance across the meadow and we even saw a moose go through the campground in the morning!

Massey Meadows is a beautiful place to camp. Mostly wide open meadow like spaces where you just pull up your camper and park (dispersed camping). There are a lot of beautiful places you can explore, including Massey Cave. However, usage is so high that I recommend trying to camp a little lower in the Dry Fork Canyon area. The two are connected by a wonderful trail system called the Flume Trail. The Flume Trail runs next to the river, and is absolutely beautiful. It's huge for mountain biking and hiking, and offers 10 to 24 miles of trail. There are several developed campsites on both sides of the road, each with fire rings and picnic tables. I highly recommend camping in Dry Fork/Red Cloud Loop/Massey Meadows area.

Headed up this way to escape the valley heat. Temps are significantly cooler. Decent dispersed camping sites, but coming in on a Friday afternoon a lot of sites already filled. There is a lot of road traffic in the area, keep an eye out for side by sides, motorcycles and 4 wheelers because a lot of them aren’t.

This is a primitive camping area by Sheep Creek Lake. No amenities, no established campsites, no toilets, no garbage dumpsters, no water, no cell signal. Road access is gravel graved. A primitive boat ramp is available. This lake seems to be more of a Fish and Game nursery lake for raising Colo River Trout.

This dispersed camp area is at FS #547, it is not at end of pavement like the other review notes. No cell signal, no toilets, trash dumpsters, water or any designated sites with tables or metal fire rings. Another open area called Round Park is 1 mile down the #547 road on a good gravel road and is much nicer area to camp but still no cell signal. I disliked Dyer Park.

West Fork Smiths Fork is a huge area to the west of China Meadows. Campers from all over the state venture to China Meadows to hike to Red Castle, and hunters from all over the country travel here to hunt deer and elk! 

Hiking along the river will lead you south to Bald Mountain and Bald Lake. Dispersed camping is available throughout the entire area. Vast meadows are filled with various wildlife and gorgeous views! 

The simplest access for most campers coming from Utah will be coming down through Wyoming, past Stateline Reservoir. The area can also be accessed from the west via Mirror Lake Highway, but will take significantly longer due to the overall length of dirt road you'll be required to travel on from that direction.

Numerous options for dispersed camping most in large open fields that would fit a number of RVs or trailers. Biggest drawback for us was that the fields were mostly a steep incline (requiring a delicate balance of additional materials to get level). Also, even on a quiet Wednesday late in the season, the area was packed with off road vehicles, which is not really our scene. If it is your scene, this would be a great place for staging with 30 of your closest friends (which seemed to be how this is used!).