Top 10+ RV Parks near Ashley National Forest

Vernal Dinosoar Koa seems like it has a TON of spots crammed into a small are but all of them have green grass, picnic tables, and grills. Some sites have covered awnings some have large shade trees. What I liked about this campground were all the activity options they gave you, unlike some other KOA's I've stayed at. There was a small but functional K-9 park, a kids park, a swimming pool, a jump pad, and they had bike/3 wheeler rentals, and a mini golf coarse. They had a covered patio off of the pool building with picnic tables for use and just on the other side of the jump pad and kids playground they had a HUGE grassy field that you could go throw frisbees on or even fly a kite. They had spots for small RV, Very Large RVs, One special site that came with cable tv, and numerous cabins for rent. If your looking for something just off of the town in Vernal, So you can visit all the great dinosaur attractions, this would be the place. They did have a small store with firewood, some sundries, and tourist gifts. They also have 2 dump stations for $10 a use out front.

We called the park and asked if we could arrive around 2:00 PM as check in is 4:00 PM? There was no problem coming in early. Check in was quick and we proceeded to premium site 57, which was a back-in with FHUs that were smartly placed in the middle of the gravel pad. We paid extra for a premium site because they are supposed to have more yard space with private fire pits. The rig to our utilities side was very close and while our area out the door side was large, there was a formal path leading to the open pasture(watch out for cow and dog poop). The pasture area has formal trails that lead through the national forest to the Firefighters Memorial one direction and a Flaming Gorge overlook the other direction. Sites 18-21 actually had the biggest yard area and were the best sites in our opinion. Water pressure was good, no OTA channels so we put out our satellite with no issues, above average WiFi and 3 bars on Verizon. Our site was level but 56 next to us had to use levelers on their utilities side to level. One of the camp hosts was temporarily in 56, and he could not have been nicer offering assistance and tips on the area. They had 2 washers and dryers and cost$2.50 to wash and$1.75 to dry. There was lots to do and see in the area. Red Canyon Visitors Center along with the Red Canyon view trail and Sheep Creek Geological Loop are must sees. After you finish the geological loop, you’re close to Manila, UT and they have the Flaming Gorge Market and Mercantile, which is also a True Value hardware with fishing and souvenir items. Their market area has a good variety of items to include condiments, charcoal briquettes, bread/buns, hotdogs, lunch meat and salad etc. at decent prices. We bought a small mayonnaise and vinegar in Dutch John that cost$9 so like other reviews said, best to bring these type of items with you. Pine Forest management was laid back compared to other private CGs we have stayed. We enjoyed our week stay and would definitely come back.

We are traveling in Scoop our 26' travel trailer. We like rustic campgrounds, but expect to get the services as listed on campground websites. Cedar Springs in a National Forest Campground run by a third party concessionaire. The website said the campground was open and offered vault toilets, water spigots and a dump station. We were going to need a dump station visit so chose this campground over many of the others available in the area. Cedar Spring also has good reviews online.

Upon arrival the campground was about half full, but no water was on yet, the dump station was closed, the camp host had set up, but was not present and the vault toilet cleaning logs said baths had not been cleaned for 6 days. We stayed even though the rate for basically no services was $23. We had stayed the previous night at a forest service campground in the Black Hills that had cleaned baths and spigots that worked for only $10. This campground needs to offer a lesser cost for off-season level of services.

Gripping over, site C offered a beautiful view of the reservoir from the picnic table. Most sites are best for smaller rigs, tent trailers and tents. There were only 4-5 sites that would accommodate our 26' trailer. Because the campground is on the side of a hill, sites are pretty unlevel, but we were able to adapt. Cell signal was good here and we were able to pick up 10 TV stations with our antenna. If you have a dog, watch for burrs, there are some nasty ones.

The cost is $25 a night but $12.50 with a senior parks pass. ATT Has 3 bars and LTE coverage The campground is very clean, there are very well maintained restrooms with flush toilets and showers free to register guests and $4 fee for others, the roads and sites were all paved with picnic tables and fire pits, there is potable water available throughout but no electric, water or septic hookups in the campground. Potable water and a dump station are located just down the road, for a fee of $6 you can dump and refill your tank. This campground is very close to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. A hydro electric dam is located about one mile away with a great visitor center. There is fishing in the Reservoir, and great fly fishing on the Green river on the downstream side of the dam with great access. A boat launch is available on the downstream side of the dam for those hearty souls who wish to float the Green river and fish. There is a Marina located just a short way from the campground with a boat launch, a fuel dock, restaurant and small store with very friendly staff. There are several different boats available to rent, which we took advantage of and spent the day enjoying the fantastic views of Flaming Gorge from the water. We spent three days here and enjoyed it greatly, a great place to stop and recharge.

Arrived 6:15pm. Called in around 5pm on a Friday and they had a site available for the night. Unclear where RVs should park to check in at the hotel lobby, but there’s a large parking area so we parked sideways through several spots. They escorted us to our site: pull through, full hookups. Sites are long with plenty of room for the slide. Can hear the noise from the idling big rigs right next to the campground. Bathrooms are in the hotel lobby, which closes at 10:30pm, or the Travel Center right next door. There’s also a Sinclair gas station on the property. Would definitely stay here again.

Our Ford navigation was having a bad day and wanted us to take Exit 91 from I-80 west bound to get to the campground (CG). That exit would have you going through the middle of town, but the alternate navigation we always run(either Waze and/or Google Maps) brought us to the correct exit for the CG. We double-checked the website and verified they are located right off of I-80 at Exit 85 (east bound) or 89(west bound). When we got to the CG, another rig was checking in, so we had to sit on the somewhat busy road until we could make the turn on the street for the CG office. The lady checking us in was super friendly and we proceeded to the upper E section to pull through site 11 with FHUs. The pad was plenty long enough for our 40’ fifth wheel and our F450. The utilities worked fine but we needed a reducer as the water pressure was around 100 psi. We read reviews concerning low water pressure and they were working on the waterline in the CG so be aware. There are trees in or near most of the sites. We put our Starlink in the front part of the pad for a northern sky shot. There are 34 sites in the E section; 19 pull-throughs plus 10 small back-ins and 4 tent sites on the back fence where I-80 runs(you will hear road noise anywhere in this CG. There’s a bathhouse and a small fenced dog area. While we were here for 3 days, the poop bag dispenser was empty and the regular-sized garbage can in the dog area was 1/2 full of poop bags. The laundry facility is in the bottom section where the larger back-in sites/permanent party are located. We checked out the public river access at the end of the road down from where the office is located. You could launch a kayak, but there isn’t much parking. After trying to log into the CG WiFi several times, we connected and the WiFi was not good. We got 3 bars on Verizon. One of the transient workers started a loud diesel truck and let it run a long time before departing each morning. Unfortunately, this is a typical occurrence in these types of CGs. We were impressed with the local area brochures they gave us on local dining and the wild horses. They have 24-hour laundry and showers in the CG. In our humble opinion, the best thing about this CG was the coffee and craft beer on draft at the office. They have 4 craft beers on draft and you can get a flight for$5. The coffee and draft beers at the officer are worth checking out. Try a burger on a cornmeal bun at Broadway Burger Station in Rock Springs. This CG was okay for an overnighter or a couple of days at most.

We stay at the cabins at Red Canyon at least once a year, always in the wintertime when there are no crowds and everything is peaceful and covered in snow. The cabins that are available in the winter time are their "Ponderosa" units. They have two full beds, a separate living area, and minimally stocked kitchenette. They all have a cozy wood burning stove, with wood provided (extra in the antler covered shed behind the restaurant). There is a covered porch that looks out over a beautiful frozen pond, and in front of every cabin is a fire ring. They groom trails in the winter time for snowshowing and cross country skiing. Some folks even ice skate on the pond. There are no TV's or phones, so bring music and games :) The restaurant is only open on Friday and Saturday nights in the winter time, but has great food and huge windows where you can watch deer eat out of the bird feeders. You may even see a moose! The best part for us is that the cabins are dog friendly.