Best Cabin Camping near Beaver, UT

So, take Ruby's with a grain of salt. It's historic, big, and tourist-y. We camped in the tipi (most tipis are ON the highway, so request tipi 10) that was by the lake. The tipi is probably the only secluded camping available. It was fun and pretty comfortable. It was cool at night in June, unlike all the other places we have camped in Utah. Sadly, there are so many lights at Ruby's, you can't see the stars. But, the atmosphere at Ruby's is more like being at an attraction than being outside in nature. Bathrooms are too small and there aren't enough of them to support the campground. There are shuttles to Bryce Canyon park available from Ruby's. There are shops, groceries, and anything you need at Ruby's. If you're used to nice mountain bikes, do t get your hopes up with the rentals. They are in bad shape. Also, there really are not mountain bike trails in the area. Even mountain trails that allow bikes are really horse trails and terrible to ride.

We spent a fun day exploring Cedar Breaks National Monument. However, we lost track of time, the sun was setting and we had not chosen a place to camp. 

Campground Review of Fremont Indian State Park:

We searched on TheDyrt app for nearby campgrounds and found Fremont Indian State Park. We drove down the mountain and around another mountain and found the campground. It was totally dark by the time that we arrived and so we quickly parked and set up our campervan to sleep. 

A gentleman emerged from the shadows and approached our site. It seemed a little sketchy at first. However, he ended up being friendly and inquired if we’d like to join him and his friends around their campfire. After we prepared our campervan and cleaned up a bit, we dropped by the campfire. It turns out the party included some park staff and researchers. One lady was researching dark skies and one gentleman was researching astral alignment with ancient rock art. They shared about their research and showed us some of their amazing photos of the night sky. A warm way to end the day.

The next morning, we woke up to snow on the ground and the nearby mountaintops. Having learned from our new friends that the park contained some pretty significant rock art, we decided that we should check it out. We hiked on a couple of the trails and discovered quite a few of the rock art pieces created by the Fremont Indians. There's an easy trail that is located adjacent to the park office. There are other trails that run along the river. It is amazing that so much of the rock art was in such good condition.

The campsites provide the basics like a parking space, picnic table, electrical & water hookup and firepit/grill. The restrooms were conveniently located close to our campsite and were clean. There are showers behind the restrooms. During the winter the showers may be closed. The campground is somewhat small, but is surrounded by beautiful mountains and bluffs. The staff were super friendly and helpful.

For more info: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/fremont-indian/

Product Review of Travelers Autobarn Campervans:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I am provided products to test. For this outing I was provided a Travelers Autobarn Kuga Campervan. 

For more info: https://www.travellers-autobarnrv.com

The best thing about traveling in a campervan is the ease, flexibility, and ability to make detours if needed. 

We picked up our Kuga Campervan in Las Vegas. The Travelers Autobarn office is just west of the the main strip and easy to find. We arrived early in the day to begin the registration process and campervan orientation. The process was quick and easy. The Kuga Campervan is a hightop van conversion with couches, a table, two beds, propane stove, sink, water, kitchen, interior lights, fan, window shades and solar power. We also had the free living package which included kitchen pots, pans, utensils, cups and accessories. It also included sleeping bags, sheets, pillows and towels. The package pretty much made it super easy to get in the van and go. 

The Travelers Autobarn staff member was super friendly and provided an orientation of the basic operation of the campervan. The campervan drives like a normal van, but learning about the camper functions was helpful. 

We had charted a route around Utah and Arizona visiting a number of towns, parks, roadside attractions and hot springs. The day that we started a weather system passed through which made the temperatures drop in the northern part of our route. We simply flipped our route to avoid the cold weather and traveled the southern route first. By the time that we circled north the weather had warmed up and it was perfect weather for exploring. Traveling in a campervan made it super easy to be flexible with our route and schedule. 

On our seven day trip we visited Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Horseshoe Bend National Monument. Monument Valley National Park, Arches National Park, Mystic Hotsprings, Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Meadow Hotsprings, Valley of Fire State Park and Fremont Indian State Park. 

If we were not traveling in a campervan it is unlikely that we would have had the flexibility to camp anytime and anywhere. We would have never found and stayed at Fremont Indian State Park. It ended up being a gem of a park and a great overall experience. This campervan camping adventure opened up my mind to new opportunities and travels. So much fun!

For more info: https://www.travellers-autobarnrv.com

I’ve stayed here on two occasions in a motorhome. The two main types of sites are cabins and full hookup RV sites. There are no trees in the RV area, but temps are mild even in summer due to the 8200’ elevation. The owners are clearly investing in improvements, based on growing sites and new cabins. The sites are not ON the lake but within a hundred yards or so. This is a prime area for fishing, mainly from boats, and rentals are available and reasonable. The surrounding area has many miles of dirt roads and off road trails. Nearest town is about 12 miles. Food options are limited, but the nearby Burger Barn is fantastic for lunch or dinner. Quality burgers, smoked meats (yum), ice cream, shakes, beer, wine. The resort has a small store with fishing stuff and snacks, and sometimes a snack/pizza place. There’s a small general store. Not cheap to stay here but average going rates

Ruby's Inn RV Park and Campground serves one big purpose. It provides immediate access to Bryce National Park and Canyon. It is as close to the entrance as you can get camping. But it isn't really camping so much as sharing space on the ground with others who want to get up and go explore the park.

Pros: • LOCATION! Next to the park entrance. • FREE Showers: Not only are they free with your campsite but they are hot, clean and unlimited water which after several weeks on the road was pretty awesome. • Wifi - yes...in a campground. But it doesn't really work unless you're close to the main entry. • Since you're not really camping there is a swimming pool. • Never fills up for tent campers except 4th of July week. • Picnic tables in the tent area for dining or resting. • Firepits (kind of. Poorly dug and small but firepits none-the-less.

CONS: • It is more RV Park than Tent camping. Tent campers don't have designated spots just "areas" to congregate. • Ground is mostly sand/gravel (better for RVs) but if you're on the sand watch where you set up camp. Fire ants. • Lots of people.

TIPS: • If tent camping try to find a spot on the left side (as you enter). There is more trees and shade there. Feels more like camping. • There is a full grocery at the Ruby's Inn Best Western next door, and a mini post office. Good stop for filling up the car cooler. • Mossy Creek Trail is part of Bryce Canyon. You can access it without going into the main entrance. It is off HWY 12 and is an awesome short hike to a cave & waterfall. 98% of people just walk to the waterfall. You can follow the river several miles further (we didn't get all the way to the end) and run into more mini-falls and some beautiful scenery all by yourself. You don't even need to pay at the gate. Not sure why more people don't do this.

Ruby's has been around for 100+ years and is still family owned. Despite it not really being camping it is a good place for access to the park and if you have problems you can talk directly to a person and it will get taken care of.

We booked Cedar City KOA as our first trip to a KOA. The park is on the edge of town but close to anything you might want or need. Our site was directly across from the playground and 50 steps from the off-leash dog park. Both the kids and the dog greatly appreciated both. Unfortunately, some campers struggle with quiet hours and allowed their kids to scream and play in the playground until as late as 1am. The second night of our stay the kids were back after 1ppm, but the staff swooped in and gently moved them along. Speaking of the staff, they were friendly, attentive, and professional 100% of the time. The grounds were well maintained and clean and the campground full of friendly faces.