Campgrounds near Snowbird, Utah provide access to scenic mountain settings in the Wasatch Range. The area includes several established campgrounds within Little Cottonwood Canyon and the surrounding valleys, with Tanners Flat Campground located just 15 minutes from the ski resort. Accommodations range from basic tent camping to RV sites with hookups, and some locations like Jordanelle State Park offer cabin options. Most camping areas are situated between 7,000-9,000 feet elevation, offering cool temperatures and forest cover during summer months.
Reservations are essential for most developed campgrounds in the region, particularly during the peak summer season from June through September. Primitive sites fill quickly on weekends, while many higher elevation campgrounds remain closed until late May due to snowpack. "No dogs are allowed because this campground is in the Salt Lake City watershed," noted one visitor about Tanners Flat, highlighting important local regulations. Little Cottonwood Canyon camping areas have specific watershed protection rules, prohibiting swimming or wading in the creeks. Access to most sites requires driving on paved roads, though some campgrounds have limited parking for larger vehicles or RVs. Cell service varies throughout the canyon, with better coverage at lower elevations near the mouth of the canyon.
Campers consistently mention the scenic beauty and temperature advantages of staying at higher elevations. Sites along creeks and streams are particularly popular, with several visitors highlighting the sound of flowing water as a peaceful camping feature. According to one camper, "We had site 11 close to the bathroom and in a flat, sunny clearing surrounded by trees. You could hear the nearby road a bit and see the mountains a little bit." The camping areas near Snowbird provide good access to hiking trails, with Albion Basin Campground offering direct access to wildflower meadows during July and August. While developed campgrounds provide amenities like vault toilets and drinking water, visitors note that sites can be close together with limited privacy, especially during peak summer weekends.
$27 - $355 / 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."
$29 - $327 / 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"
$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."
$29 - $450 / 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! "
$27 - $227 / 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 site we stayed at had many trees around to hang hammocks and also eat and picnic in the shade. There are brand new camp fires in all sites."
$29 - $215 / 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."
$45 - $90 / night
"There is access to potable water right outside the yurt. You do have to walk about 500 yards to the yurt from the parking space, but the privacy is worth it."
"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."
$27 - $204 / 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."
$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."
$50 - $189 / night
"I had the wonderful opportunity to stay the night at Salt Lake City KOA!"
"We wanted to explore Salt Lake City so decided to stay at this downtown KOA. It is a large and crowded RV park but right on a Transit line (UTA light rail Trax) and biking distance to downtown."
TravelerThe spots not bad at all. There’s a couple different entrances with various camping/parking areas throughout. Some dirt roads are rough getting back to a spot. Parking across the street as well. Down side is how messy it is. Trash, glass, furniture. We luckily found a decent spot that we cleaned up and stayed at for a few days.
GuideI wasn’t sure what I expected, but this spot is just okay. There’s lots of Trailers, Vans, and other Car Campers. Some spots are really nice, while others are just piled full of trash. I would drive around a bit and scout out a few spots before deciding on one. Fair warning this place is very dusty and windy, but it does have some pretty views. Not a terrible place to stay, but I wouldn’t recommend more than a night or two. There’s not much to do in the area.
GuideNice location, great views.It gets a little methy down by the lake overall worth a night
GuideGreat view and easy check in at kiosk
ScoutThe app said that overnight camping would be allowed in the parking lot and within a third of the mile, the parking area from the second there's a sign that expressly prohibits this exact thing. Saturday of April through September 9th. This is incorrect. There's a sign that expressly prohibits this exact thing.
TravelerIt was a little muddy an to close to the road an a little busy but other that is was nice, lots of butterflies and dog friendly fairly pretty
ScoutGorgeous campground had stunning views, a fire pit, and was quiet.
RangerThis campsite is like being on another planet. The scenery is beautiful! But we came in early April and the gnats were UNREAL. If the wind died down at all, we and the dogs were swarmed. I had gnats in my mouth, nose, ears, everywhere. But aside from that, the campground was great. Showers were private, clean, and had plenty of hot water. Would love to visit again outside of gnat season.
TravelerIt’s basically Boondocking with a pad, picnic table, and fire pit. Beautiful area though. Entry is small. I have a 30 foot travel trailer and I would not recommend doing the one way loop. Most of the campsites are small, and people crowd the loop roadway, and the trees and the sharp corners make it very difficult. . We took the biggest site - number 17 near the end of the loop and had plenty of room. But to get there, we backed from the end of the loop in to the site.
Campgrounds in the Wasatch Range surrounding Snowbird, Utah range in elevation from 6,400 to 7,400 feet, creating distinct microclimates with temperature variations of 10-15 degrees compared to the Salt Lake Valley below. Many sites remain covered in snowpack until late May, with some higher elevation locations not opening until June. Summer temperatures typically reach 70-85°F during daytime with 45-55°F nights.
Hiking to mountain lakes: Redman Campground offers access to popular trails including Donut Falls, which families with young children can complete. "Donut Falls is also a very worthy destination if you don't like mountain biking. It is a family friendly hike we've done many times with a three year old, especially considering how rewarding the waterfall payoff is at the end," notes a visitor to Redman Campground.
Fishing spots near camps: Multiple campgrounds offer fishing opportunities within walking distance. At Little Mill Campground, campers appreciate "fishing on river close, close to tribble fork and silver lakes," according to a reviewer. One camper at Timpooneke mentioned how the site "provides easy access to one of the best hikes. Mt Timpanogous provides some stellar views of the backcountry and the valley below."
Warm weather boating: For water activities during summer, Jordanelle State Park offers boat rentals. "We didn't make a reservation and were nervous we weren't going to get in anywhere, but we went to the jordanelle and they told us about a campsite that's about .5 mile hike and its first come first serve. It was great - it had a firepit and picnic table and was right on the lake," reports one visitor to the park.
Creek-adjacent sites: Several campgrounds feature sites directly alongside streams. At Little Mill, "Just returned from an overnight stay at Little Mill with amazing American Fork Creek right beside my sites. The campground is clean, no water, trash or electric and vault toilets," shares one camper.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: The mountain setting provides chances to see local wildlife. A visitor to Redman Campground observed "wildlife coming right into your site. In addition to numerous deer, we had two moose munching away at the willow at the adjacent site."
Quiet camping outside peak season: Visiting in late spring or early fall means fewer crowds. One camper at Tanners Flat explained, "September/early October gives cooler temperatures and less crowds, and we got to see some lovely fall colors. The camp hosts were excellent as well."
Watershed restrictions: Little Cottonwood Canyon has strict watershed protection rules. A reviewer at Tanners Flat notes, "The nearby creek is pretty, but you cannot so much as wade in it without facing prosecution and a $1500 fine."
Site-specific limitations: Some sites have physical constraints that may affect your stay. At Spruces - Big Cottonwood, one visitor mentioned they "stayed in campground #47. Right near the end of the loop before it's goes into the peaceful forest section. Great one. Right by water but gets a heck of a lot of sun in the morning."
Early reservations required: Demand exceeds availability for most sites. "Be aware that this campsite reservations for the weekend fill up quick. I checked in late may and every weekend until September was already booked," explains a visitor at Granite Flat.
Gate closures: Some campgrounds restrict late-night access. According to one visitor, "Make sure you get camped and in because they lock the gate coming into campground at 11PM and you have to hike in."
Playground access: Families with children appreciate designated play areas. At Mountain Valley RV Resort, "This is a great place for kids because there's plenty of space for them to ride bikes, play basketball, swim, and also a playground."
Family-friendly activities: Look for campgrounds with built-in entertainment options. "We went on many different hikes right from the campground and a few others not far away. We saw moose, went fishing, and even stopped for icecream at stone hass in the solitude village right up the street," a visitor to Spruces notes.
Hammock-friendly areas: Several campgrounds have well-spaced trees ideal for hammocks. At Timpooneke, one reviewer mentioned, "We only stayed for a few hours to rest up, but it did the job! There were lots of great trees for hammocking, fire pits, and bathrooms!"
Site levelness varies: RV sites may require leveling equipment. A visitor to Pine Creek Campground noted their experience with "site 100. Absolutely beautiful view and great access to park city. Showers were clean. Only downside was the dump station near us was pretty awful smells and the site was very unlevel."
Water pressure considerations: Some sites have unusually high water pressure. "Great campsite. Clean and nice amenities for a State Park. Be careful hooking up your RV to water. Very high pressure," warns one RVer who stayed at Mountain Valley RV Resort.
Limited large rig access: Many campgrounds have size restrictions. As one reviewer observed about Pine Creek Campground, "This is typical camping from the past. Very few sites built to accommodate larger rigs. Narrow loop roads with mature trees at that time not well-trimmed. My 30' TT was perched with some effort on top of a pull-through that was a mound rather than flat."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Snowbird, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, Snowbird, UT offers a wide range of camping options, with 291 campgrounds and RV parks near Snowbird, UT and 70 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Snowbird, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Snowbird, UT is Granite Flat (utah) with a 4.3-star rating from 38 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Snowbird, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 70 free dispersed camping spots near Snowbird, UT.
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