Looking for the best Bluff tent camping? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Rent A Tent Monument Valley has three sites with already set up tents for camping. Campfire Ring, BBQ stands, picnic tables, chairs, full sized bed, potable water cistern, outhouse. Primitive Camping Area and desert amphitheater views of 14 Monuments
$75 / night
**It must be noted that the Ute Mountain reservation is sovereign nation and we respectfully ask that you to please respect our ways of life and culture beliefs.
Please be aware that this campground is located on tribal lands of a sovereign nation and subject to tribal laws and regulations. Please familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations of this campground violations may be considered trespassing on Federal Indian Reservation. You may also come across tribal members who live in the area who are going about their business, please be respectful of them and their privacy. And to end on a good note, thank you for your interest in staying in a campground on a tribal nation – your patronage and respect for these tribes and their unique cultures and histories can ensure that the relationship outdoor community continues to be positive. If you are looking for more information, please feel free to connect with @NativesOutdoors and len@natives-outdoors.org
The Abajo - Harts Draw Recreation Area is located in southeastern Utah west of Monticello, south of Canyonlands National Park and north of Blanding, Utah. The area extends from the east Forest boundary to the Cottonwood Road on the west and from the north to south Forest boundaries. The closest access is from US 191, SR 211 near Harts Draw, and Monticello. It features wonderful views of the Abajo (Blue) Mountains, including Horsehead Mountain and the highest peak in the range, Abajo Peak at 11,360 feet. It features a network of trails, scenic drives, camping, and opportunities for back-country skiing and snowmobiling.
The United States Congress designated the Dark Canyon Wilderness in 1984 . Great stone arches, old-growth ponderosa pine, aspen groves, meadows, hanging gardens and high country deserts are found at Dark Canyon. The only designated Wilderness in southeastern Utah, the 47,116-acre Dark Canyon Wilderness is located in a beautiful and remote section of the Colorado Plateau. Visitors are dwarfed by steep, sculpted and terraced sandstone walls that shade the canyon in morning and late afternoon -- hence the name. Ancestral Puebloan structures and rock art are tucked among the cliffs. (Please leave these treasures undisturbed for others to experience.) General Trip Planning Information: One of the biggest concerns with backpacking on the Colorado Plateau, including the Dark Canyon Wilderness is the lack of water. Always treat water by filtering, boiling or chemical treatment before using any water in the backcountry. Below are the general descriptions for water in the Wilderness and the lower canyon. Remember conditions change. This is wild country so always pack enough water to make it several days in case your next water source turns out to be dry. Woodenshoe Canyon: Four miles down the trail you will run into Cherry Canyon coming in from the right (looking down canyon). In the spring there is usually water coming out of Cherry Canyon and running for a mile or more downstream. In the fall it stops running down canyon, but I have never seen the spring in Cherry Canyon dry up completley, although I have seen it running pretty low and muddy. The next water source is approximatley 7 miles downstream (although in the spring it is not unusual to find water in other locations as well) at an area known as Wates Pond. There is a large pothole and spring that usually holds water year round. Approximatley 1 mile below Wates Pond you will come to the Hanging Garden Spring, that flows out of the canyon wall on the right and usually has a pool beneath it. Dark Canyon: If you are coming from the Notch Trailhead, you will usually run into water around the mouth of Drift Trail Canyon. There is also water coming out of the pipe near the Scorup Cabin at the mouth of Horse Pasture Canyon, although this water has a pretty bad taste. In the spring the water often flows from here to the junction with Dark Canyon and then all the way to Rig Canyon and beyond in good water years. In the fall most of this water dries up or gets fouled by livestock and the next possibility for water in Dark Canyon is approximatley 5.5 miles down stream near the junction with Trail Canyon. There are springs in the vicinity that usually run, however we have received reports in the fall of the Trail Canyon Springs being completely dry. Water has been found in Trail Canyon and Warren Canyon as well but don't count on it. Below there Dark Canyon is dry until about two miles down canyon of the Black Steer Canyon junction in the Dark Canyon Primtive Area (WSA) on BLM managed lands. Peavine Canyon: Peavine Canyon often runs with water in the spring but drys up pretty quick in the summer. The only water in Peavine Canyon later in the year is usually located in a cattle trough about 3.5 miles below the Peavine Canyon Trailhead. Lower Canyon (Dark Canyon Primitive Area): Usually about two miles below Black Steer Canyon the stream starts flowing year round. We will try to update current conditions on this page or call the Monticello USFS office at 435-636-3340.
Scout
This campsite was easy to access. Had an amazing view and clean facilities. We would stay there again if we’re in the area.
Traveler
Easy spot to get to, paved road most of the way. Watch out for deer if you’re driving in the evening, we saw lots of them. The pull in spot had one other truck and trailer when we arrived and we had room to turn our rig and towed vehicle around to get the mountainside view. Little muddy in spots. Very quiet.
Traveler
We stayed here during hunting season, noticeable amount of noise in the very early hours of the morning due to this. On a clear night you can see an amazing amount of stars!
Traveler
A meticulously maintained park with lots of room, some shady trees, and level sites. Views of the beautiful red cliffs.
Traveler
Cute clean little park out of the way of the Moab crowds. Great stop over in that long stretch of 191.
Guide
Just stayed one night but the site/roads had been recently repaved and park was being updated. Tall pines, good hiking and quiet surroundings made for a good overnight stay.
Guide
Some good some bad. Good: Nice location with good spot to view the valley. Easy to due laundry, Nestled in the red rocks. Bad: very tight spots, overpriced given the lack of amenities.
Traveler
Never in my life have I heard of Mexican Hat, let alone the rock it’s named after. Jeez this place was cool, the river was beautiful, the dispersed camping areas were great under the stars, and that dang Mexican Hat Rock juxtaposed to the unforgiving sea of desert just put a huge smile on my face.
Guide
Very easy to drive on road, we took a 2WD car and had no issues. Plenty of spots so you’ll always find a place to camp for the night.
Great views at every spot and barely any road noise from the highway. Good AT&T coverage.
No fires allowed here so keep that in mind
TravelerVery nice RV park. They have done alot of improvements so everything is clean and new. All pull through sites, level sites, a new bath house with large showers and laundry facilities. The only complaint is that there is not much shade, but they have planted trees, so are trying. The manager/caretaker is busy everyday working on keeping the property nice & in good working condition. Very nice and accommodating. We would definitely stay again.
GuideQuiet spot. Plenty of spots on a Saturday afternoon. Metal picnic tables, fire pits, paved parking spots.
Scout
The campground is small, which makes it nice and quiet. We enjoyed the beautiful starry night! And they made us a delicious Navajo taco dinner which you can request beforehand. We highly recommend this campground.
ScoutCamping is rustic but very quiet and sites are very close with little privacy. Host is very nice and helpful.
Traveler
Gorgeous Views literally camping on the rim of a 1000 foot high cliff overlooking the goosenecks of the San Juan river below. No designated campsites. Just pick your spot along the canyon rim. Great place for trailers / campers. I wouldn't want to camp here in tent.
Pros:
Easy drive in and pull up to a spot.
Dark sky area so you can get some amazing night photography shots
Close to other attractions including Valley of the Gods, Muley Point (which would also be a fun campsite), Monument Valley (a bit further afield), etc.
The canyon below is stunning and the goosenecks are quite remarkable
Cons:
This is not a site for small children. You are literally camping several feet away from a 1000 foot cliff.
You are on top of a mesa and we had some strong winds blowing across.
The terrain is very flat, but is also rocky. I would not want to set up a tent on the rocks and/or fight the wind with a tent.
The pit toilets are reasonably clean, but only located by the park entrance gate. So if you park further along the rim, you either need your own facilities, you have a very long walk, or you are driving back and forth over the rocky road (disturbing all of the other campers along the way).
The last observation is that while the goosenecks are truly incredible, especially from the main lookout spot, the color of the rocks in the canyon aren't as varied as other places (i.e., compared to Dead Horse Point State Park). As a photographer, I kept hoping the coloring would be more captivating once the light shifted, shadows moved, etc., but that never happened. Go in with the right expectations and you won't be disappointed.
Traveler
We were unable to find any open spots at Comb Wash Campground on the south side of the road. And the spot we found on the north side was full of sticker weeds. Yuck. Ain't nobody got time for that. So we headed up the road toward blanding until we saw a camping sign and drove a short ways up the road and found a turn out.
This is basically a convergence of several old roads. It was rather dusty/sandy. But grasses rather than sticker weeds. Cottonwood trees are in the wash below the spot. It was big enough that several vehicles could easily share this spot. A larger RV *might* do OK pulling in here.
I've checked and it is BLM land, part of the Bear's Ears National Monument. Their general rule is to allow dispersed camping off of any existing road within the monument area. Additional spots are definitely available off this road or its shoot-offs.
This is a great, secluded spot. The only reason for the 4 stars is that it isn't really a room with a view sort of location.
Guide
Hovenweep is a national monument with small but modern quiet campgrounds. The dark skies for amazing stars are spectacular. While they do not have showers, their bathrooms were clean and convenient to the loop of campsites. It was quiet and the rangers were friendly and warm. The Hovenweep monument archeological treasures are well worth scheduling a few hours to hike and visit. There are several ancient structures on the site (a small canyon) and the hikes are short and sooooo worth doing.
Legend
Sign at hwy Jct notes Foy Lake, however all the maps call this Spring Lake.
Paved road all the way to the single vault toilet. The lake is a small fishing lake and fenced off from camping and cattle. Free dispersed camping scattered around, some are very large and big rig friendly but access roads can be rough rocky or have clay and could be muddy if wet. Elv is 8200 with views to north to the La Sal mtns and down into the Canyonlands needles area. Access from either Monticello or hwy #211 is all paved. Only a single vault toilet, no dumpsters, no water, no tables. Cell signal is possible depending on your camp location.
Guide
The owner and host are very friendly and the host is very helpful. Conveniently located to visit Arches National Park, Mesa Verde National Park and Four Corners National Monument Restrooms are like house bathrooms with showers and they’re nice and clean
Legend
Nice large area, lots of spur roads going to many dispersed camps. Roads have clay so some low spots can be mud holes after rains. Area is at 8850 elv, seems popular for hunting in the fall so be aware from Sept on. Vegetation is mostly oak brush and scattered pine trees and aspen. Cell signal on T-Mobile was almost useless for downloads. This area has a paved road all the way from Monticello, about 8 miles back to town. No toilets, no dumpsters and no water. Two developed FS CGs are close by but seems to have an aggressive approach to dispersed campers using the dumpsters.
Scout
A few campsites dotted here and there. The site of this particular one is a couple miles up the road 2wd can easily reach. Established firepit and was perfect for a drive-in OHV. Could fit an RV at a squeeze.
ScoutNot free anymore but still an enjoyable experience. I was the only camper there on a weekday.
ScoutGreat place to stay, large trees provide some shade and the bathroom is an actual room, very comfortable. Hummingbirds fly around the small garden near the office and the highly recommended Comb Ridge restaurant is just around the corner.
Guide
Several spots on N Radio Hill Rd E off the 191 a few miles north of Blanding Utah. Paved road. Very quiet. Perfect for an overnight stay on your way to Moab. Some spots are very spacious. Access to the reservoir with boat landing. Trash container at the end of the road.
Traveler
Beautiful views, good cell reception. Could hear neighbors but people were quiet and respectful. Also lots of bats flying around!!
GuideThe view was stunning Worth everything
Toilet Shower Drinkable water Didn’t tried the charging thing for RV
360 view on Monument valley
ScoutEverything is nicely done. We also booked a tour inside Monument Valley with the Gouldings.
ScoutI arrived here late afternoon, big sign in the beginning- pay online under www.mexicanhatrocks.com - it’s 18$ per night for just a place to park- no toilets. . No reception with T-mobile to pay online. Went to gooseneck state park campground instead, only 10$ per night and they have toilets.
Frequently Asked Questions
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