Best Tent Camping near Bountiful, UT
The Wasatch Mountains surrounding Bountiful, Utah offer several tent-only camping options within a short drive. Millcreek Canyon Backcountry provides walk-in tent sites requiring campers to hike at least half a mile from any road. Red Pine Lake, located in Little Cottonwood Canyon, offers backcountry tent camping with alpine views after a 3-4 mile hike. Silver Lake Backcountry in American Fork Canyon provides primitive tent camping with mountain vistas, while Cook Campsite offers hike-in tent sites closer to town. Most locations require permits and follow Leave No Trace principles.
Many tent campgrounds near Bountiful feature natural, ungraded surfaces that work well for tent setups but can be challenging in wet conditions. Access roads to trailheads and dispersed camping areas often require high-clearance vehicles, particularly after rain or early in the season when snow may block higher elevation routes. Most primitive tent camping areas lack drinking water, requiring campers to either filter from streams or pack in their own supply. Vault toilets are available at some trailheads but not at most backcountry tent sites. Fire restrictions are common during summer months, particularly in watershed areas like Little Cottonwood Canyon where backpacking stoves are required instead.
Weekday visits provide the most solitude for tent campers. According to one visitor at Red Pine Lake, "The weekend can get very busy, so during the week is the best time to camp as it's likely you'll be the only overnight camper." Millcreek Canyon campers frequently report wildlife sightings, with one reviewer noting, "Every time we come here we also see moose and deer. Best time is definitely fall." Many backcountry tent sites offer excellent access to fishing, with trout visible in alpine lakes. Silver Lake Backcountry campers must stay at least half a mile from the lake shore, with one visitor reporting, "Camping anywhere along that road will give you gorgeous views." Temperature differences can be significant, with higher elevation tent sites often 20 degrees cooler than the valley.