Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Canyonlands National Park

We stayed about 3/4 of a mile from Hamburger Rock in dispersed camping. There was a pull off and there was someone camping on the rocks on the front of the pull off. We hiked around back and camped back where it was pretty open with some nooks in the rocks. We had 7 high school students along. Three students, along with a teacher put up hammocks in the rocks and trees, of which there weren't many (way more rocks then trees). Two slept on the ground and three of us slept in tents. The wind was bad and when the wind was blowing, so was the dirt. Our burgers that night were a bit crunchy and gritty. The views were spectacular, clear across almost to canyonlands. On a clear night you'd be able to see stars forever as well. Our night was windy and a bit overcast. We were there in April and it was a bit chilly but the perfect temps for hiking as it wasn't too hot yet. We were maybe 15 minutes from Canyonlands National Park. This is where we spent most of our time. The bathrooms were at Hamburger Rock and they were vault toilets in a building. They smelled pretty awful and were out of TP. We only used them twice, we otherwise found facilities elsewhere. We did take a short bus back there, our bus was not able to go up the road to where we camped so we walked our gear in. If we had more clearance we could have gone up. Even a regular bus probably could have made it but with our auto chain system, we could not. It was not a bad spot, especially for being free.

Located right off of highway 191, Moab Valley RV Resort is in the perfect location, especially for those looking to visit the national parks. Arches National Park is a short, 5 minute drive and Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse State Park are located 25 minutes away. The quaint town of Moab is a short 5 minute drive in the other direction and offers several options for restaurants, shops, hotels and a grocery store.

The campground bathrooms and showers are clean and well maintained. They also offer a nice dog park and recreation area along the tree line. During the winter the check in center is closed, but they provided us with all the information we needed prior to arrival. Overall we were pleased with the stay and we’re stunned by the surrounding area and all Moab has to offer.

Horsethief Campground is a BLM campground between Moab and the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. Besides easy access to many mountain biking trails, Horsethief Campground makes a great base camp for exploring both Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. 

Horsethief Campground Info

* Elevation: 5780 ft

* Fee per Night:$20

* Total Campsites: 57 sites in the main campground and 27 sites in the tent loop across the road

* Water- No water available in the campground

* Reservations Not Accepted, except for Group Site#39

* Cell Service: Little to No Service with AT&T or Verizon.

* Open Year Round(Weather Permitting)

Area Activities:

* Numerous mountain biking trails

* 4 wheel drive roads

* Canyonlands National Park

* Arches National Park

This BLM campground is situated upon the plateau road near the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. It offers a variety of simple individual and group sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and varying degrees of privacy. The bathrooms are all pit toilets, and kept very clean. Water can be found at the National Park visitor’s center, or in the State Park, or back in town at the town park or outdoor gear store.  If you run on solar like we do, you are guaranteed plenty of power.

These campsites are awesome because of their proximity to the hiking, cycling, slick rock mountain biking, rock climbing and paddling opportunities, that the Moab area is known for. The view from any campsite upon the plateau is a stunner and makes you think that $20 a night is a pretty good bargain, and with the cooler temperatures than the canyon below! Moab offers all the amenities of a small town that thrives on tourism without the sprawling consumerism of the suburbs. If you can’t get it there, you probably don’t need it. 

Arches National Park is about 30-40 minutes away. The entrance to the Islands in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, as well as Dead Horse State Park, are within 20 minutes.