Looking for the best options for camping with dogs near Capitol Reef National Park? Find the best sites near Capitol Reef National Park where you bring your dog and enjoy a scenic view. Each pet-friendly campsite offers quick access to one or more of Capitol Reef National Park's most popular destinations.
Located in south-central Utah in the heart of red rock country, Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles (160 km). The Fruita Campground has 71 sites. 65 sites are reservable from March 1 to October 31. Sites 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 are used as administrative sites. Sites 14, 24, and 63 are accessible sites with electrical hookups. Beginning August 1, 2023 generators are only allowed in loop C. There are no first come first serve sites during peak season.
Walk to historic inscriptions on the Capitol Gorge Trail and stroll the Goosenecks Trail or longer trails such as Cohab Canyon, Chimney Rock, and Cassidy Arch. Check out our Trail Guide to explore your options.Enjoy the geology and view the Fremont Culture Petroglyphs along Hwy 24. In addition, the Scenic Drive will introduce you to the fascinating cultural and geological history of Capitol Reef National Park. The drive includes a portion of the original road through the Waterpocket Fold. The road passes through parts of the Fruita Historic District and follows the western faces of the Waterpocket Fold, and spur roads allow exploration into beautiful Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge. Check at the Visitor Center for a current schedule of interpretive programs, which may include geology talks, Fremont culture talks, evening programs, star gazing, moonwalks, and geology hikes. Stop in at Ripple Rock Nature Center to experience interactive exhibits, games, activities, and free educational programs.__ Wander through the historic Fruita Orchards and pick fresh fruit when in season. The orchards contain approximately 3,100 trees including cherry, apricot, peach, pear, apple, plum, mulberry, almond, and walnut. Discover Mormon pioneer history at the historic Gifford Homestead store and museum.
Walk to historic inscriptions on the Capitol Gorge Trail and stroll the Goosenecks Trail or longer trails such as Cohab Canyon, Chimney Rock, and Cassidy Arch. Check out our Trail Guide to explore your options.Enjoy the geology and view the Fremont Culture Petroglyphs along Hwy 24. In addition, the Scenic Drive will introduce you to the fascinating cultural and geological history of Capitol Reef National Park. The drive includes a portion of the original road through the Waterpocket Fold. The road passes through parts of the Fruita Historic District and follows the western faces of the Waterpocket Fold, and spur roads allow exploration into beautiful Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge. Check at the Visitor Center for a current schedule of interpretive programs, which may include geology talks, Fremont culture talks, evening programs, star gazing, moonwalks, and geology hikes. Stop in at Ripple Rock Nature Center to experience interactive exhibits, games, activities, and free educational programs.__ Wander through the historic Fruita Orchards and pick fresh fruit when in season. The orchards contain approximately 3,100 trees including cherry, apricot, peach, pear, apple, plum, mulberry, almond, and walnut. Discover Mormon pioneer history at the historic Gifford Homestead store and museum.
The Fruita Campground area is located one mile south of the visitor center and is often described as an oasis within the desert. Fruita Campground is a semi-shaded, grassy campground and is located in the Fruita Historic District of the park.
The Fruita campground is adjacent to the Fremont River and is a short walk from the group site, amphitheater, picnic areas, hiking trails, the historic Gifford house and orchards.
For facility specific information, please call (435) 425-3791.
$25 / night
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads.
Wonderland RV Park is the perfect spot to hang your hat while you explore Capitol Reef National Park, after all, we've been welcoming guests to the wonders of Southern Utah since 1934.
We're located at the junction of Scenic Byway 24 and All American Highway 12 – just three miles away from Capitol Reef. We provide outstanding amenities to ensure that your stay is both comfortable and convenient. Come stay with us, and discover why we're Capitol Reef's Best RV Park. So welcome to Southern Utah. Welcome to Wonderland.
The campground at Goblin Valley State Park consists of 25 sites and two yurts. Goblin Valley camping is divided into ten walk-in tent pads, fourteen RV spaces, and one group site able to accommodate up to 35 people. Showers and flush toilets, as well as a communal water and dump station are all available free of charge. All sites contain a picnic table, metal fire ring, and shade shelter.
Cowboys searching for cattle first discovered secluded Goblin Valley. Then in the late 1920s, Arthur Chaffin, owner/operator of the Hite ferry, and two companions were searching for an alternative route between Green River and Caineville. They came to a vantage point about a mile west of Goblin Valley and were awed by what they saw, five buttes and a valley of strange-shaped rock formations surrounded by a wall of eroded cliffs.
In 1949, Chaffin returned to the area he called Mushroom Valley. He spent several days exploring the mysterious valley and photographing its scores of intricately eroded creatures. The area was acquired by the state of Utah and in 1964 was officially designated a state park.
Goblin Valley State Park is a showcase of geologic history. Exposed cliffs reveal parallel layers of rock bared by erosion. Because of the uneven hardness of sandstone, some patches resist erosion much better than others. The softer material is removed by wind and water, leaving thousands of unique, geologic goblins. Water erosion and the smoothing action of windblown dust work together to shape the goblins.
Bedrock is exposed because of the thin soil and lack of vegetation. When rain does fall, there are few plant roots and little soil to capture and hold the water, which quickly disappears, in muddy streams without penetrating the bedrock.
Calf Creek Campground is a desert oasis located within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The Recreation Area includes a 13-site campground, a day-use picnic area and a trailhead. The campground provides small sites nestled along Calf Creek on a first-come, first-served basis. Elevation 5400 ft. campsites in Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument. Self-guided interpretive trail to Calf Creek Falls (126 feet). 6 mile round trip.
$15 / night
$20 - $65 / night
Camp along the shores of Wide Hollow Reservoir, or rent a canoe, kayak or paddleboard on its clear waters. Hike along park nature trails through a petrified forest, but remember to take only photographs. Some say the petrified wood is haunted and removing a piece brings the taker nothing but bad luck.
$25 / night
1/2 off with an America the Beautiful pass. I got lucky and I was able to reserve a spot on short notice and it was one of the best spots for a truck camper which was right next to the tent camping area. Site 42. It is crowded! The sites are right next to each other. More like a really nice RV park..sort of. Normally I don't do NP campgrounds for this reason. I just needed one night before finding some disbursed sites. As with other National Parks like Bryce or Zion, if you plan to see the sites more than camping then get a motel or cabin. I will say, it is in a beautiful location.
They have tent and RV sites. We were the only ones here. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. I believe the RV sites each has water. There is water and bathrooms for tent sites. Bathrooms are up by the visitors center a short walk from the campground. There is no shade, but we were gone all day sightseeing, so that wasn't a problem for us.
Hot dry but nice shade at each campsite
Stayed for two nights in September 2024. Close to park attractions. Fantastic nighttime telescope activity on Friday night. No hookups but potable water and dump station available. No showers.
Only the group campsite has Lakeview. There is a picnic site beside the lake. The campsites are generous and just regravelled. There are bear boxes. There seems to be water spigots near each site. Each site has a fire rain, a barbecue box, and a camp table. There is LTE cellular service on AT&T. There's a fish cleaning site. It's up at about $9,500 ft. As of September 8th. The water has been turned off and there are no other campers here. A lot of the campsites have a tent level site included.
About 10 minutes from Goblin Valley State Park. There’s dispersed camping all along Temple Mt Road and Goblin Valley Road. Follow any of the dirt roads to plenty of sites. We first picked a site on top of a hill but quickly realized how windy it could get so we set up camp just after turning left down Goblin Valley Road. We had the whole place to ourselves, very quiet and great views of the Milky Way. No bugs at night but as soon as the sun came up the mosquitos came out and we quickly left.
This dispersed campsite is great if you’re looking to spend the night before or after visiting Capitol Reef National Park. It doesn’t offer much other than some flat spots to set up a tent or open your rooftop tent. The sound of a nearby creek is nice to listen to before you fall asleep. If you visit in November it will be chilly at night so plan accordingly. The sites are close to a gas station and a Mexican restaurant as well as a hotel.
There are signs mentioning danger like "nearly no car can make this road" or "floods". The street is a little bit bumpy in the beginning but then fine.
For me it was perfectly fine and had a good sleep.
Absolutely no reception on any provider for me
Easy to find & pretty smooth road to some nice spots. Beautiful view! Easy access to downtown Torrey & Capitol Reef National Park.
Stayed a couple of nights ago, lots of sites all with fire rings. Easy turn off right near Capitol Reef NP which is wicked convenient. There are no facilities here so keep that in mind. Was extremely windy and had intermittent rain/thunderstorms passing through (that don’t show up on weather/radar) so something to consider during this season if you’re tenting it like us. The ground is also majorly rock so staking tents for the wind is very difficult. All that being said the views are amazing & hearing coyotes off in the distance gave some cool ambiance
Numerous spots along the road. Some are very well shaded while others have lots of sun.
This spot is large and shaded. Rock fire pit. There’s currently fire restrictions so we didn’t have a fire but we set up a nice little sitting area around the fire with logs we found in the forested area.
There is a mama bear and cub in the area although we didn’t see her.
Weather is cooler than in Capitol Reef so it’s a nice place to recharge and escape the heat.
Lots of firewood in close vicinity so no need to bring any in with you (check for fire restrictions before).
Would definitely come back here.
If you follow the road all the way up you can access Cathedral Valley Campground (great views from up there)
Remember to pack out your garbage.
We spent 3 nights here right along the reservoir and it was great. Although it was “busy” there was plenty of space between us an our neighbours.
We rock a rooftop tent so it was easy to level. Bugs were minimal during the day. Mosquitos ramp up at night but they didn’t seem to want anything to do with us.
Saw plenty of people fishing during the day.
There are washrooms nearby but they aren’t super close to all camping areas.
Right outside of capitol reef national park. Camping right on the water, plenty of room & some privacy.
This spot is incredible. Airstreams, pull in spots, cabins. AMAZING year round outdoor heater showers, “drive in” movies every night. My kids loved it, I loved it. Great homemade, great for zero days. Highly recommend.
It’s been very difficult in our July Utah trip to find a place where we can comfortably sleep in the back of our jeep but the breeze in this area was perfection. The view is to die for. Would 1000000 percent recommend this if you have an off road vehicle!
Great stop point for me driving SoCal to Boulder.
Nothing here but the aforementioned moonscape.
Arrived dusk 3Jul24 after a hasty retreat from Last Chance 8 or 10 miles west (mosquitos). Only 2 or 3 managed to track me east at highway speed!
There was no one else here, far enough from the highway.
Pulled into the giant dirt bowl, turned right and drove until front of car was slightly elevated for my sleeping position (back of a wagon).
Proceed with caution in inclement weather or you may get stuck.
Arrived 3Jul24 at dusk. There is standing water marsh with a frac tank, possibly for water for the quarry above. Got out of the car to give dog a break and within one minute was scrambling back in. Drove up hill to the quarry and got out with dog....still very bad mosquitos but some breeze. Hid in the car while dog was out on a long rope for a while, covered with mosquitos. After 10 minutes I had killed most that were in the car and the ones waiting at the doors and windows were gone. I cracked the door and began pulling dog rope to get slack in and then had dog climb over me into back seat.
We drove east one Dyrt to Miller Canyon and it was AWESOME. I remember maybe 3 mosquitos there.
There are only two things I can compare this savagery to (and I am in my late 50s):
Alaska (Last Chance Rd dispersed is WORSE--However, note that when I was in AK I wasn't asking for trouble--I was indoors during mosquito hours--I am sure AK has mosquitos as bad as Last Chance if you go looking)
Canada Boundary Waters Boy Scout Canoe Base (about the same at dusk--only fools wouldn't have camp totally ready to be inside tents before mosquito hours. Mornings were fine.
We saw the reviews and decided to take a flyer here. We weren't disappointed. The name suggests the majority of guests would all have toy haulers and ORV's, That wasn't the case. We checked in and was met by Heidi who with her husband are the owners.
She escorted us to our site and explained everything we needed to know. The hook ups are installed nicely, laid out in order as most RV's as built. The water for the sites are reverse osmosis. I did check it with my meter, and it is very clean. Cell service is spotty at best. This place is out there, which is great. We set up our Starlink just for situations like this because we personally need Wi_Fi calling. We did take some walks around the park and down by the river in early evening. This park is pretty new and lots of the trees are maturing nicely. You can see how the owners take great pride in the care and service they provide. If in this area again, we will be back here.
I tried to set up camp here and was thrilled about the views, but came back to camp a few hours later and my tent was half way down a mountain and torn up on the bottom. Decided to move on. Very windy and exposed. Would be best suited for RVs/trailers or car camping. Not sure if having a fire up here would be wise or possible.
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We had to back out of the "pull through" site because there wasn't clearance to pull forward with our 30ft 5th wheel. The double sites are wide and spacious but all the sites seem to be short. The owner upgraded us to a double site since in a single there would have been no space for our truck. Check in is at noon but no one is in the office until 3 so you have to text to get your site number. Very quick response on the text though.
Great spot, I’ve always found a site here. Just make sure you hold right onto Road 1013 and the campgrounds are about a half mile down on the left.
No issues finding a spot for our 30ft 5th wheel. Very quiet and right off the highway. Plenty of spots mostly level. Can be very windy. Good t-mobile coverage
Great sun rises and sunsets. Not all sites are suitable for a 27 foot trailer but there was enough I that I still had some choices.
It's a great spot right off of highway 12. Plenty of room for sites. Across the road at sunset is spectacular. AT&T and Verizon both have excellent service.
I stayed here one night while traveling from Vail, CO to Zion National Park. No Services around (except 1 toilet), but a beautiful open landscape with sweeping views. I parked along the lake, and marvelled as the night sparkled. I believe most rigs can access this location (all flat).
I believe it was 3hrs to Zion (probably the same if you wanted to drop down into Bryce) This was definitely off the "beaten path". Very few vehicles were passing on Route 72 (runs south from I-70).
These sites were awesome! Super close to Capitol Reef and amazing views all around. Easily accessible and not too crowded when we visited. The only downside for us was the wind was crazy strong so we ended up having to sleep in our car. It’s pretty wide open so it’s hard to escape the wind if you’re tent camping or cooking outside. Other than that we loved it!
Camping near Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures. Whether you're pitching a tent or parking an RV, there are plenty of options to enjoy the great outdoors.
Camping near Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, is a fantastic way to experience the beauty of the area while enjoying various outdoor activities. Just be prepared for the unique conditions and amenities each campground offers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Capitol Reef National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Capitol Reef National Park is Fruita Campground — Capitol Reef National Park with a 4.6-star rating from 81 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Capitol Reef National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 97 dog-friendly camping locations near Capitol Reef National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
