Top 10+ Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Capitol Reef National Park

Pros: Pretty flat wherever you park. Very close to Capitol Reef National Park.

Cons: Close to road so can be loud with traffic.

Great place to enjoy views of the incredible rock formations of Capitol Reef National Park. The campground is quiet, has clean bathrooms, and the nearby store sells freshly baked pies every morning. Very enjoyable.

We stayed at one of the walk in tent sites where were in a large field. The area is very neat with an orchard, wildlife, and beautiful scenery. The sites were not overly secluded, but the park seemed quiet enough for the amount of people there. Capitol Reef National Park seemed less busy than the other Utah National Parks and we really enjoyed our hiking adventures in the park as well as the camping opportunities.

Right at the main junction in town. A couple food options right across the street with Capitol Reef National Park very close nearby. The sites are a bit tight but less so than the other major option in town. No fire pits but they rent gas ones.

Beautiful mountain view, open location a couple of miles off the Notom Bullfrog road. Didn't see a soul.  Road is easy going.  Near to Pleasant Creek. Rock fire ring.  Other sites are dispersed around. Very close to the Capitol Reef National park boundary. 5535 feet elevation. No cell service.

As many national Park campgrounds, the Freda campground in Capitol reef national Park was in a very scenic location. And historic settlement in the heart of the park with dears roaming around an incredible views of the stunning rock for missions of the park all around it. However being winter, the water was turned off except for the restrooms which were heated not had only cold water. No showers and the gray water disposal area for washing stages was also closed. Sewage drain was open near the dumpsters but the water was turned off.

Such a unique and beautiful place. I highly recommend visiting the Goblin's Lair, I was not expecting it at all and it was spectacular. There's a fun little cave you can crawl through inside the Goblin's Lair by its entrance too that's worth checking out. Everyone should at least visit Goblin Valley once in their life. Although not as big as Capitol Reef National Park, it is very similar and equally spectacular.

The campground is reasonably priced with nice showers and super cool scenery. They have a very interesting disc golf course set up near the campground.

This location is perfect for those planning on exploring in Capitol Reef National Park, as you’re less than 15 minutes away. You can’t beat the scenery, especially if you get there in the early afternoon and snag a spot on the river. You can get even better ones if you’re able to navigate a small drop with rocks, on your right immediately as you pull off the highway. Don’t blink or you’ll miss your turnoff next to the guardrail in the bend. The scenery is amazing! We also found recent mountain lion tracks within 50 yards of our site. No cell service, if you’re on Verizon. The river is great for a quick shower, washing dishes etc.

The Fruita Campground is open year-round, and is the only developed campground in Capitol Reef National Park. This campground is one of the most unique ones I’ve stayed at. The orchard 🏕 onsite for picking fruit is so cool! There are lots of trees and shade and after driving through the desert it’s crazy to find this oasis tucked back behind these big beautiful rocks 🏜. The sites are a good size and comfortable. You don’t have cell service but, maybe that’s your thing? Not having to worry about email can be a plus. There are bathrooms but, unfortunately no showers. Definitely, a great stop while visiting all of the National parks in Utah.

The 71-site Fruita Campground is the only developed campground in Capitol Reef. Reservations are available March 1- October 31.

Each site has a picnic table and firepit and/or above ground grill, but no individual water, sewage, or electrical hookups.

There is a RV dump and potable water fill station near the entrance to Loops A and B.

The nightly fee is $20.00 ($10.00 for Golden Age/Senior Pass holders.

One of our favorite campgrounds in southern Utah nestled in the Capitol Reef National Park. We visited in mid October, the foliage was beautiful, cool temps at night, mild to warm during the day for hiking. Probably by favorite time to visit Southern Utah, otherwise it would be SO hot. 

Like others have mentioned its the perfect mix of historical and geological wonders. The campsite itself is pleasant with flushing toilets, dumpsters, even water refill station and RV dump if you need. All sites are flat. The inner circle of sites are close together but you can find others along the outer edges facing out that are more spacious. All of them butt up to the orchards which you can walk through and pick your own fruit if its the right season. Deer roam around the campground, graze next to your tent or trailer, they are so sweet. The best part (beyond the views of the red rock canyons above, and gentle river that flows next to it) is the Gifford House - they sell fresh baked pies, cinnamon rolls and bread daily! Get there in the Am as they sell out. IF you ask my kids the homeade pies for breakfast might have been their favorite part! LOL.

Stayed here while social distancing during the initial phase of the pandemic sometime in May 2020. Campsites have a decent amount of space between them. Very close to Capitol Reef National Park, this is a popular site for many park goers.

Facilities are very well kept and pleasantly clean. Nice, hot showers included with the campsite price and bathrooms are close to sites. One downside to this RV park is that the designated tent sites are right across from the designated RV sites. Any tent camper knows how annoying this can be, and although it did get fairly loud during the day and lunchtime, after dinner time it was fairly quietly and we slept soundly.

This RV park is very family-friendly, so keep in mind there are kids EVERYWHERE - kids riding their bikes in the roads, kids crying, kids yelling. All in all, a decent campsite that is pleasant enough and made worth it for the very clean facilities. Stay here when visiting Capitol Reef if this sort of place is your speed or you’re in need of a good shower. Tons of awesome hikes nearby (pictured).

We spent a week along Beas Lewis Flat Road just outside of Torrey, to explore Capitol Reef National Park. This is free BLM dispersed camping with a 14-day stay limit, no sites or services provided. The first camping areas off of UT-24 get crazy busy, to the point that it looked more like a crowded RV park than a peaceful boondocking area; however, make a right just past the cattle grate and you can go several miles back in, in search of solitude. Just after making that right there's a small dry wash to cross that requires some clearance and decent approach/departure angles, but other than that the condition of the road is superb. Views stretch to the red rock cliffs north of UT-24 from Torrey to the National Park, including Capitol Reef itself and the Henry Mountains beyond. Cell service was solid on both Verizon and AT&T, and we had no issues working on VPN from our location or streaming HD video. There's a small general store in Torrey with a few staples and even a laundry available, but the nearest small-town supermarket is in Loa, 18 miles west of Torrey. We found the prices there to be reasonable given the location. You may get water and dump at the Fruita Campground inside the National Park for $5.
Watch our full-length video on both the camping and the National Park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=296k\_D3AZIE

Great campground located at the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park.

Camped here during the pandemic and enjoyed a very comfortable and beautiful experience. The site I called in was in a great location near the campground hosts and the entrance. It was very quiet even though it was completely full.

The loops within the campground are well marked and everyone was very respectful when driving or at their sites. The views during the day are great with the fruit orchards around you, and a backdrop of the beautiful surrounding mountains.

There is a great little store and museum (Gifford House) within the campground area. They have fantastic fruit pies and ice cream. The Rangers and staff are all very nice and super helpful.

At night you have a great dark sky view of the Milky Way. You have to walk out of the tree covered campsites onto Scenic Drive, but it's well worth it.

I also had my bike with me and rode it the next morning up the scenic drive and explored some of the areas within the National Park. Later I drove my Jeep into the park and really got to enjoy how close the sites are to the beautiful scenery.

The orchards around the campground are available at times to pick fresh fruit. This also draws on a lot of wildlife like the deer in my pictures. The orchard parking got very crowded as the day went on. If you are in the campground, you can take a walk to the orchards.

The only downside is the fact you have absolutely no cell service once into the park, and this includes the campground area. There is wifi provided for emergencies by the hosts. But if you need cell service, or data, you need to actually drive nearly 20 min to the town of Torrey. The town has limited cell service as well as town wide wifi.

Even with this drawback, I would return to the Fruita Campground any time.