The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Cedar City. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Cedar City, UT. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
"Not far from Cedar City (15min). Medium cell signal on T-Mobile. Right off of highway but plenty of tree cover to dampen road noise. Waterfall and creek noise to lull you to sleep."
"Bummer, it’s right off the highway, but late at night it’s pretty quiet. Just have to checkout all the pullouts for a walking trail down to a camping spot. Not too shabby."
$53 / night
"Beautiful campground on a lake. During the winter there's alot of snow, so it's hard to camp up there then. Perfect during the summer. No reservations & free camping."
"Campsite #4 was great with privacy and direct lake access. No bug/ mosquito issues when we went in September. Weather fluctuated from 70s in the day to 30s at night."
"I had discounted it at first because someone indicated the need for high clearance. We had no problem with our sprinter except the bumper hitch drug a tiny bit."
"Close to town for anything you need.
It was a little crowded but the heavy presence of evergreen trees allows plenty of privacy. We actually didn’t hear any other campers the whole night."
"Spots scattered around, more so on the left side when you drive in - towards and around marathon trail head.
Bring extra bug spray!"
"Campground with dispersed campsites within a grove of aspen trees adjacent to a large meadow and the Marathon TH, with a stunning view of Cedar Breaks. Vault toilet is well-maintained."
"After passing through Parowan it’s about a 20 min drive into Dixie National Forest. My T-Mobile & Verizon signal dropped completely as I entered the NF."
"One being the actual Yankee Meadows campground and the other is an overflow. The overflow is where we stayed which is tucked into the trees and has a creek running through it."
"We stayed here for a week while waiting for a package to arrive in Cedar City. The gap is a beautiful place and the petroglyphs would be as well were it not for the vandalism on them."
"This is an amazing place to camp, if you like dry camping ( which I do) it is peaceful and relaxing away from the crowds"
"Much of the Dixie National Forest is burned but the immediate area has ample trees of many colors. This is remote so no amenities at all. We have a small rv and made the .trip no problem."
"The drive into the campground was beautiful with trees starting to turn fall colors with the backdrop of vermillion rock formations and bright blue sky."
"Right next to Mammoth Creek surrounded by Dixie National Forest. Lots of sites and pull offs. No hookups or water but there are pit toilets. New favorite campsite!!"
"There is a nice stream at the camp and lots of OHV trails. We went for 4th of July weekend. Came in Thursday night and had no problem finding a spot, however by Saturday it was crazy busy."
"There’s of shade from the trees and a beautiful creek.
We arrived at around 3pm and no one was around. By 5pm a good amount of people started driving in a picking their spots."
"Rolled in around 8pm after hiking Angels Landing. It was about a 20 minute drive from the Zion Canyon Visitors Center."
"Standard dispersed camping, non designated camping. Level spots and good tree coverage. Minimal road noise and 5G service on T-Mobile"
LegendDispersed camping in the beautiful Ponderosa pines of Dixie National Forest. The Forest Service road is easy to navigate. There are many dirt roads branching off of it with sites to choose from. Chose a site relatively close to the forest service road. If you're sensitive to dust may want to choose a site further off the access road as there is lots of dust kicked up every time someone drove in or out on the gravel. Convenient location to Bryce (about 15 minutes). Cell service for Verizon.
When the rigs pulling in and out stopped, the only sounds were the braying of cows (the herd wandered into the site) and the wind blowing.
Views! Peaceful! Free!
GuideWe stayed here for a week while waiting for a package to arrive in Cedar City. The gap is a beautiful place and the petroglyphs would be as well were it not for the vandalism on them. On some camping apps people are saying just camp anywhere out here. I wanted to clarify that. While there are lots of places to camp please don't make new campsites or drive off roads and in the desert/grass. We stayed in a lovely spot on Jackrabbit Road, but had to drive over a mile to find what I consider an established site. All along the road there is damage from people driving and camping wherever they want. This is tragic and violates leave no trace. So does the many bullet shell casings, broken glass, dog turds, old gun targets, shotgun shells, etc, out here. This is how public lands get closed. It's a nice place and we saw respectful campers, OHV'rs, and bicyclists. Just use existing campsites and roads.
LegendThis dispersed camping area is to the west of the more well known Tom Best Road Dispersed area. Still on Dixie NF but access road is native dirt one lane and no gravel or graded...so if very wet or rain could be sketchy access ( hence 3 stars). Sites are along the road upland side in flat spots and alcoves for about first mile or so. There are TT spots and also good overlander sites up higher. I would recon first before pulling a TT up there to make sure you can get a turnaround. No designated sites, no trash, tables, water or toilets. 14d limit. However cell signal is good if a clear line to Wilson peak antennas. Posted map screenshot shows my recon of campsites...trailer icon are sits with trailers, tent icon is more suited to overlander type setups with high clearance vehicles or smaller rigs.
LegendLeeds Canyon Dispersed camp sites are on the Dixie NF. Lower dispersed sites 1-6 are easiest to get into with a TT. Camp in designated spots, camping free for 16 days. No water, no trash, no toilets. Sites are along a well maintained FS gravel road so dust may be a concern. Only a few miles outside of Leeds and Interstate 15.
Leeds Canyon #2 is behind #1 a hundred yards but requires high clearance and 4wd to access....no TT or RVs. Nice big open area with views for the overlander types
TravelerWhen our original dispersed camping spot didn’t work out we drove down the road and found this little gem, right outside the entrance to Bruce Canyon National Park. There are a bunch of designated USFS camping spots. They’re level-ish, fire rings, and pretty easy to get to. We have a 1992 (renovated!) motorhome and we got to spot 17 no problem. We could have gone to 17-19, but then the road got to rough for our old girl. Lots of quads and sideXsides riding on the dirt road, kicking up dust till about 8:30PM but was not a big deal. Solid free camping right near the park!
TravelerWe loved this free camping area!
There aren't tons of spots(most of it is an open area), but we never had an issue getting one, even during spring break.
It's close to Kanab and the east entrance of Zion.
Please Leave No Trace! Take care of this place so it can be enjoyed by many for as long as possible!
GuideOctober 15, 2020
We wanted to be close to Bryce Canyon but not in all of the hub and chaos of people. This location is about a 10 minute drive away from Bryce. This is the perfect location to get away from it all. When you first arrive, you will see plenty of spots for RV's and travel trailers. We traveled 1.8 miles and took a left turn on a small dirt road and found 5 or 6 campsites that were level and far away from each other. (We were the only one down this road).
The site was level with a lot of space to spread out. There was a firepit but no other facilities, so come prepared with everything you need. Due to fire restrictions, we didn't have a fire, and enjoyed seeing the Milky Way and shooting stars! There is a pit toilet across the highway before you turn into the BLM land.
We thought we would only stay for one night, but ended up there 2 nights since it was so beautiful!
GuideQuiet tent/truck camping. Not far from Cedar City (15min). Medium cell signal on T-Mobile. Right off of highway but plenty of tree cover to dampen road noise. Waterfall and creek noise to lull you to sleep. Large dirt parking area. Dispersed tent sites or truck bed/van life in the dirt lot. Go slow going in, pot holes and rocks. Two entrances both from highway. 4-star only because local kids use this as their bonfire/drinking spot and as such tend to make late night noise.
LegendIll start off by saying that you should probably have an AWD or 4WD high clearance vehicle for the upper campsites. There are campsites lower on but are right next to the road. Getting there you'll want to follow Dalton Wash Rd all the way to the plateau, staying left the whole way unless its private property.
There are no bathrooms or amenities here so either come prepared or take care of business before heading up or inbetween excursions. The good thing from that is you'll be pretty secluded! (Cant speak for the peak months as we visited in May) The upper campsites are ~45 minutes from Zion with the lower sites being only 30 minutes away! Summer may not be the best time to visit as the sites are kind of exposed and theres not a ton of shade
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Cedar City, Utah, where nature meets adventure without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. Enjoy the freedom of choosing your own spot while soaking in stunning landscapes and outdoor activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Cedar City, UT is Coal Creek Dispersed - Cedar City with a 3.4-star rating from 12 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 112 dispersed camping locations near Cedar City, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
