Salt Lake Valley camping options near Centerville provide access to both mountain wilderness and urban amenities within a 30-minute drive. Sites range in elevation from 4,300 feet in valley locations to over 8,000 feet at mountain campgrounds. Temperatures vary significantly between valley and mountain sites, with mountain locations often 10-15 degrees cooler during summer months. Camping near Centerville typically requires advance planning during peak season from June through September.
What to do
Hiking trails access: Bountiful Peak Campground connects to several forest trails. "Really nice campground in such a beautiful Canyon. Good size camping spots and standard bathrooms. Great fire pits too! If you've never driven up Farmington Canyon it is a steep road with no shoulder, I'd recommend a 4X4 or all wheel drive vehicle," notes one visitor.
Water activities: East Canyon State Park offers water recreation opportunities at Dixie Creek Campground. "The state park is on the northeast shore of the lake and features lots of good fishing as well as picnic areas and some exposed hot hiking trails. Water level has been steadily dropping here as with most waterbodies in the state this year but good sized smallmouth bass can be caught," reports a camper.
Urban exploration: Salt Lake City KOA provides convenient access to downtown attractions. "If you are traveling in an RV and wish to stay parked, there is public transit to city-center and amenities a couple blocks away. I assume it's within most private ride-share service areas as well," explains one reviewer.
What campers like
Cooler temperatures: Mountain campsites offer relief during summer heat. A reviewer at Spruces - Big Cottonwood shared: "Right up Big Cottonwood Canyon, this campground has the advantage of being up the canyon so you feel far away from the city, but close enough that you could go on a work night and still make it to the office the next day."
River access: Some campgrounds offer water features beyond lakes. At Riverside RV Resort, a camper noted: "River and walking trail just steps away from all sites. Would be nice if the dog park was finished. There are other amenities that are planned to be available, but are not available yet."
Evening views: Mountain sites provide unique perspectives. "We love that you can go from the busy city to this amazing site in about 30 minutes. I have almost always seen moose and deer in the camp ground and the kids love to catch fish in the stream," shared a visitor at Spruces Campground.
What you should know
Road conditions: Access to some sites requires appropriate vehicles. For Bountiful B Dispersed, a camper advised: "The road up takes about 25 or 30 minutes to get to the coords. Its a bit rough but if you have awd or 4wd its no problem. Great views on the way up and down."
Seasonal closures: Many mountain campgrounds close during colder months. A Bountiful Peak visitor reported: "Drove up here to see if this campground is open yet, Still closed for the winter. I called the Forest Service and they said it open July 1st 2020."
Urban noise levels: City-adjacent sites experience more disturbances. A Salt Lake City KOA visitor warned: "Be warned, if is NOT quiet - there are multiple trains/sirens/large semis blowing by all night. It was about $75 for a single night, but our original spot fell through and they were able to accommodate us last minute."
Tips for camping with families
Water park access: Cherry Hill Campground offers family recreation opportunities. "Beautiful, shady spots to camp. Family noises from sunup to sundown. Water park is priced separately, but access is seamless. VERY busy weekends; weekdays were a delight," notes a visitor.
Wildlife viewing: Animal sightings enhance the experience. "An amazing place to kick back, relax, and hangout with bison. They walk up and graze through the campsites which is a beautiful thing to wake up to," shared a camper at Bridger Bay Campground.
Space considerations: Some family-friendly sites have limited privacy. At Cherry Hill, a reviewer observed: "Even though the park was less than half full, they crammed all of the RVs into as small of an area as they could. Small spots with very little room to manage."
Tips from RVers
Site selection: RVers should consider layout differences at Pony Express RV Resort. "If you want space to spread out this is not the place for you. If you're looking for a place that is convenient, full hook up, level concrete pads, subdivision desperate house wife's camping addition this is the place to be!" advises one RVer.
Hookup locations: Some sites require extra equipment. At Cherry Hill Campground, a camper noted: "The sites are pull-through, but the shorter sites are dirt and have shared electrical boxes, which meant that we had to grab out the extension cord and plugin on the other side of the RV."
Weather considerations: Seasonal variations affect comfort levels. An RVer at Salt Lake City KOA shared: "The campground was nice. Warm showers and bathhouse that was fairly clean. It was still winter so not many other amenities. You are in the city so that comes with its own atmosphere but we never felt unsafe."
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