Best Campgrounds near Taylorsville, UT

CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

The suburban community of Taylorsville, Utah sits at a strategic junction for camping access, with options ranging from full-service RV resorts to mountain wilderness sites within an hour's drive. Salt Lake City KOA offers year-round camping with 180 sites just 15 minutes north, providing urban convenience with full hookups for RVs and tent sites. For those seeking natural settings, the nearby Wasatch Mountains contain several highly-rated campgrounds including Spruces in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Tanners Flat in Little Cottonwood Canyon, both operating seasonally from late spring through early fall. These mountain campgrounds provide a stark contrast to the valley floor, with cooler temperatures, forest cover, and proximity to hiking trails.

Seasonal considerations significantly impact camping availability in the Taylorsville region. Most mountain campgrounds operate from May through mid-October, with exact opening dates dependent on snowmelt conditions. As one camper noted at Tanners Flat, "It was chilly for sure, but it was so nice. It was quiet, tucked away from anyone. Our site was next to the river, which really helped drown out all other sounds." Reservations are essential during summer weekends, particularly for popular sites in the cottonwood canyons. Urban campgrounds like Pony Express RV Resort remain open year-round but fill quickly during special events. Fire restrictions commonly affect the area during mid-to-late summer, with bans often implemented in response to drought conditions.

Water access represents a key feature at many campgrounds near Taylorsville. Utah Lake State Park, approximately 20 minutes southwest, provides shoreline camping with fishing opportunities for catfish and white bass. According to one visitor, "Utah Lake State Park gets a lot of users both day and overnight. It is pretty close to population centers." Noise levels vary dramatically between locations, with urban sites experiencing traffic and train sounds while canyon campgrounds offer more seclusion. Campers seeking quiet should consider sites deeper in canyons or at higher elevations. Cell service remains reliable at valley locations but becomes spotty in mountain campgrounds. Many dispersed camping areas require high-clearance vehicles, with several reviewers noting challenging road conditions on forest service roads.

Best Camping Sites Near Taylorsville, Utah (215)

    1. Salt Lake City KOA

    45 Reviews
    Salt Lake City, UT
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 328-0224

    $50 - $189 / night

    "I had the wonderful opportunity to stay the night at Salt Lake City KOA!"

    "We wanted to explore Salt Lake City so decided to stay at this downtown KOA. It is a large and crowded RV park but right on a Transit line (UTA light rail Trax) and biking distance to downtown."

    2. Spruces - Big Cottonwood

    33 Reviews
    Mounthaven, UT
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 733-2660

    $29 - $327 / night

    "Bathrooms always close by, no showers. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit. If you’re lucky, you can get a site close to the creek. Nice, cool nights in the summer."

    "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"

    3. Granite Flat (utah)

    38 Reviews
    Mutual Dell, UT
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 785-3563

    $27 - $355 / night

    "Tucked in very back. Long ways to walk from car. Water spout next to car area. Will be sharing parking with 2 other sites. 2 lakes nearby. Fire pit with grill gate. Shaded area."

    "Utah is such an amazing place to visit for the outdoors. My family and I come here once a year because we love hiking and being in the outdoors."

    4. Pony Express RV Resort

    15 Reviews
    North Salt Lake, UT
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 355-1550

    "Convenient location right off the highway with full hook ups and nice paved sites. Dog areas, playground, games, and a pool."

    "These sites a so close to each other. We only stop here to stay the night. WiFi is ok-phone hotspot is better.

    Staff is great."

    5. Tanners Flat

    19 Reviews
    Snowbird, UT
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 733-2660

    $29 - $215 / night

    "It was quiet, tucked away from anyone.  Didn't really see anyone for the three days we are there.  Our site was next to the river, which really helped drown out all other sounds! "

    "We had site 11 close to the bathroom and in a flat, sunny clearing surrounded by trees. You could hear the nearby road a bit and see the mountains a little bit."

    6. Mountain Shadows RV Park

    10 Reviews
    Draper, UT
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 571-4024

    7. Willow Park Campground

    17 Reviews
    Lehi, UT
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (385) 201-1000

    $25 - $175 / night

    "This campground was nestled in the middle of Lehi Utah and it was a great place for us to swing in for one night."

    "We were able to get a spot next to the Jordan River under a beautiful tree. We brought our 16ft camper and didn’t need to back it in or anything."

    8. Little Mill

    21 Reviews
    Mutual Dell, UT
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 785-3563

    $27 - $227 / night

    "We got a site with access to the river which my kids really enjoyed. There was a fun giant "sliding rock" in the area to climb on. Lots of trees for hammocks."

    "The lake is right up the road and a great place to swim and fish. There is a sliding rock for kids to climb and play on near the camp grounds. So many bike and walking trails."

    9. Redman Campground

    15 Reviews
    Brighton, UT
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (801) 733-2660

    $29 - $215 / night

    "This is super close to my favorite mountain bike ride in Northern Utah - The Wasatch Crest Trail. As you can tell in the pictures, this area is very lush and rich with pine trees."

    "The campsites are clean, the bathrooms are exceptionally clean with flushing toilets, you are a walk or hike away from Brighton and immersed in some of the most beautiful mountains around."

    10. Millcreek Canyon Backcountry Camping and Yurts

    8 Reviews
    Mounthaven, UT
    14 miles
    Website

    "You can backpack in and camp anywhere a 1/2 mile from any road like the other nearby canyons. Good trails to approach from are Church fork and Lambs Canyon Trailhead."

    "Millcreek Canyon is home to some wonderful trails that can be accessed by foot or bike. Although the canyon offers many hiking trails, the main use of the trails seems to be for trail running."

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Recent Reviews near Taylorsville, UT

1292 Reviews of 215 Taylorsville Campgrounds


  • Adam O.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 24, 2025

    Split Rock Bay Backcountry Campsites — Antelope Island State Park

    Incredible, with some caveats

    Disclaimer, this was my first backpacking trip, and my first solo camping experience.

    The first thing I’ll note is that I could not find a map that showed exactly where on the split rock loop trail the sites were. The maps you get at the gate do not show it. You just have to start hiking and hope you see it. That eventually led to the main issue I had with the campsite, more on that later.

    I have 37lbs on my back, partly because it’s November and I want to make sure I’m warm, and partly because I’m toting in 5.5L of water since there is no water source.

    I begin hiking and eventually I see another backpacker coming the other way. I say “did you camp?” He says no, he was going to stay the night, but there’s a herd of Bison that are currently crossing the trail and he didn’t want to wait. As I’m coming up on the spot he’s talking about, I catch the end of the herd moving south and I’m able to pass them with minimal wait time.

    I continue hiking, up to the split rock bay loop, where conveniently there is a sign that points toward the campground. Yay! By this time I’ve seen a huge herd of Bison (50 or more individuals), a big buck, 20 or so other deer, and with the fog and haziness, some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. Quite incredible.

    I find the tent site #3 (my watch says exactly 4.5 miles from the car) and set up my tent. During this time, I’m hearing some weird grunting sounds in the distance, I pop my head out of the tent and look west toward the lake shore. And there’s the herd of Bison I encountered before who crossed the trail. They went west around elephant rock, and I went east. I beat them by about 20 to 30 minutes. At this time I record a video with my phone and state “hope they aren’t coming over here”.

    I’m filling my sleeping pad with a mini pump and when I’m done I pop my head out of the tent. They had, in fact, started coming over here. They were quite close. In sort of a panic, I grab some essentials, zip up the tent, and head for the rocks on the hills and wait them out.

    Unfortunately I didn’t grab my Garmin or my warm clothes, and it is taking them forever to get past the tent site. The sun starts getting low and I’m getting cold. The Bison sometimes get curious about my tent and approach it, but never do anything. I have my Apple watch and it has an SOS feature, I thought about using it, but eventually they pass and I can get back to set up.

    So, this is where knowing exactly where the campsite was in relation to everything else would have been useful. I would have seen the direction they were going and possibly known that they would be crossing right into the camp area, and I probably would have made some slightly different choices.

    They (the Bison) stopped for the night in split rock canyon, so I could hear them all night while in my tent. It was always difficult to tell if they were getting closer or farther away, so the night was a bit sleepless.

    Also, though the weather says the temperature is 40F, the higher humidity and breeze from the lake can make it feel a lot colder. I did have some chilly moments with a 20F comfort rated bag and a 5.4R value pad. In the morning, condensation was everywhere.

    The next morning had a “dense fog” warning in effect, which made for some more awesome scenery.

    I broke camp and started back to the car at around 8AM. I decided to take a detour out to Elephant Rock to see if I could see the camp site from up there. This added another 3 miles to the track back, so 7.5 miles total. As I’m coming around the corner at the top to the spot where I’d be able to see the sites, I encounter a lone Bison bull just chilling up there on the trail, no other animals in sight. So, I couldn’t actually get to the spot to see over, but the view was amazing and it was fun to see a Bison in a spot it felt like he shouldn’t be able to get to.

    As I turn around, the “dense fog” warning becomes a reality, and it suddenly gets much much colder. Makes for some amazing visuals way up there.

    Overall, it was a very awe inspiring and fun trip, with some interesting bits. I do think they should better mark the spots on the map just so people can plan better, especially if there’s going to be massive herds of Bison cruising through camp at any point.

    tl;dr: pack warmer than you think (if you’re going to go in the later months) and watch out for Bison. Incredible views and wildlife encounters make it all worth it.

  • Tamie S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 10, 2025

    Great Horned Owl Campground — Deer Creek State Park

    Quiet and secluded

    We took a wrong turn in the campground and ended up in an area with no hookups. But it was quiet and secluded and close to the water. The campsite was fairly level and there were clean restrooms.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 10, 2025

    Foothill Clearing with a View

    Nice views

    They have camp rings for fires and also grills! One or 2 was missing the garage to the grill but other than that it was good.

  • J
    Nov. 7, 2025

    Salt Lake City KOA

    Great Campground, Weird Area

    The campground itself was really great, surprisingly nice! It was just surprisingly to see the location of the campground itself, with views of the mountains all around, the campground is located in the city, and kind of a slightly shady area as well. We felt safe once we were on the campground, but the drive in was a little sketchy at best.

  • C
    Nov. 3, 2025

    Heber Ranger Station

    Just a quick stop

    A great place to just spend a night. This is a parking lot of a ranger station ( and because the federal government is shut down, now staff is here) but parking lot is clean and even big enough to turn around our 40’ motorhome and tow vehicle. No hook ups, and road noise is pretty bad.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 23, 2025

    Miner's Canyon Dispersed

    Beautiful Area, But

    Close to civilization but far enough to get a healthy dose of quiet darkness. The campsites are drive-in and a decent size, far apart from each other, but keep your eyes peeled for deep potholes and broken glass. The few times we’ve stayed here we’ve enjoyed ourselves, but this seems to be a very popular spot; on several occasions we’ve made the 1+ hour drive out here, only to find every single spot taken. It appears that the same campers are out here frequently, and for long periods of time. Would be nice if people would limit their own stays for the consideration of others to enjoy this area as well, instead of treating it like their own personal property.

  • Elise A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2025

    Soapstone Basin Dispersed Camping

    Soapstone Basin, Uinta Mountains – A Wild, Beautiful Reminder of Respect for the Land

    We escaped the chaos of a music festival and ran straight into the mountains—landing at Soapstone Basin for one unforgettable night. We didn’t realize a storm was closing in until the clouds surrounded us. You can reach the area without four-wheel drive if roads are dry, but if weather’s coming, trust me—bring it.

    The views are unreal, and the quiet is almost otherworldly. This is hunting land, so you’ll occasionally hear distant gunfire, but safety rules are well respected. We had a storm roll through—trees cracked all night, rain turned to snow, and we woke up under 3–4 inches of it. Freezing, beautiful, and absolutely still.

    There is absolutely no service out here, so plan ahead—know the weather, download maps, and bring a way to communicate in an emergency. We were likely the only tent campers in sight—everyone else had trailers or ATVs—but with experience and good gear, tent camping here is magic. A tree-clearing crew passed through the next morning, another reminder of how well this land is cared for.

    Places like Soapstone are a privilege. They feel sacred, untouched, and peaceful. If you come, honor it—keep it clean, quiet, and respectful. That’s exactly how we found it, and that’s exactly how it should stay.

  • Bill B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 15, 2025

    Century RV Park

    Friendly and helpful staff

    Convenient and reasonable. They closed the swimming pool and spa for the winter. The shower was clean.


Guide to Taylorsville

Taylorsville sits at approximately 4,300 feet elevation in the Salt Lake Valley, with camping options ranging from dispersed mountain sites to valley-based facilities. The region experiences wide temperature swings between summer and winter, with camping areas at higher elevations in surrounding mountains reaching 8,000-10,000 feet. Lower valley campgrounds remain accessible most of the year while mountain sites have strict seasonal limitations.

What to do

Snowshoe adventures: During winter months when most mountain campgrounds close, Spruces Campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon transforms into a winter recreation area. "Wonderful winter wonder land you can snowshoe into in the winter and camp at! You can also stay here during the summer just be prepared to book a couple months in advance," notes Shilah M. about Spruces - Big Cottonwood.

Paddle sports at reservoirs: The American Fork Canyon area offers multiple non-motorized water recreation opportunities near camping areas. "We were able to paddle board which was a blast! I loves being so close and having access to so many beautiful hikes and Rick climbing. We were right next to a beautiful river and it was pretty quiet," writes Kaitlin R. about her experience at Granite Flat.

Urban biking: For campers staying at valley locations, extensive paved trails connect to camping areas. "Paved 80 mile bike trail along Jordan River. Giant chessboard. Nice pool area," reports Janet H. about amenities at Pony Express RV Resort. Willow Park Campground provides direct river access with "boat launch for non-motorized water crafts, bathrooms, and playgrounds."

What campers like

Wildlife encounters: Higher-elevation campgrounds offer excellent wildlife viewing opportunities not found in valley locations. "In addition to numerous deer, we had two moose munching away at the willow at the adjacent site," shares Outdoor T. about their stay at Redman Campground. The area hosts deer, moose, and smaller wildlife particularly in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Mountain stream access: Campers frequently mention the calming sounds of nearby water features as a highlight. "I just recently stayed at the Spruces. Loved it. Very peaceful. I stayed in campground #47. Right near the end of the loop before it goes into the peaceful forest section. Great one. Right by water," reports Tom B. Millcreek Canyon offers similar experiences with "areas of the river" where families can tube and play.

Clean facilities: Many campgrounds near Taylorsville maintain high cleanliness standards even during peak season. "The campground is clean, the bathrooms are exceptionally clean with flushing toilets, you are a walk or hike away from Brighton and immersed in some of the most beautiful mountains around," notes Kristin H. about her experience at Redman Campground.

What you should know

Strict reservation timelines: The most popular camping destinations around Taylorsville fill months in advance. "Be aware that this campsite reservations for the weekend fill up quick. I checked in late May and every weekend until September was already booked," cautions Ash S. about Granite Flat.

Pet restrictions: Canyon camping areas have varying rules for pets due to watershed regulations. "We had planned to camp here but dogs are not allowed. This campground looked like an awesome spot. Location is right off the hwy close to Solitude and trails," notes Natalie B. about Redman Campground. Millcreek Canyon is one of the few that explicitly permits dogs on trails.

Site size limitations: Some campgrounds have physical constraints that limit RV sizes. "This campground is quiet and has abundant wildlife. It's better for small campers or tent campers as the driveways were not designed for big rigs," explains a reviewer about Redman Campground. Verify site dimensions before booking.

Tips for camping with families

Entertainment options: Some campgrounds offer built-in activities for children beyond hiking trails. "There is a huge spot of grass that you can play sports or baseball on. Can't remember the site we had but there was a huge rock that was fun for the scouts to climb on," explains Brad B. about Millcreek Canyon Backcountry Camping.

Proximity to attractions: When choosing family-friendly camping near Taylorsville, consider locations near attractions. "This is really close to some really good hikes like Stewart Falls, and Tibble Fork reservoir just minutes for your camp site," shares Brad B. about Granite Flat. Little Mill Campground offers "access to Timpanogas Cave trailhead" nearby.

Year-round options: For families wanting to introduce children to winter camping, specific areas remain accessible. "We camped in campground #47. Right by water but gets a heck of a lot of sun in the morning," mentions Tom B. regarding Spruces, which also offers "snowshoe in in the winter" opportunities for more adventurous families with older children.

Tips from RVers

Urban RV parking: RV campers seeking full amenities have limited but solid options near Taylorsville. "Really nice RV resort near Interstate. Pull throughs or back in on paved level sites. Picnic table. FHU. Sites typically close with grass area separating. No shade or privacy. Narrow interior roads," reports Janet H. about Pony Express RV Resort, which features "nice bathhouses with private shower/toilets."

Site selection strategy: Experienced RVers recommend careful site selection based on rig size and needs. "We have a small 21' travel trailer and the pull through spots are perfect! Both my neighbors are permanent residents," notes Amy about Pony Express RV Resort, highlighting that urban RV parks often mix short-term visitors with long-term residents.

Off-season advantages: RV camping during shoulder seasons offers better availability. "Good place to plug in at night between ski days. Friendly helpful staff," explains Terry G. about Salt Lake City KOA, one of the few year-round options that remains open during winter for RVers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What campgrounds are available in Taylorsville?

The Taylorsville area offers several nearby camping options. Pine Creek Campground — Wasatch Mountain State Park provides traditional camping with narrow loop roads and mature trees, though sites may be challenging for larger vehicles. For those seeking free dispersed camping, Soldier's Pass Utah Backcountry offers primitive sites with established fire rings near Utah Lake. While the sites lack amenities and you must bring your own water, they provide accessible options for camping near Taylorsville.

What are the best spots for a camping trip around Taylorsville?

For scenic views and natural beauty, Cascade Springs Dispersed Site offers stunning panoramic vistas of Mt. Timpanogos and excellent off-road opportunities. Granite Flat is another excellent option, featuring quiet, spacious sites with stream access and proximity to two lakes. The tent-only sites provide shaded areas, fire pits with grill gates, and a peaceful forest setting. For a waterfront experience, Anderson Cove offers a perfect little oasis with idyllic beach access and stunning scenic drives to reach it.

Are there RV camping facilities in Taylorsville?

Yes, there are excellent RV facilities near Taylorsville. Mountain Valley RV Resort in nearby Heber City is highly rated, featuring an adult-only section for those seeking peace and quiet, concrete pads, and a welcoming atmosphere. Rock Cliff Area Campground — Jordanelle State Park is a newer option with full hook-ups, clean facilities, and beautiful views. This campground was previously tent-only but has been renovated specifically for RVs. Both locations provide convenient access for RV campers visiting the Taylorsville area.