Are you planning a dispersed camping trip to Clearfield? We've got you covered. Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your Utah excursion.
To protect wintering wildlife, the WMA is closed to all activities from Jan. 1 to the second Saturday in April. From the second Saturday in April through Sept. 9, you can still camp on parts of the WMA. Overnight camping is no longer allowed, however, in the parking lot or within a third of a mile of the parking lot. Overnight camping is allowed across the entire WMA — including the parking lot and its surrounding area — from Sept. 10 to Dec. 31.
$6 / night
Only backcountry camping is allowed in Millcreek Canyon. Camping must be at least 1/2 mile off the road and 200 feet from trails, developed areas and water. Check for any fire restrictions.
Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest outside of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means no toilets, no treated water, and no fire grates are provided.
Camping in dispersed areas on the Forest is allowed for fourteen (14) days in any thirty (30) day consecutive period. Campers must move off Forest after reaching the 14-day limit. The stay limit also applies to all camping equipment (tents, chairs, ATVs, ATV trailers, etc.), even if used by a different person or group. Camping equipment must be removed by the end of the fourteen (14) day stay limit or the equipment may be impounded. Stay limits are implemented to reduce impacts to vegetation and wildlife habitat, as well as provide access to popular campsite areas for other visitors.
There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. It's your responsibility to know these before you try this new experience.
In most areas, dispersed camping is allowed up to 150 feet from a designated Forest Service Road, with some exceptions. Exceptions are based on protection of resources that may include water quality, soil conditions, and wildlife & fish habitat. No Dispersed camping within 100 feet of water (we recommend 200 feet). No dispersed camping where topography or existing vegetation limits vehicle travel (e.g. steep terrain, trees, brush). No dispersed camping within wet meadows or in saturated soil conditions. In these areas, walk-in tent camping and picnicking are allowed, however vehicle travel into these areas may be restricted. The public is asked to use existing pull-outs off the main road and walk in to take advantage of these areas that help provide clean water, productive soils, and habitats for fish and wildlife. Forest users can obtain Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM’s), that show where dispersed camping is allowed and roads and trails that are designated open to motorized vehicles
Scout
Road to dispersed camping is closed Dec 1 - April 15. Permit fee is $10 for 3 days. We had a quiet ( only a couple of other campers further up) and enjoyable overnight visit but road was quite icy. So we did not explore far. Birds in caves in side of valley. Well loved trail starts a short distance up the road. Looks like a beloved student hang out in the area with picnic tables so you may want drive further in if visit in summer.
Traveler
The views are great but the road is definitely washed out. You will need 4WD and high clearance to pass through the washouts and rocks which start near the entrance and go all the way to the top.
TravelerMany good spots. Close to the road so you can hear some car which was no problem. Lots of trees. Shaded which is great in the summer.
Guide(October 4th, 2023) Stopped here for a night on a road trip and it was the perfect place for some down time. There were still open spots when we got here late; we snagged a cool site with a small cave and a climbing route a decent way down the road. In the morning we hiked around some of the trails and explored the area. Even though it rained, it was a beautiful place to see some foliage! We only saw a few other people but it was the middle of the week and weather wasn’t great.
Traveler
We stayed here for the night on our rooftop tent. It’s very quiet, barely any people. There’s man made firepits made out of rocks of people who have stayed here. It’s chilly and very pretty around. Nice view of the sunset. There’s no cell service.
TravelerI want to start positive and say that the views are some of the best! Mt Tiponogous is in full view and the panoramic views are all great as well. It was only my group that camped up there the night we camped, but a couple people did drive by for some off road action. Speaking of off road action, the road is atrocious. Dont come unless you have some serious high clearance 4wd vehicle or you will bottom out and destroy your vehicle. I’m saying this as someone from Lake City CO who grew up driving the Alpine Loop, the road is BAD!
Guide
We could not have asked for a more perfect spot. The views were immaculate, the sites were very spread out, it was the end of September and all the leaves were changing.
No notes. Can’t recommend this spot enough.
Guide
The site is over an hour from I15 on dirt and washboarded roads. Was a beautiful location for one night, but not much more than that. The Golden Spike park is on the way which is nice to stop by at. Was windy on the night we stayed, no fires.
Scout
The drive up is beautiful but there is actually no drive in camping. Camping doesnt open until July 1st so take that into account.
ScoutThere are tons of free site all up and down the main road. The only problem is it is busy if you leave on Friday plan to get there by 3 at the latest. Spots fill quick.
TravelerHonestly, the only saving thing about this campsite is how beautiful it is. It truly feels like you are on top of the world. But, there were many downsides and we will not be returning. First, the road to get there was horrible. Don’t go up there unless you’re ready to do some off-roading. Second, the campsite had zero shade — so make sure to bring a canopy of some sort; there are no trees around the site. Third, the campsite is all gravel, so if you have a dog, be careful they don’t burn their paws (it was hot! We had to keep our dog in our man-made shade)! Lastly, at least 20 cars drove through the campsite per day, and this seems to be a spot a lot of people stop and get out and walk around. Then, someone set up camp right next to us! So, if you truly want to primitive camp, where it’s just you and nature, and have privacy, this is not the place to go.
Guide
First of all there is no pull out at the coordinates. In fact it represents just as a reference for the highway road off the 80 highway you go along 196 and there are pull off roads leading to either straight up the side of a mountain or along the valley.
I parked at lone rock which is basically just a shooting range. You name it they obliterated it with ammo. Oh well I climbed to the top of the lone rock which was pretty epic. Fucking windy night and dusty I hate dust so much. Maybe if I parked down road inside the sagebrush it would have broke the wind. Also lone rock was full of trash :(
Glad I live in lush Colorado away from these deserts. Except alamoda area I guess.
GuideEspecially if you get here before sunset, you can hike a little ways up the mountain and watch the sun go down, but once it does start to go down it gets real windy. All the breeze from the salt flats comes right your way. This location is also right in an outdoor shooting range with multiple spots so that’s a plus if you’re looking for entertainment. As a bonus for me at least, it’s close enough to the road that getting back to it won’t be a problem, and I don’t think the noise will be a factor because the wind takes the cake. Dirt road is also real rough, probably not for sedans.
Traveler
We couldn’t access early June road still closed past the ski resort.
GuideThis point leads to a solar field - no camping here.
GuidePerhaps a little too close to the university in Logan Utah it was busy that Friday night. I think all the spots filled by 7pm some 50 people there that night. There is close spots for small couples and large groups and also more private spacious spots for people with pets like me
GuideBe careful there is a 5$ per car fee sneaking at the entrance. Pretty good trails on the way up but like in the Titlr I wasn’t able to make it
ScoutDon't come with a trailer. Just don't do it. Sure is pretty but we never made it to the top
ScoutThere are no camping signs saying you can camp ⅓ mile from parking area but the only way to get ⅓ mile is to hike
Traveler
Nice place for a night. Fun if you have a Side by side or mountain bike. Some sites are very accessible, others need 4x4.
ScoutVery loud, with folks driving around until the AM. Definitely a local party spot.
ScoutStayed for 1 night. Very quiet and private. I imagine if during the busy season this place would not be a great place to stay but the last week of April was not busy and it was very quiet.
GuideMy favorite place to camp. Other campers are respectful at night and friendly during the day. Nights are quiet and the moon is usually super bright.
TravelerWe tried this place as a quick weekend Overlanding Trip to get the kids out of the house.
Took close to two hours from Salt Lake City, once you turn off I 15 you’ve still got close to an hour. The road wasn’t too bad, pretty Wash boarded but fairly certain most cars could do it if they are careful around a couple of spots.
There is a train museum along the way that looked pretty interesting.
Once you get there, there’s a parking lot right above the spiral jetty, you could park there and camp if you wanted.
If you have a bit more of an off-road vehicle there is a couple of camping areas down just above the Lakeshore that we camped in. You will need a 4 x 4 with decent clearance. We did it with a stock suburban just fine.
We couldn’t even see the water line, dry Lake bed is pretty much all you can see.
It was rather fascinating to look at and we did enjoy the time there. But I don’t feel like it would be a place I would want to camp more than one night because I think the kids would get restless.
GuideCamped 10/20-22/2023. Lots of horse flys during the day, and evening/dusk swarms of mosquitoes along with morning just before sunrise. Without our screened in sun shelter, we would have been miserable.
Lots of four-wheelers and UTVs using the knoll and the trails. Extremely loud and stirs up lots of dust.
The no shooting/firearms sign at the entrance did not deter multiple shooters that were close by. There was lots of shooting and we found many empty shell casing laying about.
Many of the trails had fire pits built in the middle of them with lots of nails and broken glass laying everywhere. Be very careful driving a vehicle back onto the knoll.
Most level camping areas will be to the North/South of the actual knoll. Its also ideal to came around the knoll not only for level ground, but to avoid getting in the way of the four-wheelers/motor bikes.
We got cell service with both T-Mobil and Verizon.
No bathrooms, water, and very little shade shelter.
TravelerTwo nice boondocking spots just a short drive on a tight dirt road off the highway. The campsite on the right is bigger, the one on the left is very small. Very popular for hunters in September, so you'll have lots of people walking right by your camp. The views are beautiful, but it can get quite blustery. We weren't able to have a fire when we stayed there.
TravelerWe stayed here one night. We went at night for a place to sleep. Know that the sites are on the left of the main road coming in, I was unaware of the layout. Sites are decent, bugs are terrible. Road is rough coming in as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Clearfield, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Clearfield, UT is Millcreek Canyon Backcountry Camping and Yurts with a 4.1-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Clearfield, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 25 dispersed camping locations near Clearfield, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
