Top 10+ Dispersed Free Camping near Duchesne, UT

Campground Review: In my attempt to explore as many areas in Utah as I can, I came across this wonderful dispersed camping off Highway 40, south of Heber City toward Main Canyon. I had the intention of staying in a nearby campground. But when I felt the price was a bit too high for just one night, I sought adventure elsewhere. I randomly turned off toward Main Canyon and followed the dirt road until I found a spot I liked. I knew I was in dispersed national forest camping when there are signs indicating a 14 day limit. So all along this dirt road, which got pretty rocky at times, are spots to pull off and camp for the night. It can accommodate single tents, multiple tents, RVs (obviously no hookups) and trailers.  There are man-made fire pits so if you start a fire, be sure to put it out completely and observe LNT (leave no trace) camping principles. Whatever you bring in with you is what you have as there are no amenities to speak of. The ground was soft and there were lots of trees from which to hang a hammock. I did forget to fill my water jug before I left my house so I had to search out a small run off stream from which I could filter water. But be sure to have a good water filter if you are going to go this route.  The only real negative I have for this site (or area of sites) is that there was a lot of AVT/Side-by-side/dirtbike traffic. If that type of activity was on my list, this area would be first on my list. However, since I chose not to stay in a campground because I wanted the seclusion, the traffic was a little bit of a bummer. But, because the camping was free and everyone who passed waved and was really nice, I didn’t have too much of a problem with it. Also, the site I chose was right off the road (as majority of them are). If I wanted to hike with my stuff a little more, I found a very pretty meadow away from the road that would have been very peaceful. I guess that will have to be my next spot. OI verall, I have a love for free, dispersed camping and this area is large enough to explore for a wide variety of adventures.

Gear Review: Snapbuds

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get the opportunity to test out gear every so often from our amazing partners. I was given the opportunity to test out a new product called Snapbuds. The premise of this product is to help keep your earbud cords organized or untangled by use of magnets. They come in three different colors—grey, black, and white, so you can make them coordinate with your cords or stand out. The instructions are easy to follow and have a few options for how to set these little magnets into different configurations. It also has a really handy measuring tape/picture to make sure you can get the snapbuds in the right spot. I decided to try the standard configuration on my first pair of earbuds. These are designed to be permanent additions to your cords so be sure to pay attention to what direction you snap the magnets on. Once I got them on, I wrapped them up and threw them around in my bag. The magnets held and when I went to use them, all I had to do was pull the magnets apart and the cord was untangled. It was pretty sweet. I also used them while hiking around with my dog.

Overall, these are a pretty cool solution to a long standing annoyance of earbud cords.

This is down a little dirt road near the Ghost town remnants of Tucker, Utah. There is a cute little creek, plenty of places to pull into to camp, and lots of neat rock formations to observe. We stayed 2 nights, and after dusk, the noise was minimal. You can hear some traffic noise from the highway, but it's faint. Be sure to mind the signs posted for private property. It seems as though some people have left their trash behind, and it's very unfortunate because this is by far the best spot we found on this HWY near Spanish Fork. Pack in and pack out is a must as there are no amenities other than nature's amenities. I found a few fossils in my wandering of our site. Some spots by the creek have been washed out, and the ground seems to have given way, so be mindful of where you park. The spot we stayed in was the 3rd spot after the private property signs on the left-hand side. Be sure to scout the turn-off roads before attempting to drive down them. This is a sandy spot, and the ground is not the most sound due to water damage. Cool little spot to unwind and enjoy nature's surroundings.

Over Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I got away for a night and dispersed camp in the Unita National forest near the Mill Creek campground. We were planning to stay at the campground but it was closed, so we took advantage of free dispersed camping right outside. This is LNT(leave no trace) camping so be sure to pack out what you pack in. There are no amenities but you are along a water source so if you have a filter, you have water. All along the road there are open fields that can accommodate trailers and bigger parties then just a single tent. Near the campground (and the site we chose) is an outdoor education center which would be fun to go back and visit later in the summer. We really enjoyed camping here as it was peaceful and private (at least when we visited).  Later in the summer that may not be the case, especially close to the road. The biggest issue may be the road. My Mazda3 was able to make it up, but the road was quite rutted and rough and you had to go through a small runoff stream. If you have a lowered vehicle, you may have a tough time but anything with a higher clearance will do just fine. Overall, I loved exploring a new area that I will definitely return to.

McCoy Flats BLM is a mt bike focus recreation area with a network of excellent nonmotorizrd singletrack trails. Dispersed free camping allowed, and currently there are several nice vault toilets scattered along the main access paved road.

This camping area is at the third new vault toilet. Lots of room for large TTs. No trash dumpsters and no water, but cell signal is excellent 5g five bars. Only few miles from main hwy on an old paved pothole filled road. And then only 3 miles back into Vernal and a Walmart on this end of town, so logistics are very good.

https://www.blm.gov/visit/mccoy-flats-trailhead#

Campground Review: Dispersed Camping at Pyramid Lake, UT

Pyramid Lake is another gem of a mountain lake found in the Uinta Mountains of Utah. It is a small-medium sized lake you can drive to (with a small walk in) and has lots of National Forest dispersed camping. This area, while on National Forest, does require a recreation pass. A three-day pass is $6 which you can get at the various self-serve stations found along the main Mirror Lake Highway or it is free if you have a National Parks pass. It is on the honor system. So before I go into the camp area a few notes on getting there. Once you turn off highway 150 towards Murdock Basin, you have 6 miles of dirt/rock road ahead of you. A car can make it the first four miles, but a vehicle with at least 18” of clearance (and recommended AWD/4WD) is required as the road turns into sections of just really large rocks. You can stop and camp anywhere along that forest service road, but to get to either Pyramid or Echo Lake, you need the higher clearance.

The camping area and lake: it is dispersed camping so it is very primitive. No running water (either bring your own or a way to filter lake water), no pit toilets (bring a spade to dig a cat hole and bury or pack out your TP), tent or hammock camping (a pull behind trailer won’t make it the last few miles), scattered fire pits (practice extreme fire safety and make sure you fully put out any fire you start), and no garbage service (pack out whatever you pack in), aka typical backcountry camping. I loved it! The lake is beautiful and there is a trail you can walk around it. I did bring my inflatable paddleboard but didn’t end up breaking it out because it was too windy. But I will definitely return to paddle the lake another day. Multiple people were fishing and I could see the fish jumping as well. There is also a large boulder field on the South side of the lake which is fun to scramble around. I have decided my dog is part mountain goat. I chose a small spot about 50 meters from the water—halfway between the lake and where I parked the car. It was small and perfect for just one person and dog.

Downsides to the lake: While visiting a small mountain lake is always fun, there was a few things that didn’t meet my expectations (which are relatively low). The biggest thing which surprised me was how busy it was considering how rough the road was. It is really fun to see lots of people enjoying the outdoors but there were two larger groups of twenty-somethings that were really loud the whole night. I think one group played music and stayed up all night long and randomly walked down to the lake loudly with flashlights (which was really not necessary considering it was a cloudless, full moon night). They had dogs barking and generally seemed to not take the other people camping at the lake into consideration. Granted it was a killer spot for a group campout but it definitely affected by enjoyment of the evening. Overall, I really enjoyed the area and will return to camp again.

Gear Review: Matador Transit30 Duffle

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get the opportunity to test out gear for our awesome partners from time to time. I was given the privilege of testing out the Matador Transit30 packable duffle bag in grey. This bag, when stuffed is shorter but thicker than my phone but when unpacked is a full 30 liter duffle bag. For those who don’t speak liter size it is about the size of a typical medium Adidas duffle bag. It is made up of water resistant ripstop material, has one seam sealed zippered pocket, and the main pocket is accessed by a two-way seam sealed zipper. 

Pros:

• It is super lightweight, which is what Matador is known for, and unstructured. This allows the bag to mold to whatever is inside and be able to fit itself inside another bag. I took this bag filled with my overnight camping stuff when I hiked by paddleboard to another lake and I was able to keep my camping stuff contained while fitting it in my SUP bag.
• The zippers are seam sealed which help with water resistance, overall durability, and versatility of the bag.
• It fits so much stuff!
• It only has hand straps, no shoulder strap (depending on your preferences this is both a pro and con). If you don’t every use shoulder straps why have to keep track of something you never use? The straps are long enough to put over your shoulder and you can wear it as a backpack.
• The stuff sack is attached to the inside so it is a bonus pocket for small items when the bag is not stuffed inside.
• There is a front small zippered pocket for important things such as keys, wallet, etc.

Cons:

• It is super thin and durable material but I am still nervous about puncture potential. I am really hard on my gear and I guess time will tell if I rip and hole in it or not.
• I am trying really hard to think of something and I am coming up short.

Overall, I am very excited to use this bag for quick overnight camping trips and overall general duffle bag usage. I can see myself including this bag when I travel in case I need extra storage space. If you have a slight love obsession with gear bags (as I do), this is a must addition to your packing arsenal. Its versatility and weight are unmatched and time will tell on the durability (but I have a feeling it will hold up just fine!).

The sites closest to the little creek have the most shade. There’s only 4 though that are right on the creek and along the first mile or so of skyline. Good shade and soft ground. The creek was low flow when we were there but still had the great sound of a bigger creek. Not sure creekside would be a wise choice during heavy rains as the bank is not very high along the camp spots. Further up the road gets away from the creek and the banks are much higher. Not much shade and more open. Nobody was camped there in a Thursday in late Afternoon August, Fire scars are still pretty obvious but there’s still enough vegetation to be enjoyed. albeit with the constant reminder of why it’s necessary to maybe opt out of a campfire or at least be overly conscious when dry and windy, as well as making sure your fire is completely doused and cold. Leaving just one hot cinder behind can wreck havoc. There is a tempting spot that encroaches on private property. Best to stay away from that. Beyond the open shade less spots there are a few more spots with trees about 5 miles down on skyline drive. We were just scouting after camping the night with our pull behind trailer.

Great dispersed camping area with plenty of room! If going all the way to the marked location on the map, only attempt with a high clearance 4x4 or you will not make it! We have a TRX and overland camper and bottomed out on a culvert that dropped off sharply. We went to the marked location only to find a single camping spot on a moderate slope. Recommend stopping two miles earlier in the “Big Glade” meadow, flat and plenty of camping spots. We ended up a mile before that at a cross roads at 8900’. Concur with the ATv traffic from previous reviews, but overall relatively quiet