Best Tent Camping near Dugway, UT
Tent campsites near Dugway, Utah offer primitive experiences across varied desert landscapes. Loop Campground in South Willow Canyon provides established tent sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets among the trees at the base of Deseret Peak. Upper Narrows Campground, located in Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest, offers reservable tent sites with water hookups and toilet facilities open from early June through mid-September. Skull Valley Road provides free dispersed camping opportunities for tent campers seeking more solitude in the open desert.
Most tent campgrounds in the area have limited facilities, requiring campers to bring their own water and pack out all trash. Loop Campground sites include fire rings and picnic tables but no drinking water or trash service. Skull Valley dispersed sites have no amenities whatsoever, with campers reporting strong winds and dusty conditions during certain seasons. The tent sites at Upper Narrows can be accessed via drive-in, hike-in, or walk-in approaches depending on the specific site location. Many primitive tent areas have no established markers or designated pads, allowing campers to select their own spots on the open terrain.
The tent camping experience near Dugway varies dramatically with elevation and location. Areas closer to the mountains offer climbing opportunities, with Upper Narrows providing access to limestone climbing routes. A camper noted, "The Narrows climbing in South Willow Canyon is the premier HARD climbing spot for those in SLC that want to test their grit and push grades." Desert dispersed camping along Skull Valley Road offers wide-open spaces and solitude, though with exposure to elements. According to a review, "Beautiful views, wide open spaces and super quiet. LOTS of mosquitoes and flies." Sites near Paul Bunyon's Woodpile provide access to unique geological features, with visitors reporting coyotes howling at night adding to the wilderness experience.
