Want to go dispersed camping near Elk Ridge? Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. Find dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots from other campers.
Backpacking 4.7 miles on lower trail, 4.6 miles on upper trail
Traveler
this place has lots of spots to park, river, trails, and amazing scenery.
Traveler
This is BLM. A couple of different camping sites. Most have fire rings but no water or bathrooms. You will need a 4x4 with high clearance to get up the mountain (the road is rough). There are sites at the bottom of the mountain that you can get an RV or car in but those are crowded and around the shooting range. We had a great time at the top with beautiful views and quiet. Nobody else around. oHV area too.
Traveler
We rented a van in SLC and needed a quick spot to spend the night on the way to Arches/canyon lands. This was easy to find at dusk with a clear road. LOTS of trash around. You could hear the highway a little bit but the noise wasn’t too bad. We only saw one other person who drove in and then left. There is a nice big gas station/truck stop about a mile away open 24 hours so we went there to use the bathroom and get gas. Not sure why this post calls it Canyon Road. It’s off of Consumers Road then Dump road. We did have service with T-Mobile and Verizon.
Scout
Arrived very late. Very easy to find. Directions brought us right to the location. Road was rough into the sites and were hard to determine specific sites. Ended up pulling into edge of field. Definitely a good quiet night's sleep
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.
Guide
Rough roads. The main one isn’t so bad but the side roads are awful. Tons of flies. Like actually so many. Campsites are far away from each other which was nice. Fire ring was filled with trash. Lake is disgusting, dead fish on shore and trash, don’t swim in it. An obviously “long term” resident said he wouldn’t swim in it, one of the factories on the other side of the lake dump into it.
Traveler
It was essentially a bunch of RVs and cars parked in a field, so minimal privacy, but feels very safe! Cows come out at night and wander about, so look out for cow patties!
Guide
After a long day of travel we just wanted to get to any site and camp. This is a national forest so there is technically a park permit required. However, we have an annual park pass and they accept that as well. It is an honor system kind of park permit. They ask you to scan the QR code or pay at the self pay station. $10 for a 3day pass, $20 for a 7 day pass.
The drive up to this site is winding and the cars seem to be used to driving it because they come around the corners pretty fast. Drive carefully and stay on your side of the road. It site is just after mile marker 17.
The site is huge! Lots of space for people, cars, RVs and trailers. The road is paved until you turn in and then it’s a regular dirt road.
The major con in this park in general is the bathrooms are yucky especially at this site.
This seems to be a local hangout for the youngsters as well. They were not a bother to us however, they were letting loose, having a good time at their site. They left around 11 or so.
No service with AT&T
Scout
There is one campsite with a sign that says 3 day public camping. It is a huge dirt lot with a few shade trees and creek. About 1/4 mile after this location are 5 more Creekside campsites on the left side of the road ( if coming from Goshen ) they are unmarked. All campsites in this area are on BLM or state land. Please do not overstay your welcome. They have discussed blocking them off due to people staying for way to long and leaving trash.
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
The road leading here is very bumpy. There are two specific spots that are really bad. 4x4 is almost a requirement. I did however see some people make it up in a van so it is possible. The coordinates lead to an open field with a lot of campsites. I would suggest parking in the lot a little further ahead on the left. This road is a popular destination so people ride up and down it a lot. The views are well worth it and there is also some hiking trails around here as well. There are more dispersed camping sites further along this road. I was able to get a very spotty one bar signal of Verizon while near the coordinates.
Traveler
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
Scout
It was easy to find and the road can be a little scary when wet. There is a couple of miles with pretty rocky roads so i wouldn't risk a low clearance car. It was extremely busy when we went, but managed to find a spot mostly to ourselves. No bathrooms, primitive and huge families with atvs and dirt bikes everywhere nearby. They were polite and had reasonable time for no noise. Cool pathways to walk or ride on and very nice views even though most the wildflowers seemed to have just finished their blooms.
TravelerIt was very easy to find, since we could see RV since a long way down the road. We turned in and took one of the first sites though there were a lot of RVs further down.
A lot of the RVs looked like they were laughing the 14 day limit, almost to the point we were convinced they were living at this site. There was also several people with lose dogs, which made us not wanting to go closer to the water.
Otherwise the site itself is OK, it’s a little uneven, but we managed fine with our RV.
Scout
Every site in every area from here to mill hollow is packed with swarms of biting flies. Seriously. Don’t come here.
Guide
Plenty of dispersed spots along the ridge road. Most have easy pull in access and fire rings. Beautiful views from multiple spots along the ridge but comes with the expected exposure to wind/sun. More privacy for the spots further along the road some nestled in beautiful aspen groves. It is a great area. We camped overnight and fly fished the currant the next day. It was July 4 weekend but still not crowded.
ScoutAll the sites said no reservation, first come first served, but they were all reserved with no campers. Camp host, as usual, nowhere in sight. I've camped in 43 states for decades and Utah is easily the worst state to camp at due to this system of theirs.
Also the drive up there is about 6 miles of winding hell with idiot children driving so fast I'm surprised there's not a death every day.
Guide
Thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. Road was very accessible lower down with some more adventurous offshoots requiring higher clearance and likely 4x4. We went up an offshoot and navigated through and around some deeper ruts and snow drifts but found an amazing spot on the rim. Fewer people the more altitude we gained. Lots of spots here. Keep driving until you find one, closer in spots are usually taken up with trailers and small rvs. Highly recommend.
Guide
Plenty of spots on an easy dirt road, campfire rings and lots of space. There's so many birds and critters so you get the nature sounds but it's close to the road so there's road noise all night. Beautiful space. I think I heard a moose in the night-possibly not, but possibly?
TravelerThis spot was great. We arrived at dusk and it was still easy to find, although there was a long dirt road (about 2 miles) to get to spots marked with a campfire pit. Two or three cars drove by, but it was still secluded enough that we had no worries. We found a spot by a beautiful stream with cool water. Great stargazing. Safe!
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.
GuideThis is trust land so you will see where a lot of people come back here to target practice. Sadly they do not clean up any of their trash. The area is nice, large and very private.
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.
GuideEasy drive into the area, paved road up until you turn down toward the lake. Nice gravel road for the next half mile. 6 other RVs here when I stopped on June 20th.
A little loud from the generators but sound of waves from the lake help drown it out.
Some established fire pits. Overall the place was clean and felt safe.
GuideAs described, it's a big field with a bunch of RVs. That being said, if you don't have an off-road capable vehicle (like me) - it's a solid option and there are some pretty mountain views. You can buy the permit online. No one checked the permit for the three days I was there.
Traveler
We couldn’t access early June road still closed past the ski resort.
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
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Elk Ridge, Utah, where nature meets tranquility. With a variety of options available, campers can enjoy stunning views, open spaces, and the freedom to set up camp in picturesque locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Elk Ridge, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Elk Ridge, UT is Sheep Creek Dispersed Camping Area with a 4.4-star rating from 25 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Elk Ridge, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 55 dispersed camping locations near Elk Ridge, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
