The best camping near
Elsinore, UTAH

We drove 16 hours from WA and needed someplace to sleep so this dispersed campground was a great find. We pull in in the middle of the night only to wake up and find ourselves among the red rocks. There are absolutely no amenities here, but there are several established sites with fire pits. Good views and a good spot close to the park if you're okay with going without water and plumbing for the night.

Easy park and sleep spot with gorgeous sunrise views. We were just off the 24 no amenities. Photo taken as we were leaving the spot.

We stayed at the group site! The pavilion was wonderful. The grassy area around it was perfect for kids and grandparents. There is a bit of a hike to get to the water, and the group site is not set up for trailers, but we made due. Great place to fit 30 or so campers.

We spent a fun day exploring Cedar Breaks National Monument. However, we lost track of time, the sun was setting and we had not chosen a place to camp. 

Campground Review of Fremont Indian State Park:

We searched on TheDyrt app for nearby campgrounds and found Fremont Indian State Park. We drove down the mountain and around another mountain and found the campground. It was totally dark by the time that we arrived and so we quickly parked and set up our campervan to sleep. 

A gentleman emerged from the shadows and approached our site. It seemed a little sketchy at first. However, he ended up being friendly and inquired if we’d like to join him and his friends around their campfire. After we prepared our campervan and cleaned up a bit, we dropped by the campfire. It turns out the party included some park staff and researchers. One lady was researching dark skies and one gentleman was researching astral alignment with ancient rock art. They shared about their research and showed us some of their amazing photos of the night sky. A warm way to end the day.

The next morning, we woke up to snow on the ground and the nearby mountaintops. Having learned from our new friends that the park contained some pretty significant rock art, we decided that we should check it out. We hiked on a couple of the trails and discovered quite a few of the rock art pieces created by the Fremont Indians. There's an easy trail that is located adjacent to the park office. There are other trails that run along the river. It is amazing that so much of the rock art was in such good condition.

The campsites provide the basics like a parking space, picnic table, electrical & water hookup and firepit/grill. The restrooms were conveniently located close to our campsite and were clean. There are showers behind the restrooms. During the winter the showers may be closed. The campground is somewhat small, but is surrounded by beautiful mountains and bluffs. The staff were super friendly and helpful.

For more info: https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/fremont-indian/

Product Review of Travelers Autobarn Campervans:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, from time to time I am provided products to test. For this outing I was provided a Travelers Autobarn Kuga Campervan. 

For more info: https://www.travellers-autobarnrv.com

The best thing about traveling in a campervan is the ease, flexibility, and ability to make detours if needed. 

We picked up our Kuga Campervan in Las Vegas. The Travelers Autobarn office is just west of the the main strip and easy to find. We arrived early in the day to begin the registration process and campervan orientation. The process was quick and easy. The Kuga Campervan is a hightop van conversion with couches, a table, two beds, propane stove, sink, water, kitchen, interior lights, fan, window shades and solar power. We also had the free living package which included kitchen pots, pans, utensils, cups and accessories. It also included sleeping bags, sheets, pillows and towels. The package pretty much made it super easy to get in the van and go. 

The Travelers Autobarn staff member was super friendly and provided an orientation of the basic operation of the campervan. The campervan drives like a normal van, but learning about the camper functions was helpful. 

We had charted a route around Utah and Arizona visiting a number of towns, parks, roadside attractions and hot springs. The day that we started a weather system passed through which made the temperatures drop in the northern part of our route. We simply flipped our route to avoid the cold weather and traveled the southern route first. By the time that we circled north the weather had warmed up and it was perfect weather for exploring. Traveling in a campervan made it super easy to be flexible with our route and schedule. 

On our seven day trip we visited Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Horseshoe Bend National Monument. Monument Valley National Park, Arches National Park, Mystic Hotsprings, Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Meadow Hotsprings, Valley of Fire State Park and Fremont Indian State Park. 

If we were not traveling in a campervan it is unlikely that we would have had the flexibility to camp anytime and anywhere. We would have never found and stayed at Fremont Indian State Park. It ended up being a gem of a park and a great overall experience. This campervan camping adventure opened up my mind to new opportunities and travels. So much fun!

For more info: https://www.travellers-autobarnrv.com

We have been coming here since 2005 and each year it gets better. We started with just friends and now we bring the whole family. The fishing is always fantastic in Anderson reservoir. Each of the 10 camp spots has it's own feel from cozy for 2 to group camping for 30. This place has what you need.

The reservoir is amazing! You can fish offshore, but it’s best with a float tube. My visit was in Aug 2017.

This campsite is FCFS-no reservations. I believe it’s either 8-9 sites, which are nicely tucked away in large trees and shrubbery. It was damp at this time. We arrived around 11pm, and only had 1 option…next to the vault toilet and road. It was a nice campsite, but the smell of the vault toilet was off-putting. But because we drove a decent distance to be there, we sucked up the smell and eventually the smell went away as long as you were at the site.

Back to the reservoir, it’s so beautiful! There are grazing cows, so be aware of your surroundings.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

This is a GEM if you like to not see a lot of people and love the outdoors. This is a first come first serve camp area and there is no picnic tables and few out houses so please pack out your garbage and keep this area beautiful. There is some amazing fly fishing in the creeks and lakes in this area. The dirt road is well maintained and you can get a car or truck or trailer in no problem. Lots of amazing trails for side by sides and 4 wheelers.

This is a nice little Gem. It has tent spots for $20 a night, RV hook ups and nice little cabins for $45 or a deluxe cabin for $65 a night. There is a store on site and it is still close to town. Picnic tables, and fire pits at each spot and lots of shade. This is a really nice camping spot. Close to Capitol Reef or the Boulder mountain and also lots of great jeep trails up Sand creek road. This is God's country.

North and West beach are first come first served past the pay station. You can camp right up on the water or there are some areas with light shade. If you want a reserved spot with hookups you'll need to go on the East side to the Oasis campground. 

We go here 3-5 times a year. It's a favorite with the dogs.

I'll keep this short, but suffice it to say this place should be on your bucket list! If you're on The Dyrt, you probably aren't afraid of campfire smoke, bugs, or… well… dirt. So if that's the case this place is definitely for you. You can camp, park an RV, or rent a bus that toured with the Grateful Dead. (Allegedly). They also have little cabins and trailer homes you can rent as well. Amazing soaking and star gazing, and surprisingly easy soaking. Maybe I just got lucky!