Best Campgrounds near Emery, UT
The landscape surrounding Emery, Utah contains a mix of dispersed camping areas and established campgrounds across Bureau of Land Management terrain, national forests, and state parks. Campers will find opportunities ranging from the developed Millsite State Park Campground, which offers electric hookups and showers, to primitive dispersed sites along Lone Tree Road and at Rochester Rock. The region accommodates tent camping, RV sites with varied hookup levels, and even yurts at certain locations like Goblin Valley State Park approximately 45 miles south of Emery.
Road conditions vary significantly between sites, with many dispersed camping areas requiring high-clearance vehicles and occasionally 4WD capabilities. "If you have a 4x4, we recommend pulling back slightly to the right as far as you can. We went back and got tucked into a more secluded nook with a good fire ring," notes one camper about Capitol Reef dispersed camping areas. Most developed campgrounds remain accessible year-round, but higher elevation sites in the Manti-La Sal National Forest often close from late October through mid-June due to snow. Cell service is inconsistent throughout the region, with better coverage near Torrey and virtually none within more remote camping areas near Goblin Valley.
Public lands surrounding Capitol Reef National Park receive consistently positive reviews for their stargazing opportunities and relative solitude. The mixed-use campgrounds near Ferron Reservoir accommodate both tents and smaller RVs while providing basic amenities like vault toilets and drinking water. One reviewer described Rochester Rock Camping as offering "great views of the Boulder Mountains, Thousands Lake Mountains, and Capitol Reef in the distance," highlighting the panoramic vistas common to many sites in the area. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F in lower elevations, while higher sites maintain cooler conditions. Most dispersed camping areas enforce a 14-day stay limit, though this varies by land management agency. Vault toilets are available at some developed campgrounds, but most primitive sites require visitors to pack out all waste.
