Are you planning a tent camping trip to Emery? We've got you covered. Finding a place to camp in Utah with your tent has never been easier. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Emery, Utah's most popular destinations.
The Ferron - Muddy Creek Recreation Area is a favorite for campers and fishers. It begins at Wagon Ridge Road on the north and extends south to the Forest Boundary. From foothills near Ferron, Utah it extends west to Skyline Drive. It is located in Emery, Sanpete and Sevier counties and the closest towns are Ferron and Emery, Utah. It can be most easily accessed from SR-10 and I-70. Portions of the Arapeen OHV Trail System are in this recreation area, small reservoirs and dispersed camping sites offer great opportunities for fun on the Forest.
Ferron Canyon Picnic Area is a small picnic area near the Black Dragon Trailhead on the Ferron Canyon Road. It is set along Ferron Creek at 6400' elevation and offers a quiet, shady spot for a picnic, or for a rest after a hike. There is one vault toilet available during open season.
The Swell is also known as a great place for dispersed camping. Dispersed camping is a term used for camping outside of a designated campground. For those looking to strike off and find the ideal spot to pitch your tent, keep in mind that there are no services – no trash removal, no facilities, no access to water, meaning it is NOT for the casual camper.
Bellevue Flats is the staging area for the 4 primitive routes in Sids Mountain WSA
Guide
Each tent site has a pad and a shelter that has a shade panel. There is no parking next to the site, but it is small walk to the site. The tent sites are spaced far apart and some are tucked behind the Goblins.
There is a good restroom facility with running water and showers that do not need a token or coins. There are 4 showers. Overall, this is a great place to stay.
Scout
We got a tent site. The tent sites are all gravel with a table and water. The good: Location close to Capitol Reef National Park. We used it as a base camp for hiking in the national park. Has water, table, fire pit, and wind break. The small swimming pool was loved by the kids The grassy park area was nice. The views. Red cliffs and Thousand Lakes Mountain to the north and Boulder Mountain to the south. The bad: Not enough trees. There are several small very pruned Cottonwood trees, but it is not a shady place. Small spaces. Like most RV parks, you are very close to your neighbors. Everyone near us was quite and kind though. There is no grass for the tent sites. You put your tent in gravel. About the only grass is very small pieces for the RVs and the grassy park area.
RangerUtah has such a wide variety of geology and Goblin Valley campground is in the middle of it. Sites are a bit close together, but they have shelters over the tables and there are some walk-in tent sites that are more secluded. Nice, free showers too.
GuideThere are only 11 asphalt paved RV camp sites. There are 14 tent sites.
Each site has a covered pavilion with a picnic table, fire ring and a tent site. Drinking water is located throughout the campground. The bathrooms have flushing toilets and hot water in the sinks. They are spotless! The showers are equally as clean. There are no bad views here! The hiking and biking trails are right there.
This one is one of my favorites!
Go!
Guide
I've camped at this campground twice now; once in August of 2020 and once in July of 2021. Both times the experience has been good. The campsite has potable water and vault toilets. Before my two visits, I reserved my sites on recreation.gov. This made the experience hassle-free.
One thing to note is that although you can tent camp at this site, the majority of campers are those using RVs. I enjoyed my experience tent camping. However, if you are somehow bothered by RVs or excess noise, you might want to find another campground.
Overall, a good place to stay and I will certainly be back.
Scout
Sand Creek is 15 miles from Capitol Reef and 1,500’ higher - much cooler. Good wi-fi, showers, bathrooms and laundry. Firewood and ice are available for purchase. The grounds have not been maintained like they were two years ago in 2019, but that may be due to the drought. Sand Creek has simple reasonable cabins along with 6 tent sites and maybe 8 or 9 RV sites.
Capitol Reef has a great campground but it often fills up. This is a great alternative for $22 a night for a tent site.
LegendWe came in winter this time and got a tent camp easily, only one other group was camping. If you dont want to tent camp in the winter they also have yurts for rent. We had a different approach to Goblin Valley this time around and decided to do the Lair of the Basilisk (Goblins Lair) canyoneering route. We got to hike in and around snow covered hoodoos that culminates in a 100' drop into the lair! It is truly a magical place and worth a visit! You can also get ti the lair by a now popular marked trail around the east side of the park. 60 m rope recommended plus helmets.
Scout
Group sites are great for large RVs. Big fire ring area, multiple tables and restrooms with flushing toilets. Most campsites aren’t long enough for RVs over 20ft. Perfect for tent camping.
Guide
There were a decent amount of spots but it was incredibly windy and there were no fire rings. We made our own and enjoyed a nice fire but the wind makes it brutal when tent camping. All in all, great spot just outside of Capital Reef.
Legend
We stayed at one of the walk in tent sites where were in a large field. The area is very neat with an orchard, wildlife, and beautiful scenery. The sites were not overly secluded, but the park seemed quiet enough for the amount of people there. Capitol Reef National Park seemed less busy than the other Utah National Parks and we really enjoyed our hiking adventures in the park as well as the camping opportunities.
GuideGoblin Valley is a beautiful area. We camped about 20 minutes from the actual valley. Plenty of space for big groups. Easy to get trailers there. Good for tent camping as long as you have a tarp to lay down first since it’s a bit rocky. Dogs are allowed. It’s a beautiful area.
Legend
Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're happy to have this partner on our platform. They offer spacious pull-through RV spots, luxury cabins and Tipis(Teepees), as well as tent sites and a group area for rent. There are bathrooms, showers, and a laundry facility on site. Book your stay with them today and leave your review here!
Legend
Beautiful spot to stop on our route. The day we arrived was very windy. The view is serene and it’s very quiet. There are showers and bathrooms. Most campsites have water and electric and there are tent sites with great views of the lake. They have a couple cabins and on site kayak rentals.
Traveler
These sites were awesome! Super close to Capitol Reef and amazing views all around. Easily accessible and not too crowded when we visited. The only downside for us was the wind was crazy strong so we ended up having to sleep in our car. It’s pretty wide open so it’s hard to escape the wind if you’re tent camping or cooking outside. Other than that we loved it!
GuideThe main Capitol Reef campground was our second stop on a weekend getaway. It's first come first served which makes getting a site very difficult on weekends. We were at a walk in site in Loop A and it was beautiful. We had a huge tree to pitch the tent under and we felt far enough from our neighbors. Overall the campground was a little crowded and the sites were kind of on top of each other. The walk in tent sites were a nice alternative to the RV pads. We frequented the orchards and picked apples and bought pie and coffee everyday from the Gifford House. Would definitely go again! Capitol Reef remains my favorite Utah park.
LegendGeneral: Small campground with 24 sites, and two yurts. Sites are designated as RV or tent with the main difference being that the tent sites have multiple vehicle pads right next to each other. We did see some vans in the tent sites and in November, that was not a problem. All camping is dry camping. Each site has a covered picnic table with side shelters, not needed when we were there in November but a necessity in the warmer months, and a fire pit.
Site Quality: All camper pads are paved and level. Some were pull-thru and others back-in. The ones on the exterior of the loop have the best views IMO.
Bathhouse: (automatic) flush toilets, two sinks, paper towels, and soap. There were showers but they were closed for the season as of November 6.
Activities: There are three valleys filled with hoodoos. No distinct trails so you can wander freely among the hoodoos. Several moderately challenging hiking trails, including one directly from the campground (Entrada). We did the Caramel Canyon Loop which included several scrambles in narrow canyons (but doable for two seniors – 65 and 71 years old in good physical shape). There are also designated biking trails and horseback riding is allowed in the Red Canyon Primitive area.
We were last here 35 years ago, but it was so much fun to explore the area again. Utah State Parks are getting pricey (not the only expensive state) but this one is worth it IMO. It is a photographer's dream!
GuideReally enjoyed this campground! Went with friends and had a great time tent camping. The campground was nothing special- nice sites, good restrooms, pretty quiet while we were there. The Capital Reef park is fabulous! Great views of rock formations :) The fruit orchard is something different and has a cool vibe. Staff were extremely friendly. Lots of good hiking in the area- it was easy to spend a week with friends here exploring the fantastic flora and fauna!
GuideWe have camped at Goblin Valley State Park twice now and the fact that we went back a second time should be enough of a compliment to the park. We stayed in site 11 the first time and site 3 the second time. Both are amazing tent sites! I would also highly recommend site 12 or site 4 because those sites are tucked back off the road a bit and are right up close to the formations behind the sites. You really can’t go wrog with any of them though. The tent pads are perfect and both sites fit our 11x11 dome tent. We did not need the rainfly so we could see the stars out the top. This is a dark sky park so be sure to book you nights during a new moon so you can see the milky way galaxy.
I do think this park is a little high for a state park site at $30 a night for a tent site, but you do get free showers, clean facilities, and a very peaceful park so it is worth a little extra. I would go back again.
Bonus for this campground is the great little area of goblins. My kids loved wandering around among them. It’s a kooky looking area.
On the downside, it is a long way from anywhere so fill up and bring ample food and water along. If you want to get away from civilization, this is your place!
TravelerThis is a wonderful campground next door to some of the prettiest hikes Capitol Reef has to offer. However, our site (B40) did not seem appropriate for tent camping. There is no tent pad, the area surrounding the parking bay is not leveled, and it has no grass or gravel, only red dirt which turns into mud very quickly. Additionally, the site is downhill from the surrounding sites so any amount of rain will turn the site (including the blacktop) into a mud bath. At the same time, it must be a good RV camping spot as the bay is huge with lots of shade during most of the day.
Guide
Great spot to crash for the night if going to Capital Reef or surrounding area. The upper area is essentially a big dirt parking lot so not alot of privacy (keep in mind if you're tent camping or not in a self contained vehicle). If you can manage your vehicle over the one drop at the top of the road that leads to the river, DO IT! These spots are much nicer. Get little river to splash around in and pretty back drop. Down side is that its close to the road and lack of space in upper lot.
Scout
Beautiful place. It is about a 15-20 minute drive from Capitol Reef National Park. Bad: Tent sites are small. Depending on the site, you will have to put your tent on the gravel spots for cars. Not many sites. I imagine on a spring/summer weekend it will fill up. Not lots of shade, but some juniper trees. Good: Flush toilets where a pleasant surprise. Great scenery. Kids wanted to explore all over. The red rock cliffs are pretty. It is close to town if you need something, but at camp it doesn’t feel close to town. We got there at 2 pm on a Thursday in July and only one spot had been claimed.
Ranger1/2 off with an America the Beautiful pass. I got lucky and I was able to reserve a spot on short notice and it was one of the best spots for a truck camper which was right next to the tent camping area. Site 42. It is crowded! The sites are right next to each other. More like a really nice RV park..sort of. Normally I don't do NP campgrounds for this reason. I just needed one night before finding some disbursed sites. As with other National Parks like Bryce or Zion, if you plan to see the sites more than camping then get a motel or cabin. I will say, it is in a beautiful location.
GuideWe got really lucky and were able to book a tent site day-of in the National Park... There are a ton of campsites here, plenty for RVs and tents alike. The site we got was a walk-in (there were 4-6 of these available). The walk-in sites have assigned parking spots and you have to walk a very short distance to get to your spot. All of them had a table and flat spot to pitch your tent, and the spots were far enough apart that you still felt like you had privacy. The bathrooms were super clean (I didn't see any showers). It was such a beautiful place to camp – the sunset over the cliffs above us was spectacular, and there was a group of deer that wandered through the sites during the evening. I would absolutely stay here again!
Guide
We were headed to Capitol Reef from the east side and came upon this little gem. It looked closed, but we called the number as directed and owner showed up on his 4-wheeler - nice people! We stayed two nights and loved it! The main reason was because we were the only ones there! Owner said this was their slow season,. 🤷♀️ The pull throughs have electricity and some spaces have big shade trees. There are also spaces with no hookups and some tent sites. The bathrooms and showers were spotless; however, the campground could use some cleaning up and general TLC; hopefully they get it done before their busy season arrives. Our Verizon Wireless did not work in this area!
Traveler
Go slow or you'll miss the entrance, it's not marked. Entrance and exit have rocks you need to navigate around but don't let that worry you. I spent a night there in May 2019. Contrary to other posts here, it does have 2 porta-potties. Temps drop quickly, it may be a bit windy, but the views we're excellent. It rained the day we got here and the morning we left. The ground gets a little muddy but no worries. Plenty of large sites as well as hidden sites and tent sites. Quite a few dogs were there, all well behaved. It's a clean area. My only not pick was that people in larger RVs didn't respect your space, parking 20 feet away when there were 5 or 6 very large spaces available. Seemed like their intent was to piss you off so you would leave. We did when the RV that was 20 feet away pulled out 2 generators.
Guide
Stayed here while social distancing during the initial phase of the pandemic sometime in May 2020. Campsites have a decent amount of space between them. Very close to Capitol Reef National Park, this is a popular site for many park goers.
Facilities are very well kept and pleasantly clean. Nice, hot showers included with the campsite price and bathrooms are close to sites. One downside to this RV park is that the designated tent sites are right across from the designated RV sites. Any tent camper knows how annoying this can be, and although it did get fairly loud during the day and lunchtime, after dinner time it was fairly quietly and we slept soundly.
This RV park is very family-friendly, so keep in mind there are kids EVERYWHERE - kids riding their bikes in the roads, kids crying, kids yelling. All in all, a decent campsite that is pleasant enough and made worth it for the very clean facilities. Stay here when visiting Capitol Reef if this sort of place is your speed or you’re in need of a good shower. Tons of awesome hikes nearby (pictured).
Scout
We just finished another stay at the Mackinaw Campground and it was the best one yet, even though our vehicle broke down on the last day of our stay.
Thanks to the amazing camp host, Karen, we were able to contact local mechanics and get it quickly towed and fixed. She was so helpful, understanding, and flexible with assisting us. We couldn't have done it without her.
The campsites have great picnic tables and firepits. There are multiple small tent sites at each campsite and room for our longer travel trailer as well.
This is dry camping, but the bathrooms are clean and have flushing toilets. There are many drinking water stations around the camp.
The park service has recently improved a dump station as the south end of the lake. It is a great place to fill your fresh water tank before pulling into camp and to empty black and grey tanks on the way home.
The lake shore trail is just across the street making it an easy walk to the marina.
Aspen trees cover the campground making it a great place to hang hammocks and relax.
We will be back again and again!
Tent camping near Emery, Utah offers a chance to immerse yourself in stunning natural landscapes while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities. With several campgrounds in the area, you'll find options that cater to different preferences and needs.
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