Top 10+ Glamping near Escalante, UT

So, take Ruby's with a grain of salt. It's historic, big, and tourist-y. We camped in the tipi (most tipis are ON the highway, so request tipi 10) that was by the lake. The tipi is probably the only secluded camping available. It was fun and pretty comfortable. It was cool at night in June, unlike all the other places we have camped in Utah. Sadly, there are so many lights at Ruby's, you can't see the stars. But, the atmosphere at Ruby's is more like being at an attraction than being outside in nature. Bathrooms are too small and there aren't enough of them to support the campground. There are shuttles to Bryce Canyon park available from Ruby's. There are shops, groceries, and anything you need at Ruby's. If you're used to nice mountain bikes, do t get your hopes up with the rentals. They are in bad shape. Also, there really are not mountain bike trails in the area. Even mountain trails that allow bikes are really horse trails and terrible to ride.

We had a great view from our camp spot and there were nice trails leading out of the park. The staff were very helpful to us, especially as newbies in camping. The internet worked well the first day but not the second, we should have paid the extra fee. Cell reception for us was poor throughout this area.

The park was a conveniently located between Bryce and Escalante. We spent.most of our time in Escalante. We discovered a cool coffee shop at what appeared to be a lookout, it was built into the side of the hill. There is.so much to see in this part of Utah, this LOA makes a great basecamp.

First off, centrally located between Bryce Canyon & Escalante/Kodachrome Basin. Top that off with o e of the cleanest campgrounds and not too crowded. Full hookup with dumpsite. Clean hot showers/bathrooms. Nice on site store with RV needs. Gravel not dusty. Trees for shade.

What a nice Park to spend some time in the fascinating area of Capitol Reef NP and Great Escalante NP! Beautiful spots with a perfect view, clean and comfortable restrooms/showers and cute cabins to rent, if you didn’t plan on sleeping in your Van/RV. We were lucky to get Spot 12, a pull through hook-up slot. Thanks for having us, we are happy to come back to the super friendly hosts and this cozy park!

It's easy to over look the gem of an area as it sits between the mega attractions of Bryce Canyon and Arches National Parks, but if you do you are depriving yourself of a real treat. This campsite nestles on the side of an inviting reservoir forming an oasis in the dry Escalante Staircase. The lake side pitches are cool and airy, the facilities are clean and modern (free wifi) and the camping fee entitles you to climb the hill behind the camp site and stumble into a jewel like land scape of a petrified forest where it is impossible to take a step without treading on what looks like rubies and sapphires. There's even a full sizes petrified tree laid out in the car park! Nearby there are waterfalls and petrographs and beavers' dams and fossil beds. It's just magic!

My friends and I were looking for a nice place to camp on our way back from our excursion in Escalante and stumbled upon the Fruita campground! We all loved this place! First come first serve, which was perfect for us because we aren't the best at planning ahead. Very reasonable price, only $20 for the group for one night. Also at every site there is either a grill or bonfire pit and plenty of shade with close trees to hang up a hammock in. Overall one of the most relaxing campsites I've been too. Oh and I can't for get the orchards surrounding the campground! We didn't even pack a breakfast because we just went to the orchards and ate the apricots for free!(they do charge you $1/lb if you plan on taking the fruit on the road with you.

Having the campground amidst the orchard is a beautiful thing. Should've planned my stay around harvest time! Very close to the Cohab canyon trail, one to hike for sure! Be sure to stop by the lil cabin nearby delectable pies and a bit of history. My new favorite Utah national park.

Great little campground right off 12. Only a few site here for tents and rvs. No electricity but does have water and pot toilets (very clean). This place is surrounded with pine trees and a rushing stream. Very well maintained and only 12$ a night. Was a nice break from my dusty Utah desert camping. Picnic table, fire ring with grate, as well as a bbq grill all provided.

Capitol reef is such an interesting park and so much less crowded than the others in Utah. You’ll see a lot of the same impressive red rocks but fruita is located near the orchards which is such a nice oasis. It’s still the desert, so don’t expect tons of privacy or shade. But the spaces are nice enough and perfect drive into the rest of the park!

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.

One of our favorite campgrounds in southern Utah nestled in the Capitol Reef National Park. We visited in mid October, the foliage was beautiful, cool temps at night, mild to warm during the day for hiking. Probably by favorite time to visit Southern Utah, otherwise it would be SO hot. 

Like others have mentioned its the perfect mix of historical and geological wonders. The campsite itself is pleasant with flushing toilets, dumpsters, even water refill station and RV dump if you need. All sites are flat. The inner circle of sites are close together but you can find others along the outer edges facing out that are more spacious. All of them butt up to the orchards which you can walk through and pick your own fruit if its the right season. Deer roam around the campground, graze next to your tent or trailer, they are so sweet. The best part (beyond the views of the red rock canyons above, and gentle river that flows next to it) is the Gifford House - they sell fresh baked pies, cinnamon rolls and bread daily! Get there in the Am as they sell out. IF you ask my kids the homeade pies for breakfast might have been their favorite part! LOL.

Very good park in the small town of Hatch, Utah. Clean quiet park with full hookups and all the necessities. Bathrooms and showers were good and staff was very friendly and accommodating. Recreational stuff at the park was good although we were gone during the day visiting local national parks. Can be very windy at times so awnings stayed in the whole stay(4 nights). Pretty level sites on gravel. Perfect location to do Bryce Canyon(45 min) and Zion(90 min to East entrance) We camped at The Riverside Ranch in a Motorhome.

We were lucky to get a reservation at this campground as it is in the National Park. While they have no showers or cell service, the campground was nice, toilets had running water and were clean. Our particular site had a downhill slope so we had no flat ground to set our tent on, but we made it work. Great hikes in this park that I dubbed the stepchild Utah Park, the rangers are awesome, lots of activities, we were there over the Fourth of July and they had patriotic sing-a-longs along with other ranger led activities. Highly recommend this park and campground.

The 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.

Cutest Campground award! Surrounded by orchards and grassy fields, this $20 a night campground was a lovely little stop! Super clean bathrooms and wonderful sites both tent and RV (loop pictures shown) We saw deer and tons of little critters. There were horses near by which my daughter went nuts to visit! If your driving between Utah parks this is definitely a refreshing stop to make! Unfortunately we didn’t hike in the area but there was a nature center and a little store that seemed to serve some kind of food. We did see signs for hiking trails on the way out of the Park. Overall super wonderful quiet little camp! Great experience!

This is one of the nicest camp spots around. Close to town but close to the boulder mountains. Full hook ups for trailers. Cabins you can rent, and tent spots. Best views in Utah. If you like red dirt this is the place to be. Close to Capital Reef or the Boulder Mountains. The owners are on site and are very friendly. Lots of stuff to do in Torrey. They have a store on site plus it is close to gas station if you forgot anything.

Make sure you reserve a spot of Apple Days in July it is a fun time to be in Torrey. Lots of stuff going on. This place is busy all summer long so it is best to call ahead. Spring and Fall is amazing in Torrey and is not as hot as the summer months.

Best reason to love this campground: they have a shuttle that picks you up from the campground and takes you into Bryce Canyon National Park. You don't have to worry about driving in the NP, parking your car, etc. It's a great shuttle service that we used and would highly recommend. 

As for the campsite: it was our last stop of our Utah Mighty 5 adventure and we were t-i-r-e-d. Luckily, this place made our last night enjoyable and was a great stop. 

Nothing particularly exciting about this, although I'll add that they do have a swimming pool which was nice to use to cool off after our hike. It was fairly crowded, as were the bathrooms and those amenities. 

Our site was mostly dirt and slightly angled, which wasn't the best for tent camping, but we made it work.

Important to note: it gets COLD in this area, even in the summertime, so prepare accordingly.

We road tripped through all of Utah’s national parks this year, and were most surprised by Capitol Reef. It is probably the least popular of the parks, but it was our favorite, by far. By chance, we stayed here just as the apple crop was ripening (August), so we got to pick some of the heritage varieties that were available. We treated ourselves to baked apples over our campfire. There’s a lovely little gift shop right near the campground, and while they sell mostly souvenires and the like, they also have homemade cherry pies. The main petroglyphs are within walking distance, as are many incredible hiking trails. If you’re there on the weekend, be sure to take advantage of some of the interpretive programs. We did a full moon hike, which was really incredible.

The campground is fairly open, with some big trees for shade. There’s a river running through the back side of the campground - perfect for cooling off on hot summer days. We did see a snake on the river bank while we were wading in the water, so be warned. Amenities are very basic - just toilets and cold water - no showers.

The Fruita Campground is open year-round, and is the only developed campground in Capitol Reef National Park. This campground is one of the most unique ones I’ve stayed at. The orchard 🏕 onsite for picking fruit is so cool! There are lots of trees and shade and after driving through the desert it’s crazy to find this oasis tucked back behind these big beautiful rocks 🏜. The sites are a good size and comfortable. You don’t have cell service but, maybe that’s your thing? Not having to worry about email can be a plus. There are bathrooms but, unfortunately no showers. Definitely, a great stop while visiting all of the National parks in Utah.

The 71-site Fruita Campground is the only developed campground in Capitol Reef. Reservations are available March 1- October 31.

Each site has a picnic table and firepit and/or above ground grill, but no individual water, sewage, or electrical hookups.

There is a RV dump and potable water fill station near the entrance to Loops A and B.

The nightly fee is $20.00 ($10.00 for Golden Age/Senior Pass holders.

Campground Review

Ruby’s Inn RV Park and Campground Definitely the closest campground outside of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah with all the amenities (absolutely positively everything) and even a buffet and restaurant within walking distance. We visited Bryce Canyon in the off season and it was still super crowded but worth the views and experience! I would highly recommend making reservations well in advance and planning your trip accordingly in the summer. You can catch the bus right outside the campground that takes you straight into The National Park so you don’t have to stress about parking (big hassle trust me). We really enjoyed this campground and would definitely stay here again!

Product Review

As a Ranger for the https://thedyrt.com/, occasionally I have the great opportunity to test and review products. At this Campground we had the pleasure of being introduced to https://morselspork.com/ and Wow.. was my first reaction! This XL Morsel is going to be a game changer.. Let’s get down and Dirty and talk sporks!

It’s length alone is the first noticeable upgrade in comparison to generic double sided utensils as seen in my pictures. Standing tall at 10.5 inches the XL Morsel will give you the ability to scrape, scour and reach deep into a dehydrated meal pouch without getting your hands a sticky mess

 The second thing I personally noticed out of the box was its giant rubber sided spoon, perfect for scooping and teething according to our little. The spork itself seems extremely durable and also able to withstand boiling water temperatures. Not to mention dishwasher safe. The serrated cutting edge is also a worthy mention! It sliced and Avocado great! 

Overall We loved it and we would love to tell the world this this spork has everything the others don't but that’s obvious from the picture comparison. I wish I had an action shot of lunch but I know there will be more chances because  I’ll never leave for an adventure without the https://morselspork.com/ XL again! Even ordered the mini for our “minis” to test on the next stop!