Best Tent Camping near Fremont, UT

Tent camping near Fremont, Utah provides access to diverse landscapes within Fishlake National Forest and surrounding public lands. The area features several tent-friendly options including Elkhorn Recreation Site near Torrey, which operates from June 15 to September 20, offering primitive tent campsites with basic amenities. Polk Creek Road Dispersed Camping provides free tent sites with proximity to Capitol Reef National Park, while Fremont River Dispersed Site offers tent camping along the water. Fish Lake National Forest dispersed camping areas provide walk-in tent sites with varying levels of privacy and natural surroundings.

Most tent campgrounds in the Fremont area are primitive with limited or no facilities. Campers should bring all necessary water as most sites lack potable water sources. Fire restrictions frequently apply, particularly during summer months, so checking current regulations is essential. Vault toilets are available at Elkhorn Recreation Site, but most dispersed camping areas have no toilet facilities. Weather conditions vary significantly with elevation - higher sites like Elkhorn can be considerably cooler than lower elevations. According to reviews, bears are present in some areas, particularly near Polk Creek Road and Barker Reservoir, where food storage precautions are necessary.

The backcountry tent camping experience near Fremont offers exceptional solitude and scenery. Many dispersed sites provide direct access to hiking trails and natural features. One visitor noted that Polk Creek Road camping areas are "cooler than in Capitol Reef so it's a nice place to recharge and escape the heat." Sites along Fremont River offer sandy tent pads with improvised rock fire rings. Fish Lake National Forest dispersed sites provide what campers describe as "beautiful views and free camping with no one around." Walk-in tent sites often provide greater privacy, though they require carrying gear short distances from parking areas. The region's high desert environment means dramatic temperature fluctuations between day and night, making proper tent camping gear essential for comfort.

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Best Tent Sites Near Fremont, Utah (29)

    1. Elkhorn Recreation Site

    2 Reviews
    Fremont, UT
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 836-2800

    "This is a really nice campground it is primitive with some out houses and picnic tables. You are in the quackies and in the trees. It is higher elevation so make sure you bring your coat."

    2. Polk Creek Road Dispersed Camping

    1 Review
    Fremont, UT
    9 miles

    "Some are very well shaded while others have lots of sun.

    This spot is large and shaded. Rock fire pit."

    3. Fish Lake National Forest

    5 Reviews
    Salina, UT
    32 miles

    "It had a pull through and trees and was a bit more private, although no privacy needed as we didn’t see a soul. We took a short walk and did encounter a small herd of cows near the road."

    "Minor I70 noise, had cell service- T-Mobile. Private, only had 3 cars drive by in 18 hours. Loved it!"

    4. Fremont River Dispersed Site

    3 Reviews
    Torrey, UT
    30 miles

    "Right along the little Fremont river but also right off the road. Zero cell service. Can pull a small trailer into certain areas of these camp sites but probably wouldn’t with an RV."

    "Right outside of capitol reef national park. Camping right on the water, plenty of room & some privacy."

    5. Hells Backbone / 153 (large site)

    1 Review
    Boulder, UT
    34 miles

    "There’s plenty of space and nice trees. Even though Escalante was hot, it was nice up here."

    6. Burr Trail Rd Dispersed Camping

    6 Reviews
    Boulder, UT
    44 miles
    Website

    "Found a great spot with a bit of a trail right from our site. Pack it out. No services. Great hiking from ATV trails, lots of dispersed sites with shade and privacy. Beauty all around you!"

    "The location is close to the road but we found a beautiful spot surrounded by incredible views. Even though it was a holiday weekend, there were only two other jeeps far away from us."

    7. Barker Reservoir Area

    1 Review
    Escalante, UT
    39 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 826-5400

    9. Durffey Mesa

    2 Reviews
    Boulder, UT
    44 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 644-4300

    "Just below two big rock formations and beside a dry creek bed."

    "Good location to have a few group camp next to small Butte.  I think the location on the map is off slightly.  Our cords were 37.84858,-111.37018."

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Showing results 1-10 of 29 campgrounds

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Fremont, UT

7 Photos of 29 Fremont Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Fremont, UT

809 Reviews of 29 Fremont Campgrounds


  • E
    Apr. 17, 2019

    Canyons of Escalante RV Park

    Beautiful backpacking trip

    Did an awesome 3 day hike of the hurricane wash. Hiked in, set up camp, explored further, slept first night. Left our tents and gear and did a day pack hike totalling 16 miles down and back up the canyon. Third day was back out. It was amazing...other than the extreme leave no trace rules (ALL waste carried out).

  • R
    Jul. 18, 2018

    Cathedral Valley Campground — Capitol Reef National Park

    A small scenic campground at the north end of the Park

    This campground is situated at the north end of the Park at a high elevation. It's free and has picnic tables, fire rings and a vault toilet but no water. If you want to make a fire, you must bring your own firewood. There are excellent views of the valley below only a short walk from the campsites.

  • Bubble G.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 22, 2024

    Castle Rock Campground — Fremont Indian State Park

    Great location, quiet, semi private

    The site we camped had a private walk to the little creek, fire ring and picnic table. Well built bathrooms and a garbage dump available for use. $5 for all you can carry in your arms in fire wood… felt private without anyone parked on either side but later people came and the noise went up a little, but overall cute camp. Got one of the first come first serve sites, payment in cash only $20 for the night (established site, no water, no electric, no sewer) Pets allowed-leashed.

  • Bob K.
    May. 30, 2019

    Fruita Campground — Capitol Reef National Park

    Beautiful, Convenient Location in Wooded Area

    Fruita Campground is well laid out with plenty of room, giving the feeling of some privacy, despite the number of people around.  The tent-only walk-in area is a very large grassy area with trees for shade, picnic tables, grills, and fire pits.

    There are plenty of restrooms spread out throughout the campground and the facilities are kept clean.

  • Jessica N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 12, 2018

    Fruita Campground — Capitol Reef National Park

    One of my favorite campsites to date!

    We 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!

  • B
    Sep. 18, 2020

    Sand Creek RV, Cabins, Tents

    Might be adequate, if you are not picky

    We spent a single night in one of the tent sites, which are immediately behind the office/owner's residence. Sites have a parking space, fire ring with grill attachment, a picnic table and a gravel tent pad. They are small, and not separated from one another, so if you're looking for any level of privacy you won't find it here. On the other hand, if you like sharing space with other campers you may enjoy it. You also may experience those staying in the RV section walking through your site in order to get to the restrooms/showers.

    The campground has both firewood and ice available for purchase. The remainder of the campground store is currently closed due to Covid regulations.

    If you have any concerns about Covid (this is being written in September 2020), SC is not a site I would recommend. While the owners have placed signs suggesting social distancing guidelines, including masks while in the restrooms/shower area, compliance among the campers in a nearly full campground was minimal. One unmasked female camper was loudly discussing all the airports she had passed through on her way to the area, including Chicago and Denver. 

    Even little details were missed, like the soap in the restrooms being organic and not antibacterial.

    Sand Creek is located on Hwy 24, and the road noise didn't quiet down until around 11 PM. Probably not a good choice any time for a light sleeper.

    If you have a self-contained RV and are just looking for a place to park for the night, Sand Creek is likely to fit your needs. For a tent camper, its main recommendation is the ability to reserve a site in advance, as most of the other campgrounds in the area are first come, first serve.

  • Troy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 31, 2019

    Sam Stowe Campground — Fremont Indian State Park

    Ranger Review: Travelers Autobarn Campervan at Fremont Indian State Park

    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

  • Greg L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 29, 2024

    Rosebud Atv

    Rosebud ATV cg

    Good all season gravel road into the CG. Only 4 sites but nice tables and fire rings. One vault toilet. This is a fee CG, $20/$10 senior. No water or trash at CG but just before the main Hwy there is a pullout with potable water spigot and a small dumpster. Water was shut off Sept 28 on my visit. No cell signal though.

  • Terry K.
    Jul. 8, 2023

    Goblin Valley State Park Campground

    Other worldly scenery

    Only 24 sites makes this one of the hardest campgrounds in Utah to book. If you’re lucky enough to get in then you are going to love Goblin Valley. All of the sites come equipped with a shade structure, picnic table & fire ring. Best sites are on the out side of the loop, with the cliffs right behind you. No hook ups, but the is potable water & dump station. Small visitor center/store offers a few essentials. Very hot & windy when we were there in June. Dark skies offer amazing star gazing. Clean bathrooms and free, private showers.


Guide to Fremont

Tent camping near Fremont, Utah offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, with various campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.

Scenic Views and Natural Attractions

  • Experience the beauty of the outdoors at Elkhorn Recreation Site, where you can enjoy high elevation views surrounded by trees and quakies.
  • The Fremont River Dispersed Site provides a picturesque setting right by the water, perfect for those who appreciate a serene environment.
  • Nestled in the Fish Lake National Forest, Fish Lake National Forest offers expansive views and a peaceful atmosphere, ideal for a quiet getaway.

Activities for Outdoor Enthusiasts

Amenities and Comforts

  • Elkhorn Recreation Site features picnic tables and fire pits, making it easy to enjoy meals outdoors and gather around the fire.
  • The Fremont River Dispersed Site offers a primitive camping experience with plenty of space for tents, ensuring privacy and a connection to nature.
  • At Fish Lake National Forest, you can camp for free while enjoying the natural beauty and tranquility of the area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Fremont, UT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fremont, UT is Elkhorn Recreation Site with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Fremont, UT?

TheDyrt.com has all 29 tent camping locations near Fremont, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.