Tent camping near Garrison, Utah offers primitive camping experiences at elevations ranging from 7,000 to 10,000 feet in the shadow of Wheeler Peak. Sites across the Great Basin National Park region experience dramatic temperature shifts, with summer days reaching the 80s and nights dropping to the 40s. The arid climate requires careful water planning as most camping areas provide no potable water sources.
What to do
Hike to Johnson Lake: Eagle Peak Campsites serves as an ideal starting point for hiking the Johnson Lake Trail. A camper notes, "Eagle Peak is the last camping area you can drive to along Snake Creek road. Hiking trails for this area of the park are just down the road."
Trilobite hunting: Areas near Marjum Pass Dispersed Camping offer fossil exploration opportunities. "Home to one of the biggest cliffs in North America and you've probably never heard of it. Notch Peak is just to the south of the campground," reports one visitor who also mentioned the area's "world class trilobites."
Stargazing: The dark skies above Great Basin National Park provide exceptional star viewing. At Grey Cliffs Campground, a camper shared, "The night sky is amazing at Great Basin. Very little to no light pollution."
What campers like
Creek access: Multiple primitive sites along Snake Creek Road feature creek proximity. At Monkey Rock Group Campsites, "The creek running near by was small but made perfect background noise," according to a recent visitor.
Privacy between sites: Campers appreciate the spacing at several campgrounds. One Grey Cliffs visitor observed, "We found that the sites were pretty private and not on top of each other at all. The cliffs here are very pretty and are a nice backdrop."
Free camping options: Many sites along Snake Creek Road offer free camping with basic amenities. A camper at Squirrel Springs Campsites shared, "This was a pretty nice site with a picnic table and fire ring with grill grate. This was a pretty good site to crash for free, although the dirt road was tedious."
What you should know
Road conditions: Access to Snake Creek camping areas requires careful navigation. One Squirrel Springs visitor warned, "The Squirrel Springs Campsites are about 9 miles from Highway 487 along a narrow dirt road. We past 2 or 3 already taken spots and a group site before reaching these sites."
RV restrictions: Several camping areas explicitly prohibit larger vehicles. At Monkey Rock, a camper cautioned, "The information on the parks website is a bit misleading. Road is not for RV's or trailers. Just after you enter the park on Snake Creek Road a sign clearly indicated no RV's or trailers past the roads first pull out."
Water planning: Most tent sites require bringing your own water. A visitor to Pinnacle noted, "This is a dry campground, the creek is also dry here so come prepared."
Weather changes: Higher elevation means unpredictable conditions. One camper at Squirrel Springs reported, "Beware this is also at a higher elevation than the Lehman Caves area. We woke up to a couple inches of snow."
Tips for camping with families
Restroom access: Some primitive sites offer toilets while others don't. At Eagle Peak Campsites, "An ADA accessible vault toilet is located at the campground, and is also the location of the trash and recycling bin."
Site selection: Different campgrounds have varying amenities for families. Grey Cliffs Campground includes "fire rings with grill grates. There are 2 ADA Accessible campsites site C3 and A8 both sites are located next to accessible restrooms."
Dog restrictions: While dogs are allowed at most campgrounds, trail access may be limited. One Grey Cliffs camper mentioned, "Dogs are allowed at the campsite but not on a majority of the trails at Great Basin."
Tips from RVers
Alternative BLM sites: When Great Basin campgrounds are full, nearby BLM lands offer dispersed options. A visitor to Notch Peak Trailhead shared, "The BLM land on the way up to the Notch Peak Trailhead campground is a wide open desert area that is best suited for off-road vehicles. No facilities, but scenic skies."
Ground conditions: Tent staking can be challenging in some areas. A Grey Cliffs camper reported, "The ground is so rocky it became very difficult to drive a spike into the ground far enough to work and not bend them. Do not bring a large tent, the pads are small."
Emergency preparedness: Cell service is unreliable throughout the region. A visitor to Notch Peak advised, "Make sure you have a spare tire and a way to reach someone in an emergency as you most likely wont have service."
