Best Tent Camping near Helper, UT

This campground, specifically, the tent only part is awe inspiring. You have the ability to camp super close to the lake and the pictures you can take are amazing. The bathrooms are quite spartan at the tent camping only site, but showers and flush toilets are available at the other side of the campground. Watch out for rocks going in, we got a flat.

I really loved this campground! And I really love Diamond Fork Hotsprings! I can’t wait to visit again! We camped the Thursday after Labor bad and had the entire campground almost all to ourselves! On Labor Day weekend there wasn’t an empty campsite. Cost is $22 for a single site, $44 for a double. We arrived to camp around 7:30 and pitched our tent then headed up the road a few more miles to the parking area for Diamond Fork (5th water) Hot Springs. I recommend visiting the Hotspring at night in the summer to escape the overwhelming crowds. There were only a handful of people at the springs during our evening visit. The trail to the springs is about 2.4 miles in. We returned to camp around 1 AM and slept soundly in the still, quiet nature. You can hear the stream babble nearby. We slept in and as we were breaking down camp, Marc, the camp host stopped by to se how our visit was and if we needed anything. What a wonderful man! We chatted for quite a while about the area and he offered to give us a tour of the campground in his golf cart. This is a pretty leather campground! 3 separate loops. There are some hike in tent sites but they are set up for dual tents and are priced as such so they are $44 which is quite speedy for a pack in tent site. There is a well maintained nature trail the passes through the campground. There are educational kiosks along the trail. There are multiple restrooms throughout the campground. The 2 I used were very clean considering it was post holiday weekend.
Each campsite had a fire ring, grill, and a picnic table. Tent sites all offered nice level areas for pitching your tent. You can purchase fire wood from the camp host. This is a great place and I can’t wait to return!

We have stayed here before and remember that it was a great campground. The sites are clean and have concrete around the table and cooking area. The tent site was nestled among the trees and was very nice.

We did get a visit from the locals. A herd of cattle came through for dinner. They were escorted away from the campground by the host. Right next to the river, there was a trail to hike and an educational trail for the area.

The pit toilet was available and there was running water next to the site.

Overall, it was a great stay!

This is a great place for a campsite. There is a really nice pavilion and really nice bathrooms with running water and showers. Close to the boat ramp and the views are incredible.  Really nice paths to get you to the beach and the boat ramp.

Lots of fish in the lake and craw fish. The water is refreshing to swim, water ski, paddle board or any water sport.

Lots of tent camping spots with great views, Group sites and lots of trailer camping with hook ups and water.

Lots of bathrooms with running water and also a few pit style outhouses. This campground can get busy in the summer months. They take reservations so that is your best option.

Nice basic campground just coming out of Heber City, UT on your way to Strawberry Reservoir. This is a fairly large campground with numerous sites. The group site parking was shallow. We could barely fit our 19 ft travel trailer and our truck. Outside of the group site it appears there are deeper sites that could accommodate a long fifth wheel. Parking space is wide enough to park another car next to trailer. There are a few tent sites as around the group site pavilion.

No hookups for RV’s. Dump station on site for $10 fee. RV spots are back in only. There is running water and flushable toilets on site; however, the water line was under repair and not turned on during our stay. It sounds like the repairs have been going on for a long time.

There is cellular service, but it’s a little slow. I have sprint carrier and had service.

Negatives: The campground is close a highway incline/decline which is frequented by Semi’s which bring lots of noise to the campground throughout the day and into the night.

Stinging Nettle: lots of stinging nettle located around group site B, so stay on the paths as much as possible.

We stayed here twice this summer and really liked it both times. All the tenting campsites are on the Millsite Reservoir but if you go higher than site number 17 you are a bit further from the water. The campground is open, so not totally private, but it was so quiet it didn't really matter. We went for a couple of hikes in the Ferron Canyon which you can walk to, and they have paddle boarding on the reservoir which we didn't have time to do. They don't have typical fire rings on the ground - they are up off the ground. See photo.

Campground Review: Price Canyon Campground

I stayed at the Price Canyon campground on my way for a mountain biking weekend in Moab. This campground was at the top of Price Canyon but the access road was right off the highway. It is a single lane switchback road with the last quarter mile being easy dirt road so longer trailers may have a few challenges. It is a mixture of single and group sites all for the same price. There is a nature trail from the campsite (that is also accessible from the day use area) that takes you higher up the canyon. The hike was nice and I would recommend close toed shoes as the second half/ has a section that is pretty steep around large rocks/boulders, and loose dirt. I didn’t do the whole hike made it to the top of the ridge. There is also a picnic/overlook area not far from the campground that had great views of Price Canyon.

Pros:

• This campground was $8. Which is the cheapest campground I found (unless it was free dispersed).
• Tent sites were tucked back off the road and short walks from the parking spots which made them feel more private. You didn’t have to watch your neighbor the whole time. They are pretty standard with a metal fire ring and picnic table. My spot had a few options for tents but I used the larger (or more designated) one. There were sites for trailers/campers where the tables were closer to the parking spots.
• Typical Forest Service pit toilets that were clean and stocked.

Overall it was very peaceful and I will definitely be staying here again.

Cons:

• No water (or at least there was none when I visited). I visited in May and they hadn’t turned the pipes back on from being shut off for the winter freeze. So be prepared with your own water just in case.

*Lots of buzzing insects around. The bugs weren’t bad but you could hear the buzzing which was quite annoying.

• Tent sites are down short trails and not the flattest so if you have mobility issues it could be a challenge (but there were handicapped designated sites available).

Gear Review: Leatherman Signal Multi-tool

As a ranger for the Dyrt, I get the opportunity to test out gear from our partners once in a while. I have had the privilege of testing out the Leatherman Signal Multi-tool. First off, this tool is the bomb! It has 19 different functions and will pretty much be the go-to tool for camping or outdoor adventure. It is quite large so not ideal for light weight backpacking but great for car camping or any activity where you are not super concerned about weight. For the most part, it lives in the glove compartment of my car so I will always have it for quick use.

Pros:

• Super versatile tool. With 19 different functions/abilities the odds of you being able to complete your task with just this one tool is super high. It has all your basics: knife, saw, pliers, bottle opener and some not so basic: flit/Firestarter, sharpening file, whistle, screwdriver heads, hammer (as well as a boat load of other things)
• The blades are really easy to access and also lock into place so you don’t have to destroy your fingertips getting the out or putting them away. I can flip out and in the knife with one hand.
• It comes with a belt carry case. I probably won’t wear it on my belt but the case does protect it (and the other stuff) in my glove compartment from banging around too much.
• It has become my go to tool for camping and general use because it lives in my car and is easily accessible.

Cons:

• It is a multi-tool so it may not work for all situations. Sometimes it may be a little too big or awkward to use where a more specific tool is what is needed. It is good at a lot of things but not amazing at one or two.
• It is a little bit and heavy so may not be the best backpacking tool but that is a very limited negative.

Summary: The Signal is one of the best multi-tools I have ever had and just having it with me whenever I am exploring outdoors makes me feel more secure in case something happens.

Camped here with our tent while passing through on the way to TX. Peaceful and nice star views!

We stayed this weekend (early May 2021) at the Swinging Bridge South Campground and had a great time. The campground includes:

• Tent pads at every site
• Plenty of space to pull up in one's vehicle
• Accessible unisex pit toilet
• Picnic tables at every site
• Metal fire rings

The cost is $15 per night with a limit to 2 vehicles per site and up to 10 people per site, with half-price discounts for National Parks/Interagency Passes. There are neither trash receptacles on-site nor potable water, so plan to pack in/pack out.

This dog-friendly BLM campground made a great home base for adventuring in the Buckhorn Wash and Little Grand Canyon overlook area. There was minimal road noise at night, though you can hear neighboring campers since it's a fairly open campground. On our night it was rather windy so plan to bring strong tie-downs for your ground tent if you plan to use the tent pads.

We stayed at the Mountain View campground. I was glad I had a back-in site around the edge of the loop. I loved the view. The pull through sites in the middle were super close together that left little room for slide outs and entry/exit from the trailers unless you were in the end. Each site has a pavilion and fire ring. They don’t allow tents on the grass, but a handful had a tent pad so make sure you check the site listing to determine if it will allow a tent. We had water hookups and access to 20/30/50 electricity. No sewer available in the site, but they do have a dump station. The campsite had a shower building and vault toilet locations around the loop. There were even 3-4 cabins that you could rent (they looked similar to those at a KOA I have seen before). We enjoyed our stay and the temperature was great. Could use more trees. The back in drive way was 60 ft in length.

I have stayed here a couple times. We like campsite #38 because it is a double spot that can fit 3 or more cars or a truck and boat or large RV or trailer. It has a few flat spots for tents, and 2 tables and a nice fire ring. There are also lots of aspen trees that are nice for hanging a hammock in. The double spot is $46 a night and single is $23

Aspen grove is a beautiful camp site with lots of Aspen trees and in a valley it is a 5 minute walk to the marina of Strawberry. you also can launch a boat at the marina and you are only 5 minutes from the damn, were we caught some 22+ inch cutthrouts and other trout at the damn as well as a few smaller fish.

We caught around 250 crawfish that we cooked and ate at out camp site that night as well as cooking some steaks as well we had a surf and turf it made for a yummy dinner.

There is a water spiket at each campsites and bathrooms are close with running water. There is also a big dumpster to get rid of your trash. There is firewood you can purchase from the camp host. The camp host is really friendly and helpful.

I have stayed here each year in September and there is always spots open. It is better to call ahead because it can fill up. This is a beautiful campsite when the leafs start to change color. This in one of the nicest places to stay in Utah. https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232390

Absolutely beautiful setting. Lots of trees if you want to hammock. Plenty of space for tents too. Unreal location, and the lake is beautiful.

This is a nice place to camp. Only about a mile from the fifth water parking lot and a few miles hike from the hot pots. Really good fishing in both the fifth water river and Diamond Fork. The camp sites are first come first serve. They are big sites and can hold a few tents each. Their are nice picnic tables and fire rings a pit style bathroom is available across the river.

Lots of amazing scenery around. Great hikes, great fishing, amazing places to ride horses, or just amazing views.

There are lots of trees around for shade and oak brush. I have seen elk, deer, moose, and black bear in this area so bring a camera and don't leave food in your tent.