Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Layton, UT is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Utah camping has to offer. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Layton and user-submitted reviews.
"We found a spot that was more of a hill, which made it neat to get around, but the site was LITTERED with spent ammo, broken glass and broken pieces of clay pigeons."
"Some awesome flat areas with a creek if you go in spring. Nice and quiet. Nearby shooting range."
"My family and I were driving through and needed a place to stay for the night. We camped the first night that lot camping was allowed (9/10) so it was quiet and peaceful."
"You can backpack in and camp anywhere a 1/2 mile from any road like the other nearby canyons. Good trails to approach from are Church fork and Lambs Canyon Trailhead."
"All the camping is backcountry so you can pick any trail and just make sure that you are 1/2 mile off the road and at least 200 ft from developed ares and water."
"About 1/4 mile down a dirt road from Hwy 39 is a good single boondocking spot with a great view. Not for large RVs."
"Two nice boondocking spots just a short drive on a tight dirt road off the highway. The campsite on the right is bigger, the one on the left is very small."
"Picked a pull-off spot about 10 min up the highway and was really surprised. It went pretty deep and and truly felt like I was away."
"We frequently come up here just to sleep outside some nights and head back home in the early morning to get food and shower."
"About 15 mins outside of Logan up a beautiful canyon. Headed up around 4pm on a Saturday during Memorial Day weekend so didn’t have high hopes but found a spot with a fire ring almost immediately!"
"Easy to find by putting the coordinates provided in Google Maps. Came in after dark and easily found a site about 1/4 mile or so up the road. Road is a bit bumpy but nothing major."
"Aire trail there are a few premade dispersed camping spots. 1 is good for groups of 3 tents with a nice big fire pit and the others are smaller for 1 or 2 people sharing a tent."
"The hike is moderately difficult, especially carrying overnight gear, but it’s super worth it. There are dozens of locations along the trail you can just venture off into to camp."
$6 / night
"Campground Review: Mineral Basin is located in the Wasatch Mountains to the East of Salt Lake City."
"The ride up to mineral basin was dirt roads with amazing views. The campsite we settled on was absolutely beautiful."
"All the breeze from the salt flats comes right your way. This location is also right in an outdoor shooting range with multiple spots so that’s a plus if you’re looking for entertainment."
"First of all there is no pull out at the coordinates."
LegendCampground Review: Dispersed camping at Pittsburg Lake, Utah
Because I am into hiking and exploring national forest camping this summer, I found a fun adventure at Pittsburg Lake in the Uinta National Forest in the Wasatch Mountains. Getting there—the hike is a 1.5 mile hike up to the lake. Getting to the trail head is a dusty, dirt road behind Midway, UT. You are driving on dirt road for approximately 6-7 miles and will encounter at least two stream crossings. One crossing is cobblestoned, the other is driving up the stream for 50 feet right before the trail head. Therefore, a high clearance vehicle is highly recommended, if not necessary. There are a lot of off roading trails back in this area so you will encounter lots of RZRs, dirtbikes, 4-wheelers, jeeps, etc on your way to the trailhead but a non-lowered car can handle the road if the driver is comfortable. The really rocky section is past the trail head. Anyway, long dusty road to the trailhead then then hike is 1.5 miles all uphill with 1500 ft of elevation gain. You are hiking on a very rocky old mining road. My husband and I decided we wanted to really punish ourselves and we hiked up with an inflatable paddle board in addition to my stuff for camping. The hike is totally doable even with a lot of gear, just go slow and be careful of your footing. To be honest, I felt sorer after the hike down then after the hike up. So you make it up the trail and you come to a beautiful, small alpine lake. The lake is approximately .33 miles around and has trout for fishing. There is even an old homestead cabin to explore. The lake has many human-made fire pits scattered all around depending if you want to be right on the lake or if you want to tuck back farther into the woods. I found a spot close to the lake for easy paddle board access where I could hang my hammock. This was my first adventure in hammock camping and I actually enjoyed it. The views are so pretty and you are on the backside of Snowbird Ski Area. The area was beautiful and I wish I saw more wildlife (I have heard rumors of elk and moose sightings).
I am giving this camping area 4 stars not because of the area itself (it is free, beautiful, relaxing, etc.) but because of the other people who were staying up there made it not the best night for a female solo camper with her dog. There was another group camping about 200 meters away but I don’t think they knew I was there and they were up late making a lot of noise. Every time I was about to fall asleep, I would hear them chop wood or yell for an echo or make some other non-natural noise that would keep me awake (plus my imagination would start to run away from me). There was also another couple who decided to camp up there and needed to borrow a lighter but ended up leaving around 2AM. So whenever they came close to my camp, my wonderful protective dog would growl and raise the alarm, again, inhibiting my ability to fall asleep. The other annoyance was the flies. I am not sure if it is just the spot that I chose that had a lot of flies or they would have followed me wherever I set up camp. They didn’t bite and were more annoying than anything. I think my dog ate a few dozen as they buzzed around her head. So due to those negatives, the spot gets dinged a star.
Overall, it was worth carrying the paddle board up to the lake as I was able to relax and float and tool around. You can’t go very far but being on the water is always a good time. I could read my book in the hammock and go for exploratory hikes in the area. Final thought, it is National Forest camping so please, please, please follow leave no trace principles to keep the area nice for future visitors.
Gear Review: Matador Camera Base Layer
As a Ranger for The Dyrt I get the opportunity to test out gear from our awesome partners once in a while. While I was camping at Pittsburg Lake, I had the opportunity to try out the Matador Camera Base Layer. Because I am a glutton for punishment, I decided to haul a bunch of gear up to Pittsburg Lake and it included by nice DSLR camera. Photography is a fun hobby I have been playing around with for a few years, but I come across the problem of how to safely get my camera places without carrying either an additional camera bag that takes up a lot of space or wrapping my camera up in a sweatshirt or other piece of clothing to protect it with a smaller profile. Well, the Matador camera base layer has officially solved my problem. Hooray! The base layer is basically a padded, contoured, dry sack for my camera. Place the camera lens down, then roll and clip the top like a dry sack. It has holes to allow your camera neck or wrist straps to come through so you can wear your camera while it is being protected. Because it is from Matador, it is super lightweight but it does not feel flimsy, thin, or not durable. I was able to stuff my camera in the top of my paddle board bag while hiking up and down and I felt comfortable that nothing would be broken when I got to the top. It protected it from the dirt and dust that gets on everything when you are camping so it helped to keep things cleaner. I also took my camera for a hike with no additional backpacks and I clipped the base layer around my wrist so it wouldn’t get in the way. Besides being a bit hot, it was a great way to keep track of the base layer. I cannot convey how happy I am to have this piece of equipment in my gear box. While I am no Ansel Adams, being able to take more pictures with my camera and not just my phone while I am out on adventures will add another dimension to my activities and help me develop a new skill. The only thing I might want to improve is a small piece of Velcro on the bottom to help keep the waterproof cover inside its little pocket. But this is so minor in the grand scheme of things. If you are into photography at all, I highly recommend looking into this product.
TravelerThe views are great but the road is definitely washed out. You will need 4WD and high clearance to pass through the washouts and rocks which start near the entrance and go all the way to the top.
GuideThe GPS coordinates appear to be a bit further north from the accessible camping and it seems like a solar farm was built there recently. We kept driving south on the 196 for a few miles and took some washed out roads in closer to the mountains to find some campsites. Probably don’t need 4WD but low clearance vehicles might have trouble. Not the flatest pullouts but workable and you’ll have the area to yourselves. Lots of biting bugs and moths. Not much shade to be found.
RangerGood dispersed campsite, especially if you’re on a road trip along I-80 (which we were, evacuating from a wildfire in CA). There are no hookups or services. This is really just a spot of BLM land that has some fairly level sites cleared. Some sites probably required 4WD. Looks like it would be really fun for OHV’s. We were car camping, so didn’t have to worry to much about space. From what we could tell there were probably only a couple good spots for an RV or tow-behind. There are no reservations, just find a place where your car fits and park it.
Rumor has it there’s a neat stream nearby, but we didn’t get a chance to check it out.
ScoutThere was a weird spot when Google maps told us to go right (staying on the paved road) while there was an "alternate" route up a dirt road to the coordinates on the dyrt. The dirt road is the correct way to get up there, don't follow the paved road.
Pulling our small off road camper up was challenging in spots due to the heavy rutting and runoff but when we made it up it was a spectacular area!
I'm sure this is a seasonal thing but we ended up bailing out and headed back down the mountain because of the mosquitos. I've never seen anything like it! We arrived around dusk and the mosquitoes were on us like starving piranhas as soon as we stepped out of the vehicle. Seriously, 40+ swarming each tire, all over the doors and windows, and us even after drenching ourselves with bug spray.
We hope to try the spot again later in the season when all this moisture lets up a bit because it really looked lovely
TravelerAbout 1/4 mile down a dirt road from Hwy 39 is a good single boondocking spot with a great view. Not for large RVs. Our 17 ft trailer with 4x4 was tricky to get into the spot because the loop was so small. Has a fire pit but with fire restrictions we didn’t have a fire. The view is fantastic of hills covered with aspen and fir trees. Quiet but cars can be heard now and then.
There are many other boondocking spots in this area but this one is a good one.
TravelerTwo nice boondocking spots just a short drive on a tight dirt road off the highway. The campsite on the right is bigger, the one on the left is very small. Very popular for hunters in September, so you'll have lots of people walking right by your camp. The views are beautiful, but it can get quite blustery. We weren't able to have a fire when we stayed there.
LegendCampground Review: Mineral Basin is located in the Wasatch Mountains to the East of Salt Lake City. If you have ever skied Snowbird, this camping area is the same as the backside and keep going down. This area is beautiful and primitive camping. Resulting in two major points: It is free and in order to keep it nice, please pack out what you pack in!! We accessed this area via the east side and Wasatch State Park and Midway, UT. It is a long dirt road which is relatively maintained. There is a lot of side by side activity on these roads so some of the corners have been banked/rutted out but a non-lowered vehicle should be able to navigate the roads with only a few bottom scrapes.(If you want to drive a bit higher into Mineral Basin than our campsite, a high clearance or off-road vehicle is required). We have seen tents as well as trailers camping in this area(as long as you are comfortable pulling your trailer on unpaved mountain roads). The campsite we chose was off a small spur road which offered privacy and was along a small stream. The flowing water provided some great ambiance and white noise while we slept. As with other primitive camping, there is nothing here with regards to amenities with the exception of an established fire ring. Our site did have a nice flat spot dug out but that may not be the case for all the spots. We brought everything we needed for a one-night excursion and couldn't have had a better time. There are some hiking trails nearby (Pittsburgh Lakes trailhead was just a little farther up the road from us) and lots of open space for my husband to run the dog out by chasing his RC car. We visited in September before the leaves started to change, but fall would be a beautiful time to camp, but be prepared for cold once the sun goes down. Overall, this is my type of camping--primitive and isolated to enjoy being outside.
Gear Review: Banner & Oak Apparel and Hats
As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get the awesome opportunity to test out gear once in a while. While I was in Mineral Basin, I had the chance to try out a shirt as well as a hat from Banner and Oak. Being a busty female, I am always hesitant to purchase female cut clothing online as sizing is so inconsistent I can never be sure of it fitting. However, I was very surprised (and pleased) to have the Coyote - Indigo shirt not only fit but was comfortable. The female cut with shorter sleeves and contoured sides made me feel like I was wearing a comfy tee without the boxy feel. The material is a soft jersey blend which didn't shrink when washed. I think this is going to be my go-to shirt for everyday summer wear as well as my outdoor adventures. I also purchased a few hats. Because I was not too excited about the ladies hats (the only design I liked was in pink and I am not a pink kinda gal), I purchased the men's Bighorn - Khaki for myself and the Switchback - Gray for my husband. The Bighorn has a curved brim which the Switchback is a flat brim. Both have adjustable mesh backs but if you tighten it too much it will look a little funny. These are definitely men's hats as they crown is taller but I didn't mind it. The construction of these hats is very sturdy--the crown is solid and won't become misshapen if it is caught in the rain (or left out for morning dew like mine was). I also liked the color scheme which as earthy and outdoorsy--definitely that go-to hat for outdoor adventures. The only negative I found is the brim inside will need to be worn in a little as the build it rigid and the fabric is a little scratchy as it is more of a canvas material. Overall, Banner and Oak has created a great line of products which are fashionable, comfortable, and most importantly durable to keep up with the outdoor enthusiast.
TravelerI want to start positive and say that the views are some of the best! Mt Tiponogous is in full view and the panoramic views are all great as well. It was only my group that camped up there the night we camped, but a couple people did drive by for some off road action. Speaking of off road action, the road is atrocious. Dont come unless you have some serious high clearance 4wd vehicle or you will bottom out and destroy your vehicle. I’m saying this as someone from Lake City CO who grew up driving the Alpine Loop, the road is BAD!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Layton, Utah, where nature meets adventure. With a variety of options, you can find the perfect spot to unwind and connect with the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any regulations for BLM dispersed camping around Layton?
BLM dispersed camping near Layton comes with important regulations. At Horseshoe Knoll - Dispersed Camping, a BLM site accessible from I-80, camping is limited to 14 consecutive days within a 28-day period. Always camp in previously used sites indicated by cleared areas and existing fire rings. Stay at least 200 feet from water sources to protect watersheds. Current fire restrictions must be strictly followed—check with the local BLM office before your trip. All trash must be packed out, and proper human waste disposal is required (bury waste 6-8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water). Skull Valley Rd Dispersed Camping and other BLM areas generally require high-clearance vehicles, and some spots need 4WD access. Always check road conditions and specific area regulations before departing.
What amenities are available at primitive camping sites near Layton?
Primitive camping sites around Layton are truly rustic with minimal to no amenities. At Cascade Springs Dispersed Site, you'll find spectacular panoramic views of Mt. Timpanogos but no facilities whatsoever. Similarly, Green Canyon Dispersed Campground near Logan offers 15-25 sites on a first-come, first-served basis, but without services. Most dispersed sites feature only basic fire rings where permitted (check current fire restrictions). You'll need to pack in all essentials: water, food, toilet supplies, and trash bags for pack-out. Cell service varies by location but is generally unreliable. Plan to be entirely self-sufficient with your own shelter, cooking equipment, and safety supplies. The trade-off for this lack of amenities is privacy, no fees, and often spectacular natural settings.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Layton, Utah?
Several free dispersed camping options exist near Layton. Dispersed camping near Monte Cristo offers scenic spots about a quarter-mile down a dirt road from Highway 39, with fantastic mountain views. These sites aren't suitable for large RVs, but work well for smaller trailers with 4x4 capabilities. Another option is Mineral Basin Dispersed in the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City, featuring beautiful primitive camping in the same area as the backside of Snowbird ski resort. When searching for dispersed sites, look for established fire rings and cleared areas, bring all necessary supplies, and be prepared for no facilities. Most sites operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so arriving early, especially on weekends, is recommended.
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