Matthew W.
Guide
GuideWillard Peak Campground
Good spot near SLC for long term stay.
Clean campground with full hookups. Pet areas and good communication. Fulltime supervision on site.
Best Campgrounds near Magna, UT
The Magna, Utah region includes developed camping options ranging from beachfront sites at Great Salt Lake State Park to established RV parks within short driving distance. Great Salt Lake State Park Campground lies directly within Magna, offering primitive tent sites along the beach and several RV spots with hookups near the marina. Additional camping areas include Salt Lake City KOA and Pony Express RV Resort, both within 20 miles east of Magna, providing full hookup sites, cabins and tent spaces. The surrounding area offers a mix of state park campgrounds and private RV parks, with accommodations for various camping styles from beach camping to full-service RV sites.
Camping in the Great Salt Lake region presents unique conditions and experiences unlike most other destinations. The area experiences extreme temperature variations with hot summers and cold winters. "Nice campground next to the great salt lake. Only complaint was sand gets just about everywhere so be prepared," noted one camper about Great Salt Lake State Park. Most developed campgrounds in the area remain open year-round, though primitive beach camping is more weather-dependent. Reservations are recommended, especially for RV sites with hookups which are limited in number. The proximity to the Great Salt Lake means campers should prepare for potential lake odors during low water periods and occasional brine fly activity along shorelines. Cell coverage is generally good throughout the area due to proximity to Salt Lake City.
Waterfront camping at Great Salt Lake State Park receives consistently positive reviews for its unique views and experiences. Campers particularly appreciate the beach sites which offer stunning sunrise and sunset views across the lake. As one visitor described, "We stayed here for a night in August and it was just a magical evening - from watching the buffalo herds in the distance, to taking a dip in the Great Salt Lake, to the vibrant sunset." The campground's proximity to both natural features and industrial areas creates an interesting juxtaposition, with the Rio Tinto copper smelter visible from some campsites. For those seeking urban convenience, the Salt Lake City KOA provides easy access to downtown and public transportation, though several reviewers noted train and traffic noise. Mixed-use campgrounds in the region typically feature a balance between natural settings and proximity to urban amenities.
Best Camping Sites Near Magna, Utah (178)
1. Salt Lake City KOA
44 ReviewsSalt Lake City, UT9 milesWebsite+1 (801) 328-0224$50 - $189 / night
"I had the wonderful opportunity to stay the night at Salt Lake City KOA!"
"We wanted to explore Salt Lake City so decided to stay at this downtown KOA. It is a large and crowded RV park but right on a Transit line (UTA light rail Trax) and biking distance to downtown."
2. Pony Express RV Resort
15 ReviewsNorth Salt Lake, UT11 milesWebsite+1 (801) 355-1550"Convenient location right off the highway with full hook ups and nice paved sites. Dog areas, playground, games, and a pool."
"These sites a so close to each other. We only stop here to stay the night. WiFi is ok-phone hotspot is better.
Staff is great."
3. Bridger Bay Campground — Antelope Island State Park
53 ReviewsHooper, UT24 milesWebsite+1 (801) 773-2941$20 - $200 / night
"One of our favorite state parks in Utah is only~45 minutes away from Salt Lake City! There are bison, antelope, deer, and many other animals that call this island home."
"By far one of my favorite stops through Utah ❤️ absolutely breathtaking views, along with scenic routes to see wildlife such as the bison."
4. Great Salt Lake State Park Campground
7 ReviewsMagna, UT7 milesWebsite+1 (801) 828-0787$20 - $60 / night
"We really enjoyed our one night stay on the beach at the Great Salt Lake State Park. Beach sites are primitive, however, the park also offers 5 RV sites with hook-ups. Free showers. Helpful staff."
"Nice campground next to the great salt lake. Only complaint was sand gets just about everywhere so be prepared."
5. Spruces - Big Cottonwood
32 ReviewsMounthaven, UT24 milesWebsite+1 (801) 733-2660$29 - $327 / night
"Bathrooms always close by, no showers. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit. If you’re lucky, you can get a site close to the creek. Nice, cool nights in the summer."
"Right up Big Cottonwood Canyon, this campground has the advantage of being up the canyon so you feel far away from the city, but close enough that you could go on a work night and still make it to the"
6. Oquirrh Mountain Inn & RV Park
4 ReviewsMagna, UT9 milesWebsite+1 (801) 250-0118$27 - $40 / night
"The management that runs the hotel side of it is extremely nice and reasonable I couldn't be happier with this place close to two gas stations the flying j and the TA."
7. Granite Flat (utah)
38 ReviewsMutual Dell, UT28 milesWebsite+1 (801) 785-3563$27 - $355 / night
"Tucked in very back. Long ways to walk from car. Water spout next to car area. Will be sharing parking with 2 other sites. 2 lakes nearby. Fire pit with grill gate. Shaded area."
"Utah is such an amazing place to visit for the outdoors. My family and I come here once a year because we love hiking and being in the outdoors."
8. Tanners Flat
19 ReviewsSnowbird, UT23 milesWebsite+1 (801) 733-2660$29 - $215 / night
"It was quiet, tucked away from anyone. Didn't really see anyone for the three days we are there. Our site was next to the river, which really helped drown out all other sounds! "
"We had site 11 close to the bathroom and in a flat, sunny clearing surrounded by trees. You could hear the nearby road a bit and see the mountains a little bit."
9. Settlement Canyon/Legion Park Campground
9 ReviewsTooele, UT18 milesWebsite+1 (435) 882-9041$15 - $40 / night
"We stayed here for one night didn't go past the gate we just camped pretty much on the side of the dirt road next to the reservoir."
"You’ll love sitting around your campfire watching the deer scamper in the mountains. RV camping is a must for me and full hookups are available."
10. Mountain Shadows RV Park
10 ReviewsDraper, UT18 milesWebsite+1 (801) 571-4024
Recent Camping Photos near Magna, UT
237 Photos of 178 Magna Campgrounds
Christopher C.
Great Salt Lake State Park Campground
North Idaho N.
Salt Lake City KOA
Taylor R.
Bountiful B Dispersed
Adam O.
Split Rock Bay Backcountry Campsites — Antelope Island State Park
Cortney M.
Lagoon RV Park & Campground
Jeremy J.
Affleck Campground
Melissa K.
Tanners Flat
Leah W.
White Rock Bay Campground — Antelope Island State Park
Adam D.
Bountiful Peak Campground
Jason H.
Jordan Pines
Michael S.
Sunset Campground – CLOSED
Kati C.
Ophir Canyon Campground
Recent Reviews near Magna, UT
1160 Reviews of 178 Magna Campgrounds
- HHannah B.
ScoutMountain Valley RV Resort
Feb Ski Trip
Loved this spot! Very affordable, great amenities.
- EElise F.
TravelerSalt Lake City KOA
Winter camping in Salt Lake City
We winter camped here so we could ski. It’s a great location about 40-50 minutes to 6 resorts. It is in the city so not in the wilderness but all the sites have one tree and a patch of grass and a picnic table. There is a small off leash dog pen and a self dog wash. Also hot tub, showers, toilets that were clean. We did not use the hot tub or the laundry. The campground is well maintained. Our first site was slightly unleveled so we asked to switch and they accommodated that request. We did have to pay a little extra for that site. We stayed a total of 3 nights. We were going to stay longer but learned that you can’t have dogs in Cottonwood Canyon which meant we couldn’t ski at those resorts so we asked to get out of our reservation early and the KOA accommodated that as well.
- SSandraTraveler
Pine Creek Campground — Wasatch Mountain State Park
Stayed in yurt
The yurt was a great experience during the winter. The entire campground was closed, except for the yurt and the couple cabins on site. It was super quiet. It had 2 electric fireplaces which kept the yurt nice and toasty. It has a bunk bed with queen size mattresses which were comfy. There was a refrigerator and microwave. There is access to potable water right outside the yurt. You do have to walk about 500 yards to the yurt from the parking space, but the privacy is worth it. Rate was $75 per night during the week and $100 per night during the weekend. I will definitely be returning.
- DDouglas C.Scout
Saratoga Springs Backcountry
Multiple spots for dispersed camping
3 stars as dry and dusty with no facilities, but a good place to stop for a night if passing thru or many nights if you're an ATVer.
We live near the area and if you take the dirt Soldier Pass road off highway 68 between Lake Utah and Cedar Fort, there a many many good and level dispersed sites. Lots of junipers once you climb in elevation. No houses within miles. The Utah County gun range is located ~1 mile off highway 68 on this road, but better camping spots are further on anyway. The main dirt road is county maintained and can be done by any car. As is the road up to the Lake Mountain summit for great views and additional sites.
There is a free formal BLM dispersed camping area off highway 68 a few miles north of Soldier Pass road. Zero facilities. There are campers on it year round. Spots on both sides of the highway. Look for signs. To me, these sites are kinda bleak, but have good lake views. Between late May and late Sept sites near the lake will experience Utah Lake midges. They're a love bug that live in the lake and emerge only to mate. They don't bite, but they do swarm. You'll experience fewer as you move away from the lake.
Chris R.GuideCrandall Cove Campground — Rockport State Park
Great view and good for quick overnight stay
We had the campground loop all to ourselves in mid October. Sites have a gazebo with table means less stuff to unpack and setup. We just pulled out the tent and camp stove and that was it. Clean and maintained restrooms all close in tight loop. Firepit next to tables. The view is really great and birds are nearby as it seems to be a bird sanctuary. Easy to get to and not far from highway. Star show was good as well.
Adam O.TravelerSplit Rock Bay Backcountry Campsites — Antelope Island State Park
Incredible, with some caveats
Disclaimer, this was my first backpacking trip, and my first solo camping experience.
The first thing I’ll note is that I could not find a map that showed exactly where on the split rock loop trail the sites were. The maps you get at the gate do not show it. You just have to start hiking and hope you see it. That eventually led to the main issue I had with the campsite, more on that later.
I have 37lbs on my back, partly because it’s November and I want to make sure I’m warm, and partly because I’m toting in 5.5L of water since there is no water source.
I begin hiking and eventually I see another backpacker coming the other way. I say “did you camp?” He says no, he was going to stay the night, but there’s a herd of Bison that are currently crossing the trail and he didn’t want to wait. As I’m coming up on the spot he’s talking about, I catch the end of the herd moving south and I’m able to pass them with minimal wait time.
I continue hiking, up to the split rock bay loop, where conveniently there is a sign that points toward the campground. Yay! By this time I’ve seen a huge herd of Bison (50 or more individuals), a big buck, 20 or so other deer, and with the fog and haziness, some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. Quite incredible.
I find the tent site #3 (my watch says exactly 4.5 miles from the car) and set up my tent. During this time, I’m hearing some weird grunting sounds in the distance, I pop my head out of the tent and look west toward the lake shore. And there’s the herd of Bison I encountered before who crossed the trail. They went west around elephant rock, and I went east. I beat them by about 20 to 30 minutes. At this time I record a video with my phone and state “hope they aren’t coming over here”.
I’m filling my sleeping pad with a mini pump and when I’m done I pop my head out of the tent. They had, in fact, started coming over here. They were quite close. In sort of a panic, I grab some essentials, zip up the tent, and head for the rocks on the hills and wait them out.
Unfortunately I didn’t grab my Garmin or my warm clothes, and it is taking them forever to get past the tent site. The sun starts getting low and I’m getting cold. The Bison sometimes get curious about my tent and approach it, but never do anything. I have my Apple watch and it has an SOS feature, I thought about using it, but eventually they pass and I can get back to set up.
So, this is where knowing exactly where the campsite was in relation to everything else would have been useful. I would have seen the direction they were going and possibly known that they would be crossing right into the camp area, and I probably would have made some slightly different choices.
They (the Bison) stopped for the night in split rock canyon, so I could hear them all night while in my tent. It was always difficult to tell if they were getting closer or farther away, so the night was a bit sleepless.
Also, though the weather says the temperature is 40F, the higher humidity and breeze from the lake can make it feel a lot colder. I did have some chilly moments with a 20F comfort rated bag and a 5.4R value pad. In the morning, condensation was everywhere.
The next morning had a “dense fog” warning in effect, which made for some more awesome scenery.
I broke camp and started back to the car at around 8AM. I decided to take a detour out to Elephant Rock to see if I could see the camp site from up there. This added another 3 miles to the track back, so 7.5 miles total. As I’m coming around the corner at the top to the spot where I’d be able to see the sites, I encounter a lone Bison bull just chilling up there on the trail, no other animals in sight. So, I couldn’t actually get to the spot to see over, but the view was amazing and it was fun to see a Bison in a spot it felt like he shouldn’t be able to get to.
As I turn around, the “dense fog” warning becomes a reality, and it suddenly gets much much colder. Makes for some amazing visuals way up there.
Overall, it was a very awe inspiring and fun trip, with some interesting bits. I do think they should better mark the spots on the map just so people can plan better, especially if there’s going to be massive herds of Bison cruising through camp at any point.
tl;dr: pack warmer than you think (if you’re going to go in the later months) and watch out for Bison. Incredible views and wildlife encounters make it all worth it.
Tamie S.GuideGreat Horned Owl Campground — Deer Creek State Park
Quiet and secluded
We took a wrong turn in the campground and ended up in an area with no hookups. But it was quiet and secluded and close to the water. The campsite was fairly level and there were clean restrooms.
- JJennifer N.Traveler
Foothill Clearing with a View
Nice views
They have camp rings for fires and also grills! One or 2 was missing the garage to the grill but other than that it was good.
Guide to Magna
Magna, Utah features camping areas ranging from established RV parks to primitive sites along the Great Salt Lake shoreline. Great Salt Lake State Park Campground, located within city limits, provides both developed sites with hookups and primitive beach camping with views of the lake. Salt Lake City KOA, situated approximately 15 miles east of Magna, offers full-service camping with tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin rentals. The camping landscape includes a mix of state park facilities, private RV parks, and limited primitive sites that accommodate various camping styles from basic tenting to full-hookup RV camping.
Seasonal conditions significantly impact camping experiences in the Magna area, particularly at Great Salt Lake State Park. Summer brings warmer temperatures that can exceed 90°F, while spring and fall offer more moderate conditions ideal for outdoor activities. "The campground has a unique dynamic with the lake on one side and industrial views on the other, creating a really interesting setting for camping," noted one visitor about Great Salt Lake State Park. Winter camping is available at some locations like Salt Lake City KOA, though beach camping at the lake may be less comfortable during colder months. Many developed campgrounds require advance reservations, especially during peak summer weekends when availability becomes limited. Most primitive sites at Great Salt Lake State Park operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and campers should prepare for potential lake odors when water levels are low.
The Great Salt Lake shoreline provides distinctive camping experiences that several visitors highlight in their reviews. Beach campsites at Great Salt Lake State Park offer direct access to the unique salt water swimming experience and remarkable sunrise views across the water. As one camper described, "We tent camped on the beach and loved it all from the oolitic sand to the absolutely insane sunrise view from the window of the tent!" Mixed-use campgrounds throughout the region balance natural settings with proximity to urban conveniences. Noise levels vary significantly between locations - urban sites like Salt Lake City KOA experience traffic and train noise, while lakeside camping may have industrial sounds from nearby facilities. Wildlife viewing opportunities exist at several campgrounds, with some visitors reporting bison sightings from Antelope Island State Park. The combination of mountain views, lake access, and proximity to Salt Lake City makes these camping areas particularly appealing for travelers seeking both natural experiences and urban convenience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the driving distances from Magna to popular trailheads in Little Cottonwood Canyon?
What are the driving distances from Magna to popular trailheads in Little Cottonwood Canyon?
From Magna to the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon is approximately 28 miles, with a driving time of 40-45 minutes. Popular trailheads at the canyon entrance are about 45 minutes from Magna, while those higher up the canyon like White Pine trailhead are around 50-55 minutes away. For those looking to camp in the general area, Bridger Bay Campground on Antelope Island is about 45 minutes from Magna and offers a convenient alternative. Hikers looking for camping options closer to Little Cottonwood might enjoy Granite Flat in the nearby American Fork Canyon area.
How far is it from Magna to campgrounds like Spruces and Albion Basin?
How far is it from Magna to campgrounds like Spruces and Albion Basin?
From Magna to Spruces Campground in Big Cottonwood Canyon is about 30 miles with a driving time of approximately 40-45 minutes. Albion Basin Campground, located at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon, is slightly farther at about 35 miles from Magna, typically taking 50-60 minutes to reach. For those looking for alternatives in the region, Rock Cliff Area Campground at Jordanelle State Park is about 50 miles from Magna (roughly an hour drive) and offers full hook-ups for RVs in a clean, well-maintained setting. Pine Creek Campground in Wasatch Mountain State Park is a similar distance.
How far is Magna, Utah to Big Cottonwood Canyon for camping and hiking?
How far is Magna, Utah to Big Cottonwood Canyon for camping and hiking?
Magna, Utah is approximately 25-30 miles from Big Cottonwood Canyon, with a typical driving time of 35-45 minutes depending on traffic and weather conditions. The canyon offers excellent camping options like Spruces - Big Cottonwood, which features reservable sites, water access, and toilets. For those willing to drive a bit further into the canyon, Anderson Cove provides a peaceful retreat that's worth the extra drive time, with beach access and plenty of bathrooms. The scenic drive from Magna takes you through Salt Lake Valley before climbing into the beautiful Wasatch Mountains.
What is the travel time from Magna to Millcreek Canyon recreation areas?
What is the travel time from Magna to Millcreek Canyon recreation areas?
The travel time from Magna to Millcreek Canyon recreation areas is approximately 35-45 minutes, covering a distance of about 25 miles. This beautiful canyon offers numerous hiking trails, picnic areas, and outdoor recreation opportunities. While Millcreek Canyon itself has limited camping, nearby options include Great Salt Lake State Park Campground, which is much closer to Magna at just 10-15 minutes away. For those willing to drive a bit further from Magna, Mountain Valley RV Resort in Heber City provides excellent amenities including an adult-only section for those seeking a quieter experience.
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