Top 10 Equestrian Campgrounds near Manti-La Sal National Forest

Blackhawk is great if you can’t find reservations elsewhere. we booked equestrian sites up at the top - highest elevation. Good views, pavilions, fire pits and pit toilets. Don’t have to have horses to book equestrian and they seem to be more available since I don’t think people k ow this.

Not a horse person but checked it out. 6 nice large sites with green steel corrals. Vault toilet tables and fire rings for the humans. However NO Water for humans or horses. No dumpsters, no cell signal. Roads are good hard gravel.

I would reserve a spot ahead of time, avoiding any site in loop 'E'. That loop is for those planning to camp with horses. There are hitching posts at every site, therefore, lots of horse poo. And not the best place to take a dog because of all the horses in the area.

The camp host at loop 'E' and 'D' is very nice, and is willing to split up group areas to individuals who have no where else to set up camp. If you do this, expect to get to know new people as you will share a fire pit and eating area.

The fee to camp for one night is $20, but that includes access to any of the Payson lakes, which is $8 for day use.

We didn't go on any hikes during our stay, as we bummed at the beautiful lakes (only the middle of the three lakes is dog friendly) all day. However, there is plenty of hiking in the area.

Very hot. Around 90 degrees. Wake up and get breakfast early. Then enjoy the water in the heat!

P.S. 3 stars due to the fact that I had to camp in horse crap.

Nice big shade trees. Close to town. On the website it says atv’s need to be registered in Utah so I understood you can ride there. I was wrong you can’t have atv’s in the campground.

Being that we already live in southern Utah county, this place has become a go to for our family. Only about 45 mins away from Payson Ut. 

Great fishery for children and youth, as well as an amazing area for swimming and kayaking. They do not allow motorized boats, so it is safe. Also the lake isn't too big so if your teen blows across the lake on his kayak or raft he can easily walk it back around the lake. 

We definitely recommend it.

This campground is very remote. There are pit toilets, but no water so you have to bring your own in. Also, you have to haul out your garbage since there aren’t any dumpsters onsite. The campground is in great shape and well taken care of. I love that the sites will accommodate more than one vehicle and family per site. The campground is right on a main access road for OHV’s to drive up to Skyline Drive which is good if that’s what you are there for. If not, the noise and traffic of those groups might be annoying for you especially on the weekends. Choose a campsite that off of the main road. The ponds are great for kayaks, paddle boards, and fishing.

We were blown away at how tranquil and beautiful the surroundings are at Potters Pond Campground. The abundant trees and brush truly make one feel like they are a million miles away from home. The journey to the campground starts at Millers Flat Road which is a dirt road that is for the most part well groomed/maintained. It is very bumpy, but can be done with most vehicles. We were towing our 24' TT so we were going slow. It is about 8.3 miles of dirt road to the campground from UT 31. The sites are spaced far enough from each other which gives you plenty of room to spread out and relax. The short walk to the pond is easy and you will appreciate the stillness of the water. Most people were either fishing or enjoying the pond on a row boat. Not 100% sure if the pond is okay to swim in as there are no signage and the presence of blue algae is apparent. Potters Pond is part of the USDA national forest and is wide open and plenty of trails to hike/bike. The campground is adjacent to the Appain Trails where one has access to 300+ miles of off-road enjoyment. 

The campground does not have any potable water or any services. There are vault toilets spread out throughout the grounds. Also, there are no dumpsters....so what you bring in, you have to take with you. The campground is situated above 9000ft elevation so the days are mild warm and the nights can be cool to cold. If you're looking for solitude and nature, this is the place to go!

Winter hike to find an old geocache

This was a nice place to stop. Not far off the main roadway. Lots of shade. Open fields, so watch out for cows and cowpoo! I would camp here again. There was one other camper and it was very quiet.

This wasn't where we planned to camp but got too tired to drive any further. We are in a Toyota Camry and just hammocking. This spot worked out nicely. There was someone in the actual place of the coordinates. But we found a spot near by.

We pulled in after sunset to stop before going all the way north to SLC. The road was pretty doable in our truck, but it think it would be easy in a sedan too. There was a roundabout at the coordinates and another van was there, but there looked to be 3-4 more small spots for tents or vans. Not sure how many could accommodate a bigger rig. Lots of bugs, none biting. About a 7-10 min drive to the freeway. No freeway noise though. Some broken glass and trash, but nothing unexpected.

Perfect place to stop for the night. Road is fine. A few ruts. Super quiet.

Great spot for camping with a group. Quite a few spots accessible by car. A couple fireplaces here and there too. A fair amount of fallen pine and juniper wood there to use for building fires. Just remember to drown out your fires with water (there’s a sign).

I do not recommend tent camping here solo though. This wasn’t my first time tent camping solo either. As I was laying in my sleeping bag inside my tent around 11pm, some creature started stalking me around midnight. I could hear it moving and breathing outside my tent. I managed to scare it off by hitting my car’s “panic button” on the keys. I then packed up immediately and left.

Much bigger climb than expected, so if towing a heavier trailer be aware. Gravel road is well maintained with minimal washboard.

Looks like there was a flood in the past - destroyed site #1. Remaining 11 sites are nicely shaded among the trees. Limited space for small trailers/campers. Good for campervans or tent campers.

Water supply is turned off at all water sites - unsure whether this is related to flood damage or something else.

11 sites with nice fireplaces, fire rings and picnic tables/benches.

Great little area with trees near the river. Awesome hammock trees. Swimming holes in the river.

The road getting you into this deep canyon sets the mood for the epic adventure of sleeping down by the river and surrounded by massive rock walls.

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.

Such a beautiful campground! Very private and not crowded, even during the busiest weekends. Access to lots of pretty places to run around and explore. Great places for kids to play. Lots of tall pine trees. I definitely recommend!

My favorite thing is how secluded it is. Definitely would recommend

Was unable to get in, this whole area was under closure. No for sure for how long. It wasn't a normal seasonal closure. Cuz all the areas around it are opened.

Forested campsites in mountains. A few campsite loops. Can get crowded and noisy. Bears. Fire rings and picnic tables.

This campground was super pretty, but definitely not my favorite. The sites were super close together and there were neighboring dogs barking for most of our stay. I don't think I'll be back...