Searching for a tent camping spot near Manti-La Sal National Forest? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Manti-La Sal National Forest. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Upper Six Mile Ponds Campground is just ten miles from Sterling, Utah at an elevation of 8,400 feet. A mixed forest of spruce, pinyon, juniper, fir, and aspen covers the area, offering partial shade. Summer wildflowers and wildlife are abundant. Canoeing and fishing for trout are popular at the ponds. Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. "Dispersed camping" is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest outside of a designated campground, and is generally allowed anywhere unless posted otherwise. Many people drive out on Forest Service roads into the woods and find spots that meet the needs for their camp. Dispersed camping may mean no toilet facilities or treated water are located nearby. Typically, dispersed camping is not allowed near developed recreation areas such as campgrounds, picnic areas or trailheads. Some dispersed sites are provided with fire rings and in those cases please use them as they are designating that area as the spot to safely have a campfire. Finally some dispersed sites have a designated footprint for use. If you see a site with any type of barriers or fencing please respect these areas by not pulling motor vehicles or OHV’s. They are there to preserve the surrounding forest making it enjoyable for all.
Upper Joes Valley Campground is located at ~7340' elevation at the lower end of Upper Joes Valley, just south of the intersection of Millers Flat Road and Lowry Water Road. The campground is close to Indian Creek in a treed area dotted with sagebrush. The trees offer shade for most campers and provide spectacular autumn color. Many trails criss-cross the surrounding valley and mountainsides and visitors to the campground enjoy exploring the area trails on foot, on horseback, or by riding mountain bikes or off-highway vehicles (OHV). There are no amenities within the campground. Roads and spurs within the campground are dirt. Nearby attractions include the Joes Valley Recreation Area and the expansive Arapeen ATV Trail System, which has over 350 miles of designated, well-maintained OHV trails suitable for all riding skill levels.
The Sanpete South Recreation Area is located on the west side of the Wasatch Plateau, south of Ephraim Canyon to the Forest boundary. It extends from the Skyline Drive on the east to the west Forest boundary. The closest access is from US 89 and nearby communities are Ephraim, Manti and Mayfield. This area features camping, scenic drives, hiking, motorized trails, snowmobiling, fishing and hunting. The Great Basin Environmental Education Center is located in this area.
Picnic Site and Campground. Facilities include tables, fire rings, water, restrooms, dirt road access. There is no garbage pickup, please pack out all trash.
The Ferron - Muddy Creek Recreation Area is a favorite for campers and fishers. It begins at Wagon Ridge Road on the north and extends south to the Forest Boundary. From foothills near Ferron, Utah it extends west to Skyline Drive. It is located in Emery, Sanpete and Sevier counties and the closest towns are Ferron and Emery, Utah. It can be most easily accessed from SR-10 and I-70. Portions of the Arapeen OHV Trail System are in this recreation area, small reservoirs and dispersed camping sites offer great opportunities for fun on the Forest.
Guide
I've camped at this campground twice now; once in August of 2020 and once in July of 2021. Both times the experience has been good. The campsite has potable water and vault toilets. Before my two visits, I reserved my sites on recreation.gov. This made the experience hassle-free.
One thing to note is that although you can tent camp at this site, the majority of campers are those using RVs. I enjoyed my experience tent camping. However, if you are somehow bothered by RVs or excess noise, you might want to find another campground.
Overall, a good place to stay and I will certainly be back.
Traveler
Tent camped here in early August. Appreciated the large shady trees and relatively private camping sites. Great camp host! Well maintained. Would definitely stay here again.
Guide
Utah state recreation area, OHV recreation area along with beach side camping. Year round access. Campground is RV only (I think) beach tent camping along the whole lake, vault toilets around the lake, Occasionally there are trees but mostly not, can get dusty if people are driving thier off road toys. Only 1 vehicle per reservation extra car can be paid for. Nice beautiful, relaxing.
Scout
Group sites are great for large RVs. Big fire ring area, multiple tables and restrooms with flushing toilets. Most campsites aren’t long enough for RVs over 20ft. Perfect for tent camping.
Guide
There are not many, if any places in this area to pull in to. We lucked out and found this one after unsuccessfully driving in circles trying to find other parks in the area that apparently don’t exist 🙄. We had a tent, tent sites were not good. I guess if you have a RV, pull in, go inside and shut the door, it’s ok for a night. Friendly owners. Check in was a breeze. $15 for a tent site sounded good to us, we were exhausted 💤. Bathrooms are old and just ok. Seems people don’t know how to flush. There are showers.
Legend
Beautiful spot to stop on our route. The day we arrived was very windy. The view is serene and it’s very quiet. There are showers and bathrooms. Most campsites have water and electric and there are tent sites with great views of the lake. They have a couple cabins and on site kayak rentals.
Legend
Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're happy to have this partner on our platform. They offer spacious pull-through RV spots, luxury cabins and Tipis(Teepees), as well as tent sites and a group area for rent. There are bathrooms, showers, and a laundry facility on site. Book your stay with them today and leave your review here!
Guide
We planned to tent camp here, but our friends rented the cabin next to our site and couldn’t make it last minute. So we got the cabin! Great spot. Lake is cool and an easy walk down from the sites. Shade is at a premium, so we were very happy to get the cabin because it was crazy hot. Clean bathrooms with nice showers for rinsing off after splashing in the lake all day.
Guide
Castle Gate RV Park is a newly built RV park, with cabins and tent sites available as well! The splash pad is perfect for kiddos! The Book Cliffs make for a beautiful back drop for photos at any angle! Plus this campground is WALKING distance from the adorable town of Helper, UT. Museums, restaurants, shops, art galleries! There are hiking trails galore near by, and OHV trails too! You can take off straight from your campsite!
Guide
Awesome campground at about 8,600’ elevation, has a couple small creeks running through, water and toilets on site as well. Each site has a metal fire ring (crucial for a campfire during burn bans), picnic table, grill, some sites had an extra fire ring and bench seats. It’s nestled on the mountainside surrounded by aspen forests and farm land. Plenty of wildlife in the area, watch for deer and cattle in the road. We had temps dip down into the teens overnight with a dusting of snow in late September, be sure to pack layers. Overall a perfect spot for tent camping, small campers max, no RV parking or hookups. Not too far from Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Highly recommend staying here and going to Grand Staircase for a hike in the slot canyons.
Legend
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.
Legend
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:
Overall it was very peaceful and I will definitely be staying here again.
Cons:
*Lots of buzzing insects around. The bugs weren’t bad but you could hear the buzzing which was quite annoying.
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:
Cons:
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.
TravelerAwesome first camp of the year. Booked as soon as the state parks opened back up. Place really gave that “middle of nowhere feel”, lake and surrounding area were beautiful. Campsites were simple and bathrooms were nice. Only issue we had was we accidentally booked a site without electric. Could’ve been more clear on website, but also likely a rookie mistake being our first camp in Utah
GuideTraveling east along US-50 "The Loneliest Road in America," we were seeking somewhere to camp after leaving Great Basin National Park. We stumbled upon Oak Creek Recreation Area quite by accident, but such a rewarding accident it turned out to be. It must be the best kept secret in western Utah for camping.
Oak Creek campground is located four miles east of Oak City, Utah. It is nestled in a canyon in the Fishlake National Forest. We arrived at the campground late afternoon June 5, 2023 and had our choice of ANY campsite - we were the only occupants. We selected site 19, a back-in site at the end of the loop that runs through the campground. The site is less than 100 feet or so from Oak Creek which runs parallel to the campground. The site is level and easily accommodated our 18-foot travel trailer. Using our Senior America the Beautiful pass, the cost per night was $8.00 and worth every penny. In addition to this campsite, there is additional camping further up Oak Creek Canyon Road for tents, RVs, and trailers - access is via a well-maintained dirt road beyond the campground we stayed in.
Highly recommend this campground for peace and quiet!
ScoutThis campground is really nice. A lot of trees, tent pads and showers. Bathrooms are really clean.
Traveler
We stayed this weekend (early May 2021) at the Swinging Bridge South Campground and had a great time. The campground includes:
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.
GuideCamped here with our tent while passing through on the way to TX. Peaceful and nice star views!
Guide
This camp can be rented by camp ground for $150 per night. Multiple tents fit per site. We had 6 tents, and had room for several more. Covered pavillion with three picnic tables connected end to end. Ample area for kitchen set up, nice fire pit, water from pump, shower houses, flushing toilets, port-o-potties also available throught the entire camp. Camp store available during summer months. Great for groups small to large. We enjoyed seeing deer walk through our camp daily. About 15-20 minutes from Payson City.
Traveler
Absolutely beautiful setting. Lots of trees if you want to hammock. Plenty of space for tents too. Unreal location, and the lake is beautiful.
Guide
This was a great site to stop and pitch my rooftop tent. Not too far up the canyon, and it was very quiet. It is RIGHT next to a mountain bike trail, so expect some early-morning bikers to be coming down.
Overall, it was a great place to camp.
Guide
There is a fire pit. Access is easy on and off from a gravel road.. Campers, RVs, and people with tents can easily use this site. No facilities.
ScoutThis campground is really clean and quiet. There’s room for tents and also it has many RV sites with electric, water and sewer. We were there in late September and the lake was very dry down to the creek bed. We saw many deer and jackrabbits. We would definitely stay there again. It is a developed campground.
RangerWe loved camping here for a couple days. The scenery was beautiful and we enjoyed being a little more secluded in our site. Lots of green grass and the sites are great with a sunshade over the tables and great fire pits. We stayed in an trailer, but each site had a tent pad that is well taken care of.
Guide
We stayed here a while back and loved the camp grounds. They are nice and well kept. Great for trailers or tents of any size. Depending on the location you reserve you'll have an area of grass and a spot for your vehicle. We love going there in the summer months. Even to just go fishing is great. They also rent paddle boats and canoes if wanted. Have a sandy little beach as well. We mostly go for the fishing though. Awesome place!
Legend
A remote BLM CG (Swinging Bridge North) along the San Rafael River, in the San Rafael Swell, Utah. Never had an iota of cell signal here on any carrier in my previous times here.. But my SL-RV setup is doing the job. This area is about as wild as I get! 25 miles of gravel road to I 70 and no services till 30 miles east on I70 after that to Green River Utah.
Swinging Bridge North BLM CG is $15/7.50 senior. Only seven large sites with cottonwood tree shade. Lots of gravel road to get here. CG has vault toilets but no water, no dumpsters and NO cell signal.
Ranger
We loved the reservoir! It was easy to drive up to a campsite and unload the tents and still use the Jeep and truck tailgates for coolers and such. We floated and also took the kayaks. There is little shade so make sure to pack sunscreen in the summer.
There are no facilities, so being your own water and plan to use "natures toilet". I would suggest water shoes because the shore can be murky when wading in.
We had an amazing time!
ScoutWe camped here in May, 2024, on our way north, traveling through Utah. What looked like a nice campground from the Utah State Park website was not a nice campground. Firstly, the bathrooms were not clean. Second, this seems to be a hang-out for the locals in Huntington, especially the teens. Third, what few trees there are, are half-dead from not being watered. There is evidence that a lot have been cut down, probably because they died entirely. It is a mystery that a state park, with a reservoir, does not water the grass and trees in the campground! Fourth, and most importantly, there is semi-truck traffic on the highway that borders the campground, about every 5-10 minutes, day and night, no exaggeration! Drive a few hours northeast and camp at Green River State Park in Green River, UT. That is truly a nice, park-like setting, away from the noise of I-70.
Tent camping near Manti-La Sal National Forest in Utah offers a serene escape into nature, with various options for those looking to pitch a tent in beautiful surroundings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Manti-La Sal National Forest?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Manti-La Sal National Forest is Willow Creek Road - Dispersed Site with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Manti-La Sal National Forest?
TheDyrt.com has all 27 tent camping locations near Manti-La Sal National Forest, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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