Planning a dispersed camping trip near Montezuma Creek? Dispersed camping gets you off the grid so you can disconnect from the hecticness of everyday life. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your Utah excursion.
Lots of sites, all free, primitive. GREAT views of the Mexican Hat geological features. Good for 2wd cars.
Looking for a retreat from the hustle of daily life - where the stars are bright, the air is clear, and the only noise is a nearby owl hooting into the night? BLM Utah provides outstanding camping opportunities for every comfort-level. From remote, backcountry camping to front-country developed sites, you will find the perfect campsite on BLM Utah-managed lands. BLM camping areas provide differing levels of services - plan ahead and be prepared, bring water, and the appropriate means to deal with your trash and human/dog waste.
The beautiful Cedar Mesa sandstone monoliths, pinnacles and other geological features of this enchanting area are known as a Miniature Monument Valley. These sandstone sentinels were eroded by wind and water over eons of time. The 17 mile loop through the Valley of the Gods is a graded gravel and clay surface road (San Juan County Road #242), that has a few sharp turns, and crosses several washes. Driving time is approximately one to two hours. It is suitable for passenger cars when the road conditions are dry. However, road conditions vary throughout the year with regional weather conditions. Local inquiry should be made during and after periods of inclement weather. There are several car camps along this route. However, no campfires are allowed.
Free dispersed, also known as primitive, camping is allowed at the Monticello Field Office, Manti-La Sal National Forest, and Bears Ears National Monument except where posted. Any in-canyon camping on Cedar Mesa requires a permit, available at recreation.gov. For dispersed camping, remember the following regulations: • There is a 14-day camping limit while occupying any campsite on BLM-managed lands. • Only travel on designated routes. Off-road driving is not permitted. • The best campsites are found, not made. Do not create new campsites or alter existing ones. • Use existing fire rings or use a fire pan. Collect only dead and down wood; do not cut limbs. • Don’t leave fires unattended. Remember to drown and stir campfires before you go to bed or leave your site. • Be aware of any current fire restrictions. • No dispersed camping in the vicinity of developed recreation sites such as picnic areas, campgrounds, or trailheads. • Find an even site to camp on without trenching, digging, leveling, or trimming tree limbs to fit your tent or trailer. • Be courteous of other campers. • Pack it in, pack it out, including human waste.
Scout
We stayed for 3 nights due to the convenience of Mesa Verde NP. The GPS coordinate on Google were spot on. The driveway was a little rough and can get very pitted with wet weather. We have a 38 foot 5th wheel that had plenty of clearance. We stayed in site 9. They do recommend 30ft and under but we got lucky there was an available site.
Traveler
We stayed here during hunting season, noticeable amount of noise in the very early hours of the morning due to this. On a clear night you can see an amazing amount of stars!
Scout
River views in the morning are so pretty. Roads a bit rocky comin in, we didnt have any problems in our subaru crosstreck but could be tough if the geound gets muddy.
Scout
Camped at site #11. Beautiful sunset view. We drove a 4WD truck with truck bed camper with no problem. Never took it out of 2WD.
Scout
Be prepared for no water unless there has been recent rains, and even then there likely won't be any.
It can get windy, so be ready for that, and you'll need to bring your own firewood as well. It's beautiful but there aren't any amenities beyond (maybe) a fire pit.
I'd argue there are better spots on Cedar Mesa itself, but the Valley of the Gods is a beautiful alternative to the more famous Monument Valley.
Both Natural Bridges and Hovenweap are worth the short (an hour at most) drives from camp, and both have developed campgrounds for those looking for toilets or other aspects of civilization.
Traveler17 spots all pretty spaced out, filled up around 5pm on Sunday October 12 (but this could be due to the Indigenous Peoples day being tomorrow).
The surrounding landscape is beautiful.
We didn’t find the road too bad in our Ram Promaster, but we have a pretty high clearance.
Traveler
Never in my life have I heard of Mexican Hat, let alone the rock it’s named after. Jeez this place was cool, the river was beautiful, the dispersed camping areas were great under the stars, and that dang Mexican Hat Rock juxtaposed to the unforgiving sea of desert just put a huge smile on my face.
Guide
Very easy to drive on road, we took a 2WD car and had no issues. Plenty of spots so you’ll always find a place to camp for the night.
Great views at every spot and barely any road noise from the highway. Good AT&T coverage.
No fires allowed here so keep that in mind
Guide
You need clearance to be able to enter this spot, there’s a large rut which stopped us from getting into the spot, we had to turn around - so only attempt to come here if you have a 4x4 or a vehicle with clearance
GuideSo beautiful. Plenty of dispersed sites. Even on a Friday at 5pm! Sacred. Revenant. Be respectful of this beautiful land!
GuideThe only reason I give this place a 3 is because of the close proximity to Mesa Verde NP. This stay is only for high clearance vehicles and small RV's. Deep drain ditches between service road and sites. All sites are extremely uneven. Also the road and sites have sharp crushed shale stone. I have a 35 foot 5th RV and was way too big for this place. But by the grace of God I managed to back into site 12. How the use planks to shore up the ditches so I could get in without bottoming out. I will not return.
Legend
Nice large area, lots of spur roads going to many dispersed camps. Roads have clay so some low spots can be mud holes after rains. Area is at 8850 elv, seems popular for hunting in the fall so be aware from Sept on. Vegetation is mostly oak brush and scattered pine trees and aspen. Cell signal on T-Mobile was almost useless for downloads. This area has a paved road all the way from Monticello, about 8 miles back to town. No toilets, no dumpsters and no water. Two developed FS CGs are close by but seems to have an aggressive approach to dispersed campers using the dumpsters.
Traveler
Got here on a Sunday night at 9pm and site 7 was open. Perfect spot if you're visiting Mesa Verde.
ScoutNot free anymore but still an enjoyable experience. I was the only camper there on a weekday.
ScoutThis is a great spot, but there are only 15 sites, then it turns in to gated off private property. Get there early to help make sure you can find a spot.
Traveler
Beautiful views, good cell reception. Could hear neighbors but people were quiet and respectful. Also lots of bats flying around!!
ScoutI arrived here late afternoon, big sign in the beginning- pay online under www.mexicanhatrocks.com - it’s 18$ per night for just a place to park- no toilets. . No reception with T-mobile to pay online. Went to gooseneck state park campground instead, only 10$ per night and they have toilets.
ScoutNice secluded place. Was very quiet with no one around. Went in July, only complaint is it was hot with almost no shade.
TravelerIt was very easy to find, with good signs. We got here at 1030pm, and got one of the first campsites. Unsure of how many free there were. It was quite a bumpy road, but no problems for our RV. We did however get screamed at my a man in a tent on the campsite on the side of us, but ended up staying in place and had no problems.
TravelerTuta was not the place for the campsites, but rather the start of the road where you can find X amount of campsites.
ScoutWe stayed at campsite 4 and it was pretty nice spot. All the sites were pretty spread out and the road was good. It ended up raining overnight. We're from Minnesota so I had no idea the mud was going to be so horrible. My shoes were caked. The tent ended up super muddy. We were slipping and sliding on the road.
Scout
Very remote area. Beautiful night sky. and peace. The entrance is a gate in a private land, drive about 1 mile to BLM land, mostly dirt roads.
RangerThis was such a nice spot super close to Mesa Verde national park. It was about a 5 minute drive from the park entrance. The road was a little bumpy at places and some of the spots were rutted up but any vehicle could navigate it if they are careful.
ScoutGreat place, but the coordinates are wrong . Using Google maps and it took us to town. Had to look at the map to get there.
TravelerRoad entrance only with high clearance vehicles- for our expedition truck the road further down was narrow and very rocky but doable. At the end there is space to turn and a level place to park. Nice view
TravelerGoogle maps was spot on. Road in was a little rutted, but the e350 made it no problem. Great nite sleep, we are self co tained.
GuideThere are spots for RV's and other spots where you need a 4WD. Beautiful setting with many dispersed sites available. It was very hot, but not much you can do about that…
AT&T service was strong.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Montezuma Creek, Utah, where stunning landscapes and serene environments await outdoor enthusiasts. This area offers a variety of spots for those looking to escape into nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Montezuma Creek, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Montezuma Creek, UT is Valley of the Gods Dispersed Camping with a 5-star rating from 42 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Montezuma Creek, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 47 dispersed camping locations near Montezuma Creek, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
