Are you planning a trip to Montezuma Creek with your horse? We've got you covered. Camping with your horse in Montezuma Creek just got easier. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.
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.
$20 / night
$45 - $100 / night
Car camping on top of Cedar Mesa and in many of the surrounding areas is a great way to experience the high desert. Cedar Mesa has plenty of primitive, dispersed campsites. No fee is required to park and camp along dirt roads managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Cedar Mesa, Comb Wash, Arch Canyon, or in Butler Wash. There is a 14-day limit at all campgrounds and at dispersed camping sites. Camping is only allowed in well-established campsites.
No new campsites may be created. Visitors must practice Leave No Trace techniques and Visit with Respect. All trash (including toilet paper) must be packed out. Human waste must be packed out or buried six to eight inches deep, 200 feet from all water sources. Bring all the water you will need for your trip. Outside of seasonal and local fire restrictions, campfires are allowed but must be contained in a metal fire pan. Camping inside the canyons of Cedar Mesa requires a backpacking permit. For visitors hoping for more camping comforts, campgrounds at Goosenecks State Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, and on US Forest Service land generally have pit toilets, tables, and fire rings. Private campgrounds may be available in surrounding towns.
McPhee Recreation Complex is located on the south shore of McPhee Reservoir near the town of Dolores in southwestern Colorado. Visitors enjoy the area for its boating, water skiing and fishing opportunities.
McPhee Reservoir, the largest within the San Juan National Forest and second-largest in Colorado, has 50 miles of shoreline. Boating, water skiing and fishing are popular activities. A boat ramp and fish cleaning station are located within the complex. The half-mile Can Do Trail climbs to a scenic overlook with panoramic views of the reservoir and the beautiful peaks surrounding Mesa Verde to the south.
The campground is situated on a mesa 500 feet above the reservoir, at an elevation of 7,400 feet. Pinyon and juniper trees offer shade throughout the campground.
For facility specific information, please call (661) 702-1420.
Southwestern Colorado, part of the Four Corners region, contains more than 4,000 archaeological sites and more than 600 cliff dwellings. Many sites offer glimpses of the ancient Anasazi culture for which the area is known. Anasazi Heritage Center is 10 minutes away in Dolores. Mesa Verde National Park is one hour south of the campground. The Canyon of the Ancients is an hour southwest and Hovenweep National Monument is an hour west.
Cancellations Individual Campsites: Cancellations up to 2 days before a reservation start date incur a $10.00 cancellation fee. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee including tax and applicable add-on for a campsite. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Group Sites Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): A visitor who cancels a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. No-Shows A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Refunds Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Refunds will not be issued after the 7 days has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile.
$110 / night
Guide
Very easy to drive on road, we took a 2WD car and had no issues. Plenty of spots so you’ll always find a place to camp for the night.
Great views at every spot and barely any road noise from the highway. Good AT&T coverage.
No fires allowed here so keep that in mind
Ranger
Way up there where it's hard to breathe! Had to do things slowly and deliberately but a beautiful setting. No way to get to Bears Ears National Monument unless I had a 4x4 and I have a Subaru outback. Found a great spot that was completely quiet and perfect for stargazing. No bear issues but no facilities of any kind whatsoever. Go prepare!
Scout
13.50. - 36.00 per site. 21 first come spacious, wooded sites with or W/O electric. Peaceful and quiet. Easy access. Clean restrooms. 5 water stations. Friendly hosts. Mountain biking trails galore! Hiking, fishing, swimming nearby. Great base camp allows 30 day stay limit! Don’t miss this hidden gem of a campground!!
Guide
When we arrived it was howling wind and blowing sand. We worried the side of our van would be nothing but primer in the morning. Fortunately by the morning it was sunny and calm with stunning vistas. The area is exposed with few secluded opportunities. Despite mid week in May, many spots were taken. That said, it was so beautiful we would not hesitate to visit again.
LegendThe scenery is amazing and there are ample places to camp. Very little cell reception. The dirt road is in good shape.
Traveler
It’s a dry camping spot. We didn’t see wild animals around. Has a Porta-potty in the campground. Nice views and not too many people in the campground. 25$ per night host came to welcome us and collect the payment.
GuideWe found a spot about 3km in from the 163 entrance. Great views. Windy in the afrernoon but dies down around 5pm.
Traveler
First, you're paying for location. It's a KOA Journey, so you're not getting any amenities. Overall this is a nice campground. Sites are pretty level and gravel. Bathrooms are basic and clean. Staff is very friendly and can assist with directions and tours.
ScoutAs a dispersed camping area, it's a wonderful location with beautiful vistas with radiant pastel colors splattered everywhere. The weather was perfect towards the end of October.
The roads are rutted and although I see plenty of passenger cars back here, my 25 ft travel trailer pulled by my F150 did all it could to pull thru the ruts, hills and hollows. Don't go off the main road without dessert 4x4 capabilities. Spots filled up Friday thru the afternoon. I arrived around 12pm and luckily got a nice spot about a mile in as I did not want to pull my trailer any further in.
Stayed all weekend!
GuideThe valley of the gods is astoundingly, beautiful and spending the night in the valley was near perfection.
GuideGreat Time with great people
LegendGeneral: 56-site campground with a mix of 50-amp pull-thru, 30-amp pull-thru, 30-amp back-in, and 30-amp tent/RV sites. All sites have water and electricity.
Site Quality: All sites are gravel and level. As expected in an RV park, there is no separation/privacy between sites. Our back-in 30-amp site had a picnic table, electricity, and water. However, the picnic table was on the opposite side of the water and electricity, which was confusing.
Bath/Shower house: Very clean. Nice hot water and pressure in the shower (turn the hot water all the way to the left to get the hot water going).
Activities/Amenities: Dog park, playground, laundry with three washers and three dryers ($4 per load for both which was very reasonable). Although the laundry did say it was open 24/7, when we checked in, the sheet advised us that the last load of laundry had to be in by 7 pm. There is a store open from 8 am– 8 pm. Horse tours can also be booked from the campground.
We stayed here as we needed to fill up on water and had booked a Monument Valley sunrise tour and the KOA was one of the pick-up sites. We were able to go on our tour and be back before check-out at 11 am. There are nice views from the campground.
TravelerAbsolutely gorgeous place to park the van for a night. Super easy to find and plenty of areas to find a quiet spot to yourself. Roads were a little rutted coming in but nothing crazy.
ScoutWe camped here for two nights in mid September - site #2. it was really quiet with beautiful views of Monument Valley.
The campsite was big and had a picnic table and shade covering. It also had a rock fire ring.
The owner Laura came by each night to collect the $25 fee. She was friendly and very knowledgeable about the area.
I would highly recommend this campground.
Janell
RangerSimple campground with clean bathrooms and showers. Bonus to have a fenced in albeit small dog run. Playground is good for older kids, too big for our tot. Not a lot of shade or protection from the wind but we were just there for a night. Great views to wake up to and the night sky was breathtaking.
Road traffic was consistent but not overwhelming
Travelerbuddy and I just pulled off the main road to sleep for the night, there was only one other car at the site and e didn’t get a chance to explore but it was beautiful
ScoutProns: 25 dollars per night, viewpoint is amazing, quiet
Cons: No shower, dirty toilets, no water, no trash bins
TravelerSecond time camping with my kids here. This time we got the remote site we were hoping for.
Most sites are right off the main road. Easily accessible by rv’s and cars. Our site was off the main road. Don’t venture off the main road without high clearance and perhaps 4 wheel drive. If you can tho the few sites set up this way are even more remote and awesome!
Only bummer was no campfires allowed at this time.
It is hot in July, but cools off at night. Constant breeze, no bugs. Bring shade as there are no trees except for a couple of spots by dry river beds. The trees do bring bids with them…
Amazing views and no light pollution or sound at night.
ScoutThe owners are very nice people, the views are great. Instead of just driving through we had time to go explore the Valley of the Gods and the surrounding area. We were tent camping and were quite comfortable. I would definitely camp there again. The night sky is hard to top. Rod and Valerie
ScoutOnly stayed for one night but the view was awesome and was literally no one else in the entire campsite (whilst other sites down the road were fully booked). Owners were very nice and offered great advice.
Legend
Snow Flat Rd is rough in a few places for a non-high clearance vehicle, but it's worth it. This site was really good for my campervan, but I don't recommend the drive to this spot for larger campers. The site was large & relatively flat. Had a clean rock fire ring. Private area nearby for toilet setup. Wonderful view from the top of this mesa. Wildflowers were blooming at the site. Site was well off the road. There were a handful of offroaders passing by on their way to/from Comb Wash. Otherwise, very quiet & peaceful. No amenities. No T-Mobile nor AT&T service.
TravelerCampground was awesome! Had very clean toilets and showers, as well as washing machines and dryers! (It costs about $2 to wash laundry by the way). The campground had a gorgeous view of the monuments and the woman in the main office was very helpful and kind! It can get windy in this area so be mindful when you go tent camping here, and bring something to make sure that your tent is weighed down! Other than that the campsite was great.
LegendThe ride on Lower Butler Wash Road to reach this site was no problem for our campervan. Crossed 2 dry washes; took it slow. One of several dispersed sites along road. The site is well off the road. Flat, level spot. It has a rock fire ring. Along side Butler Wash which was nearly dry at the time. Beautiful views all around. Very quiet & peaceful. Only 2 other vehicles drove down Butler Wash Rd. Ground cover & juniper provided some privacy. No AT&T nor T-Mobile service.
TravelerWe stayed one night $25, instead of $60 at others nearby. First come, first go. No water and a dixi as ‘restroom’. Beautiful quiet place. Money gets collected in the evening.
TravelerHaving drove past the packed KOA campground in Monument Vally, we arrived at Sleeping Bear with huge smiles on our faces... couldn't believe what a beautiful location it was and only one other van there!! OMG, desert camping at its best :-) only sad we only had one night there on our Utah road trip. A lovely young lady came to collect the $25? around 8pm, had a nice chat, she told us about the camps history and the formations surrounding us. We went on a horseback ride with Joe Atene, the entrance to which is very close to Sleeping Bear (see on Google maps). Note there are no signs on the main road to the campsite, just follow Google.
Would highly recommend to anyone staying in the area, provided you don't need any facilities, just peace and quiet. The road was in decent condition, our RV was 8m long and no issues at all with parking. some large parking spots are available.
LegendNot very big, but adequate. About 5 miles from the Monument Valley Tribal Visitors Center. Nice grassy playground. Fenced dog run but be aware that smaller dogs can easily go under the gate. Staff is nice and friendly. My only complaint is that while the bathrooms are clean and have ADA showers with seats, there is no ramp to get into the building itself. The step isn’t big, but a person in a wheelchair will have difficulty without assistance.
TravelerThe camping facilities, including the showers, are impeccably clean. Despite our heater malfunctioning, the kind staff generously offered us theirs for the night. The sense of community here is truly exceptional. I absolutely adore this place!
Utah offers stunning landscapes and diverse terrains, making it an ideal destination for horse camping enthusiasts. With a variety of locations that cater to equestrian needs, campers can enjoy both the beauty of nature and the thrill of riding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Montezuma Creek, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Montezuma Creek, UT is Valley of the Gods Road Dispersed with a 5-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Montezuma Creek, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Montezuma Creek, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
