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BLM Dispersed on San Juan River allows pets at its free camping sites situated on a bluff above the river. This primitive camping area requires high clearance vehicles to access the rocky entrance road, but rewards campers with unobstructed views of the San Juan River and excellent stargazing opportunities. Several pet-friendly established campgrounds provide additional options, including Cadillac Ranch RV Park with full hookups, clean bathroom facilities, and level sites that accommodate both tents and RVs. Cottonwood RV Park and Coral Sands RV Park also welcome pets in Bluff, offering spacious sites with water and electric hookups. While dispersed camping areas lack amenities like trash service or bathrooms, established campgrounds maintain clean facilities for pet owners. Sites are typically flat with adequate space between neighbors for dog walking.
Sand Island Recreation Area permits pets at its BLM campground with boat launch access to the San Juan River. The campground provides trash service, drinking water, and toilets while still allowing pets. Valley of the Gods Dispersed Camping attracts pet owners seeking spectacular desert views with their companions. Hovenweep National Monument campground accepts pets on leash throughout the camping area and on select trails. When camping in this region during warmer months, carry extra water for pets as temperatures regularly exceed 90°F. No designated dog parks exist within the campgrounds, but the open terrain around dispersed sites offers ample space for supervised exercise. The rocky terrain can be hard on paw pads, particularly in summer when ground surfaces heat up significantly. Most campgrounds enforce standard pet policies requiring owners to keep dogs leashed and clean up waste.
"Lots of space to choose from with no amenities good views of sunrise and san juan river, recommend a somewhat off road capable vehicle for this area."
"We could stay here for two nights on our own, probably because the entrance is so rocky that is quite dissuasive for RV or buses."
"Scattered water spigots, vault toilets at both loops and a trash dumpster at entrance by the boat ramp area. 15$ nite for camping. 14 day limit."
"We stopped here on our loop of the Utah big 5. Weren't expecting much but it surprised us! There was a nice river and some petroglyphs a short walk away. Water fill and some picnic tables."
from $15 / night
"The position of the campsite on the bluff of the canyon provided a great view of the sunset as well. Clean and cared for restrooms are just a close walk on well marked paths."
"This is a Dark Sky Park but there are lots of those in Utah."
from $20 / night
Check Availability"On the positive was very good water pressure and good WIFI not to mention great views off in the distance. I would stay here again. Full hookups most sites."
"We enjoyed our stay and easy access to Monument Valley and hikes. Get groceries in Blanding."
from $40 - $65 / night
Check Availability"Bathrooms are located next to one campsite but are easily in walking distance of all campsites. Good amount of space in between neighbors so one can choose whether to be private or socialize."
"Valley of the Gods sits in southern Utah near Mexican Hat. The area is somewhat of a small Monument Valley. The views surrounding the campsites are of spires, towers and red rock cliffs."
"Great place to stay when in Bluff, Utah...Nancy, the campground host, is very nice and very accommodating."
"The space was the front one and a bit difficult to maneuver with our large 36' trailer due to the rocks at edges but we managed by going around the circle."
"AWESOME JOB COTTONWOOD RV PARK IN BLUFF UTAH !!!"
from $48 / night
Check Availability"I stayed in this campground once in August when the Pecos Conference was in Bluff, Utah."
"Some are near the water and others are away. It's a wonderful place to stay, providing you get a spot. We had a great time hiking near the large rock formations looking at all the Petroglyphs!"
from $65 / night
Check Availability"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."
"About a 30 min drive to monument valley. No cellphone connection."
"Fabulous customer service, WiFi, dog park, and the views are amazing. Glad we found this place"
"Yes it is right on a highway. We had a site away from the road. Sites were close in some spots. There were sites with patios and privacy walls. Pet friendly."
GuideI just parked in the car park for the night and I would stay the price is a bit much for just a parking spot with no amenities but the staff was amazing and the bathrooms were extremely clean and nice!! Also a very nice dog park!! The spot I was in was next to the entrance and had some road noise as well as bright light from the Park sign.
GuideFabulous customer service, WiFi, dog park, and the views are amazing. Glad we found this place
LegendMy family and I stayed here for 3 nights in late July in a 34-foot travel trailer. We made reservations over the phone and found the customer service to be exemplary (I called at the last minute to both cancel and then later to re-instate my reservation when we had car trouble on the way). When we arrived the check-in process was straight forward and easy. The roads are gravel but well-graded and the majority of the sites are pull-thru. We had no trouble getting into ours, however, we found rather quickly that sites are extremely close together. Our back-side neighbors had to move their picnic table back in order to accommodate our driver-side slide (the distance between our extended slide and their trailer is about 8 feet. But... we all made it work. There is a 10 pm lights-out policy to cut down on light pollution and see the stars. And the people who camped next to us were considerate.
The campground has lots of amenities. A log cabin (rec center) with pool, video games, TV with DVD library, books, and board games. Laundry with decent pricing. Mini-golf ($3 per person). A nice pool and hot tub. A dog park with agility obstacles. Nice playground. Wifi signal is strong with decent bandwidth (they discourage streaming). Next door is a horseriding stables ($40 an hour, $25 for a half hour); the horses come up to the fence and love to be petted. The store in the office is small but has the basic amenities. Groceries can be purchased in Cortez, a 15-minute drive away. And, of course, Mesa Verde National Park is right across the road, less than 5 minutes to the visitor center. The only downside (besides the tightness of the spaces) is that dumpster was very full and near to overflowing.
Overall we enjoyed our stay here, and thought the location to the park and local area was perfect. Would recommend and definitely stay here again.
GuideDon’t let the dilapidated mobile home near the entrance scare you away. This place is super well maintained. Every site is well thought out and has great hookups. I thought a plug water and sewer was pretty uniform. Our site had a pedestal with 20/30/50 amp and then another with 30 20 feet further into the site. Lots of shade. The sites along the south edge of the property have amazing views of the Cortez valley and Sleeping Ute Mountain. Really nice communal fire pit, dog park and some trails too. Some sites have a beautiful brick fire ring too.
GuideLevel gravel spots with concrete pad and picnic table. Grass at every site. 2 dog parks, community grills. Very clean and looks new!
LegendI'm going to start off with this isn't our kind of camping but if you love amenities when you camp, this is the place to be. We arrived early in the morning (wasn't even sure we would be able to check in) but they they said we could get checked in and told us where the other members of our party were at in the park. The office staff was extremely friendly and eager to tell us all about the park. They even had Easter candy and eggs in the office and outside the door for the kiddos. They directed us to our site which was located just behind the teepees. The site was small but it had electricity and a water spicket right behind it. The site was all gravel, even the tent pad but there was a lovely patch of grass behind us that we were directed to put nothing on.
Some of the amenities: There were heated bathrooms with flush toilets, running water sinks and showers. Music played in the bathroom 24/7. There were laundry facilities as well and on the side of the building a dish washing station. You could wash your dishes in a sink with hot water! There's a pool (it wasn't open yet) and for a short little walk, a 3 acre dog park. It was so nice for our dogs to get out and run. Beyond that was a trail that went around a lake and on the other side was a playground, much nicer then the campgrounds which seems a bit outdated. The park wasn't very clean though. There were also several geocaches with in walking distance of the campground.
Shortly after we arrived and checked out the dog park, we began prepping and smoking our spiral ham. It was Easter weekend after all, what better then Easter dinner. Shortly after we put some beans in a dutch oven and smoked those as well. Everyone sat and ate a nice Easter dinner (we all came together from three sites). Shortly after we had our first of three egg hunts in the overflow area of the campground. There weren't any campers down there so the kids had plenty of space to hunt and run. The campground in general wasn't very full, it is still early. We followed up our first egg hunt with birthday celebrations for our youngest who turned 5! Cake and gifts and family. We waited for dark and then had our second Easter egg hunt with glow stick eggs! Shortly after everyone retired and it got cold at night. It had to have been in the 30's. There was a lot of light in the campground. Everytime I peered out of my sleeping bag it felt like morning even though it was the middle of the night. That was not all that appealing to me. You could also hear the highway. The campground itself was quiet but the highway could be heard.
The next morning the kids woke up to their third egg hunt and their baskets from the Easter bunny and then another trip to the dog park. We opted to not eat breakfast here and hit up starbucks on the way home.
Overall, it's a nice park with plenty of amenities. If you don't want to be quite so rugged, this might be a great option.
GuideWe love this friendly, clean campground. There is a 2 acre dog park and a lake right next door. Overlooks the valley, amazing views of the Mesa Verde mtns. Clean bathrooms and laundry facilities.
GuideThe spots were a little close together but nice groomed gravel. Quiet park. Great bathrooms with hot water and lots of laundry options. Good dog park with grass.
TravelerVery nice. Well kept. Basically quiet. Yes it is right on a highway. We had a site away from the road. Sites were close in some spots. There were sites with patios and privacy walls. Pet friendly. View of open vista and prairie dogs in back.
The San Juan River area near Montezuma Creek sits at approximately 4,500 feet elevation, creating a desert environment with dramatic temperature variations between seasons. Summer temperatures frequently reach above 90°F during the day while dropping significantly at night. The region features a mix of accessible riverfront camping and more remote dispersed options on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land.
Explore petroglyphs near camp: At Sand Island Recreation Area, visitors can view extensive rock art panels. "The campground has hundreds of petroglyphs, you can hear the wild donkeys and we saw wild hordes on the river bank," notes David N. The petroglyphs extend approximately 100 yards along the cliff face.
Hike desert trails: Short trails connect many campsites to scenic viewpoints. "Great 6 mile trail to town of Bluff," reports Sotnos B. about Sand Island Recreation Area. These trails are generally flat but can be rocky, requiring sturdy footwear.
River activities: The San Juan River provides opportunities for kayaking and rafting. Many campers bring their own equipment or arrange with local outfitters. "We saw many groups of people launching rafts and kayaks down the San Juan River," Lawrence P. observed at the boat launch area.
Dark skies for stargazing: The remote location offers exceptional night sky viewing. At BLM Dispersed on San Juan River, campers report outstanding astronomy opportunities. "Stars were amazing at night," writes Reily K., while Amina B. mentions "beautiful starry nights up there."
Spacious, private sites: Many dispersed camping areas provide ample distance between neighbors. At Valley of the Gods Dispersed Camping, "We were completely alone with our camper van at our spot, surrounded by mountains in the distance and prairie," notes Thomas R.
Morning river views: Sites positioned along the river bluff offer scenic morning vistas. "River views in the morning are so pretty," says Hannah M. about the San Juan River area. David R. adds, "Beautiful river view when you awake in the morning" when describing his experience at BLM Dispersed on San Juan River.
Road conditions vary substantially: Access to some pet-friendly camping areas requires appropriate vehicles. "Road entrance only with high clearance vehicles - for our expedition truck the road further down was narrow and very rocky but doable," warns Alfred H. about BLM Dispersed on San Juan River.
Limited facilities at dispersed sites: Most dispersed camping lacks amenities. Valley of the Gods campers should "bring water and firewood" as Jeff V. points out: "Unless it's raining or just finished there won't be any water. There is precious little vegetation as well."
Weather preparation essential: Temperature extremes affect camping comfort. At Hovenweep National Monument, "Last week in April - weather was perfect and almost zero bugs. 4500ft elevation," reports David R., highlighting the importance of timing your visit.
Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies across the region. At Abandonded Bridge on San Juan River, Amilyn W. reports "Verizon service Fair," while Greg L. notes "Cell signal is marginal" at Sand Island BLM Campground.
Select established campgrounds for amenities: Families often prefer sites with basic facilities. "The campground provides trash service, drinking water, and toilets while still allowing pets," explains a camper about Cottonwood RV Park, where Nancy maintains "a meticulously maintained park with lots of room, some shady trees, and level sites."
Consider shade availability: Summer heat makes shade crucial for comfort. "No shade available so bring your own or camp in cooler months," advises MP C. about dispersed camping along the San Juan River.
Plan for evening temperatures: Desert nights get cool even after hot days. Brian P. notes about Valley of the Gods: "We got there around 7PM to avoid the heat of the day... The evening was pleasant and the temps got into the mid 50's."
Seek out educational opportunities: Ancient cultural sites provide learning experiences. "The main attraction is the wonderful Sand Island petroglyphs, one of the best panels in the Southwest," writes Charlotte W., adding there's even "one wonderful visual joke involving a bunch of kokopellis."
Campsite selection for larger rigs: Not all sites accommodate big rigs. At Blue Mountain RV Park, "Easy to get to and in/out of spots. Great views and close to a lot of activities," says Nathan B. This park offers full hookups and maintained facilities.
Timing affects availability: First-come, first-served campgrounds fill quickly during peak seasons. "We arrived at 1 pm at the end of May and had many empty sites to choose from," reports Mary S. about Hovenweep, adding "The campground is only about 1/3 full at almost 6 pm."
Level site considerations: Finding level parking is easier at some locations than others. MP C. notes about the San Juan River dispersed area: "We have a 24 ft. C-class RV and plenty of sites to pick from. Level ground."
Hookup availability: Some parks offer partial hookups while others provide full services. Angelaangela reports about Sand Island: "Sites were clean and quiet. Water and pit toilets available," making it suitable for short stays with minimal needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Montezuma Creek, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Montezuma Creek, UT is BLM Dispersed on San Juan River with a 4.1-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Montezuma Creek, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 105 dog-friendly camping locations near Montezuma Creek, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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