Looking for the best dispersed camping near Monticello? The Dyrt can help you find the best dispersed campsites for your next trip. From secluded to easily reachable, we offer dispersed campsites near Monticello just for you.
11 Miles south of Moab, free dispersed sites along Yellow Circle Road. BLM signage designates the area within which you can camp. Many RVs and tent sites. Good for 2wd.
Indian Creek Special Recreation Management Area encompasses the Indian Creek Unit of the Bears Ears National Monument. Indian Creek affords many opportunities for rock climbing on world class splitter cracks formed in Wingate sandstone. Indian Creek draws climbers from around the world to test their crack climbing technique. Bouldering is also available throughout the valley. Campgrounds include Superbowl, Creek Pasture, and Hamburger Rock. Large groups may reserve groups sites at Indian Creek Falls, Creek Pasture and at Superbowl Campground through recreation.gov. Free dispersed camping at Bridger Jack Mesa is limited to designated sites only. In other areas please limit dispersed camping to previously disturbed sites. Alteration of rock surfaces and removal or vegetation is prohibited. Several popular climbs can only be reached by crossing private land. Please use existing trails and respect private land signs and fences. Climbing on petroglyphs is unlawful and destructive. Please Respect and Protect cultural resources.
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.
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 around them. They are there to preserve the surrounding forest making it enjoyable for all for years to come.
Regulations
Follow these general guidelines to help ensure these dispersed camping areas will be enjoyed by future generations of campers:
Camping is limited to 14 days. The campsite must then be moved a minimum of ten miles. Camping is restricted to 28 days in any 60-day period.
All dispersed campers should follow the ideals of Leave No Trace and practice the concept of Pack It In - Pack It Out.
The Motor Vehicle Use Map only allows for motorized vehicles to be parked 150 feet off of any authorized forest service road.
Dispersed camping is prohibited in areas such as developed trailheads and picnic sites.
Choose sites that are already established.
Find camping spots that allow for water to shed naturally. Digging ditches around tents or trailers is not permitted.
Dispose of human waste properly (200 feet from water, in an 8 inch deep hole).
Please do not carve or chop into tree trunks—this can eventually kill the tree.
Traveler
It's a breathtakingly beautiful spot with a fair amount of simple pull offs for camping. Unless it's raining or just finished there won't be any water. There is precious little vegetation as well, but a fair amount of rock outcroppings to block the wind, which howls come spring and is far more common than precipitation.
Speaking of which, don't push your luck if it has rained recently, as the clay softens and becomes slick, packing around tires, and everything else. Plus even if your vehicle can handle the soft soils you'll wreck the road for everyone once the deep ruts dry out and harden.
Some sites have fire rings but that's the extent of facilities, although there might be a port-a-potty by the western entrance to the road, closer to the Moki Dugway. Summers get hot, and I'd head up to Cedar Mesa if so.
There ample dispersed camping on Cedar Mesa, as well as plenty of scraps to get a fire going. This is one of the greatest concentrations of smaller Ancestral Puebloan (formerly Anasazi, which is controversial and regarded as insulting by today's Pueblo tribes) villages, so there are a life time of ruins to explore.
Researching ahead of time will pay off, but both the BLM station by the Kane Gulch trailhead and the Natural Bridges National Monument visitor center have maps, guidebooks, and advice. Please follow the regulations, as this is a sacred ancestral site for numerous indigenous peoples.
The Recapture Lodge at the east end of Bluff has decades worth of old maps to hidden sites for those who want a hotel (I recommend them highly, having visited off and on since the 1990s). They'll give great advice if asked.
Both Natural Bridges and Hovenweap offer something precious in short supply across southern Utah, amazing and beautiful hiking, abundant ruins, and few visitors (this is the rare part). Both are far more enjoyable than Arches or Zion, which are now overrun by tourists.
Valley of the Gods, Cedar Mesa, and the nearby national monuments (also Canyonlands, which isn't as packed as the other famous national parks) offer a chance to experience Utah's red rock country without standing shoulder to shoulder with other visitors. That's getting increasingly difficult to find as the beauty of the region is well known by now.
p.s. Those wanting even more solitude should ask about the off site ruins managed by Hovenweap: you'll often have these to yourself.
Scout
Spending the night on the rim of canyonlands national park— Definitely one of the most magical experiences of my life setting our tents up during sunset and waking up during sunrise overlooking the vast canyon!
TravelerStayed one night in early Oct 24 before making my way into Canyonlands NP on a Sunday night. Absolutely stunning campground. Probably one of the most gorgeous sites I've stayed at. It wasn't too hard to get into or anything on the road and seemed to have tons of sites.
The big BUT is that there was a lot of toiletry waste around the area tho and when it became nighttime tons of people started coming in and that place echos. Please leave no trace, it's such a gorgeous place.
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.
Guide
Flat space, but crowded (already a bunch of RVs, vans and even a semi). Unfortunately, when we found a spot the fire pit was filled with glass beer bottles and trash and the whole area smelled gross. Also, pretty shady and not ideal for solar. We didn’t stay
Guide
Rough road, 2WD is fine. Flatter spaces, good for RVs, are farther back. Only stayed one night because organizers of some Mad Moose race kicked us out to prep (we drove in the dark and missed any signs). Seems like a popular event space, so probably a good idea to check for happenings in advance (and plan ample time for prep!)
TravelerBe 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.
Traveler
Long dirt road with tons of large pull offs. Many group site areas near the bottom were full. I drove a bit further up and pulled into a small dirt cul de sac and set up my tent. Made it up in my 2WD sedan, but it was bone dry. Lots of exposed rocks in the road, so drove slowly. Good spot near Moab after hiking in Arches!
ScoutFirst time camping here! Rolled up during the day and it was quiet with breath taking views of the canyon. Set up camp and once night fall came so did all the off roaders (who seemed young) rolling up to our campsite trying to find a place to camp. This went on until almost 12am. This must be a really popular and well visited disperse camping. Great place to camp if you don’t mind people camping on top of you.
GuideSo beautiful. Plenty of dispersed sites. Even on a Friday at 5pm! Sacred. Revenant. Be respectful of this beautiful land!
GuideThe area for camping is surrounded by hills & mountains so its actually pretty quiet even though its not terribly far off the road. You also cant see the road because of the hills. There were a few other people there but not too busy, close to Moab which was great as it allowed us to get to arches in the morning before the 7AM cutoff for timed entry.
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.
TravelerJust here for a night but one of my favorite spots yet! Seemed a little crowded (might have been a big group) but it wasn’t an issue. The road is a little rough (but fun). Had no issues in an Outback Wilderness.
Guide
Our second night on this road we stayed at this exact site. The way in was much easier than the previous site. The neighbors are louder, playing music and sounds travels, but no biggie. The stars and sunset were amazing.
GuideThere are a few different camps to choose from with a long driveway to make it more private. We got here early about 3 o’clock on a Saturday however, most of the sites were already taken so the site that we ended up staying at the driveway was a little washed out and parts of the actual camping area were washed out. The views were 360 panorama views mountain ranges desert and red rocks. Overall, I would stay here again, but preferably at a different site.
RangerYou should have high clearance 4x4 though I saw a Subaru (don't recommend). The road in is rutted in spots, sandy in spots and rocky in spots. If you can get past all that, you are in for a treat. Most spots have incredible views.
Traveler
Easy access. The views are spectacular in every direction. Fire ring available. Be prepared for lots of sun and a bit of wind coming off the peaks behind you. Staying here in early September, no one here at all. Amazing.
ScoutSeeing the reviews I figured this spot would be packed on a holiday weekend. (Labor Day) had the entire place to myself. Countless camp sites directly on the edge.
4x4 needed to get through some thick sand spots but an easy trail nonetheless.
10/10
Traveler
Beautiful views, good cell reception. Could hear neighbors but people were quiet and respectful. Also lots of bats flying around!!
ScoutNice secluded place. Was very quiet with no one around. Went in July, only complaint is it was hot with almost no shade.
GuideIt’s a bumpy, longer ride in but worth it. You have to go 2 miles back to reach the first campsite. If we would have had an actual 4x4 (or something not rented) we would have kept going further into the area. Lovely rocks. Animals. There was some off road noise but it wasn’t frequent or problematic. Not a lot of shade.
TravelerWas a looong way in on a bumby road. Because the sigh at the entrance says “no camping next 2 miles” you have to drive in ab 2miles on a dirt road. It was good weather when we visited but can imagine it being bad when raining. The campsite itself was quite uneven too, but would be perfect for a little smaller vehicle. We did howler not have any neighbours. We camped in a RV.
We had internet, AT&T 2 bars.
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.
TravelerBuddy of mine told me about this spot, was excited to check it out. The road going in has no signs, its sandy & rough. There's a fun way & a bypass lol. We hooked a right after it Y's, this opens up to more spots but the "road" becomes more rocky, we went pretty far to the right, you def need a high clearance vehicle, we did everything in 2wd in my 4runner, but you should probably scope it out before venturing in. We got a massive spot right in the middle, there were ground tents setup below us, but there was enough privacy. Tons of people were at this spot. Try to get there before 6, we got there right around 5pm and got our spot. It had a fire ring, plenty of bushes, but the view though, CRAZY NEAT!!! Pro tip, maybe bring ear plugs, there wasn't any rain or wind in the forecast, but the wind was nuts, you could hear it howling around the canyon and than smacking the side of your tent as it came around. Sunrise was epic!
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
Guide
Well maintained but also well traveled dirt road. No camping signs are indeed posted, including not within 1 mile of the Rock. Barely can hear 191, dark dark skies, next to an arch, within an agate collecting area, yes please! But limited places to set up, free range cattle have fences up and gates closed. If you don’t feel like roughing it, a $500 per night glamping site is on the other side of the Rock.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Monticello, Utah, where stunning landscapes and serene environments await outdoor enthusiasts. This area offers a variety of spots perfect for those looking to escape into nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Monticello, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Monticello, UT is Yellow Circle Road Dispersed Camping Area with a 4.4-star rating from 28 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Monticello, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 72 dispersed camping locations near Monticello, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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