Top 10+ Tent Campgrounds near Rush Valley, UT

Let me start off by saying the other review for this CG is about 250 miles off target.  The Narrows CG the other person is talking about is located in Zion National Park near St. George/Springville in southern Utah.  There are no soaring sandstone walls here!  There are however amazing overhanging water sculpted limestone cliffs that contain some of the hardest climbing that the west desert of Utah has to offer!  There are a decent amount of routes on either side of the road with the majority of the routes being near the Upper Narrows CG. 

This CG is setup in much the same way as the Upper.  There are metal fire rings and picnic tables at each of the campsites with a vault toilet within a couple minutes walk from any of the sites.  There are only 3 sites and there are no water or trash facilities so bring all you need and then pack it all out!  The creek offers a nice respite from the heat in the summer and would probably be decent fishing as well.  I only saw a couple trout while wandering around but I'm sure there are more!

Stayed at Ken's Lake Campground in early October, and despite to cool temperatures the campground was¾ full when I arrived just before sunset. Found two of the loops full, ended up staying in site 1. Ken's Lake Campground is a fairly large campground located 10 miles south of Moab. The campground has 48 sites but it did not feel that large. The campground is divided in to three loops in two sections. The first section contains two loops, sites are spread a good distance apart which is good since these two loops are almost entirely in the open with only the occasional small tree or large bush. Being in the open the sites were quiet windy during my stay. While the campground is near Ken's lake there is no direct access to the lake from the campground. The upper section located a short distance up the main road has a little more privacy as it is just inside the tree line and sites are nicely spread out. The sites in the upper section are nicer sites in the campground, and provide some shelter from the wind. Being several miles from the highway made for a nice quiet nights sleep. The campground has great view of the La Sal Mountains to the east and the redrock formations to the west All campsites have a picnic table with metal fire rings. Several vault toilets are available through out the campground. Trash service is available. You will need to bring your own water as there is no water available at the campground. Sites are$20 per night. Ken's Lake campground has two group areas, group site A in the lower section is just to the right when you enter the campground. Group site A has two horse corrals. Group site B is located at the end of the upper section. Both group sites have fire grates, picnic tables, a shade shelter and are near a vault toilet.

You really need to know this: No dogs are allowed because this campground is in the Salt Lake City watershed.

And this: As inviting as the water running through the campground may look, you are not allowed to swim, wade or wash in it.

One more thing: Gate closes at 10 pm although that didn't stop some partiers at the next site in from us. They partied and left around 11 or so. There was no payment tag on the post. The exit is open but has tire shredders if you enter over them.

A pleasant surprise at a Forest Service campground: 10 lbs of ice for $2! (There was also the usual bundle of firewood for $6.)

An unpleasant surprise: Old, dirty bathrooms. I've seen cleaner vault toilets elsewhere than these flush toilets.

There is no water for now (July 2018) in bathroom sinks or at spigots. The host said something about a pipe issue and water needing to be tested. That covers the amenities other than dumpsters.

What about the sites? We arrived on a Sunday morning when the host was putting up signs indictating which sites were reserved. We had 3 possible sites among 1 through 19 and grabbed #9, a pull through site with a buffer between the road in the parking/small RV area.

Sites in the other area (higher numbers) were becoming available, but that area's host said many of the sites were only appropriate for tents.

Our site #9: There are a few steps down to the picnic table, fire ring and grill plus a separate area to the left for a tent. See photos.

General site info:

• Some sites have a concrete pad for the picnic table, etc.

• Many sites have an area for the tent that is away from the picnic table and concealed from the road.

Ken's Lake Recreation Area located just 10 south of Moab is a nice place to cool off or camp during the hot summer months, but not in October. Visited in early October and did not spend time in the nice day area as it was in the low 40's and I was not trying to avoid the heat. That being said the lake looks like a great place to spend part of your day to cool off or do a little fishing. I spent my visit at the campground just down the toad from the day use turn off. Their are two turn offs for the campground. The first turn leads to two camping loops and a group use shelter with horse corrals. The campsite in these two loop are out in the open as only a few small trees are in the area. This area was windy during my stay, not what I wanted on a cold day and night. The wind would be nice to keep bugs away or keep things a little cooler in the summer. While you are in direct full of all the other campers in the loop you do have plenty of room as these sites are spacious and spread apart with lots of room between sites. A little further up the road is the other section of the campground. This section is just inside the tree line and provide a bit more privacy with all the trees and bushes. Site are a little closer together but still nicely spread apart. Their is another group use site with a shelter at the end of this section. All site have picnic tables and a metal fire ring. Vault toilets are found in the day use area and through out the campground. Their is trash bins at the campground but no water so be sure to fill us in town before arriving at your camp. You can not directly access the lake from the campground, there are trails that lead down to the lake.