Best Cabin Camping near Salem, UT

My family and I love camping and have been building our camping arsenal and experience. This campsite gave us a good time and also helped us realized what we needed to add to our “Need to Buy List: Camping Edition.”

First, the Pros of the visit.

1. Designated campsite with deck, fireplace and table! Deck was well built, practically brand new and the same with the fire pit. The fire pit is a smokeless one so the smoke would travel through a ventilation built into it.
2. Has service! We had full bars throughout the campsite. We were even able to watch the Rookie in our tent before bed!
3. Gas station is just 5 min down the road! Nice little gas station that’s prepared to help you with almost all your needs, including flushable toilets!
4. Strawberry reservoir is about 15 min from the campsite and there’s plenty to do there! I won’t go in to detail but we spent majority of our day there.

Now the Cons.

1. The campsite is in the middle of a sketchy RV graveyard! Abandoned buildings and RVs were scattered all over the vista. It was sorta creepy but if you like that kind of thing, go for it!
2. No shade in sight! No trees or anything to provide shade from 7:30-6ish (the sun goes behind the tent around 6). So bring a canopy or two because we forgot to bring one and were scorched! Also the tent heats up like a sauna with the sun beating on it, even with all the windows down and doors open. So if you’re planning on coming back for a relaxing afternoon nap, good luck with that!
3. The wind will take your tent if you’re not careful! The wind gusts would be so powerful at times it would almost carry out tent away from us. We had ours on the deck and it was an ample target for the biggest tent-napper out there: the wind. Without a way to put stakes because you’re on the deck, we were exposed. Thankfully they had cinder blocks under the deck we could use but man it was surely a pain in the butt! So come prepared!
4. Bring bug spray and sun screen! We got burnt so badly and there were ants and ant hills everywhere! I counted at least 5 different ant species crawling around the camp table.
5. Private property signs everywhere. We wanted to explore around our campsite but due to so many private property and no trespassing signs, we never got to explore around us because we thought we would get shot.

Overall, it was not a bad campsite! I think our experience wasn’t the best but that’s mainly due our unpreparedness and lack of experience. There’s many things to do in Fruitland area and also places where you can enjoy the peace and quiet! I hope our learning experience can benefit anyone interested in go to this campsite! Happy camping!

One of our all time favorite RV parks. Located in beautiful Heber City, Utah. We felt at home as soon as we arrived and were greeted by a nice man on a golf cart who lead us to where we’d be staying. There is an adult only section if you’re looking for peace and quiet away from kids. The concrete was level and spacious, each with its own picnic table.

They have two dog parks, one of which is the nicest and largest one we’ve seen thus far. The laundry room was sparkling clean and located adjacent to the pickle ball courts and outdoor fire pits. They have an on-site RV wash available and allowed us to borrow an adaptor from them at no charge. We enjoyed an evening in their hot tub/spa. They also have a large pool area near the bathrooms that were the most well maintained bathrooms we’ve ever used on the road. To top it all off, they have a gorgeous fitness center with weights, a treadmill and elliptical available to all guests.

Overall we were extremely impressed with all amenities and the customer service provided at Mountain Valley RV Resort and would recommend it highly to anyone visiting the area.

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.

We only stayed at Mountain View for one night while passing through, but we enjoyed our stay. The office staff was super friendly. Mark came out on a cart to usher us to our site. He was helpful and provided wonderful advice for the rest of our trip in Utah (Moab). The sites are a bit close, but the campground was quiet and clean.

Our girls enjoyed the pool and hot tub. The laundry facilities were nice and even had a designated machine for pet laundry. The restrooms and showers were private and clean. The water pressure was high and temp was hot. There was a beautiful fire pit near the pool along with pickle ball and basketball courts.

This facility is near the highway but the road noise wasn’t a problem for us.

We would stay here again in a heartbeat.