Top 10+ Glamping 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!

My family of five enjoyed this campground. We got a site with access to the river which my kids really enjoyed. There was a fun giant "sliding rock" in the area to climb on. Lots of trees for hammocks. Downside is it's right next to a busy highway and picnic areas. Although the campsite has quiet hours, the picnic area across the street stayed loud well past quiet hours. The road noise was a lot more than I expected.. especially at night. Definitely bring ear plugs or plan to stay only a nite or two. We planned on staying three nights, but were so exhausted by lack of sleep we left a day early.

This is a fun place to stay when you want to go someplace close. There are lots of trees for the summer months and lots of shade. There are a couple good beaches. This is Utah's biggest fresh water lake. There are lots, and lot of bug so bring bug spray.

Awesome mountain views. Good fishing in the Provo river or lake fishing. You can build a fire and get firewood from camp host. There is full hook ups and also spots for a tent. Most spots have a pavilion and nice tables. Great bathrooms with running water. I can't remember which spot we stayed at but they are were really nice.

I would reserve a spot ahead of time, avoiding any site in loop 'E'. That loop is for those planning to camp with horses. There are hitching posts at every site, therefore, lots of horse poo. And not the best place to take a dog because of all the horses in the area.

The camp host at loop 'E' and 'D' is very nice, and is willing to split up group areas to individuals who have no where else to set up camp. If you do this, expect to get to know new people as you will share a fire pit and eating area.

The fee to camp for one night is $20, but that includes access to any of the Payson lakes, which is $8 for day use.

We didn't go on any hikes during our stay, as we bummed at the beautiful lakes (only the middle of the three lakes is dog friendly) all day. However, there is plenty of hiking in the area.

Very hot. Around 90 degrees. Wake up and get breakfast early. Then enjoy the water in the heat!

P.S. 3 stars due to the fact that I had to camp in horse crap.