Best Tent Camping near Smithfield, UT

Dispersed tent camping options near Smithfield, Utah include both established and primitive sites in the surrounding canyons. Smithfield Dispersed Campsite offers free camping with walk-in and drive-in access along a creek, while Green Canyon Yurt provides a more structured tent camping experience with toilet facilities. Cache National Forest Bridger Campground, located in neighboring Wyoming, serves as another option for tent campers seeking established sites during the May to September season.

Road access to these tent camping areas varies by location and season. Most primitive tent sites lack drinking water, requiring campers to pack in their own supplies. Smithfield Dispersed Campsite permits campfires but requires a permit, while some surrounding areas have fire restrictions during dry periods. Sites are typically undeveloped, with limited or no facilities. Higher elevation tent camping areas may have restricted access during winter and early spring due to snow. Most primitive tent areas follow standard dispersed camping regulations, including "pack it in, pack it out" principles and placement restrictions near water sources.

Areas farther from town provide more secluded tent camping experiences with fewer crowds. Smithfield Canyon offers multiple pull-off spots suitable for primitive tent setups along both sides of the road after passing the main campground. Walk-in tent sites provide better creek access and more privacy than roadside locations. Tree cover varies by elevation, with higher sites offering better shade during summer months. One visitor noted, "After you've passed the Smithfield campground there are plenty of spots on both sides of the road where you can pull off and have dispersed camping. Most of the spots are pretty small and would only work for one or two tents or maybe a couple of hammocks." These primitive tent sites serve as good basecamps for exploring nearby trails and canyons.

Detours Nearby

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Friendship Campground

Friendship Campground

45 min away

Tony Grove Lake

Tony Grove Lake

1 hr 1 min away

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Best Tent Sites Near Smithfield, Utah (20)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Smithfield, UT

421 Reviews of 20 Smithfield Campgrounds


  • Pat S.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 28, 2019

    Sunrise Campground

    Good campground, easily accessable

    Sunrise CG is located right of hwy 89 about 10 minutes west of Garden City.  The CG sits above Bear Lake. The sites are pretty spacious, heavily wooded with good shade. There are picnic tables and fire rings at each site. There are 27 sites available. There are no hooks or dump stations. There a vault toilets and no showers. there is drinking wager available. This CG can accommodate walk in tent camping to RVs. You can reserve some sites on rec.gov. 

    This was a good stop that was convenient on the way through northern Utah. The camp host was awesome and funny.

  • Tommy C.
    Aug. 29, 2020

    South Fork (UT)

    AWESOME spot

    Absolutely awesome spot. Hosts were really friendly. Stayed in my pop up camper for a night and there was tons of space for pop up and our site (A1) was the best in the campground, I think. It was secluded with tons of trees. Not all sites had a lot of tree cover. It wasn’t right off the river but it was still only a 30 second walk to the river. There were fire bans in Utah but because of the type of fire set up on concrete and built in fire places, we were able to have a fire all night which was awesome. Also my buddy is a professional singer and brought his guitar so I’m impartial. We had such a great time!!

  • skoerber@moscow.com The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 2, 2025

    Maple Grove Campground

    small campground by the lake

    Stayed one night at the end of May. The road along Oneida Narrows is good graded gravel. At the base of the dam, a sign recommends against large RVs and towed vehicles so I scouted it first, but it's ok, just a little rutted in places. The campground is small, 12 spaces. I suggest not towing a camper that's longer than 20 ft or so, due to the general smallness of the pull ins and the narrowness of the road. Sites have picnic table and fire ring. Vault toilets that were reasonably clean. No water or trash service. There is access to the reservoir shore, but it has a lot of aquatic growth near the shore, which i don't like. So many fish jumping, big ones! I don't know what they were. It was about half full when I was there mid week. Quiet except when the neighbor was playing his trumpet -- are you kidding me?!?! No cell service, Verizon.  Nice shade from the maples. Surrounding ridges are scenic.

  • K
    Aug. 16, 2021

    Magpie Campground

    Got the job done

    We were road tripping through with no reservations. The whole South Fork area has many campgrounds. Magpie is the first and one of the smaller of the campgrounds as you drive up the canyon. We drove through all the campgrounds and didn’t find any hosts to talk with to find out if we could occupy a spot. We thought it would be ok but weren’t sure if we could stay in a spot that had a weekend reservation posted. Plus there was simultaneously not very much shade and lots of overgrown vegetation that made tent camping not very feasible. All the sites with actual river frontage were occupied and most folks had campers. This was especially true at South Fork, Lower Meadows, Upper Meadows & Perception Park campgrounds. We finally found a host at Willows campground who explained the process but we didn’t see any sites we liked there. Magpie actually had some shaded sites so we headed back down there. We grabbed a spot that had no obvious river access but good shade right next to the host site. It was pretty overgrown but had enough of a flat spot to set up our tent and a big concrete pad for the picnic table and huge fire ring. Midweek it was only half full. Campground is literally mere feet from the road. Lots of road noise. Bathrooms were good enough. The host when he finally came around was very nice. The adjacent site was vacant (a double site that cost more $$) and we were able to get to the river there. We stayed two nights mid week and it never filled up but all the sites had weekend reservations. There isn’t a lot of hiking but if you like river recreation or we saw lots of paddle boarders headed up to the reservoir. We drove up Monte Cristo which was still closed for the season but probably would have been more our style. Birding was good around the campground probably due to the river. Again, road noise was annoying but expected. Also note that the forest service’s website was out of date as far as all the campgrounds in this area being open.

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2019

    North Fork Campground - St. Charles Canyon

    Beautiful Scenery in Idaho Mountains

    This beautiful campground lies close to the end of St Charles Canyon near the Minnetonka Cave.  It has 2 sections one of which is mainly for rvs and the 2nd which is for tents and camper Van's.  The RV spots seemed kind of close but the tent sites had ample room along with metal fire rings and picnic tables.  There was a vault toilet up near the rvs  and down by the tent sites

  • GoWhereYouAreDraw N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 20, 2021

    Wood Camp Campground (Ut) — Uinta Wasatch Cache National Forest

    First come, first serve!

    Great area and very clean. The noise from the road isn't very noticeable as you sit along a beautiful creek. It's super relaxing and very afforable! 

    Vault toilets, no water but lots of shade. Each site has a picnic table, tent, and fire pits. Dumpster available when leaving the campground. I would consider this campground more on the primitive side of things.

  • P H.
    Jun. 23, 2020

    Devils Creek RV Park

    Close quarters but friendly faces

    This is an older campground, and space near reservoirs is a hot commodity. The RV park host was very friendly and accommodating. Very clean campground with a nice boat dock and plenty of spaces to get down near the reservoir and fish.

    Warning - Some of the spaces felt like extremely close quarters especially with slide outs. The picture below shows one of the older full utility locations. Some units may not have much room to slide out without contacting the utility boxes. Some units offer great shade and an awning next to a shared fire pit, shared picnic table. Some units have a really nice shared grass area between trailers. Also several people here are seasonal campers with monthly rates. This can make finding a space a little more challenging. Call ahead and make sure to get reservations so you can get a spot.

    Lot size seems inconsistent between spaces as some feel very cramped and some of the high number units without utilities had larger spaces between them, almost appearing as an extra space between two units people were using for pet/kid play areas.

    Dogs are to be kept on leashes, but people should consider short leashes/tie lines as it is easy for pets to cross into adjacent units depending upon where they are staked. Make sure to plan ahead for power adapters. Only one 30amp service so if your planning to run AC, plan to be the first in or coordinate with your neighbor.

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 23, 2019

    South Fork (UT)

    Big Campground by the Creek!

    This campground much like the others in this canyon is situated along the banks of the South Fork of the Ogden River.  Before you get to Causey Reservoir and Weber Memorial Park, this is the biggest campground you'll encounter.  There are 35 single sites @23$ and 8 double sites @46$.  Some campsites are reservable and some are walk in sites.  A picnic table and metal fire ring is at each site along with vault toilets and drinking water scattered throughout the campground.  The campsites in the teens seemed to be the closest to the creek

    As for activities to do in the area, there are plenty of options!  Right by most of the campsites you can fly fish or set off on a tubing adventure down the Ogden River!  It is required that you have a life jacket before setting off.  If you're looking for bigger accumulations of water you can either head back down canyon to the huge Pineview Reservoir or head up canyon to the steep walled Causey Reservoir!

  • Alan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 1, 2018

    Albert Moser

    Nice quiet area with tons of shade next to the creek

    Edry spot has complete shade throughout the entire day and even if that's not enough it's right next to the stream. There are vault toilets, permanent fire rings, and picnic tables at each site with a place for hanging garbage.


Guide to Smithfield

Tent camping near Smithfield, Utah, offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of amenities and activities. With several well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, outdoor enthusiasts can find the perfect spot to set up their tents.

Tips for tent camping near Smithfield

  • The Cache National Forest Bridger Campground is spacious and not too crowded, making it ideal for those seeking a peaceful retreat.
  • At North Fork Overflow, you can enjoy a solitary experience deep in the Idaho wilderness, perfect for disconnecting from the hustle and bustle.
  • For a more rustic experience, consider the Dry Canyon Campground, which offers ample space for group activities despite lacking some modern amenities.

Some prices for tent camping range from $0 to $399

Local activities to enjoy while tent camping

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Smithfield, UT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Smithfield, UT is Cache National Forest Bridger Campground with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Smithfield, UT?

TheDyrt.com has all 20 tent camping locations near Smithfield, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.