Looking for the best dispersed camping near Summit? Dispersed camping means that no facilities or amenities are provided, so that you can truly disconnect and get back to nature. Find dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots from other campers.
Kolob Reservoir is a 250-acre impoundment of Kolob Creek in southwestern Utah. This mountain reservoir is a popular place for the desert dwellers of St. George, as well as southern Nevada. The reservoir and most of the shoreline are owned by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. Dispersed camping is allowed and a few vault toilets are provided, along with a boat ramp and dock. Private land restricts access around the southwest bay. Seasonal access from the south is by paved county road from Virgin (Utah Highway 9); and from the north, by gravel road from the Right Hand Fork of Cedar Canyon (Utah Highway 14). Winter access is limited to snowmobile.
$53 / night
Yankee Meadows Campground is a little known gem that offers outstanding beauty and recreation. The scenery is fantastic at the lake with towering volcanic cliffs of Sydney Peaks rising in the distance. Trout fishing and boating are the most popular activities. There are several ATV routes around Yankee Meadows, including the Markagunt and the Second Left Hand trails. Trail users are strongly advised to pick up a trail map from any Dixie National Forest Service Office. There are hiking, biking and horseback riding trails in and around Yankee Meadows – Vermillion Castle, Noah’s Ark, Henderson Hill, and Yankee Meadows Loop. Campground Map Facilities 27 campsites with picnic tables, and fire rings 2 double sites with picnic tables, and fire rings ATV corral for all OHV parking Drinking water Vault toilets No garbage disposal, please pack it out
Sorry! We have not entered information for this camping area yet. Information will be coming soon. In the meantime, please contact the Cedar City Ranger District at (435) 865-3200 for information on this trail. Thank you.
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 developed campground. Dispersed camping is free, therefore no services or facilities are provided; such as trash removal, tables, and fire pits. In some popular dispersed camping areas, camping is limited to designated sites only. Some visitors stay in a primitive style by setting up camp outside of any designated campsite area, sometimes referred to as “boondocking”. It is a great way to connect with nature and enjoy parts of Bryce Canyon Country that not many people see. Plus, it’s free camping. Dispersed camping is not permitted in all areas. If you’re going to set up a primitive camp in this way, please be sure to adhere to the following guidelines: Only camp on public land Keep your campsite minimal so as not to disturb the natural environment Remove any waste you produce, and Leave No Trace Be respectful of other visitors and wildlife in the area Keep track of your location so as not to get lost, and stay away from potentially dangerous areas.
Yankee Meadows designated dispersed campground is situated in a beautiful valley near Yankee Meadows Reservoir.For information on dispersed camping click on the related link to the right.
Guide
This continues to be one of our favorite boondocking sites even after four years on the road. This time we visited in late October/ Early November. We had some minor snowfall while we were there but that is to be expected at this elevation. We filmed a campsite review for anyone who is interested, we linked in on the video tab here on Campendium but here is the direct link to
Great for rigs of any size, with thousands of acres to choose from.
Scout
This is a great site to wake up to if you can get to it. Lady and I drove in after dark. While you don’t need 4x4 during dry months, it will help with the drive. It’s steep, loose dirt until you start hitting rocks.
Stay in the trees to protect from the wind, but there is plenty of space regardless and each site has its own fire pit. Looks like people make their own too.
Legend
The spot was nice and close to Zion. Some single spot and a large flat gravel pad that multiple vans/cars/tents can fit on close to the main road into Springdale. Fills up early in the day during peak season, so have backup plans.
I stayed in the large gravel pad area 3 nights and had a great view and a lovely flat spot to park on. 2 or 3 other vans or tents were also there each night.
Guide
So close to Zion this is a great free camping spot. The access road is a bit bumpy as the pavement is potholed but no trouble in our Class C. Lots of spots to choose from and some great views to be had. Highly recommend
Traveler
Excellent boondock spot. Excellent AT&T coverage
Traveler
The area was very easy to find and very quiet. I arrived as sunset and only saw one camper. I know it is the end of the season, but other places right now are packed.
Make sure you camp in a designated spot, marked with posts and numbers.
T-Mobile work...2 bar LTE
Guide
This area is great for dispersed camping near Red Canyon and before you get to Bryce Canyon NP. Plenty of dispersed camping spots. There are no restrooms, water or electricity. Ponderosa Pine trees. Have stayed here several times.
Scout
Awesome location! Beautiful views! Multiple sites
Scout
There’s a cluster of spots for both tents and trailers to post up. The river is beautiful but appears they prefer no access to it. The fence line is down so people go anyways. This place fills up on weekend so if you get there early in day you can pick a prime space. Fire pits are all over and used. We grabbed a spot right next to the bridge and water under the falls colored tree. Stars at night are stunning. It’s quiet but you do hear the occasion car passing by from the nearby road, yet the white noise from the river softens it. October gets around 50 at night so come prepared if you’re tenting. About 20 mins outside of Zion main entrance. The mountains surrounding are beautiful.
TravelerWe rented a van from Escape camper vans and this spot of easy to find and get to! We saw a lot of people with campers and vans. We kept driving until site 10 which was the first one that was empty at about an hour before sunset. Very private and lots of fire wood! Right outside of Bryce NP. As we left early in the morning people were pulled off the side of the rode. Looked like they were just looking for a place to park overnight.
Scout
First of all, these GPS coordinates take you to a place called Kolob Gate Gardens, which you can also find on the Dyrt. Kolob gate gardens is private property, but on the outside of Kolob Gate Gardens, it is BLM land. The people squatting there who identify themselves as “hosts” want you to think it’s all private property and pay between $31 and $50 a night for their place, which is a complete dump. There there are several dogs on the loose who will come running at you. Mind you, we are staying on the BLM portion of this property. But you can’t tell other than that no one is staying on the private property - the outside edges of the property, where it is BLM, are full of campers and tents. Steve, the person who runs the Kolob gate gardens part, is nice enough but the place is run down. In addition, there is a guy who has been squatting on the BLM property ( by his own admission) who wanted us to leave because he thought we took too much of his space. We are parked prob at least 300-400 yards from him. I thought the coordinates given here would take us to Kolob dispersed site # 2 as advertised on this app but it is not clear. Do not pay no matter what they try to tell you unless you are on one of their numbered ugly sites. Their site says they offer toilets but they are portapotties that haven’t been emptied in years prob- and they tried to make a shower by diverting water from the creek near by. The shower is not functional now. Either way, this place is no good, whether you are on BLM land or not
Guide
Relatively easy access from N Kolob Terrace Road. Arrived around 6pm and there were numerous sites taken up by longer term residents and fellow campers.
Most of the sites have ample space and a stone fire pit. 2-4 bars of T-Mobile 5G.
GuidePulled in around 9pm and found an empty site about .5 miles from Route 12. Awesome spot. Fire ring and very spacious. Managed to get 1-3 bars of T-Mobile 5G/LTE all night and morning.
Will most certainly revisit next time I’m in the area.
Guide
Loved this spot!! It’s quiet and has a creek and trees Lots of sand so don’t get stuck, you can go to Belly of the Dragon before anyone due to camping next to it!!
Guide
Beautiful views as well! The road is very bumpy and campsites are close enough to hear neighbors but not bad at all for free camping
Guide
Very pretty spot. Clean and level campsites. Had a very hard time finding a site, very crowded. But once we did we loved it. BEWARE! Someone stole our trailer break emergency breakaway cord, it was a pain in the butt. Hopefully it was just a one time thing.
Scout
Not a bad camp spot but it was hard to find a level spot. We were staying in our rooftop tent and had to find rocks to level out
GuideLong drive from the main hwy with some steep and bumpy roads. A 4x4 will have no trouble regardless of the conditions. Saw a Nissan Altima go the same route, but would’ve gotten stuck if it was rainy.
Lots of shrubs to hide behind with plenty of fire circles. Drive around until you find an empty spot. Decently quiet. You’ll hear people around when it gets busy.
Guide
I enjoyed my stay here. I pitched a tent and drove a Honda Accord there. There was great cell service a bathroom/rest stop within 5 minutes and this is only a 15 minute drive to Bryce canyon NP.
GuideThis has been an amazing spot to stay at. Prefect for day trips into Bryce and Red Canyon!! All the others staying were so nice.
TravelerLocation is great for one night. Very close to the entrance of Zion park.
Road was a bit rutted but can be handled by any medium clearance vehicle.
Good cell coverage with Verizon.
Guide
Many spots available. Trees for some shade and a small creek. Stayed on a Wednesday and there was BMX racing at night till 10pm could hear them from our spot but it wasn’t a bother to us.
GuideThis is a great spot for easy access to Zion’s west entrance. It isn’t the quietest spot, lots of people pulling in to find spots late into the night, and you can see and hear your neighbors, but that didn’t bother us much personally. Everything is sandy, so be prepared to shake out your bedding before bed. The roads were not rough, just sandy and bumpy. Many spots to choose from, just look for campsite markers or fire pits. You can hear bomb testing from Nevada which was cool to us, but just a heads up.
GuideWe drove the ~7 miles on dirt roads to get to the listed coordinates and the vibes were horrible the whole way. We eventually got .2 miles from the listed location and there was a gate that was closed and locked. even if it wasn’t blocked off, i wouldn’t recommend it😅
GuideEasy to get to, plenty of room and quiet. One of the best spots we've stayed in. Vault toilets across the highway if needed.
Guide
We stayed here for 1 night recently. The site itself was fine, though there was a bunch of trash all over. Enough room for our 39ft rig and toad. The road getting back to it was so twisty and tight that we scratched up the side of our rig. On the way out, we laid our outdoor rug on the bushes to keep from scratching again, so it is possible to get back here, but be prepared to work around that obstacle.
Also, there is a sign at the entrance warning that the area is used for "rodeo livestock" grazing, and to be cautious around them and not to approach them. We never saw or heard them, but it's something to be aware of.
Scout
We were driving through looking for a quick place to pull off the highway for the night. It's a few tarred miles off the road, but wauper esy to find, even at 11:30 pm when we stopped. There was only one car that came in after us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Summit, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Summit, UT is Tom Best Spring Road FR117 Dispersed - Dixie National Forest with a 4.8-star rating from 70 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Summit, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 112 dispersed camping locations near Summit, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
