Escape into nature and disconnect from daily life with glamping near Vernal. Camping has always been a favorite form of travel for many, but Vernal, UT glamping is a new and unique way to do it. You're sure to find glamping for your Utah camping excursion.
Get back to family fun at Dinosaurland KOA! Built to accommodate the largest rigs on the road, the campground's upgraded RV Sites are the first to be booked. Fire pits, patios, pull thrus - this KOA has them ready and waiting. You'll be so comfortable you won't want to leave, but one of the most beautiful regions in all of Utah is waiting for you. Raft the Green and Yampa rivers, hike or bike the trails in the Uinta Mountains, fish the Flaming Gorge or one of the many nearby lakes. Ancient history beckons in Dry Fork Canyon as you explore the petroglyphs in search of the Three Kings. Save a day to spend at the Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument examining the wall of more than 1,500 fossils. Daily ranger programs educate both young and old about Utah's long-gone inhabitants at this state-of-the-art facility. If you want to kick back and relax, this KOA's heated pool is just the ticket, and you'll find the best stargazing around. Northeast Utah is calling your name! Max pull thru: 75 feet.
$29 - $72 / night
Echo Park Campground is located adjacent to the Green River. There are vault toilets, drinking water spigots (seasonal), and a self-pay station. This location has both first-come first-served individual sites and a group site: Individual sites. Individual sites are all first come, first served._Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a first-come first-served site. Once on site, you can pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app. Download the free Recreation.gov mobile app on Android or iOS prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service. Group site. The group site is available through advance reservation (in the campsite list tab, below) and is located approximately 800 feet (243 m) east of the individual campground sites.
https://www.nps.gov/dino/planyourvisit/commercialguidedrivertrips.htmDinosaur National Monument covers over 210,000 acres (84984 ha). Visitor Centers. The monument features two visitor centers - one in Colorado and one in Utah. Quarry Exhibit Hall. You can see over 1,500 dinosaur fossils still in the rock inside the Quarry Exhibit Hall (Jensen, Utah). History & Culture. Numerous cultural sites reveal stories of the people who lived here before and include Fremont petroglyphs, homestead cabins and former ranches. Hiking trails allow in-depth exploration. Hiking. There are miles of trails for hiking and cross-country travel. River Rafting & Boating. Whitewater rafting, both commercial and private, are is popular on the Green and Yampa Rivers. The Yampa River multi-day rafting trips begin at Deerlodge Park. The Yampa rushes downstream 44-miles (71 km) to join the Green River at Echo Park. Boaters continue downstream on the Green River to the take-out at the Split Mountain boat ramp. The Yampa is the largest free-flowing tributary within the Colorado River system. As such, it has a shorter season marked by fluctuations in water level resulting from snow received in the winter. It is characterized by famous rapids such as Teepee, Big Joe and Warm Springs. Raft trips must be arranged in advance. For more information, visit Dinosaur's Commercial Guided River Trips page. Private River Trips require a permit. Scenic Drives. Several roads provide access to key destinations and scenic sites. Scenic drives allow the windshield visitor to see spectacular geology.
The group site is set on a bench along the Green River and provides spectacular views of the surrounding canyons, rivers and Steamboat Rock.
On the Utah side of the monument, the Quarry Exhibit Hall allows visitors to see dinosaur fossils exposed in the rock. Along the road to the group site, view Native American petroglyphs. Besides the monument, nearby Utah State Parks, the Ashley National Forest, Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area and Bureau of Land Management sites provide additional recreational opportunities.
Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees. Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure.
$14 - $25 / night
Iron Springs Group Campground is located approximately 5 miles off U.S. Highway 191, along the Red Cloud Loop Scenic Backway at an elevation of 9,200 feet. Campers enjoy exploring local off-road trails.The Iron Springs Campground Group Sites include both the fenced-in area with picnic tables, and the areas immediately adjacent to site 1 and 2 with a quarter mile for overflow parking. *There is currently NO WATER at Iron Spring Group Campground. The Forest Service is working on repairing the issue.*
Red Cloud Loop offers scenic driving on a maintained dirt road, providing miles of trails for ATVs, hikers and mountain bikers. The loop leads to numerous reservoirs and lakes, overlooks, historic sites and through forests and meadows. East Park and Oaks Park Reservoirs are less than 10 miles away. Both are stocked with catchable rainbow trout. A boat ramp is available at East Park; Oaks Park does not have a boat ramp. Brush Creek Caves are nearby, a popular destination for caving and geocaching.
Iron Springs lies at the edge of a grassy meadow bordered by shady pines and aspens. Sagebrush and summer wildflowers dot the meadow. Many small lakes and streams can be found in the vicinity.
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is known not only for its beautiful red cliffs, but also for its world-class fishing for lake, brown and rainbow trout. Boating, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming and scuba diving are popular activities on the reservoir.Flaming Gorge Dam offers guided tours of the working hydroelectric plant and the dam itself; The adjacent visitor center contains area history exhibits.The Green River below the dam provides spectacular rafting opportunities. A trip down the river offers unique geology, outlaw history and Native American rock art. The Ashley-Karst National Geologic Recreation Area offers dramatic canyons, densely forested backcountry areas, and vast networks of caves.
$25 / night
Camping in undeveloped areas (outside of designated campgrounds) is permitted. Please stay on existing roadways when accessing these undeveloped areas, and follow the practices in "Caring for the Forest" when camping in undeveloped areas. Camping in undeveloped areas must occurr within 150 feet of a designated route in Utah and within 300 feet of a designated route in Wyoming, at least 1/4 mile away from any administrative site, (boat ramps, guard stations, campgrounds, or visitor centers).
Cedar Springs Campground is located in the beautiful Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area on the Ashley National Forest at an elevation of 6,100 feet. Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Cedar Springs Marina are less than a mile from the campground. Exciting recreational activities abound, including boating, water skiing and fishing.
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area is known not only for its beautiful red cliffs, but also for its world-class fishing for lake, brown and rainbow trout. Boating, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming and scuba diving are popular activities on the reservoir. Cedar Springs Marina is adjacent. Bear Canyon Trail, an easy 3-mile round-trip trail for hiking and mountain biking, begins nearby and leads to views of Red Canyon and Flaming Gorge.
Cedar Springs is situated among juniper, pinyon pine and sagebrush on a hillside above Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Shade is limited but the vegetation provides good privacy between sites, many of which have scenic views of the reservoir below.
Flaming Gorge Dam offers guided tours of the working hydroelectric plant and the dam, and the adjacent visitor center contains area history exhibits. The Green River below the dam provides spectacular rafting opportunities. A trip down the river offers unique geology, outlaw history and Native American rock art.
There are 21 campsites on the shore of East Park Reservoir where you can fish for rainbow trout. There is a trailhead at north end of the lake that leads east to US 191, and another one at the south end that leads west to Oaks Park Lake. This is a fantastic waterfowl hunting area.
This campground is convenient to boat ramp with four sites on asphalt.
Lucerne Campground is located on the shore of Flaming Gorge Reservoir at an elevation of 6,100 feet. Boating, fishing and water skiing are popular activities.
Fishing, boating, canoeing, water skiing and swimming are popular activities on the lake. Campers are offered the convenience of an adjacent boat ramp, marina and fish cleaning station. Lucerne Marina has boat rentals, fuel, slips, fishing licenses, bait and groceries.
The campground is situated in a high desert landscape with sagebrush and a few scattered trees. Natural shade is minimal. Typical weather ranges from warm days to cool nights.
Flaming Gorge Dam offers guided tours of the working hydroelectric plant and the dam itself; the adjacent visitor center contains area history exhibits.
$33 - $4500 / night
Dutch John Draw Campground is located within a quiet cove on Flaming Gorge Reservoir at an elevation of 6,000 feet. Campers enjoy easy access to boating, water skiing, fishing and swimming.
A small boat dock is located on-site and is designated specifically for those camping at Dutch John Draw. A short trail leads to it from the campground, providing easy access to boating, water skiing, canoeing, fishing and swimming on the reservoir. A boat ramp is available less than 2 miles away at Mustang Ridge.
This secluded group site is settled in a quiet cove on Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Pinyon pines dot the landscape but offer little shade. The entire site offers scenic views of the water.
Flaming Gorge Dam offers guided tours of the working hydroelectric plant and the dam, and the adjacent visitor center contains area history exhibits. The Green River below the dam provides spectacular rafting opportunities. A trip down the river offers unique geology, outlaw history and Native American rock art.
$230 / night
Guide
Steinaker State Park and Campground is located about five miles north of Vernal, UT. The campground is beautiful, and the campsites vary between desert vegetation, large shady cottonwoods, and sandy beaches. There is also one cabin available to rent. Hike the Eagle Crest trail located at the large group site for beautiful views of the lake, and Vernal beyond. Make Steinaker your basecamp for the many mountain biking trails just up the highway, hiking (check out Moonshine Arch), fishing, and more.
TravelerNo camping in Flaming Gorge w 2-3 feet of snow still....so headed toward Vernal and remembered we had scoped this place out on a previous raft trip. Campsite 12 is beautiful and...we were the only ones here on a Friday!
ScoutThis used to be a fairly decent swimming / fishing hole closer to vernal city than nearby reservoir red fleet. Now the water level is so low I wouldn’t recommend it. Just go on ahead a bit further to visit red fleet instead.
Legend
This campground is only a few blocks from downtown Vernal, but out of town enough for a rural feel. Some highway noise, but quiets down by nightfall. This campground had a good feel to it IMO. Not super large, but almost all the sites were pull through. I requested a spot by the bathroom/shower building & we got a patio site. Very nice site with a propane grill provided.
There are 3 bathroom/showers in the campground. One in the office building, one by the pool & one by the tent section. Bathrooms were clean. I used the laundry room without issues.
They had a couple of tipis, a woody tent (don't know what that is). 15 tent sites & cabins. The RV sites were basic KOA.- in a row & kind of close. We had no issues with WIFI. Staff was courteous& they had a lot of area information. I especially liked the day trips that were numbered. We camped at Vernal/ Dinosaurland KOA Holiday in a Travel Trailer.
TravelerBeautiful area and lake! Close to the town of vernal. 20 miles outside dinosaur National monument. Staff helpful. Bathrooms clean, nice shower areas! Not sure whether it was usual to have so much wind in the area, but good thing our tent was well secured! Had to stow test of the gear in the car so it wouldn’t blow away! Most beautiful sunset ever! Great campsite!
LegendVernal Dinosoar Koa seems like it has a TON of spots crammed into a small are but all of them have green grass, picnic tables, and grills. Some sites have covered awnings some have large shade trees. What I liked about this campground were all the activity options they gave you, unlike some other KOA's I've stayed at. There was a small but functional K-9 park, a kids park, a swimming pool, a jump pad, and they had bike/3 wheeler rentals, and a mini golf coarse. They had a covered patio off of the pool building with picnic tables for use and just on the other side of the jump pad and kids playground they had a HUGE grassy field that you could go throw frisbees on or even fly a kite. They had spots for small RV, Very Large RVs, One special site that came with cable tv, and numerous cabins for rent. If your looking for something just off of the town in Vernal, So you can visit all the great dinosaur attractions, this would be the place. They did have a small store with firewood, some sundries, and tourist gifts. They also have 2 dump stations for $10 a use out front.
GuideThis is a great recreation area close to the town of Vernal, about 5 miles out. There is a lake for fishing, swimming and water sports. There is a nice beach with pavilions and picnic sites. The campground has full hook up spots, Electrical, a cabin you can rent and tent sites. There is a great group site that gives you access to the water and has a covered pavilion. There are many walking trails and atv trails accessible from this campground.
LegendAccess to the park was easy as was check in. The camp hosts were super nice and very accommodating during our three night’s stay. We proceeded backwards through the campground as instructed to pull through site 8, which is FHUs and 50 AMP. We had to maneuver our 39’ fifth wheel so the utilities side bedroom slide wouldn’t go into a tree. The utilities are placed in the middle of the pad so that was nice. However, water pressure was only about 25 to 30 psi so we filled our freshwater tank and used the pump. We got spotty service on Verizon between 1 and 2 bars. In the mornings we were able to get our Verizon MiFi to work well. We really liked being on the upper campground level with more space between the sites and the covered patio with the picnic table. Sites 1- 8 that lead to the upper level are FHUs. Beware that site 8 is a 1/4 moon turn with a large tree then two poles out the front of the site that people have complained about hitting. We could have backed out of the site but decided to go carefully forward and we missed the poles(obvious from scrapes that some people did not), but we did scrape the branches of the trees. Pull through site 7 is probably the easiest FHU to get into. The rest of the sites are a mix of different services, i.e. water and electric or no hookups at all. They also have a couple of yurts and a cabin. The main draw here seemed to be OHVs but there were also a few people with boats. Checkout Moonshine Arch. It took us twice to find the Moonshine Arch, which is just down the road from Steinaker SP. Google maps nor Waze will get you to the trailhead. It's best to ask for directions from the camp host manning the Steinaker SP gate entrance. The first time we were not prepared and missed the turn to the left after you get on the gravel road(there's no sign). When we got to the parking area, we had no idea which way to go and ended up wondering around. There was a couple with a brochure(which you can get at the park office) but it was basically worthless. Since it was hot and we had our dogs, we bailed but did have a nice hike. The second day we were better prepared and found a blogger who had posted instructions. Basically its a.8/less than a mile moderate hike as follows: 1) go through the green gate to an old, rough jeep trail and follow it around to the right to another green gate, 2) before that green gate follow the trail to the left until you come to an intersection where you'll go right and continue until you get to the flat rocks that go up a hill, 3) climb the flat rock hill staying towards the left until you see a BLM info sign, 4) at the sign follow the trail to the left(at this point you can follow the footprints in the sand) and keep going until you get to the arch, which has a sign that you are there, and of course the arch is hard to miss at this point. Some info says you can see the arch after you climb the flat rock hill. You can see trees around the arch once you know where it is but not the arch itself. Also, if you are into dinosaurs, this is your area starting with Vernal’s museum plus state and national sights as well.
Ranger
This was one of my favorite finds during my trip through Utah earlier this summer. We were checking out Flaming Gorge and, predictably, all the campgrounds were booked full. I prefer cool dispersed camping anyway, so I decided to venture off some forest roads to see what I could see. And man, that paid returns!
As you head down this forest road (it is a bit rough, low-clearance cars might have a rough go of it, as well as full-sized RVs) you'll see multiple minimal dispersed campsites, most with small man-made rock firepits and nothing else. You're back in the trees, but they aren't overly heavy, so the light comes through just fine, and you'll have open spots as well. One dispersed site on the way to mine looked to have an incredible view, but alas, it was taken.
My site was very large, right where the fire road (more a trail really) seemed to split in two directions. Tons of flat ground for tents, a big healthy stone firepit, and plenty of wood around to harvest. Set up shop as soon as I found it and glad I did. So quiet, big and open, trees for the hammock - basically everything I look for when I try and find a cool place to camp.
Highly, highly recommended. Would camp here again in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I was too excited to remember to get any good photos of the site itself, so instead, please drool over the shishkabobs I got going on the fire, and the trees at dusk.
TravelerDon't give this place your money. You can't even tent camp here for less than 55.00 per night. Just go another 8-9 miles down the highway to Steinaker where tent camping is 20.00 and RV sites with full hookups are around 35.00.
GuidePretty typical KOA. Bathhouses were clean but a bit worn. They were, however very adequate for the size of the camp. WiFi was better than usual. Some shade. We were in an overflow site with dirt pad but most sites seemed to be gravel. Bring earplugs, lots of road noise at least in the front of the park. If you want great steaks to grill try Unitah meats just down the road.
TravelerThe scenery was lovely. Able to pull into the tent site with our Ford E150 no problems, basically no one else in the tent portion of the site (mostly in the RV section). Every site has a fire pit and a picnic table and chairs. Bathrooms were clean, water was hot.
ScoutGreat place to stay. Close 15 minute drive to Dinosaur National Monument!
GuideSuper clean, lots of amenities pool, mini golf, horseshoes…friendly, helpful staff. Only downside pool closed to early at 8 pm.
GuideFairly spread out for a KOA. Nice staff and good pool. Very popular place!
Travelernice grass sites for tents and a nice bathhouse.
GuideWe just had spent a week in Colorado, we chose this camp ground as a stop over on the way home. When we got here the staff was amazing! The place was clean and the amenities were awesome, so awesome we ended up staying here longer than one night so we could enjoy a movie in the park, explore the end of dinosaur days, and relax in this quiet Koa. We are currently planning family camp 2022, and are planning on staying here for a week to explore all the dinosaurs.
TravelerWow! We spent 3 nights at Dippy Cabin and what a fantastic place! Amazing views, private drive, mini fridge, and microwave. Full size bunk beds, porch, and grill. Absolutely fantastic.
ScoutWater pressure is very low. There was some damage done by a guest to a water line, but the staff was on top of it and had it fixed in a timely manner. Grounds were clean.
TravelerStayed in space 7 in our 40ft Silver Eagle bus. This space is full sun so if you need ro charge solar this is great. 50amp and 30 Amp hookups. Will stay again
GuideThis state park is great. They have trash, water and vault toilets. The sites are a bit closer than I typically like however it still has some privacy. They have various types of sites to choose from depending on what you need. I’ll definitely be back.
ScoutArrived around 1:30 pm without reservations on Saturday August 21st and they had several spots available. We choose space #5 and it was $30 for the night. Would definitely stay here again as it was a beautiful spot, clean, quiet with lots of space from others.
TravelerWow. What a beautiful site right next to a marina area. Very clean and good smelling bathrooms. We got a Sandy site and could sleep on the sand. Tables and grill and pit at every site.
TravelerWe rented the group site for Mothers Day weekend, very clean and nice, close to town...had a blast on paddle boards and kayaks
GuideJust stayed there one night. Nice, clean, campground in the cottonwood trees. There’s a nice lake and some amazing geological features just north of the park.
LegendThis is a great lil campground although I feel like they tried to cram alot of campsites right on top of each other. All sites have picnic tables and firepits with a grill. Its kinda a dry vegetation in the park mostly sage brush and junipers, Some bigger shadier trees towards the lake but you better book those way in advance cause they fill up fast. They have small sites, tent sites, many large pull through sites, and even one small cabin. I did notice 3 bathroom facilities in spread throughout the park though and water spigots throughout. They have recently built a nature trail that runs from the side of the lake around to the front of it so thats a nice lil jont. They do also offer one group site that has a pavilion. This campground is not for anyone that doesnt like to be seen cause most likely you'll have a neighbor right next to you, above you, or below you.
GuideNice spots not too close together. Amazing view. Bathrooms, aka holes in the ground but well kept!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Vernal, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Vernal, UT is Steinaker State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 20 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Vernal, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 glamping camping locations near Vernal, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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