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Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Vernal, UT

522 Reviews

McCoy Flats MTB Trailhead and McCoy Flats East Dispersed Camp offer free, primitive pet-friendly camping options near Vernal. Both locations welcome dogs and larger RVs with spacious sites accommodating tent and vehicle camping. Basic vault toilets are available at the trailhead location, though neither site provides drinking water, hookups, or waste facilities. The sites feature level areas for camping and permit campfires, allowing visitors economical base camps for exploring the region. The campground at McCoy Flats consistently receives high ratings from pet owners who appreciate the convenient access to mountain biking trails.

For pet owners seeking more amenities, Vernal's established campgrounds provide numerous options. Fossil Valley RV Park maintains clean grounds with substantial shade trees and grassy areas ideal for pets. The park sits within walking distance of town amenities and has proven accommodating to last-minute campers with pets. Steinaker State Park and Red Fleet State Park campgrounds also welcome pets with full hookup options for RV camping. KOA Campground Vernal features a small but functional dog park alongside family amenities like a swimming pool and playground areas. Most campgrounds require pets to remain leashed and for owners to clean up after their animals, with quiet hours enforced to minimize barking disturbances to other campers.

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Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Vernal, Utah (106)

    1. Green River Campground — Dinosaur National Monument

    54 Reviews
    Jensen, UT
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 781-7700

    $24 / night

    "Green River Campground is located inside Dinosaur National Monument - on the ‘Quarry side’ of the park, in Utah."

    "You are steps away from the river. They are huge campsites that can fit a large group. Great spot to enjoy the beauty of Dinosaur National Monument"

    2. Steinaker State Park Campground

    21 Reviews
    Vernal, UT
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 789-4432

    $20 - $150 / night

    "This 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."

    "Steinaker State Park and Campground is located about five miles north of Vernal, UT."

    3. Red Fleet State Park Campground

    19 Reviews
    Vernal, UT
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 789-4432

    $40 - $200 / night

    "What we did enjoy was seeing the lake in the middle of the desert red rock. The kids played on the beach for a little while."

    "Sandy beach and hiking trails. Large parking lot for cars/boats. Dumpster, bathrooms, water hookups, and very fast WiFi (available for $3/day). $25/night for hookup spots, $15/night for regular spot."

    4. Vernal / Dinosaurland KOA

    11 Reviews
    Vernal, UT
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (435) 789-2148

    $29 - $72 / night

    "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."

    "Vernal 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."

    5. Fossil Valley RV Park

    10 Reviews
    Vernal, UT
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (435) 789-6450

    "This is a great, clean RV park in Vernal. The location is 25 minutes or so to the Dinosaur National Monument. There are so many other things to do in Vernal. We needed more time here."

    "It was quiet and well maintained and just off the main road making it easy to walk about parts of town. Vernal is a nice town with several interesting drives and sites nearby."

    6. McCoy Flats MTB Trailhead

    10 Reviews
    Vernal, UT
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 781-4400

    "The town of Vernal is close by with a Walmart less tan 10-15 minutes. Highly recommended!"

    "McCoy Flats is located about 6 miles southwest of Vernal, UT and you stay here for the proximity to amazing mountain bike trails. This trail system boasts 46 miles and 15 trials for all skill levels. "

    7. KOA Campground Vernal

    7 Reviews
    Vernal, UT
    1 mile
    Website
    +1 (435) 789-2148

    "Lots of activities for families (pool, play area), small dog area, clean restrooms, staff was very friendly."

    "It's about a 30min drive from the dinosaur fossils, but its worth it for the amenities and the cute town."

    8. Outlaw Trail RV Park

    9 Reviews
    Jensen, UT
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 781-6000

    "Right outside visitor center for Dinosaur national monument, Quarry wall of dinosaur bones and several self guided auto tours with stops along the way. No shade. No fire pits. New facility."

    "Tent camping area is nice and green, but the highway noise seems like it could be a distraction."

    9. Split Mountain Group Campground — Dinosaur National Monument

    12 Reviews
    Jensen, UT
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 781-7700

    $12 - $40 / night

    "We spent a glorious 2 nights at one of the Western-most camping spots right with a private path to the river & a nice little swimming hole area. Our dog was in heaven!"

    "Dogs are allowed on leashes. There is a creek that runs next to the camp site and easy hiking trails all around it. At night it is so dark you can see every star in the sky."

    10. McCoy Flats East Dispersed Camp

    3 Reviews
    Vernal, UT
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (435) 781-4400

    "McCoy Flats BLM is a mt bike focus recreation area with a network of excellent nonmotorizrd singletrack trails."

    "Fun mountain biking trails. Couple of spots with fire rings. Only issue is someone is “camping” in their car right by the day use area, a non-camping area."

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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Vernal, UT

58 Photos of 106 Vernal Campgrounds

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Vernal, UT

522 Reviews of 106 Vernal Campgrounds

  • Greg L.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 12, 2024

    Green River Bridge

    Green River bridge camping

    A bit of a trashy area, glass, cans, shot shells, likely a weekend party spot for teen parties. No cell signal either.

    This site is long ways from Vernal, so the McCoy flats BLM dispersed area is a much better option... Excellent cell signal, only a few miles into Vernal and a Walmart.. and it has new vault toilets and is free dispersed hanging with the MTB crowd

  • Amanda B.
    Sep. 30, 2016

    Windy Park Camping Area

    Dispersed camping in Ashley National Forest.

    Windy Park, like a lot of camp areas in Ashley National Forest is free, dispersed camping. The only rule is that you have to camp within 150 feet of a developed road. There is a 16 day camp limit for leaving your camper in the same camp spot like most of the locals from Vernal do (leave it on the mountain, and come up on the weekends, or for the hunt, etc.). There are many ATV roads, and hiking trails in the area. It's a quick drive to Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Enjoy the aspen and pine groves located throughout Ashley National Forest. Weather can be unpredictable in the Uintahs, so prepare for anything! We've had hail and snow in July!

  • Ron D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 28, 2025

    FS Road #253 Stringham Cabin Dispersed Camping Area

    Nice quiet spacious sites

    I drove in a short way to where the road turns North with a meadow on your right and forest on your left and sites along the way. I grabbed a big open site at .7 miles where the satellite view seems to show buildings or RVs here but all was clear for me except for one large fire ring. Nice and shady in the afternoon but will be sunny in the morning. Very pleased with the short trek from Vernal. I still have decent AT&T cell service to post this review. A number of cows came by for a visit in the morning. They were interested in the fire ring for some reason. They didn't bring any pies.

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 30, 2023

    KOA Campground Vernal

    Needs a lot of love

    This it the KOA near Dinosaur Np on the Utah/Colorado border. They had a tough winter and were still recovering in June when we stayed.. the area with the dog park was flooded from snow melt, so it had not been mowed in some time. Mosquitoes were bad. Dog park was unusable. They have a pool. Also rent 3-wheel cycles for kids to ride up and down terrorizing everyone. I is a short drive to Dinosaur Np.

  • A
    Aug. 9, 2020

    Red Fleet State Park Campground

    Red rock awesomeness

    We rented a TeePee site. It was fun for the kids to sleep in a TeePee. There was a small table with a roof over it. The was also a grill box that we set our gas stove on top of for cooking. The campground sits higher than the day use area. The bathroom had a flush toilet which is really nice. We are to the point where we can get out and do more outdoor activities so we didn’t get out on the water. What we did enjoy was seeing the lake in the middle of the desert red rock. The kids played on the beach for a little while. Our visit was in August and temperatures were in the high 90’s, maybe 100 degrees. That made things hot. The nights were great. Clear skies made looking at stars wonderful. The grounds were kept clean and the staff was friendly and helpful.

    My suggestions are to take some kind of extra shade. There are not a lot of trees for shade. Also lots of ice to keep food cool. This park is 15 minutes from Vernal so if you forget anything you can get it with a quick trip to town.

  • Greg L.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 23, 2021

    Kane Hollow

    Land of empty fifth wheels

    This is a free dispersed area and I was there in August and the site had about 6 trailers that seemed to allow be pre- staged for the hunting season. No tow vehicles or people around. Same situation at any other free dispersed site on the Ashley NF above the town of Vernal Utah. This site did have a vault toilet, but no water, fire rings, tables or trash cans. However, cell signal was good so maybe that'll is why this site seems popular. Three stars due to the vacant TTs hogging sites.

  • Codie S.
    May. 29, 2018

    Fossil Valley RV Park

    Very close to town...

    This campground is right in the middle of town...a lot of people that live in their rv's for work stay here...lots of trees, and within walking distance to just about anything in Vernal...right next to a Maverick convenience store...

  • Tammy H.
    Sep. 27, 2016

    Steinaker State Park Campground

    Close to town

    This 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.

  • Amanda B.
    Jul. 11, 2016

    Steinaker State Park Campground

    Steinaker State Park, UT

    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.

Guide to Vernal

If you're looking for pet-friendly camping options near Vernal, Utah, there are several great campgrounds that welcome your furry friends. Enjoy the great outdoors together while exploring the beautiful landscapes of this region.

Dog-friendly activities while camping near Vernal

Pet owners like the amenities available

Dog owners appreciate the natural surroundings

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Vernal, UT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Vernal, UT is Green River Campground — Dinosaur National Monument with a 4.3-star rating from 54 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Vernal, UT?

TheDyrt.com has all 106 dog-friendly camping locations near Vernal, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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