Up the Creek Campground

A few things set this place apart in Moab: Tent only campers, no dogs, showers, and there are Wheelbarrows to bring your camp gear to your site - there are no vehicles allowed past the parking lot. Not having RV noise is great. and no headlights, dust or car exhaust by the tents is a great plus. 

We camped there 3 nights, did Arches and Canyonlands.  I will add that by 7:30 AM, Arches was full, and they tell you to come back in 3-5 hrs.  I did not know that National Parks closed admission- at any rate, Canyonlands is a great alternative, and there's Arches there too.  Please don't hike dumb- it's super hot this June and the sand and rock are even hotter- hiking boots (not sandals) and AT LEAST a liter of water, sunscreen, and a hat that covers your ears, a small gatorade or other electrolyte if possible. 

There are shared gas grills supplied w/gas cannister, each tent has its own picnic table.  There's tree cover for shade.  You can walk to decent places to eat.  Not a shopper- but there's a bunch of shops for souvenirs and such.

Yes, the bathrooms are shut down from 11-1, that's when they're cleaned! - I would hope you wouldn't come to Moab so you could hang by your tent site at full sun and not go exploring.  Most people are on their way someplace by 10am, so those hours are fine.  

Entrance to Arches is about 7 minutes away, Canyonlands about 20 for the closest entrance (top of Canyon hikes), we went to Needles too which is about 1 hr 45 min drive (inside Canyon hikes). 

There are campsites in the NPs, but they don't have showers/running water.  That IS a big thing.  You get filthy orange after hiking a day, and a shower is fantastic.

There is a food shopping store right down the street. The campsite also has a stocked ice chest with bags for $3.  

You don't set your tent on the grass because there's sprinklers there- that's why it's still green, and why there's a tree cover- it needs water.

It was 2 of us on this trip, and $35/nt - I dare you to price out hotels in the area. There are a couple outlets in the bathroom if you need to charge- I had to charge my Fitbit, and have to add- it died in Arches- it was so hot, it overheated, and I had to tear it off my wrist fast, because the green laser shorted and started burning me.

I love dogs, but have camped in enough places where folks don't control them, they bark and fight with other camper's dogs and of course you get the bad apples that don't pick up after them - ironically there's a dog park right next to the camp.

There's construction going on behind the tree line on a school. They start promptly M-S at 8 AM- 5 pm.  Looks like they're over half finished. Great cell service, because there's a cell tower right behind the tree line.  It's surprisingly quiet for being a few blocks from the main drag.

I will say there is something very interesting about being in the middle of this rocky desert and finding an oasis of trees and tent only campers! Oh did I mention it is in the middle of a town yet seems like it is in the middle of a quiet sanctuary?

Up the Creek Campground is a strange anomaly in Moab offering a retreat from hiking and exploring for the weary camper looking to feel like they are a part of the downtown life but not so much that they have to get a hotel.

For me being a single person it was only $25 but they do charge by the person not by the tent site, which is kind of strange to me but the price I paid seemed fair.  

But then came the red tape: NO campfires, NO dogs, NO bathrooms from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., NO sleeping on the grass only on the dirt, NO wifi, NO electrical provided at tent sites.  So basically it is primitive camping with a lot of NOs!

While I don’t have to have electrical or wifi or even a dog it seemed odd to close the bathrooms for a large block during the day and to regulate that while campsites had dirt and grass that you could be removed from the grounds camping on the grass.  

So again with the good of the trees and grass also came almost a heavy feeling of limited use of those amenities, which I would say are their best features.

So what is the bonus of being at this campground, because I am always trying to find the absolute positive?  Being close to downtown, in fact only a block from some of my favorite spots including several shops and places to stop in for a meal or a good cup of coffee.  You are also very close to the access points for rentals and adventures.

We have camped at this campground twice now and both experiences were great! This is a tent only campground in the middle of Moab. I would say it maybe holds a dozen or so tents so you have plenty of space and few neighbors. It is super quiet for being in the city. I was surprised at how few cars you hear going by.

The facilities are clean, although a little dated with shower curtains on the small shower stalls and your stuff goes way over on a bench so you have to hope nobody else comes in while you get dressed. I prefer the kind where each shower gets a bench and a door. It feels a little more private that way. I can’t really complain about getting a shower though since many campgrounds in the area do not have them.

Price per night is $40 a night which is plenty steep for a tent site, but I really love that after a day of hiking, you can wander the streets of Moab and find cute souvenir shops and great food. We really love Moab so it’s worth a little extra to camp in the city. We felt completely safe here and would do it again!