Cowboy Camp Campground, near Moab, Utah, is a cozy spot that caters primarily to tent campers and van enthusiasts. With only about seven sites available on a first-come, first-served basis, it’s perfect for those looking for a more intimate camping experience with stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

The campground is conveniently located close to Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park, making it an ideal launching pad for outdoor adventures. Visitors rave about the breathtaking sunsets and the peaceful atmosphere, with one camper noting, “Sunset was breathtaking, not too windy at night, and a great fire pit.” 

Amenities are basic but functional, featuring picnic tables and vault toilets. Keep in mind that there’s no drinking water or garbage collection, so plan accordingly. Some campers have mentioned the lack of amenities, but many appreciate the simplicity and the chance to connect with nature. If you're looking for a quiet spot to unwind and soak in the beauty of Utah's red rock country, Cowboy Camp is worth considering.

Secluded campsites tucked along a ridge on the mesas above Moab offering striking vistas of canyon country. High clearance required, no RVs, trailers or pull campers. Individual sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The area has many 4WD roads and mountain bike routes. The campground is located near Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. The campground has seven individual Sites (limited to 10 people & two vehicles per site); the site has toilets but no water or hook-ups.

Cowboy Camp Campground

Nestled in the sandstone of eastern Utah is the small town of Moab. This outdoor-lover’s paradise is the gateway to Arches National Park, with Canyonlands just a short drive away. Camping near Moab means unfettered access to BLM lands with rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking, ATVing, horseback riding, rafting, and more.

Whether you’re heading in for a day-hike, scenic drive, or staking your tent at a campground, a visit to Arches is a must. Tent and RV camping near Moab provide easy access to one of Utah’s most iconic landmarks: Delicate Arch. (It’s even on their license plate!)

Downtown Moab is certainly worth a visit too. Grab an al fresco lunch at the Food Truck Park, visit the galleries and boutiques, or stock up on gear rentals for all your outdoor adventures. The area is also known for its petroglyphs and petrographs, which were created by Paleo-Indian, ancestral Puebloan, and Ute artists.

Moab

Searching for the best camping near Moab, UT? Moab is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Discover great camping spots near Moab, reviewed by campers like you.

The Best Moab Camping | Utah Campgrounds

Very primitive site we saw on our map and decided to go. WARNING: BATHROOM DOESNT HAVE A DOOR, just a chain. It made for a lot of memories and an adventure we would never forget.

Beautiful 

We got to the camp in mid day and there were many weird things. The bathroom had no door, our neighbors were weird, and the clouds started moving in. The view was pretty but we had to watch out for snakes and scorpions. At night it started down pouring on us and our tent was like a bath tub. In the morning we packed up and left


Pretty but odd...

This is a decent spot to rest your head. It used to be a free dispersed camping area, but it became popular and so the BLM added an open-air potty and added a fee. The road in can be a bit rough, so check the road if you have a low clearance vehicle or are hauling a trailer. The sunsets here are spectacular. The location is great, just down the road from the Canyonlands "Island In The Sky" National Park, be sure to make time for exploring this great beauty! 

Remote, sparse.

We wanted to get into Willow Flats Campground in Island in the Sky but it was full when we arrived at like 9am. We only needed one night and planned to leave the next morning at 4am to get to Denver to cap off a two week trip in Utah, so we went to the first place we found, put our money in the board before even looking at the campsite, then drove down the very bumpy road to find a pretty crappy site. The picnic table was, I don't even know, black, burnt, gross. My girlfriend refers to it as a 'prison table picnic table'. Not good. We didn't even know there was a bathroom. There was a standard fire ring that was black and full of ashes. There wasnt any cover, rocks and dirt. I suppose the sunset view could be good, but we were in the park for it. 

Even for one night, I would have looked elsewhere could i do it again. Would not stay there again.

Only as a last resort for Island in the Sky

On our way to Canyonlands and everything was booked except for this less than 10 site campground perched on a few lovely curvy rocks.

Site 1 is big, private and has all the views....

We loved this location so much we stayed a couple of days and witnessed a thunderstorm over the Rockies and a meteor shower over the mesas!

There's no running water and a simple pit toilet is the only facility offered. 

There's an interesting little trail that must have been a fire access road. 

This is a quieter and simpler spot that's great for contemplative solitude.

Tiny campground, huge views!

This campground is small. It only has 6 spots. It's right off the road coming out of Canyonlands. There is only a pit toilet for amenities. But the view of the valley was amazing at sunset. Totally worth the car noise and wind that you will experience: 

Amazing view

**Campground Review:** I stayed at site 3 at the Cowboy camp North or Moab off 313 toward Dead Horse State Park. Overall, I really liked this campground. It is small (only 7 spots) and rustic which I appreciate. The access road is right off the highway but is not maintained so there are large rocks and not a spot for trailers. There is no water and the toilets are three sided pit toilets (no roof) which may not be for everyone. The camp host (and dumpster services) are located down the road at the Horsethief campground. It was really windy when I visited so be prepared for a fine dust over everything and to put out additional guy wires to stabilize your tent. It has the basic amenities: metal fire pit and picnic table. Despite the wind, the scenery was beautiful and you had privacy since the spots were not close to each other at all. You see your neighbors but weren’t in their business. Overall, I really enjoyed this campground and since I am mountain biking a lot more, it will be my go to spot for my biking weekends.

Pros:

*Small and intimate

*Close to Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse State Park, amazing mountain bike trail systems

*Scenery

Cons:

*In open range so watch out for cows. There was a nice old cow patty in my camp site area. Not a deal breaker but be aware of it.

*There was a large ant hill in my campsite but someone had put a ring of rocks around it so it was easy to spot.

*20-30 minutes from Moab. This is both good and bad depending on how frequently you need supplies in town.

**Gear Review: Renogy Solar Backpack**

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get the opportunity to test out gear from our partners once in a while. I have been testing out the [Renogy Solar Backpack.](https://www.renogy.com/renogy-solar-backpack/) My overall impressions of this backpack is it is awesome and it will turn into my car camping and computer/electronics backpack for everyday use. The straps are super comfortable, it has tons of pockets to store and organize your electronics stuff and the main pocket is huge to safely accommodate a laptop as well as lots of other stuff. I think the multiple pockets is a double edge sword. I love them but I also lose things in them/forget what pocket I put stuff in. The only pockets I wasn’t a huge fan of was the side zippered pockets meant for a water bottle or coffee mug. They were just a bit too short and loose for me to feel comfortable using them routinely without my mug falling out. But that is a totally minor thing that does not detract from the overall usage of the backpack.

Now the best part of the pack is the solar panel! The front has approximately a 9in x 11in solar panel with plug in cord that is amazing. You can have the panel facing out or if not in use you can flip it over and protect it. This adds a lot of zippers to the pack, which can be a minor inconvenience when you are trying to grab something quickly but overall it is just getting used to what zippers access what pockets or features. We have used this backpack in multiple locations, not just Cowboy Camp, and it has worked great every time. It will charge a small lipstick sized external battery (approximately one full cell phone charge) in just a few hours when the panel is in direct sun. We also hooked up other electronics like our GoPro or phone or headlamp directly to the power source and it charged in the same amount of time (approximately 2.5-3 hours). Obviously, full sun allows the panels to work better but it will work in cloudy conditions, just not as efficiently.

Overall impression: This [backpack](https://www.renogy.com/renogy-solar-backpack/) is a great addition to my pack arsenal. The solar panel will be a great addition to our normal camping gear and we will be able to utilize our electronics (like a GoPro or digital camera) more when we are camping for extended periods of time. Finally the pack itself is quite large (20L) and will be able to keep all our stuff organized and used as a computer/office bag when not camping.

Ranger Review: Renogy Solar Backpack at Cowboy Camp near Moab, UT

perfect spot to camp outside canyonlands! heard so many coyotes running the canyon floor at night! one of my favorite campgrounds to date!


bare bones, all that you need

This is a very basic campground that is right outside the national Park. The campgrounds inside the park get booked very quickly but there is alot of camping available right outside the park territory. This is one of them. There is also additional dispersed camping around this area.

Very basic campground right outside canyonlands national park

A friend and I came here as we didn't have any reservations for a campground one night during our Mighty 5 road trip. 

  

We passed by here after visiting Dead Horse Point SP. It's very close to the state park and it's along the way to Canyonlands (about 15 minutes away). 

  

The campground is quite simple. They're first-come, first-serve sites. Around 7 of them total. 

  
When we came, it was insanely infested by mosquitoes, which is why I am docking a star from my review. They were horrible due to a wet, cool spring they had a few months before we arrived. 

  

The bathroom situation is pretty bare. It's a pit-style with no official door - just a chain to say that it's occupied. 

  

Our campsite (#1) was relatively flat, but it did have a slight angle. When we were setting up our tent, it was so windy that it kept blowing the tent away. We weren't able to get stakes into the ground due to the ground being too hard and full of rocks. We ended up using bungee cords tied to the picnic table. 

  

By far, the best part of this campground was the sunset. It was one of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen in my life. Well worth the $20 campground fee and the multiple mosquito bites we endured while watching the sun set.

Great campground - gorgeous sunsets

It sucked , wind and thunderstorms all night long for 2 days straight . Finally went and got a motel . Bugs were crazy !!! Everything wet !

Cold , windy , exposed , bugs !!!

No bathroom. No tent mat. No water. No paved road. no garbage dumpster.
Just a few picnic tables on a mountain top. So it’s super windy usually too. 

It’s a beautiful campground with stunning views just a few miles outside Canyonlands and basically at the entrance to Dead Horse.

No mosquitoes when I got here but plenty of bees...

20$ for what??

Peaceful campsite (no bugs) with a few slots, all of which overlooked a beautiful canyon just near Canyonlands NP entrance. Sunset was breathtaking, not too windy at night, and a great fire pit. Big love

Holy sunset views

Small BLM campground right off the main road. Would be better as dispersed/free as there are no toilets or water. Beautiful views, but there are way better options such as the Horsethief Camp a few miles down the road. Seems like a good option if you’re desperate, the other camps are full, and you just need a quick, close launching pad for Canyonlands or Arches in the morning.

Convenient to Canyonlands, better options nearby.

We spent two nights here before a bikepacking trip in canyonlands. The sites were well developed with picnic tables and an open air toilet but at least at this time of the year there was no garbage collection and no water. The views were stunning at sunset and the location was great.

Very scenic camp right outside canyonlands

This is a small CG, only 7 sites, first come no reservations, and is more for the tent n van and truck camper types. No TTs due to narrow access road.  No water, and toilet is the open sky privy type.  Sites have tables and fire rings. No dumpster.  Cell is fairly good.  

Small but great views!

Small CG only 7 sites, no Trailers allowed. Sites have fantastic views. Close to Dead horse St Park and Canyonlands NP.  Vault toilets but no water or dumpster. $20/$10 senior.  Sites are a bit rough and small. 

Small tenter van CG

Very close to Dead Horse Point state park. Easy to access. A few sites (6-7?).
Pay cash or by check at the entrance. 
BLM.
Great views.
Vault toilet was very clean.
Picnic table and fire ring.


Close to parks, trails. Quiet.

Small campground with only the basics (picnic tables, fire rings, a pit toilet) but very convenient location and pretty views. 7 sites total. Got here right before sunset and snatched the last one available. Sites are pretty spread apart. Had on/off 1bar of tmobile service. 

Small and sweet

I was out scouting, #7 is absolutely perfect. WILL back for a few stay
Has vault toilet and I have Tmobile and did a video chat.

We loved this campsite. The first night we stayed in campsite #1 and then were able to snag #7 with look out views. Fire pit, picnic table at each campground with a community portapotty. Site are decently spread out. Located not far from Dead Horse State Park and downtown Moab. Temps did get up to 100 during the day bring lots of ice and water. Gas station with free showers about 20 min down the road on the way to campsite

Convenient; Clean; Great Views

Absolutely incredible campsite. If you’re heading to Dead Horse Point for sunset, skip it and camp here instead—the sunsets from this spot are unreal. There are only seven sites, and most are great. The first one is near the road but still has amazing views. One site sits higher on a hill, tricky for vans but perfect if you want a panoramic overlook. I camped on #6 and while it not “private” it’s a view not to be missed. 

Every site has a fire ring, the vault toilet is spotless and stocked, and it’s quiet, peaceful, and beautiful. I’d pay $20 for this without a second thought. I arrived at 5:30 on a Tuesday in October and there were only three spots left. 

Honestly, I almost don’t want to share this place—it’s that good. But everyone deserves that “wow, I’m lucky” feeling 

Photos of Cowboy Camp Campground

Real photos from real campers