Spencer Flat Dispersed Camping, near Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, is a fantastic spot for those who crave a bit of solitude and stunning views. This area offers a unique experience with its sandy terrain and panoramic vistas, perfect for tent camping under the stars.

Visitors have raved about the peaceful atmosphere, with many noting how quiet it gets in the evenings. One camper mentioned, “It was so quiet in the evening - very peaceful,” which is a big draw for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle. While there are no amenities like drinking water or toilets, the natural beauty more than makes up for it, with sites that overlook canyons and provide breathtaking sunset views.

The road leading in can be a bit tricky, especially in spots with softer sand, but most vehicles can manage it with a little care. Campers have found that driving a few miles down the road often leads to the best sites, with some even discovering hidden gems that accommodate larger groups. Just be prepared for some wind and the absence of campfires, as this area is dry and fire restrictions are in place.

If you're looking to explore, you're in luck! The nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a treasure trove of hiking and adventure opportunities. Whether you're here for a weekend or a longer stay, Spencer Flat offers a serene escape into nature that’s hard to beat.

Spencer Flat Dispersed Camping - Grand Staircase Nat Mon

Searching for the best camping near Escalante, UT? Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Escalante, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Escalante, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Escalante

The Best Camping Near Escalante, Utah

Loved this campground! After staying in a couple National Park campgrounds on our Utah trip this was a great surprise of seclusion :)  It was well maintained and just an all around great experience. It has 'primitive' bathrooms and no water, but the feeling of being in nature is worth less amenities. 

Like this whole area, the geology and views are beautiful. Take the scenic drive any time of year. Pretty small campground area. We couldn’t get a tent site away from an RV though :( Nice basic accommodations, very clean. So many scout groups but still quiet. 


BLM canyon camping right outside Salt Lake 

easy, right off the road campsite overlooking grand staircase. amazing. spots were full but keep driving and you’ll find a great view, no problem. dispersed so take your trash out! quiet, lovely, stars were amazing. 

best campsite ever  

Loved camping here in our van. Quiet and beautiful views. 

Awesome quiet spot 

Lots of great spots here. On a Friday some were filled, but still plenty available as you drove further along the road. Most spots were of a good size, bigger rigs could fit in some.

We chose one on the cliff edge, and had no one else in site.

A short walk away and a slight climb onto a small hill was the perfect spot to see a stunning sunset. Even just across the road from our spot was a gorgeous canyon view. Great stars!

Short drive to Escalante, and reasonable drive to various hikes in the park.

No service with Verizon on the mifi.

No amenities.

Excellent views, easy road in, poor service

Very nice dispersed campsites with lovely views on this geologically interesting area in Utah!  (Driving a subaru hatchback with 5.1 inches ground clearance.)

Very lovely views in Utah

Our campsite had an epic fire ring and an even more epic view. We were right next to the road, but it was still pretty quiet and we couldn’t see any other campsites from our spot. Great stargazing, sunset, and sunrise. 

Amazing views

Keep driving until you find the most epic spot on the ridge. There are dozens of them, so plenty to choose from. Perfectly dispersed and quiet, as we prefer! Very close to the slot canyons! 

Amazing Views!

Previous reviews led me to believe that there were “many sites” and that the sites were accessible by RV. I beg to differ. The main road in is not terrible, but I drove in (scouting with our towed SUV) for over a mile and found VERY few spots. Two spots were WAY too rocky for anything but a high clearance 4x4. One spot was flat but was also deep, soft sand- would not risk it in any vehicle. One side/spur road was very narrow and again had deep, soft sand. The ONLY place I found that was relatively flat, open and with an acceptable surface was about 1/2 mile in, could only accommodate maybe 4-5 campers, and was already filled with other campers.   

Bottom line: Total waste of time and effort. Do not even bother if you have anything other than a tent.  
NOTE: Found EXCELLENT spots (and many of them) less than 10 miles further down the road at the “Hole in the Rock Wayside”  off Rt 12 just outside Escalante. Super easy access. Nice open, level sites. 

Difficult to Access and VERY Limited Sites

Stayed in a tent, very soft sand, plenty of small dry trees, easy to access and find. Found a beautiful spot overlooking the canyon. Only negative is the no campfires are allowed and can get extremely windy since you are on a high elevation. 

Pretty and Private

Great spot, no fires allowed, &amp; lots of wind but very pretty &amp; quiet.

Beautiful Spot

Our first night out on our trip. Heading down to Bryce Canyon NP after spending the day in Capital  Reef NP.

Spencer Flat Rd well marked. You may need to drive two or three miles down the dirt road to find an open site, but keep going there are some nice sites further in. Road was very passible in our 2WD RoadTrec 190 van.

 Our site overlooked a small canyon and wash and providied great sunset and sunrise veiws. A fire would have been nice, but you can't have everything.

Worth the drive in. Found a Beautiful site.

Many sites along dirt road leaving UT12 at mile post 70. Very full mid week late September. Quiet. At 2 miles in, found spot above cliff providing panoramic views to the north and east. Partially shaded be hill to the west. 
Unfortunately very close to road and dust. Other spots closer to the highway are further from the dirt road, but were occupied.   No problem in AWD van. 

Great views but dusty

The last campsite is about 2.2 miles from the start of the road. Theres a big dip in the road right after this one. That’s where I stayed. In the beginning of March during the week I was the only one around. I would agree that there aren’t many spots available on this road; I counted like 6-8ish spots. Some have their own driveway so to speak so not sure if those were one or more spots.

This spot had a fire ring, extra firewood, and enough spots for about 4-6 cars/tents. So a big group can easily fit here. It was a little windy in the afternoon, I positioned my car to block the wind from the fire pit.

I did get some sort of animal visitor at night, not sure what it was but it walked through the campsite. There are cows further down the road.

Great for winter camping

Found a gorgeous, level spot about 2 miles down the road. Road wasn't bad, but liked having AWD to get through some spots of softer sand. It was so quiet in the evening - very peaceful. This is obvious, but there was sand everywhere, so be prepared for it to get on everything. 

Beautiful, quiet, and sandy

Although the sand wasn’t a surprise, i was shocked at how much it stuck to everything LOL! But the site had lots of dedicated spots for camping and went on the quite a few miles. The view was beautiful, but we were nervous about mountain lions as we noticed a lot of tracks when we arrived, and saw even more next to our car in the morning as we were leaving. The road in isn’t very rough, just lots of sand and small bumps. Would stay here again! 

Quiet, Secluded, SANDY

I was so pleased with my campsite that, the next morning, I left the tent to claim it for another night.  It's quiet and dark.  All cars should be capable.  

Photos of Spencer Flat Dispersed Camping - Grand Staircase Nat Mon

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