Sand Flats Recreation Area

Moab has changed a lot since Covid but one thing remains….the reliability of Sand Flats. Been coming here for years, once made the mistake of staying at a commercial campground. That was an awful decision. All the commercial campgrounds with a few exceptions were all acquired by Sun Resorts where you get to pay upwards of $100 to park in a parking lot that has a dirty hot tub and pool. Out on the flats you pay $10 per night if you have a National Park pass, and get plenty of space to spread out.

If you’re self contained (no water, no power, this is the place to be in Moab.

Great campground on BLM lands adjacent to the slick rock bicycle trail and some of Moabs most iconic 4wheel trails. Lots of space at each site with room for large rigs. Picnic tables, and Fire pits. $20 per night plus an entry fee for the day use for vehicles at $10 for 7 days. Beautiful views of moab's Red Rocks with great views of the sunrise and sunset.

Great winter spot! Hardly anybody else around ! Easy to find, gentle road!

ended up at Sand Flats after a flash flood forced us to abandon our original campsite plans — and honestly, it turned out to be a saving grace. Even though the campground was packed, it didn’t feel chaotic. Facilities were clean, and our site itself was in great shape. The tent pad was flat and spacious, with plenty of room for our vehicle and gear.

Be warned: as the name suggests, things will get sandy. Expect to leave with a thin layer of desert dust on just about everything — but that’s part of the charm. Between the views, the convenience, and how well-kept everything was, we couldn’t have asked for a better backup plan.

This is a city run park and campground that is primarily used by mountain bicyclists, motorcyclists, jeeps and side-by-side UTVs. So expect a lot of traffic and noise from these vehicles. It is fun to watch them navigate along very narrow trails through the sandstone Hills and boulders. I was in the first of five separate campground locations. Campgrounds can handle pretty much any size camping rig. Bathrooms consist of vault toilets surrounded by head high wooden walls with no roof. I camped here 9/22/25.

Good cell (Verizon and att) Level spots Clean vault toilets Quiet for the most part with the occasional atv or motorcycle but it’s not bad at all. Night sky is amazing!

There are so many sites here, you are sure to find a spot. Since it is a popular off roading area, it can be a little noisy but the views & proximity to downtown moab can't be beat.

Lovely spot if you can find an open campsite. Got here on a Wednesday afternoon in mid October and only one spot was available. But all the sites are pretty equally beautiful. $15 a night, $5 extra a night for a tow behind. Just a few minutes outside of town. Great cell coverage too if you’re working remotely.

We had everything we needed from (outdoor) bathrooms to a fire pit and picnic table. I believe we paid $15 for a one-car one-spot night and it was certainly worth it as a great place in Moab. You pay the fee and get to go pick any spot that's not already taken.

Excellent camping near town and the OHV trails in the Sand Flats Recreation area. Note: camping includes the day fee cost, so you do not have to pay for day use and camping. Loops A-E are easily accessible, once you pass that the road turns to dirt and some camp loops recommend 4x4 to access. There are a few straggler campsites close to the road, but they are just that… close to the road. There’s also an overflow campground with 5 slots, but this is limited to 1 nights stay. Loops E-H are on the backside of Fins n’ things trail so some noise could be present.

This is a great spot for riding a number of mountain bike and/or moto trails. Beautiful sun rises and sun sets!

Only our list was to ride the trails in Moab. We surely did. Fins and things was our trail for the evening. Loved the hills and the fun. We came to the end of the trail and boom there were some camping spots. We found a loop and found our site. It was super nice to watch the sun go down and the moon rise on the rocks. Watch for the fore ants. They were every where! This cave was so neat at the edge of our camping spot.

We camped at the Bobcat campground in Sand Flats recreation area. The sites are roomy and site 1 is fairly level. They all have beautiful views of red rock walls. There is no shade as you would expect for this area. They have pit toilets and hand sanitizer but the flies in the bathroom were numerous and a little scary as they fly up out of the toilet at you.

Awesome views at the very top. We used 4x4 most of the way up around corners and rocky areas. Be careful on the last 20 meters or so, I didn’t think my truck had enough clearance so we settled down just before the awesome view. Still had a good view of soMe rocks behind us.

The sand flats recreation area has nine loops. We stayed at the first one, called the Alcove which I believe is the highest elevation one and has the best views of all. We stayed at campsite number 7 which overlooked the sand flats area and it was very close to sandstone hill from which you could see Moab, the La Sal mountains and all the surrounding area. The campsite had picnic table and there is an open air toilet in the loop. Stunning views from the top of the hill all around.

Enjoyed how close the camping was to being able to off road but it was a let down in the price for camping and not getting much in return. I know it’s camping but they don’t even offer showers or at least one normal bathroom which I feel since Moab is a premium and as much business at this park has should have at least one shower house especially for the true campers

A bit pricey but if you go with a group it breaks down nicely. The sites have to be reserved and each one offers a different experience. The one I stayed at offered a huge expanse stretching out to the mountains in the distance. The view was incredible and the stars were stunning. Great privacy between sites. About a 30min drive from this site to Canyonlands and Arches national parks.

Really great if you are a tent camper looking to stay close to Moab while checking out the national parks. Only $15 a night. Easy check-in/check-out. Basic amenities (no one water or power) like toilet. Would recommend

Some of the best dirk biking I’ve done! Every terrain you can think of... slick rock, clay, sand, soft dirt, hard dirt, and hill climbs!

This place is perfect and typical Moab. Right next to the FAMOUS slickrock trail, this location was great to camp in!

One of the best areas in Sand Flats Recreation Area. This site was one of the biggest in the area that could fit multiple tents and has a fire pit and picnic table. It was $15 to camp per night. I went with a group of three guys and made friends with others that shared the site. There is no service in most of the area, however, if you climb up some of the rocks (for example the view from the video or picture) you can get service. It was mostly sand where our tent was set up with some rocks. It does get cold during the night so make sure you have warm clothing. There are multiple activities to do within this area. Consider going during Jeep Safari. Although crowded it is a very cool event especially if you are interested in off-roading.

We stopped by for two nights the weekend after labor day, and I was really pleased with our brief stay. There were SO MANY OPTIONS of open sites, so it was fun to spend an hour driving through the park, shopping for which one we would settle on. We chose one with some shade for the tent and for the dog, and that had room to explore nearby. Site was clean, park was quiet at night, and we did plenty of wandering/exploring around the site

I virtually ALWAYS stay at Sand Flats when I go to Moab (which is often), because it's a nice campground, outside of the craziness of town, but still close to town. It's quiet, and dark at night, and it's CHEAP

This was sensational. We drove about an hour up the mountain to camp right by the rim. If it hadn't been so late I'd have hiked the last hundred feet to pitch my tent right in the spot overlooking the rim. The views were astounding. Moab was a last minute addition to our Colorado camping trip and I am SO glad we added this Utah gem in. Right by Arches National Park, the scenery is breathtaking. And camping up here is totally free! Clean bathrooms and gorgeous skies and views. Now I tell all my friends to GO! Camp the rim. It is SO worth the extra drive up the mountain, though there is also gorgeous camping lower down. (I made a friend in a Chalet camper like the one I have at home and got a pic). They recommend 4 wheel drive. I was in an SUV (not 4 wheel drive) and my friend was in a Volvo 240 wagon. We made it all the way up until those last few feet which can easily be walked up to with equipment.

Close to Slick Rock trail.

Great place to camp, but you need to get there early to find a spot. Dogs are allowed, water is available. Toilets are clean but unique, only a few are in an enclosed building, the rest are enclosed but open to the sky. Great for ventilation, not so great in bad weather.