the dyrt
Dispersed
Group
RV Sites
Tent Sites
Fires Allowed
Pets Unknown
Drinking Water
About Tanners Flat
Tanners Flat Campground is located in scenic Little Cottonwood Canyon at an elevation of 7,200 feet, just 6 miles from Sandy, Utah. The canyon offers many hiking and biking opportunities.
Recreation
Hiking and mountain biking trailheads can be found throughout the canyon. Hikers enjoy Red Pine Lake, White Pine Lake and Maybird Gulch, all beautiful hikes leading to alpine lakes. Mountain bikers enjoy the Cottonwood Creek Trail and Albion Meadows Trail.
Little Cottonwood Creek offers good trout fishing and is a favorite among local fly-fishermen.
Facilities
The campground contains 31 single sites, three double sites, four overnight group sites and an amphitheater. The family and overnight group sites have picnic tables and campfire rings. The group overnight sites also have grills and serving tables. The amphitheater has benches and a presentation area, but does not have tables or a fire ring. The amphitheater is available in four hour blocks (8am-12pm, 1pm-5pm, 6pm-10pm).
Flush and vault toilets are provided, as is drinking water. A volleyball court is available but campers must bring their own net and ball. Firewood is available for purchase from the host. Roads and parking spurs are paved.
31 Single Sites - $26.00, capacity - 8 people
3 Double Sites - $53.00, capacity - 16 people
Amphitheater (4 hour block) - $35.00, capacity - 30 people
3 Group Sites A, B, C - $105.00, capacity - 25 people
Group Site D - $175.00, capacity - 50 people
Natural Features
The campground is set among a forest of shady pine, aspen, oak and maple trees. Vivid summer wildflowers are abundant, and autumn leaves put on quite a show. Little Cottonwood Creek runs along the edge of the campground.
Nearby Attractions
Little Cottonwood Canyon is a beautiful area known for its soaring peaks, unique geology, pristine hidden lakes and cascading streams. Numerous hiking and mountain biking trails are in the area. Rock climbing is a popular activity as well.
Snowbird Resort is a few miles up-canyon, offering scenic tram rides, hiking, mountain biking, restaurants, groceries, an Alpine Slide, zip line rides, concerts and various festivals.
Albion Basin, part of Alta Ski Resort just a few miles further up-canyon, hosts the Wasatch Wildflower Festival annually in late July/early August, complete with guided nature walks. Numerous hiking trails can be found in Albion Basin, including the 1.5-mile round-trip hike to Cecret Lake.
Charges & Cancellations
Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees
Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Late Cancellations
Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows
Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees. Refunds
Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information
Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777." Changes to Policies and Procedures
Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July 2018. ADA Access: N
Sites
43
Price
$26.00 - $175.00
Operator
National Forest
Access
Drive In
Walk In
Features
ADA Accessible
Alcohol Allowed
Drinking Water
Fires Allowed
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Picnic Table
Toilets
Trash Available
Contact
Location
Tanners Flat is located in Utah
Directions
From I-215, take the 6200 South exit and travel a mile east to Wasatch Blvd. Take Wasatch Blvd 3 miles south to junction with Little Cottonwood Canyon/Highway 210. Take a left at the junction and travel up Little Cottonwood Canyon for 4.1 miles to the campground.
11 Reviews of Tanners Flat
Great early fall camping!
Given how close it is to the city, Tanners Flat has always been a little too busy for our family during the full swing of summer. After finally staying here, we realized the views and proximity to hikes makes it well worth it!
September/early October gives cooler temperatures and less crowds, and we got to see some lovely fall colors. The camp hosts were excellent as well :)
As SLC natives, we’re making this our yearly fall tradition!
Beautiful area but very very busy!
This is a fairly large campground for such a narrow canyon. There are 31 single sites, 3 doubles, and 3 group campsites. The single sites are $23 a night and be sure to make your reservation early as you are unlikely to get a walk in. The campsites are pretty close together so if you prefer solitude consider backpacking to White or Red Pine Lake or Lake Blanche in the nearby Big Cottonwood Canyon north of here.
Nearby attractions include Lisa Falls, Cecret Lake and numerous summertime activities at Snowbird and Alta ski resorts. During the summer at Snowbird there are summer slides kind of like dry bobsleds and the tram runs all the way up to Hidden Peak which has a wonderful without the effort. A tiny bit further up the canyon right across from the Peruvian Lodge is a favorite evening free solo called the South Ridge of Mt. Superior for the more adventurous. It is a fairly tame 5.5-5.6 hike/scramble/climb with more scrambling than climbing. It is a fun outing but try to be back before sundown or hike with a partner as we got stalked by a few cougars coming down the last time we did it!
Nice camping for trailers.
The campground is pretty, but it is not for family camping with a tent. This campground has pull-through areas for people towing camping trailers, but not much for those that want to set up a full-size tent and lounge around outside. The nearby creek is pretty, but you cannot so much as wade in it without facing prosecution and a $1500 fine. I would not camp here again.
Good location for exploring Wasatch Mountains and Salt Lake City
You really need to know this: No dogs are allowed because this campground is in the Salt Lake City watershed.
And this: As inviting as the water running through the campground may look, you are not allowed to swim, wade or wash in it.
One more thing: Gate closes at 10 pm although that didn't stop some partiers at the next site in from us. They partied and left around 11 or so. There was no payment tag on the post. The exit is open but has tire shredders if you enter over them.
A pleasant surprise at a Forest Service campground: 10 lbs of ice for $2! (There was also the usual bundle of firewood for $6.)
An unpleasant surprise: Old, dirty bathrooms. I've seen cleaner vault toilets elsewhere than these flush toilets.
There is no water for now (July 2018) in bathroom sinks or at spigots. The host said something about a pipe issue and water needing to be tested. That covers the amenities other than dumpsters.
What about the sites? We arrived on a Sunday morning when the host was putting up signs indictating which sites were reserved. We had 3 possible sites among 1 through 19 and grabbed #9, a pull through site with a buffer between the road in the parking/small RV area.
Sites in the other area (higher numbers) were becoming available, but that area's host said many of the sites were only appropriate for tents.
Our site #9: There are a few steps down to the picnic table, fire ring and grill plus a separate area to the left for a tent. See photos.
General site info:
Some sites have a concrete pad for the picnic table, etc.
Many sites have an area for the tent that is away from the picnic table and concealed from the road.
Quick trip for locals
Tanners flat is a close trip up Little Cottonwood Canyon. NO Dogs allowed in the canyon- it is a watershed. Very popular spot for locals to day trip or weekend trip.
Questival camping
We were staying here during the Cotopaxi question and it had great scenery and clean camp grounds!
Great campgrounds and facilities
It can be tricky to get a spot here in the summer. Make sure to call ahead!
Awesome time!
We stayed with another Questival group and loved it! The owner was very nice and welcoming AND it was her birthday. Had a great time.
Amazing time
Diana (one of the campground leaders) celebrated her birthday with us while we were Questivaling. Big shoutout to her and co. for saving the day with a last minute site. Clean, big and beautiful.
