Warner Lake

I camped here in September 2019 as a home base while exploring the Moab area. Loved it. For some it may too far outside of Moab - takes about 50 minutes to get to and from - but it was a nice break from the crowds and the leftover heatof the summer. It's at 9,000+, so temps are much cooler, and in late September they were in the low 30s at night.  When i was there the campground was not even half full over the weekend, which surprised me. (I am sure it is a different story during the summer). Sites are spacious with a fire ring (with grate/grill) and picnic table. My particular site (#18) could have fit at least two tents, maybe three (if smaller). There are two vault toilet sites for different sides of the campground.  The ones I used were clean (as clean as vault toilets ever are) and had ample TP.  There are no bear lockers, so you have to lock everything back up in your car at night. Most of the road on the way to the site is paved (La Sal Loop Road) - it's only the last 5 miles on the turn off to the campground that are not, but it is graded gravel/dirt and not a problem (I posted a photo of the road to this page). I drive a small SUV with AWD, but a sedan could make it just fine. The campground is located in a huge aspen grove and is absolutely silent at night (except for the bugling elk that freaked me out around 2am…). If you are counting on the aspens being golden in the fall, they are about two weeks behind the peak in Colorado (fwiw...according to some locals I spoke with).  All in all I am looking forward to coming back here on a future trip.  Really great spot.

Warner is a beautiful campground with well maintained sites. For just 5$ a night you get a drive in spot complete with a fire pit and grill, as well as a picnic table. Most sites can accommodate 2 cars and 2 tents. The aspen groves surrounding the campsites are beautiful and the sound of the leaves quaking will lull you to sleep. The vault toilet is almost always clean and usually has a little air freshener in it (thanks kind folks!). A cabin is also for rent at Warner, it’s an old forest service guard station, a small peek inside definitely grabbed my curiosity and I hope to rent it soon. From the campgrounds a short walk leads you to the actual lake which is small but impressive, especially with MT. Haystack looming right behind it. On a clear day the lines between sky, water, mountain, and forest seem to blur into a perfect blend. From here you have so many trail options for hiking, equestrian, and MTB! The Gold Knob trail heads to the North, you have the Oowah-Warner trail which connects you to the majestic green Oowah lake, and several more that take you deep into the La Sal mountains. I stay here often and would recommend it to anyone looking to cool down, get some peace and quiet, and to anyone trying to get their hike on!