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4.5

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52 Reviews

Reviewed Jun. 25, 2020

Flat rock patio

This was a great camp area. We drove on to a large stone surface and were completely level. Some road noise and late night late comers.

6 miles from Arches NP. No shade Free! Safe.

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Greg R., June 25, 2020
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Greg R., June 25, 2020
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Greg R., June 25, 2020
Reviewed Jun. 25, 2020

Beautiful Spot but Lots of Traffic

This is a great free camping spot just north of Arches NP with large sites with fire rings. There were some port-a-pots but no other amenities. However, there was a lot of late night traffic going in and out, so if you’re tent camping, I definitely recommend driving farther back or trying to find a spot further off the road.

Reviewed Jun. 12, 2020

Plenty of dispersed camping, 10 minutes from Arches

While visiting in March 2020, we could not find any open campgrounds in Moab or Arches. We ended up driving 10 minutes north of Arches NP and came upon willow springs. Was very crowded but still plenty of space. Easy road to drive on. Spectacular views and night skies. No amenities. 

Quick drive back to Arches NP for some amazing early morning hikes! Also near Lions Park, which has bathrooms, water, walking trails overlooking the colorado river, and grass for the pups to play.

Month of VisitMarch
Reviewed Mar. 23, 2020

Free and Spacious

We car camped at Willow Springs for 2 nights and had an awesome experience. The road getting into the area itself is easy enough for any car and then the campsite roads vary from totally flat to requiring 4WD. There were lots of people camping but plenty of space between all of the sites (and a huge variety in site choices). Awesome view of the La Sal mountains on a clear day and the stars were amazing too. Great place to camp for free near Moab. I will definitely be back.

Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Katie M., March 23, 2020
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Katie M., March 23, 2020
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Katie M., March 23, 2020
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Katie M., March 23, 2020
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Reviewed Jan. 15, 2020

Best Dirtbag Camping in Moab

This is one of the best dispersed camping areas around Moab.  The location is north of Moab by 25 minutes or so.  Right on two mountain bike trails - Sovereign Single track (great for intermediate and advanced riders) and the Klonzo trial system (great for beginners).

There are great moto options all around too.  The road can be a little rough getting back to these sites so lower clearance vehicles may have some trouble.

Great location, great riding, and free.

SiteDispersed area - see coordinates for exact site.
Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Dec. 3, 2019

Free and toilets

Good spot, Porto potties are placed along the trail. It was busier than I expected it to be in December, about a dozen campers; 2 others drove into the area I parked in. Plenty of spots though

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Amber , December 3, 2019
Reviewed Nov. 20, 2019

Serviceable camping area near Moab

Stayed here for a night before checking out the Delicate Arch at sunrise. Works pretty well for that as it is only a 10 minute drive to the entrances of Arches NP.

We didn't venture very far down the main road, and at the beginning it is pretty dense with campers. Probably not the best choice if you're looking for more secluded camping.

Mid-November it got down to about ~30 degrees F. Down to ~24F when we entered the park at 5:30am.

Month of VisitNovember
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Max P., November 20, 2019
Reviewed Oct. 22, 2019

Amazing

Just outside Moab and arches it’s a beautiful dispersed camping area with amazing views

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Brian G., October 22, 2019
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Brian G., October 22, 2019
Reviewed Oct. 14, 2019

Great dispersed camping just outside of Moab!

Stayed here last weekend and had a great time with our large group! Plenty of camp sites along the main road and smaller connecting side roads. Some of the side roads definitely require 4x4 and high clearance to drive.

We found an amazing site overlooking Arches National Park in the distance. Plenty of spaces for campers, RVs, trailers and tents. Sites are simple and marked by fire rings. Not much shade so it would be pretty hot out here in the summer. Gorgeous views! 

It was super crowded this time of year but still very clean, no trash, bathrooms in great shape too!

Month of VisitOctober
  • Sunrise at camp
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  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Isabelle K., October 14, 2019
Reviewed Oct. 8, 2019

Good dispersed site near Moab

Large area with plenty of spots, a few side roads lead to even more spots. Main road was in good shape, side roads get pretty rough. Nothing impassable, just slow going. There are several Port-O-Lets along main road and a pit toilet near the back of the area. Arrived the Wednesday before Outerbike and found a spot at the end of the main road. Was a very busy weekend and the place stayed full - but never felt too crowded. Easy access to the Klonzo and Sovereign Trails via Willow Springs Road.

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Robbie B., October 8, 2019
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Robbie B., October 8, 2019
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Robbie B., October 8, 2019
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2019

Great spot!

Open dispersed free camping along a gravel BLM road. Went all the way to the end and the road was fairly smooth in our dodge promaster. There are porta potties every so often and they’re surprisingly very clean. I would definitely stay here again.

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Melanny R., August 27, 2019
Reviewed Jun. 9, 2019

Saved our butts

Not a bad spot if you don’t have any other options and don’t wanna pay! We came in late and everything was taken and we didn’t wanna be far from town so this worked out perfectly There are some nicer spots with trees and a a little more privacy farther in but it’s a race to get them

Reviewed May. 22, 2019

Great Place

A little rough getting back in very far with a Class C but we did & found a pretty quiet place the 2nd night. First night we were closer to the highway & more traffic going back & forth until late with people looking for spots.

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Sheila W., May 22, 2019
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Sheila W., May 22, 2019
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Sheila W., May 22, 2019
Reviewed Apr. 1, 2019

Quiet and Breathtaking

Thanksgiving in Moab is heaven! We pulled up here on Weds evening for the holiday and we got our own space with plenty of personal space between us and other campers. It was cold at night (-2) but we stayed nice and warm with extra blankets and with all the slick rock and trail riding we did during the day we were so work out we didn't even notice.

You can see Arches NP from this road so it was a great way to wake up every morning with the sunrise creeping up over the Red Rock.

It is dispersed camping so there are occasionally port-o-potties but no trash pick up. We did our part cleaning up other people's trash that was left out as well as other campers wandering around cleaning up the place. Because of this, it was a beautiful spot to spend the extended weekend.

Month of VisitNovember
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Hayley K., April 1, 2019
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Hayley K., April 1, 2019
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Hayley K., April 1, 2019
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  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Hayley K., April 1, 2019
Reviewed Oct. 30, 2018

Will be back!

Drove from Denver to this campground to camp in my car solo and explore all Moab had to offer. Felt safe the whole time, made friends with other campers nearby. Trailhead was dirt and bumpy in some places, did fine in my 02 Outback. Close to a gas station that had a bathroom. Will be back when I get the chance to visit Moab again! Went May 2018.

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Skylar J., October 30, 2018
Reviewed Oct. 17, 2018

Awesome Free Camp

So this is BLM land and you can stay 14 days. I recommend coming in durning the day cause it’s confusing at night. But it’s pretty much like 2 miles of this dirt road right of the main road that has TONS of Dispersed Camping. I mean tons! As long as you stay within the fenced in areas, you’re good to camp. Rvs, trucks, cars, and tents as all set up in here. And it’s surprisingly quiet for the amount of people camped out. Despite the numbers, there’s plenty of space for everyone. Can’t go wrong with this spot! There’s also porter potties placed about every half mile between sites and there’s a pit toilet at the front of the road. It’s a little bumpy when you pull into some of the camp spots off the main dirt road, but my two wheel drive Saturn could handle it so it’s not bad. There’s fire rings places throughout. No water. Would stay here again any time I visit Moab. Just 11 miles north of town and a quick drive at that.

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Aliyah B., October 17, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Aliyah B., October 17, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Aliyah B., October 17, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Aliyah B., October 17, 2018
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Reviewed Sep. 12, 2018

My go-to spot in the Moab area

If you don't mind foregoing a restroom – don't hesitate to choose this as your camp site for your Moab-area adventures! This will seriously be my go-to any time I'm in the area. There are an insane number of designated dispersed spots along this road (don't cross the creek bed unless you have 4WD) and all of them have killer views, tons of room and plenty of privacy. The sunsets are killer, and we saw lots of birds, bats, lizards, and a jackrabbit. We even saw hot air balloons each morning floating across the desert. Plus, it's free and less than 10 minutes from the entrance to Arches. Couldn't ask for more!

SiteDispersed
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jessica N., September 12, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jessica N., September 12, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jessica N., September 12, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jessica N., September 12, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jessica N., September 12, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jessica N., September 12, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jessica N., September 12, 2018
Reviewed Jun. 25, 2018

Wide open, accessible camping near Moab

Great place to pull off and find a spot in the busy national park area. Access to several intermediate mountain bike networks. Great views of the La Sals

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Max B., June 25, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Max B., June 25, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Max B., June 25, 2018
Reviewed May. 13, 2018

Ranger Review: Lilly Trotters Compression Socks at the Willow Springs Trail

Campground Review: I stayed one night at the Willow Springs Road Dispersed Camping North of Moab, UT. This was awesome camping. I am only giving it four stars because I was not in the right mindset for this type of camping at the time. This is dispersed camping so park and set up camp were you see a fire ring and be sure to follow Leave No Trace principles. Pack out whatever you pack in. Because it is FREE people need to follow these guidelines to keep it that way. Overall it was pretty free of trash but not totally. This camping area has no amenities—no water, no trash, no toiles, no tables, no metal fire rings. There are a few port-a-potties scattered around but don’t rely on one being close to you. With that, be careful where you walk as not to bust the crust as you find a spot to dig a hole. Finally, the only other negative was there was a lot of gnats/baby flies around in the morning when I was packing up. Not a super big deal but they were annoying.

What I really like about the camping, besides the free price, is its proximity to all the activities that Moab has to offer and the scenery was beautiful. It is open and more exposed camping, but the sunset over the hills can’t be beat and you can find trees/protection if you get there early enough. You are about 20 minutes from town, closer to Arches and Canyonlands.  5 minutes from the Klonzo and Bar M mountain bike trails and 10 minutes from two other large mountain bike trail systems (Klondike, Horsethief). There are also Jeep trail entrances and awesome rock climbing (Wall Street) before you hit town. It can get pretty crowded but I never felt that my neighbors were right on top of me. Overall, you can’t beat free camping in Moab and this is a great option.   I will definitely be camping here again.

Gear Review: Lily Trotters Compression Socks

As a Ranger of The Dyrt, I was given the privilege of testing some gear This gear review is for some Lily Trotters compression socks. Note that this gear review is for usage not just at the Willow Springs Trail campsites but during a month long backpacking trip, daily city wear, mountain biking. I have the Sassy Bow in Black in size L/XL as well as the Dots-A-Plenty in Grey and S'Mitten in Purple in S/M. According to size charts I could fit either size (my calf measurement was for L and everything else was for the S). I wore the larger pair on my month long backpacking trip to allow for the additional swelling but I wear the smaller pairs for everyday and either for general hiking and mountain biking. First off let me say, they are really comfortable socks in general. They stayed up on my legs and never felt too loose or too tight. The compression also kept my feet from swelling as much as they normally would have had I been wearing normal hiking socks. I also really liked that they were feminine without being too girly--an aesthetic I appreciate in today's women's gear products.

Because I had these socks with me for the whole the whole month, I decided to try them in a variety of different situations: I wore them with 1) sock liners in hiking boots 2) solo in hiking boots, 3) with liners in trail runners, 4) solo in trail runners. I didn't get to try them as liners themselves because my feet would have gotten way too hot! Short story with all my experiments is that once the sock was in place (i.e. no wrinkles and any bandages were smooth) they kept my feet contained and prevented them from swelling too much which allowed for my shoes to stay roomy and comfortable. The only time I wasn't too happy is when I wore them solo with trail runners in soft dirt as the dirt went through the shoe mesh and stayed in the sock making my feet super dirty (this also happened when I was wearing traditional hiking socks).

General observations: These are not padded socks. They have a reinforced heel which is great especially if your heel moves in your shoes or you have bandages from blisters you have a little more protection. I did wear a hole in one pair while backpacking but the company was awesome when I contacted them and they replaced it with no issues. With the lack of padding and the large number of miles I was doing every day, my feet were tired and sore at the end of days wearing them due to the heavy impact. This fatigue was lessened when I switched to trail runners but it didn't go away completely. (I switched to trail runners about 2 weeks into the trip so still in the process of adapting to through hiking.) These were also really easy to care for. They dried quickly if I got them wet and were easy to beat the dirt out of. Weight wise, they matched some of my wool hiking socks so I didn't mind having them in my pack. Finally, these socks do not guard against mosquito bites. I got quite a few through the sock material. I also wore these socks on an 18 mile mountain bike excursion and they made my legs feel great. I had the energy to go longer and I didn't feel too sore that evening or the next day and I think the socks were part of that. They even protected against scrapes against low bushes.

All in all, these were great socks and I would definitely recommend them for everyday around town or perhaps day hiking. When I do another longer backpacking trip, I will probably bring another pair with me because they are awesome but I would be more selective in the days I wear them.

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jenny R., May 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jenny R., May 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jenny R., May 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jenny R., May 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jenny R., May 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jenny R., May 13, 2018
  • 360 degree view of Willow Springs Trail dispersed camping
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  • Demo/Gear Review of Lily Trotters Compression Socks.
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  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jenny R., May 13, 2018
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jenny R., May 13, 2018
Reviewed Jun. 17, 2017

All on your own

This was my first shot at dispersed camping and it was great! There are a lot of campsites although it was busy while I was there I was still able to find a good campsite. Even though it was busy we felt like we were the only ones there. There are no facilities toilets showers Etc but there are great views and close to Arches National Park. I would recommend and I will go back! What else can you ask for on top of being free

Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jeremiah U., June 17, 2017
  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Jeremiah U., June 17, 2017
Reviewed Sep. 24, 2016

Favorite spots in Utah

Open desert, coyotes, cool nights. You can't beat it. There is no water, toilets, etc. You must bring everything, and LEAVE NO TRACE! Only pull off where a spot is already established. The road is good for 2WD cars, although dusty and washboarded in spots. Don't pay to stay in Moab!

  • Review photo of Willow Springs Trail by Leah W., September 24, 2016
Reviewed Sep. 23, 2016

Awesome dispersed camping

This was our first stab at a site like this and it was amazing. Very close to Arches and Moab and the scenery is great. The road in is a little rough, but there were cars that did it though I wouldn't recommend it (especially after rain).

There are plenty of spots around, but some are better than others for shelter from the wind. We camped near a hill and it sheltered us quite well.

We dry camped in our truck, but there were people tent and rv camping as well. We didn't have a campfire but people around us did.

What more can you ask from a campground, especially a free one?! I would definitely stay here again!