Flaming Gorge NRA Dispersed, near Manila, Utah, is a fantastic spot for those who love the great outdoors and want to experience camping in a more natural setting. This area offers a vast landscape where you can set up camp near the water or find a spot on a hill with stunning 360-degree views.

Visitors rave about the crystal-clear waters and the opportunity to paddle around in kayaks. The area is known for its wildlife, with sightings of deer, pronghorn antelope, and a variety of birds. One camper noted, “The views are spectacular. Sunsets/sunrise breathing. And the dark skies were mesmerizing.” Just be prepared for some pesky mosquitoes, especially around sunset.

While there are no developed amenities like picnic tables or restrooms, the freedom to choose your own camping spot adds to the charm. The roads can be a bit rough, but they lead to some amazing locations. As one reviewer put it, “You can pick a spot where you like and right near the lake.” Whether you’re looking to relax by the water or explore the surrounding trails, this location has plenty to offer for a memorable camping experience.

As one of the most aptly named landscapes in the country, the vast scenery of Flaming Gorge may not fit into your camera. The Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area (NRA) is centered long the 91-mile section of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir and a rugged section of the Green River. The mix of climate and topography provide year-round recreation. The southern part includes colorful, narrow canyons, and conifer forests; the northern part is surrounded by high sagebrush deserts and rock mesas. Campgrounds, lodges, marinas, boat launches, swimming beaches, fishing areas, and hiking/ski trails are available along the 360 miles of shoreline and tucked into mountain retreats. Close at hand are the quaint communities of Manila, Green River, and Dutch John, which have accommodations and other services. [ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE 1 FOR ACCESSIBILITY PURPOSES](http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprd3795363.jpg "Stateline") [ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE 2 FOR ACCESSIBILITY PURPOSES](http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprd3795362.jpg "Mustang") [ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTION OF IMAGE 2 FOR ACCESSIBILITY PURPOSES](http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_MEDIA/stelprd3795360.jpg "Little Hole") test

Flaming Gorge NRA Dispersed

Are you in need of a campground near Manila, UT? Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Manila, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Manila, UT. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.

Manila

The Best Camping Near Manila, Utah

During this stay at the Gorge we decided to do some dispersed camping on a peninsula on the west side. There were plenty of spots everywhere but nothing was really developed. Besides that there were gorgeous views all around and many good cliff diving spots. One of our favorite spots is on the east side after you pass the dam. Red Canyon is also another great place to take in the view and get some good pictures.

Many places to choose from

Easy place to camp if you live in southwest Wyoming

Closest to home 

Went there in January of this year to see some great contrasts at Red Canyon overlook! Was sad the restaurant was closed but so was everything else so it made sense. Theres good ice fishing on the northern reaches of the reservoir on both the east and west sides. If you want to cliff dive theres good spots near Mustang Rdge CG, which is one I need to add! This is also a good spot to set your boat off to explore the upper walls of the canyon!

Beautiful and packed with snow!

Dispersed camping on the Wyoming side is practically on a desert oasis so bring plenty of shade. Be prepared for a bit of noise from the ATVs, some dust, and a bit of fire ants during the day. Trust me, it's still so worth it.  Spend both days there in the water. This rec area is amazing! Almost guaranteed to find plenty of space (well maybe not during a holiday weekend). Theres portapots by the entrance which depending on where you set up could mean a 10-15 drive so plan on hitting the bushes. Some wildlife, we saw 4 deer and a buck very close by.  Cell phone service is available in certain areas.
The Utah side is gorgeous but much more crowded. Maybe good to spend a bit of time here in day use and then close the day out over on the Wyoming side.

https://travelwyoming.com/flaming-gorge-national-recreation-area

https://utah.com/flaming-gorge

Amazing Dispersed Camping

We were on the Wyoming side not too far the Buckboard Marina .  About a 15 min. drive.  We have a 30 ft class A RV and we tow a jeep.  We parked at the marina and took the jeep to scout out a site.  The " roads" are just dirt, some in better shape  than others. So it was easier to be able to pick our spot in advance and then just go get the RV.  We had an amazing spot right on the water.  No other campers on site.  The views are spectacular.   Sunsets/sunrise breathing.   And the dark skies were mesmerizing.     Its desert like.  The silence was deafening.  There's no shade.  We didn't see very many pit toilets.   No shopping very close to where we were.  Its a great place to boat or kayak.   We saw lots of pronghorn sheep and deer.  We don't fish so unsure about that.   We can't wait to return.

Peaceful beauty.

Great dispersed camp area with plenty of spaces and can camp right up on the beach.

Beautiful

Beautiful, although not much shade but cooler
I had no problem on roads with a Promaster. This lake currently holds the WORLD record Lake Trout at 53 lbs 15 oz 

Heaven 

I don’t think I’ll ever get over the anxiety of heading to a dispersed campsite on the basis of the Dyrt alone. That air of mystery always puts a little know in my stomach. 
This spot quickly alleviated that the minute we pulled up to the area, with the clearly defying directions and rules on the sign,  I knew that it’d be good. You can even see the water from a long distance, so you know what you’re getting. 
The spots are not defined at all and there are campers strewn all around the area, left from locals who stake a good spot for the weekend. That being said, there’s still plenty of room to find a spot along the beach. 
The water is crystal clear, there are spots of Greta sand, along with rocky patches of beach too. The paths and trails all around lend me to thinking that on the weekends the place is teeming with off road era, but being a Tuesday night it was quiet. 
HUGE drawback, and really was the only one, was the mosquitoes. Literally hundred upon hundreds swarmed our van around 7pm and didn’t let up all night. 
For some reason they weren’t landing on me, but I don’t know if that’s my condition or theirs. 
Saw antelope, pelicans, and plenty of other birds too. 

One of my faves

Several branching dirt roads that you can pick to camp at. Sites are not clearly marked, but you can pick a spot where you like and right near the lake. Saw some deer and two other campers

On the waters edge

Very large dispersed camping area. As the starting point we chose Anvil Draw Boat Ramp. From here many roads bifurcate and you can select many other dirt roads - where to go and where to stay, by the water or on top of the hill with 360 views (google maps shows them pretty accurately). We stayed 5 nights - the longest so far and it wasn’t planned that way. But then the weather, surrounding areas and things to do made us stay longer  - without any regrets. 
We had couple of days very strong winds. But others were hot and sunny to pull our inflatable kayak and paddle around. The waters were calm. Another day we explored to the other side of the gorge (Utah - gorge overviews, Red canyon, geological Sheep Creek Canyon Loop). 
There are many mosquitoes but as mentioned, they strangely don’t bite and are appearing in intervals and random places - behind protection of the wind and mostly at sunsets.
Plenty of cows, pronghorn antelopes, variety of birds. Overall very quiet place with occasional sound of boat passing in the waters.
Not much shade or trees around. Perfect view place to recharge and move on to next destination.

Short or long stay, take a pic

We need a quick spot to stay for the night right over the border into Utah. Drove down a bumpy sandy road and was able to find a spot right on the water. Already has a stone fire pit. Enjoyed a beautiful sunset and a nice swim. Lots of places to walk. Bugs were annoying tho!

My favorite spot!

There are a TON of dispersed camping spots here. It’s like a labyrinth of roads and spots. We drove around a bit to find one but ended up on the cliff overlooking the lake. It was super windy that day which made it hard to hang out outside but made for a cool and refreshing day!

Photos of Flaming Gorge NRA Dispersed

Real photos from real campers