Best Tent Camping near Green River, WY

In the off the beaten path category, Firehole Canyon, in southwestern WY, definitely qualifies.  Just getting there, from nearly anywhere, is an adventure in itself. With about 45 miles between the campground and the closest town, campers should come prepared with everything they need. 

The sites have very unique set ups, that we’ve never seen anywhere else, and that’s saying something cause we’ve camped all over this continent. Each campsite shares a paved parking area with its neighbor and the picnic/ fire ring shelter serves each campsite to one side or the other. Each site gets its own privacy but with all the space within this vast campground it feels just a bit strange to cluster pairs of sites in this way. However, it makes the perfect choice for groups needing more than one space! 

The bathrooms are old, but clean, and the showers were wicked hot with plenty of pressure.   There are no electrical hook-ups, so bring your solar panels because there is plenty of sun to be had.  

The Green River which creates the reservoir is the perfect locations for recreational paddlers, boaters and anglers. Walking the lakeshore or hiking the ATV two-tracks in the area are good ways to spend an afternoon not spent on the water.

Dispersed camping on the 125 mile stretch of the Green river from Green River, UT to the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers at Spanish Bottom. We stayed at the BLM sites on the Colorado in Moab the first night. These are all pack in/ Pack out sites so get your “groover” ready. Fires (when allowed) need to be in a fire pan that meets NPS specs. No water so you will need to bring with you. The Green is a silt river and I am sure will clog filters. Stillwater and Labyrinth Canyons are a marvel. Take your time and hop from site to site getting some hikes in. One important note: The BLM sites in Moab are first come first served so if you may need to look for other accomodations on your way out of town. We got back in town late in the evening from the shuttle back to town from Spanish Bottom and weren't able to secure a campsite when we returned.

We did a small backpacking trip from the Greendale Overlook on highway 40 to the Canyon Rim campground for the night. The hike was beautiful, crossing creeks and surrounded by ponderosa pines. It's about 4.5 miles one way.
Canyon Rim Campground is beautiful, also surrounded by ponderosa and aspen, and with a beautiful overlook of Flaming Gorge Reservoir. There are specific sites for tent camping, and plenty of RV spots. Each spot has tables and fire rings. There are vault toilets.
Our only complaint is that all of the water to the campground was shut off! No signs warning that there was no water available. This was actually awful as we had backpacked in with our dogs (who at this point were very thirsty), and brought dehydrated food that required water to make. Luckily, Red Canyon Lodge is located about a mile away. We were able to hike over and buy water. 16 small bottles of water for like 45 dollars...not ideal.

A great campground set down along the Green River. This is a loop set up, with each site nicely spaced with plenty of sage between sites for privacy. Most sites have their own covered picnic table (some share a covered area divided by a wall), and all have at least a picnic table and firepit. Some campsites have better views of the River (which kinda looks like a lake), but those sites seemed to be a bit more windy. The shower house was clean if a bit outdated. Nearby is a nice day use area with a boat launch and fish cleaning station. I stayed here two nights since I liked the privacy and quiet at night while I checked out the gorge and looked for wild horses in the day.

The Travel Camp is a good place to stop if you’re short on options and don’t want to remove yourself too far from I-80. There are about 8 tent sites: basic sand-filled plot, grill, showers, and toilets nearby. The sand is hard so you better have a decent sleeping pad. The office closes at eight, so you need to check in before then- $27.50 for one night of tent camping. The highway is very close so you will definitely hear trucks throughout the night and sometimes the ground may rumble a bit. I was hoping to camp in a dispersed site but I couldn’t locate anything nearby, so the Travel Camp proved a welcome option as night fell.

The cost is $25 a night but $12.50 with a senior parks pass. ATT Has 3 bars and LTE coverage The campground is very clean, there are very well maintained restrooms with flush toilets and showers free to register guests and $4 fee for others, the roads and sites were all paved with picnic tables and fire pits, there is potable water available throughout but no electric, water or septic hookups in the campground. Potable water and a dump station are located just down the road, for a fee of $6 you can dump and refill your tank. This campground is very close to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. A hydro electric dam is located about one mile away with a great visitor center. There is fishing in the Reservoir, and great fly fishing on the Green river on the downstream side of the dam with great access. A boat launch is available on the downstream side of the dam for those hearty souls who wish to float the Green river and fish. There is a Marina located just a short way from the campground with a boat launch, a fuel dock, restaurant and small store with very friendly staff. There are several different boats available to rent, which we took advantage of and spent the day enjoying the fantastic views of Flaming Gorge from the water. We spent three days here and enjoyed it greatly, a great place to stop and recharge.