It feels almost like a hidden secret that I shouldn't divulge, but the lovely owners of this special little spot deserve to have a light shown on their little slice of heaven in Southern Utah. 

In an area rich with outdoor tourist attractions (Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon all within 90 minutes), it's hard to find a campsite that doesn't feel like a shoulder-to-shoulder Disney experience. Ethel's Hideout is laid out such that you never feel like you're crowded in by neighbors. This is a true cowboy camping experience in cowboy country. 

The campground is surrounded by public lands in every direction with views of incredible rock formations and the breath-taking Southern Utah landscape. If you're lucky, you can watch the cowboys moving cattle across the range. We got lucky enough to see this during our stay. 

There's no shortage of things to do nearby. Just ask the owners for some tips on where to go to find an adventure! As an insider tip, I found the nearby reservoir in Kanab to be the perfect spot for a morning jaunt.  

While they do offer horse stalls for travelers with horses, the campground is set-up for RVs and tents to maximize views and strikes the perfect balance of amenities with a boondocking-style experience. If you're looking for concrete pads and lines of RVs, this isn't the spot for you. But if you're hoping to find a truly special camping experience coupled with some light amenities, give Ethel's a visit. We love it here.

Hoping to address older reviews letting campers know that this campground is closed, I was able to confirm the recent re-opening of this site. After a 9-year closure, Look Rock Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be welcoming visitors into this campground this spring! Look for reservation availability on rec.gov and learn more about the campground on National Park's website. 

I'm looking forward to planning my visit!

We've stayed at Aspen Grove 3 times now and use it as an reliable stop along our travels. There is enough to do in the surrounding areas and reasonable proximity to Salt Lake City to call it basecamp for a few days, but we've always used this stop as a single, reliable night stay. 

We enjoy doing laundry here because the facilities are solid. The sites are surprisingly unlevel for a new RV park(all 3 times, we've had some pretty crooked sites). However, everything else is above-par. The sites are spacious and long. There are nice, well-maintained grassy areas and clean picnic tables between sites. The roads are wide and easy to navigate. Wifi is strong throughout the park. Hookups are thoughtfully placed and work well. Also worth noting, this is the very first campground we've encountered that has EV charging stations at individual sites!

There are also little fun easter egg features scattered around the otherwise sterile park like bench seating areas, lawn games and a dog run. There are also 2 laundry rooms for the large park, which is nice for the folks parked towards the back. 

The neighborhood is quiet and it's not much of a walkable area, but their website lists a handful of attractions in the area that are worthwhile. I've personally made a mental note of Crystal Hotsprings for next time we're visiting.

Please note that you need a permit in order to overnight in Paria Canyon. This is the first designated backcountry campsite available if you're hiking via Buckskin Gulch. There is no camping allowed in the slot canyon. You must first reach the confluence before setting-up camp. Also note there are NO facilities and you must pack out everything including human waste. 

There are a few ways to reach this backcountry spot. The first would be from the White House trailhead. This is the shortest and easiest route. The second is from Wire Pass trailhead while picks up Buckskin Gulch a couple miles in (completing 11.5 miles of Buckskin, 13 miles total). The last is from Buckskin Gulch trailhead (taking on the entire 15-16 miles of Buckskin). We hiked this in June and the slot canyon was completely dry. We each carried 2 gallons of water per person to be absolutely safe (per the advice of the Ranger). 

Closer to the confluence we saw water on the ground and the hiking got mucky. After reaching the confluence, we noticed several campsites set up and occupied by other backpackers. We set-up at the first spot we saw. Access and finding a flat spot for our tents was easy. There are pests, so you will want to protect your food in your tent. 

At this point, depending on flow, water can possibly be collected and filtered from the Paria River. You may also want to treat the water depending on advice from the Contact Station. 

This is a long and difficult hike from any trailhead, but take special precaution if going through Buckskin as there is no signal and PLBs have difficulty transmitting anything at all. 

The reward of the beauty and solitude of this hike is well worth the effort. Be prepared and it's a beautiful journey!

If you've ever been to the Wahweap side of Lake Powell, you've likely heard of or seen photos of Lone Rock Beach. It's a fantastic dispersed camping area and you can drive up and sleep right along the shore of the lake. 

The sand gets deep as you get closer to the water line, so be sure to have a 4WD vehicle or else you'll want to park and walk down to pitch a tent closer to the water. There are also lots of camping options further up the beach, nearer to the restrooms with firmer ground for those that aren't prepared to drive in deep sand. It's also worth mentioning that the water levels are such that you cannot currently boat to Lone Rock (as of May 2022). 

Do not expect to find a remote, empty beach here. There will likely be lots of other people dispersed along the beach, especially in the high season. You can certainly find your own private pocket of sand, but along the water it gets understandably more crowded. 

Also, it gets very windy in the spring/early summer months so if you're in a tent, this could be a frustrating experience. All those things said, this is a very cool place to camp at Lake Powell. The views are beautiful and the desert surrounding the lake never gets boring. There are lots of sightseeing and hiking opportunities nearby and the NPS keeps the facilities clean. There are a handful of restrooms available as well as an RV dump station and potable water (in-season). There is also a Pilot gas station a short drive away for cold drinks and snacks in a pinch.

You will need to pay the NPS park entry fees in addition to the $14 per night camping fee. In the off-season, this is done at the pay station upon entering. 

If you're there on an extremely windy day, you may want to rethink taking a walk along the beach unless you're hoping for a full body exfoliation (speaking from experience).

This spot is the premiere location for visiting Lake Powell with full amenities at your campsite.

The grounds are at the Southern end of the lake, close to Wahweap Marina, Stateline Boat Launch & Wahweap rentals.

We visited at the start of the off-season in August and experienced a very quiet park at around 50% capacity.

The spots are spacious and offer nice room for campers. Sites are paved and level with thoughtful and easy access for back-ins. Clean picnic benches, fire rings and grill made it easy to enjoy the evenings within view of the lake.

We were in a full hookup site in Loop C and the hookups were very reliable. Lots of bathrooms scattered throughout the grounds. The front office made check in east and had a decent store for forgotten necessities or souvenirs.

A walk through the campground would lead to a beachfront pathway, but the walk is not short. Probably about a full mile considering the low water levels of the lake. Instead, to reach the water, I’d recommend Lone Rock beach just down the street off highway 89.

I also highly recommend doing a bit of research to understand this area and how the lake was created. There are some hidden gem spots nearby that can help to appreciate the area and avoid the crowds at the most popular places. Carl Hayden Visitor Center was closed during our visit due to Covid, but we are hoping to visit in the future. 

Overall price is a bit high, but we knew what to expect being so close to the lake with full hookups and within the park boundary.