Boondocking Near Capitol Reef National Park: Free Dispersed Camping
Camping near Capitol Reef allows you to fully immerse in the stunning natural beauty of southern Utah and gives you access to incredible hiking trails and scenic drives. If you’re wondering where to stay when visiting Capitol Reef National Park, there are a wide variety of options to choose from.
Our guide highlights some of the best camping sites near Capitol Reef National Park. We include everything from no-fee campgrounds, boondocking and dispersed campsites, paid developed campgrounds, and RV parks.
Free Camping near Capitol Reef National Park
Let’s start with some of the campsites where you can free camp near the Park.
Cedar Mesa Campground
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.007213, -111.084436
Type of campground: Primitive campgrounds
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Cedar Mesa Campground is a small primitive campground with five free camp sites that are available on a first come first serve basis. It’s located towards the south end of Capitol Reef National Park, along the Notom-Bullfrog Road and a little over an hour away from the visitor center.
The dirt road leading to the free campground is pretty accessible so four-wheel drive isn’t necessary. It also offers easy access to nearby canyon hikes like the Red Canyon Trail.
Each of the sites has picnic tables and fire pits. There’s also a pit toilet but there’s no running water available. It’s open year-round but we always recommend checking with the Capitol Reef Visitor Center before planning an overnight stay.
Cathedral Valley Campground
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.47436, -111.36706
Type of campground: Primitive campgrounds
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Cathedral Valley Campground is another no-fee primitive site located in the Cathedral Valley which is to the north of the main Capitol Reef area or an hour and a half away from the visitor center. This is a great spot surrounded by nature since it’s found on the foothills of Thousand Lake Mountain and surrounded by pinyon/juniper trees.
The campground is also open year-round but a high clearance four-wheel vehicle drive is strongly recommended to access it. The road conditions may be affected by the weather and become inaccessible sometimes so it’s always best to check with the visitor center.
There are 6 available sites on a first come, first serve basis. Each has a picnic table, a fire pit, and a pit toilet but no water facilities.
Temple Mountain Campground
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.66784, -110.68519
Type of campground: BLM land
Temple Mountain Campground is within San Rafael Swell, which is an area that’s part of Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It’s located at the intersection of Temple Mountain and Behind the Reef road. It’s about an hour away from the Capitol Reef visitor center. Because it’s a fairly remote location, it’s generally quiet and peaceful.
Like all BLM camping sites, this currently has no fees for use and is available on a first come, first serve basis. It has a large parking area which makes it a great option for larger RVs and tent camping. Other key amenities include fire pits, picnic tables, and vault toilets.
There are also some interesting spots to check out nearby like the historic Temple Mountain townsite known for its mining history and the Goblin Valley State Park.
Dispersed Camping near Capitol Reef National Park
Dispersed campsites are outside of designated campgrounds, which means they’re usually not maintained and require camping off grid.
South Temple Wash Dispersed Camping
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.6548, -110.6585
Type of campground: BLM land
Formerly known as Temple Mountain East Campground, South Temple Wash Campground is in very close proximity to Temple Mountain Campground. So if the latter is fully occupied then this would be a great place to check out.
This site also has multiple parking areas for large RVs, trailers, and tents.
It’s a bit less scenic than Temple Mountain which means it’s also usually less crowded. It also has fewer amenities which include only fire pits and pit toilets.
Capitol Reef Overflow Dispersed Camping
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.3267, -111.3641
Type of campground: Dirt road
This dispersed camping area is only a 10 minute scenic drive away from the Capitol Reef visitor center. The easy access and location makes it a pretty popular spot for campers. The area is decently sized but there are lots of spots to park for all sizes of rigs.
Reviews describe the terrain as fairly rocky and uneven, especially at the entrance going in. Since it’s also located just off Hwy 24, you might hear occasional road noise throughout your stay. But the site has some amazing views, nearby trailheads, and nothing beats its proximity to the national park.
Beas Lewis Flat Dispersed Camping
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.3267, -111.3641
Type of campground: BLM land
Beas Lewis Flat is another close by spot for boondocking near Capitol Reef just 15 minutes away. The location is pretty accessible with no need for four wheel drive and spectacular views of the back of the national park.
The dirt roads are pretty well-maintained and spacious even if you end up spotting other campers nearby. Since this area is for dispersed camping there aren’t many facilities except for fire pits. Other things past campers mentioned is that that cell service is quite good and that it gets quite windy since it’s up on a ridge.
Capitol Reef East Dispersed Camping
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.2849, -111.1185
Type of campground: BLM land
Capitol Reef East is another nearby spot that’s quite easy to miss even though it’s very near the entrance of the park. The upper spots are much more reachable and accessible since the road to get down to the lower site can be quite steep and rough.
It’s much less windy than the campsites on the west side plus you’ll be greeted with beautiful scenery and the sounds and views of the Fremont River. Past reviews mention cell service in this area is not the best, making it the perfect boondocking spot for those who want the full experience.
Route 24 Dispersed Camping – Capitol Reef
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.3272, -111.3636
Type of campground: Dirt road
This campground is located right outside the national park and nearby the Pandora’s Box trailhead. It’s another great alternative worth checking out when the other more popular sites like Capitol Reef East and Overflow are packed.
There are various spots that have been marked by previous campers but the space is wide and open enough that you can park anywhere. Some amenities include some fire rings and porta potties plus fairly decent cell service. The views are beautiful though it also gets quite windy which might be an issue if you’re tent camping.
Paid Camping near Capitol Reef
Fruita Campground
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.342120 , -111.518908
Type of campground: US Forest Service campground
Price: $25.00 per night
Fruita Campground is the only developed campground located in the park. Because of this, it’s always high in demand and reservations usually run out quickly for peak season (March to October). They can be made up to 6 months in advance. From November to February, they’re available on a first come first serve basis.
There are 71 campsites, offering picnic tables, some with fire rings and grills. There’s no individual water or sewage hookups but there’s a RV dump and potable water fill station near the entrance. The campground is known for being a sort of oasis nestled within the desert, since it’s located in a well-maintained, semi-shaded, grassy area.
Sunglow Campground
Open: Year-round
GPS location: 38.342363, -111.518774
Type of campground: US Forest Service campground
Price: $16 per night for single standard sites / $40 for group standard sites
Sunglow Campground is located on public land in a scenic red rock canyon, about half an hour west from Capitol Reef. It’s a small campground with only six single sites available on a first come, first serve basis and two group campsites which can be reserved online in advance.
The amenities include the standard picnic tables and fire rings but with more features like flush toilets, dumpsters, and drinking water. The main road to the campground is accessible and paved, but the road spurs of the camp are gravel.
Oak Creek Campground
Open: May to October
GPS location: 39.3474, -112.2670
Type of campground: US Forest Service campground
Price: $60 per night for group standard sites
Located towards the southern end of the park, Oak Creek Campground is a small developed campground with a creek running through the lower portion. Since it’s a smaller campground, RVs over 25 feet aren’t recommended, only small tents and trailers.
It’s made up of four group campsites that you can reserve online. Amenities include picnic tables, campfire rings, grills, vault toilets, and drinking water. There are various recreational activities on-site like an amphitheater, a volleyball court, and fishing in the creek.
Single Tree Campground
Open: May to October
GPS location: 38.161303, -111.332569
Type of campground: US Forest Service campground
Singletree is the largest campground in the area. It’s located on the east side of Boulder Mountain and is around a half hour drive from the Capitol Reef National Park. It has beautiful vistas to the park and is set in scenic ponderosa pine and aspen forest.
There are 33 sites that you can reserve online: 31 one of them are single sites and 2 are group campsites. There’s space to accommodate larger RVs but off-road vehicles are not permitted.
It’s the perfect spot for groups looking for more amenities when camping since it includes fire rings, picnic tables, flush toilets, drinking water, an RV dump station, and even firewood and Wi-Fi for purchase on-site.
Upper Pleasant Creek Campground
Open: May to October
GPS location: 38.10220, -111.33654
Type of campground: US Forest Service campground
Price: $12 per night for single standard sites
Upper Pleasant Creek Campground is located nearby the Singletree Campground. It has 16 sites but in this case, they’re only available on a first come, first serve basis and not through online reservations.
It’s a good spot for small campers and tent camping because RVs over 25 feet long are not advised. The campground is surrounded by trees and a stream though it is close to the highway so there might be some traffic noise from the road.
RV Campgrounds near Capitol Reef National Park
If you need a break from boondocking and are looking for a campground with more amenities for RVs, here are your best RV campsites near Capitol Reef.
Wonderland RV Park
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Wonderland RV Park is a family-friendly campground located just 3 miles away from Capitol Reef. The park offers a variety of campsites, including full hookups, tent sites, and cabins. We stayed in one of the cabins once and were happy with the proximity to the park.
It also has a wide variety of amenities like laundry facilities, a clubhouse, restrooms with showers, a general store, Wi-Fi and cable TV.
Standard rates range from $30 to $50+ and include reservations for 2 adults with additional fees charged for more guests.
Sandcreek RV Park
Sandcreek RV Park is another RV park nearby, around 5 miles away. This is a smaller, private campground with full hook-up RV sites, tent camping, and cabins for rent. Amenities include a bathhouse with showers and restrooms, a picnic pavilion, and free Wi-Fi.
Standard rates range from $28.75 to $70.00+ depending on what site you reserve.
Thousand Lakes RV Park
Thousand Lakes RV Park is approximately 6 miles away from Capitol Reef. This RV park offers spacious and well-maintained campsites with full hookups for water, electric, and sewer. It also has some unique amenities that set it apart from RV parks like a pool, on-site BBQ restaurant, a gift shop, and a hair salon.
Since it’s only open from April to October, prices haven’t been updated yet on their website but we recommend checking back.
Fremont River RV Park
Fremont River RV Park is located a bit further from Capitol Reef at around a half an hour drive. There are different sites available for reservation, including full hookup sites with 30/50 amp electrical service, pull-through sites, tent sites, and back-in sites for larger RVs.
In terms of amenities, you’ll have access to clean restrooms and showers, laundry, and even a convenience store on site. It’s also near the Fremont River which allows for fishing and swimming. Each site ranges from $38 to $42 per night.
Camping near Capitol Reef National Park is the best way to experience the beauty of Utah’s natural landscapes. From boondocking and dispersed camping to RV parks and free campgrounds, there are plenty of options for every type of camper.
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