Free Camping In The Hurricane Cliffs Area
This area is perfect if you plan to explore Zion National Park and want to be closer to towns with affordable gas and supplies. The dirt roads are bad but short!
Please camp in designated campsites only theres a lot of illegal camping here which ruins the areas closed for regeneration.
Note the red ? in the upper left corner. I see RVs camped there all the time but the location is marginal and not a designated site! Basically on the BLM line so be careful.
Sites 50, 51, and 52 are large and shared by many RVs! Spacing and privacy can be an issue.
Click to enlarge
About potable water and toilets as shown on the map you can either drive to La Verkin or the first bus stop in Springdale .
Verizon has very good LTE service at these campsites.
Amenities At Valley Of The Gods Camp Spots
Our travel route took us through northeastern Arizona and then on into Valley of the Gods.
We used our camping checklist and fully stocked our food and water supply in Flagstaff Arizona and then topped our gas tank in Kayenta.
Depending on your direction of travel, there will be shopping and services within a reasonable travel distance from Valley of the Gods.
As is the case with most free camping locations, you need to be fully self-contained and prepared for boondocking at Valley of the Gods in this public land that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
There are no facilities, gas stations or services so youll want to top off your gas tank and stock up on any other supplies you need before you enter this remote camping destination.
Free Camping On National Forest Land In Utah
I wish free camping on National Forest Service land near Salt Lake City was easier to find, but the close proximity of SLC to the Wasatch range means stricter regulations on overnight stays in most canyons from the valley floor. Within an hours drive, however, youll be able to find plenty of pull-offs and remote campsites with easy access to lakes, hiking, mountain biking, and more.
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Zion Paid Campsite South Campground
South Campground is amidst large and leafy trees that provide shade on hot days and is one of the best in Zion National Park. The campground has 117 campsites that are large enough and well-spaced from each other. This campground is within the park and hence it saves you time. Each campsite is allowed a maximum of 6 people, 2 tents and 1 RV. The campground provides potable water, a dump station, and flush toilets. The campground is open between March 1st and late November.
Things To Do While Camping At Valley Of The Gods
Taking advantage of the FREE camping in Valley of the Gods allows you to spend a few bucks on some of the fun activities in the surrounding area:
1. Monument Valley Tribal Park
We highly recommend you spend an entire day exploring Monument Valley.
Some people think Monument Valley is one of our U.S. National Parks and expect their America the Beautiful Pass to get them through the entrance gate BUT IT WONT!
Monument Valley is actually on the Navajo Nations tribal land.
The Monument Valley Park is operated by the Navajo Nation Parks & Rec office which regulates activities in the park.
You can experience the Monument Valley Park by doing a self-driving tour along the designated route, guided tours, backcountry hiking and camping or enjoy the restaurant, gift shop and small museum displays.
Dont miss Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte they are world famous for good reason!
John Wayne was instrumental in making this place known around the planet because he created so many western movies here!
Directions: U.S. Route 163 is the main road between Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley Tribal Park and will take about 1 hour to travel there by vehicle. It is approximately 40 miles one way. You will travel through the little town of Mexican Hat and over a bridge to cross the San Juan River to get to Monument Valley Tribal Park. Youll also want to keep an eye out for the rock formation that looks like a Mexican hat!
2. Forrest Gump Point
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Costs And Paid Camping For The Bryce Canyon National Park
All visitors require a pass to enter Bryce Canyon, National Park. The passes can be purchased online or at the entrance booths. Entrance fees include a private vehicle permit at $30, a motorcycle permit at $25, and an individual permit for those entering by foot or bicycle at $15. You should plan to spend around $180. It is the average daily price depending on your expenses.
Previous travelers at Bryce Canyon National Park have reportedly spent $45 on local transportation and $26 for one meal in a single day. The average hotel price for couples is $107. It means that if you plan to take a trip for two for one week, you will spend an average of $1,511. Camping fees for regular tent/RV site is $20 per tent site and $30 per RV site.
Bryce Canyon National Park Free Camping Locations 16 Miles: My Place
Address Elevation: 6745
Management Private 1/2 acre of un-used land
Activities:
Elevation: 7035
Management Public Forest Service
The road in is Dirt and 3.6mi miles from a paved road. There are 1-5 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is 35. You may stay 16 in 30 nights at Casto Canyon Area.
Free, dry camping in Utahs Dixie National Forest near Castro Canyon and the Castro Canyon OHV Trail. The site is an elevated, mostly lat area with a primitive fire ring. No shade. Distant mountain and canyon views. Forest and meadows nearby. There is a vault toilet and corral 0.4 miles away at the Casto Canyon trail head.
Activities:
Elevation: 7805
Management Public Forest Service
The road in is Dirt and 5 miles from a paved road. DD Hollow / Hatch Mountain Road is open All year. Heavy snow accumulation in winter. There are 30 or more campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is unlimited. You may stay 16 days at DD Hollow / Hatch Mountain Road.
Activities:
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Why Use Zion National Park Free Campsites On Your Visit
Zion National Park is hauntingly beautiful with stunning views and spectacular formations and landscape. The features range from deep twisting canyons to mesas, mountains, cliffs, waterfalls, and also wildlife. This makes Zion National Park a place to visit at least once in your lifetime. As you explore Zion Canyon Scenic Drive you find breathtaking sceneries including skyscraping sandstone formations such as the Great White Throne. Also, while in Zion National Park, you can enjoy other activities such as canyoneering and rock climbing on some of the worlds tallest walls like Angels landing. You can also go to Zion National Park for birdwatching, beautiful waterfalls like the weeping rocks forming from snow.
Accommodations And Dining Near The Zion National Park
In case the campgrounds are full or you do not want to camp, there are many accommodation options in and around Zion National Park. Within the park, there is Zion National Park Lodge where you are required to do reservations in advance because of its excellent location.
The other accommodation options are in Springdale and they include Holiday Inn Express, Flanigans Inn, Red Rock Inn Cottages, and Cable Mountain lodge. If you need to eat and you cant cook for one reason or another, there are also places where you can take your meals. These eateries include Oscars Café where you are served with nachos and Mexican food, Zion Pizza & Noodle Café, Café Soleil, and Kings Landing Bistro.
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Bryce Canyon National Park Free Camping Locations 11 Miles: Toms Best Spring Road Dispersed Camping
Address Toms Best Spring Rd, Escalante, UT Bryce Canyon, Utah Elevation: 7816
Management Public Forest Service
The road in is Dirt and 0.5 miles from a paved road. There are 6-15 campsites at this location and the maximum RV length is 35 feet. You may stay 16 days, after which you must move at least 10 miles. at Toms Best Spring Road Dispersed Camping.
Stopped at the ranger station in Dixie National Forest and they told me about Toms Best Spring Road otherwise known as Forest Road 117. A well maintained dirt road with multiple pull off sites suitable for tent camping or large RVs. There were several 5th wheels unhooked from the trucks for hunting season .
Park Ranger told me that you can camp anywhere along this road where theres an already established fire ring. She also warned not to go further than 2-3 miles down the road since it becomes narrow and there are limited turn-around opportunities. Watch out for cow pies since this is open cattle range.
Activities:
Elevation: 7681
Management Public Forest Service
The road in is Dirt. There are 1-5 campsites at this location. You may stay 16 days at FR121 Near Red Canyon.
Free campsites under the pines along FR121. In the Utah Dixie National Forests Powell Ranger District, right down the road from Red Canyon. Located on a dirt road off of scenic Highway 12 en route to Bryce Canyon National Park.
Activities:
Wildlife Viewing
How To Find Even More Free Camping In Utah
- Apps My go-to apps for finding free campsites include FreeCampsites.net, iOverlander, Campendium, and the Dyrt.
- Online Maps Google Maps is a great tool for finding dispersed camping opportunities. I also like FreeRoam.app and Gaia GPS. Both let you turn on national forest and BLM boundaries to help make sure potential campsites are indeed on public land.
- MVUM Maps Both national forest and BLM ranger stations offer paper motor vehicle use maps to visitors. Dont be afraid to ask rangers for dispersed camping recommendations. Ive found some awesome campsites just by asking a ranger.
Yet another free camping option is to try out blacktop boondocking. Some stores, including Walmart and Cracker Barrel, allow free overnight parking for campers and boondockers. This does vary by locale so make sure to call ahead.
Although casino parking lot camping is another alternative in most states, its not an option in Utah. The state outlaws all forms of gambling, including tribal casinos. But you might be able to find a decent spot for casino camping just across the border in a neighboring state, such as Nevada.
My final recommendation is stealth camping. Although I personally only use this as a backup plan, a lot of campers swear by it. But, Utah has so many places for dispersed camping that you shouldnt have a problem finding a free campsite.
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Sheep Bridge Road/hurricane Cliffs Dispersed Camping
Restrooms: NoMap
Sheep Bridge Road is located near Zion National Park and Hurricane, Utah. The road cuts its way through a popular BLM dispersed camping area known as the Hurricane Cliffs. Dispersed camping is permitted only in designated sites here, typically marked by a sign post and fire ring. Many campers still opt to set up outside of these designated areas, but we dont recommend it as this damages the fragile ecosystem and risks a fine.
Youre only a short drive from Zion here and close to the Virgin River as it winds its way through Southern Utah. Mountain biking is also very popular in the area and there are several excellent trail systems nearby.
Given how popular camping in the Hurricane Cliffs has become in recent years it is essential to follow the BLM regulations and always Leave No Trace. There are no services here so please properly dispose of your waste and remember to bring plenty of water.
Can You Camp Just Anywhere In Utah
Dispersed camping in Utah offers lots of freedom in many ways, but that doesnt mean you can set up camp anywhere you like. The agencies that allow free camping have a primary mission of managing the lands. So that means they have specific rules in place to ensure that different public uses dont conflict with one another. Camping, for instance, shouldnt damage sensitive areas or adversely affect wildlife or natural resources. Thats why they allow camping only in designated areas and have time limits in place. You cant camp in one spot for more than 14 days in a 28-day period. You can, however, move to a different public site for the same duration.
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Utah Free Rv Camping And Boondocking
Free Utah RV camping is available at National Forest, and BLM administered lands and dispersed RV camping is encouraged. The following list is only an example of free Utah RV camping locations.
KANAB East of Kanab is the beautiful Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. This National Monument has provided a great list of free camping sites around the Monument. This is remote country, so be prepared with plenty of water, food, and fuel. The rewards are great for those seeking the best RV camping sites.
MEXICAN HAT Just 10 miles north of Mexican Hat is Goosenecks State Park. This primitive desert park has spectacular views. Picnic tables are scattered around the campground as there are no designated campsites, and only a vault toilet is provided. Hot temperatures in camping location.
MOAB Public lands surround Moab, and the Moab BLM field office has numerous dispersed camping opportunities. This camping map shows camping restrictions in the Moab area. North of Moab on the road to Dead Horse Point is several designated free RV and tent camping locations. There is a kiosk shortly after you start up the Dead Horse Point road with information about the camping areas locations. Discover Moabs BLM Camping Page has additional information about campgrounds and dispersed camping locations.
NEPHI Yuba State Park is administered closely with BLM . There is Dispersed Camping available for both RVs and boat in if you are prepared.
PRICE
Valley Of The Gods Dispersed Camping In Mexican Hat
Coordinates: 37.3158, -109.851
About: Some say it looks more like a mushroom, but this place gets its name from a sombrero-shaped sandstone formation. You can see it and many other amazing natural features, from almost anywhere along this 17-mile loop in southern Utah. There are two entrances, one off of U.S. Highway 261 and the other from U.S. Highway 163. The county road is very rough in places, and those approaching from the east will have to cross a shallow stream.
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How To Find Free Camping On Utahs Public Lands
Public land comprises the majority of the west. With roughly 63% of all Utah land remaining public, there are plenty of opportunities for free camping near Salt Lake City, far into the flat reaches of the West Desert, and throughout the southern red rock. Free camping options throughout Utah offer a way to explore the lesser known parts of the state.
Thankfully, you wont be hard-pressed to find idyllic free campsites across the Beehive state with little to no work involved. Depending where youre located, free camping might be less than a mile off the highway. For last-minute camping, you can use The Dyrt PROs Offline Maps and Map Layers to find free camping near you. These features will show you public lands where you can camp for free whether or not you have service or wifi!
In densely populated areas, however, free camping in Utah requires a little more creativity, patience, and route-finding. Almost always, though, the effort it takes to arrive is well worth it.
Onion Creek Moab Utah
You can camp in a low-cost Bureau of Land Management campground just a short distance away from the awesome Onion Creek Road that is a breathtaking scenic drive through fantastic red rock formations that almost dance against the crystal clear blue sky. You wont be disappointed if you visit Onion Creek Moab Utah.
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Bryce Canyon National Park Free Camping Locations 5 Miles: Virgin River
Four miles of washboard roads leading up to the coordinates. The coordinates dont lead to a pull out or an obvious spot to pull into. The location is quiet and Verizon service is weak the further you drive on FR 087. As a full-timer in a truck camper, I need more than one bar of 4G data and Im not a fan of taking my pavement princess on washboard roads. I had to make due in a stronger reception section of the forest road and got out as early as I could.
Address
Management Public Bureau of Land Management
Activities
Wildlife Viewing
Things To Do At The Bryce Canyon National Park
Make your first stop at the Visitor Centre to gather information about Bryce Canyon National Park. Next, check out the 20-minute film and the history museum. Then, go on an 18-mile scenic drive up to the end of the park to catch primary sites like Ponderosa Canyon, Yovimpa Point, and the National Bridge. The scenic drive is 1000+ feet high at the parks highest elevation point of 9,115 feet at Rainbow Point.
Remember to carry a good camera and take photos early in the morning or later in the afternoon. In the early morning, capture Sunrise Point and Bryce Point. To capture some of the best sunset shots, go to Yovimpa Point, Inspiration Point, and Sunset Point. Early in the morning, you can also watch out for wildlife sightings of small mammals like jackrabbits, chipmunks, and squirrels scampering along the rim trail.
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