Here are my favorite Utah car camping spots.  If you are like me, then these camping spots are sure to meet your need to get outdoors and soak up some of Utah’s beautiful landscapes.  

Utah is an incredibly diverse and unique state.  It has the rugged high mountains of the Uintas and the red rock deserts of the central and southern parts of the state.  Such different areas mean that you have seemingly limitless choices of areas to explore with your family.  You can pitch your tent by a lake surrounded by snow capped peaks or set it up in the desert near Moab.

The 8 Best Utah Car Camping Spots

San Rafael Swell – San Rafael Bridge Campground – Wow.  The first time we camped here we were lucky because it wasn’t too windy and we could hang out and enjoy the amazing 360 degree views.

This is a small 6 site campground located by a bridge that goes over the San Rafael River.  This basic campground has picnic tables and an outhouse.

The campground is in an open area with views of sandstone cliffs that rise up from the river and several smaller buttes.  From here you can take a hike up along the San Rafael River for miles of exploring.  Or you can use this as a base area to explore other areas in the San Rafael Swell.

Another option is if you take a canoe or kayak trip down the San Rafael River, this is the take out point for that trip.

San Rafael Swell – Wedge Overlook – If you want a basic campground that has stunning views, then this place is for you.  This campground is located on the edge of the San Rafael River gorge at an area called the Little Grand Canyon.  We found this spot lives up to its name.

This is a small, primitive campground that is first come first serve, located near a place called the wedge.  From near the campground the views are amazing.  There are no trails down to the river from here, but you can wander along the cliff tops.

Moab area – Sand Flats Recreation Area – This is actually a mecca for mountain biking and jeep touring.  It also has a few fun campsites.

This area is located just to the east and a little above the town of Moab, meaning that you get amazing sunsets since you are on the mesa tops as opposed to down by the Colorado River.

Camping is done at designated campsites on a first come first serve basis here. The views are great and many areas are near slick rock that can be explored.  A downside is that many four wheelers drive their vehicles around here so it can be a bit loud.

Moab area – Fisher Towers – A small 5 site camping area that is only good for camper vans or tents.  This is also on a first come first serve basis.  The views here are breathtaking and there is a great 2.2 mile one way trail that wanders by the crazy, drip castle formations of the Fisher Towers.

Fisher Towers is famous amongst rock climbers, but it also has fun trail to explore and a small campground.  The sunsets from this slightly elevated campground are great.

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument – Spencer Flat Road (Road number 103) – This is simply a graded dirt road that leaves the UT-12 between the towns of Boulder and Escalante and heads south.  You can do dispersed camping at several locations along here.

Once we met some friends and found a fantastic little spot to camp at away from everyone.  Remember though, dispersed camping means there is no toilet or water or anything.  So, you need to bring whatever you need with you.

These areas offer great views over the canyons of the Escalante.  This location is also near nice hiking areas including: Lower Calf Creek Falls and the Hole in the Rock Road and the Burr Trail.

High Uintas – Christmas Meadows – This is one of my favorite areas in the Uintas.  To get here you take Mirror Lake Highway to the North slope road and go to the first drainage.  It is not as crowded as sites along the highway, but more crowded than the other valleys farther east on the north slope road.

There is a small (11 sites), usually not too crowded campground here.  The campground sits just above the Stillwater Fork of the Bear River and has great views up the valley.  There is some fishing for weary trout in the river here and a trail that leads all the way up the valley to several lakes starts from here.

High Uintas – Butterfly Lake – This is a truly wonderful, high altitude campground.  This campground, about 20 sites, is a first come first serve area.

This campground is on a small, beautiful lake that is shaped liked a butterfly.  This is a nice place to come up and do some fishing, especially if you can time it for right after it is stocked.  Nearby on the Mirror Lake Highway are numerous hiking trails.

Be warned though that this campground fills up fast and there will be lots of day trippers to fish and picnic.

High Uintas – Mill Hollow Campground – This is a beautiful, small campground located next to Mill Holllow Reservoir.  The reservoir has nice fishing or boating with a non-motorized boat.   The campground is located in a forest of Lodgepole Pine and Aspen.