9 Best Free Dispersed RV Camping Spots In Utah (Boondocking)

Last Updated on 04/17/2024 by Glynn Willard

Dispersed camping on public lands in Utah is a favorite for us!

Many of the best places for big rigs (and small rigs) happen to be near amazing national parks.

Let’s explore some of our favorite free camping in the Beehive State!
 

 

 

What Is The Bureau Of Land Management?

 
The Bureau of Land Management got its roots all the way back in 1812. It was originally the General Land Office, which had the responsibility to oversee the disposition of acquired lands.

Originally the land was managed for grazing, timber, mining and recreation.

The Bureau of Land Management is mandated with the responsibility to conserve natural, historical and cultural aspects of the public lands.

It’s also stated that the land must have multiple uses. This is why we often boondock surrounded by grazing livestock.

You can learn more about free camping on BLM land as well, camping rules and some of the outdoor activities you can do in our article:

What Can You Do On BLM Land?
 

Four-Wheel Drive For BLM Land?

 
Do you need four-wheel drive to manage the road conditions on Utah BLM land?

For the most part, much of the road conditions on BLM land is accessible by most vehicles.

Albeit, most are unpaved roads and gravel roads. But that’s part of the fun of dispersed camping.

I make that statement in the sense that there’s enough space for everyone on the passable dirt roads.

Many of the roads worsen the further along you go. We ended up using four-wheel drive a lot and were thankful for the high clearance on our rig.

The above statements also apply to the dirt roads managed by the US Forest Service.
 

 

What Is The US Forest Service?

 
In 1905 T. Roosevelt transferred the care of the forest reserves from the Department of The Interior to the US Forest Service.

The US Forest Service falls under the Department of Agriculture’s jurisdiction.

We like free boondocking on BLM land, but we really love dispersed camping off of US Forest Service roads.

Generally, they’re prettier, have better maintained roads and have a stronger law enforcement presence.

Forest service roads are your friend!
 

What Are The Rules For USFS Dispersed Camping?

 

1. Whether you’re in an RV or tent, you have to be self contained.

 

2. If you’re in a group of over 75 people, you need a permit.

 

3. You’re limited to 16 days in one USFS dispersed camping site within a 30 day period.

 

4. Maintain 100 feet between your campsite and any water source.

 

5. If you packed it in, pack it out. This applies to any camping or backpacking in the wilderness.

 

6. Know and understand the local wildlife.

 

7. When in doubt, contact the local forest service office. They can be very resourceful and even point you to some less populated areas.

 
Please respect these rules and choose a perfect spot that is cleared or spots with fire rings in a dispersed camping area.

We’ve experienced national forest roads closed to campers due to abuse and crowding.

Let’s keep these public lands clean and open to enjoy.
 

 

Our Favorite Boondocking Spots In Utah

 
We’ve stayed in many dispersed campsites in Utah and have also scouted others while we’re out and about.

We make it a habit to explore alternative boondocking locations, find safe water and locate dump stations wherever we boondock.

We’re sharing some of our favorite locations with you so you can find sites with easy access and a short drive to national parks.

Yes, we do keep some secret for obvious reasons.

Before heading to any of these sites, do yourself a favor and look at the satellite images on Google Maps before going to make sure it will work for you.
 

• Sulfur Creek Rd Near Capital Reef National Park

 

 
This was our favorite boondocking site in UT because we found it to be the most beautiful location.

There are other free dispersed camping sites nearby in case you don’t have four-wheel drive.

The road gets a little rough further back, but there are a few spaces toward the front for larger rigs.

The coordinates for this site are:

38°18’42.8″N 111°23’00.8″W

The main road that Sulfer Creek is off of is Rt 24.

This free camping site is a short drive to Capitol Reef National Park and the surrounding areas are gorgeous.

We did a full review of this site in our article: Boondocking Sulfur Creek Rd Near Capital Reef (Off Rt 24) where we break down:
 

1. Time of year.
2. Is law enforcement present?
3. Road conditions.
4. If it’s big rig friendly.
5. Cell service and carriers.
6. Starlink friendly skies?
7. Crowds
8. Wildlife & insects.
9. Closest potable water and dump stations.
10. Our review of the dispersed camping site.

 
The full review will give you a good idea as to whether you can take your rig on the road or look elsewhere for free camping near Capital Reef National Park.
 

• BLM Rd 144 A Short Drive From Arches National Park

 

 
Although this was not the most beautiful site, its location served us really well.

BLM 144 is wide open, big rig friendly, offers plenty of spaces, has phenomenal cell reception and is a short drive to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

The sunrises and sunsets were beautiful. Although I believe that’s standard operating procedure for Utah.

The coordinates for this boondocking site are:

38°52’51.5″N 109°48’21.7″W

We did a full review of this free camping site in our article, Free Dispersed Camping Outside Arches National Park (BLM 144) and covered:
 

1. Time of year.
2. Is law enforcement present?
3. Road conditions.
4. If it’s big rig friendly.
5. Cell service and carriers.
6. Starlink friendly skies?
7. Crowds
8. Wildlife & insects.
9. Closest potable water and dump stations.
10. Our review of the dispersed camping site.

 

 
Regardless of the size of your rig, you should be able to find a free boondocking spot off BLM 144.

This is also a great spot to visit the Moab area. You’re off the beaten path, but still close enough to get there quickly.

And not to mention Dead Horse Point, which is close and on the way to Canyonlands NP.
 

• McCoy Flats Near Vernal, Utah.

 

 
We liked this location so much, we stayed 14 days. It was worth maxing out the BLM time limit!

The town of Vernal, UT is a delightful modern “Mayberry.” Everyone we encountered was so nice and the shops in town offered real local culture.

This also a great location if you plan on visiting the Utah side of Dinosaur National Monument as well as some local state parks.

The coordinates for this site are:

40°22’46.6″N 109°35’39.4″W

This is also a great location to visit Red Fleet State Park, which has some amazing geographic formations.

If you’re a mountain biking fan, bring your bike. This is a mountain biking Mecca!

We did a full review of this free camping site in our article, Boondocking Off McCoy Flats Rd (Vernal, UT) and covered:
 

1. Time of year.
2. Is law enforcement present?
3. Road conditions.
4. If it’s big rig friendly.
5. Cell service and carriers.
6. Starlink friendly skies?
7. Crowds
8. Wildlife & insects.
9. Closest potable water and dump stations.
10. Our review of the dispersed camping site.

 

 
We also enjoyed some amazing hikes in the area, including Moonshine Arch and Dinosaur Trackway, which are featured on our other blog, hikerspack.com.
 

• Mount Carmel Off Utah 89

 

 
We were perched on top of the world at Mount Carmel. We carefully navigated our 28′ travel trailer into the highest and tightest boondocking spot available (also the last).

It was worth all the effort! The view was amazing and the cell reception was blazing fast!

Mount Carmel is in southern Utah and a short drive from The Belly of The Dragon and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

Both are worth exploring.

It’s also a good home base for visiting Bryce Canyon National Park.
 

 
It’s not the closest, but it offers a central location to visit Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and The Belly of The Dragon and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

The coordinates are:

37°12’25.0″N 112°40’33.9″W

We did a full review of this free boondocking site in our article, Dispersed Camping Off UT 89 (Mount Carmel) Near Kanab and went over:
 

1. Time of year.
2. Is law enforcement present?
3. Road conditions.
4. If it’s big rig friendly.
5. Cell service and carriers.
6. Starlink friendly skies?
7. Crowds
8. Wildlife & insects.
9. Closest potable water and dump stations.
10. Our review of the dispersed camping site.

 
The full review will give you a good idea as to whether you can take your rig on the road or look elsewhere for free camping for a central location in southern Utah.
 

• Free Camping Near The Salt Flats, Utah

 

 
If you’re in Utah, it’s almost obligatory to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats.

It’s a great place to test the ability of your tow vehicle or tow behind!

You cannot camp on the salt flats, but you can definitely get spot within stones throw of the salt flats.

It’s good for one night since you really only need one day to take advantage of the short drive to the salt flats.
 

 
The coordinates are:

40°46’31.0″N 113°58’30.8″W

We wrote a full review of this free primitive camping location in our article, Dispersed Camping Off Leppy Pass Rd Near Salt Flats, UT and covered:
 

1. Time of year.
2. Is law enforcement present?
3. Road conditions.
4. If it’s big rig friendly.
5. Cell service and carriers.
6. Starlink friendly skies?
7. Crowds
8. Wildlife & insects.
9. Closest potable water and dump stations.
10. Our review of the dispersed camping site.

 
Just be aware of the current weather conditions in this site. The winds can be vicious!

Do yourself a favor and point the nose of your rig into the wind.

Dispersed Camping Locations In Utah We Scouted

 

• Forest Service Road 1709 In The Dixie National Forest

 
If you have a small rig or a van, you can find a few pull offs along Forest Road 1709.

It’s a beautiful area if you crave some solitude.

I would not plan on a data signal if you need to work online, but you will leave in a better mental state.

The coordinates are:

37°30’21.0″N 112°33’24.3″W
 

• Tom’s Best Spring USFS Dispersed Camping

 

 
If you want a short drive to Bryce Canyon National Park and camp in a beautiful location, Tom’s Best is a cool, but popular location.

The roads are solid, any vehicle can pass, there’s a lot to choose from and your cellular/data signal will be solid, regardless of your carrier.

We found this location after we set up our home base in Mount Carmel and wished we had just come up to Tom’s Best Spring.

The coordinates are:

37°43’12.1″N 112°15’18.8″W
 

• FR 539 In Ashley National Forest

 

 
If you’re coming from 191 toward Wyoming, take Rt 44 west, past Flaming Gorge.

This is a beautiful area that we only had a few moments to explore. There are ample locations to dispersed camp along FR 539.

Our cell phones were useless and our Open Signal App did not detect a strong signal from any carrier.

That may change by the time you read this article.

The proximity to Flaming Gorge and Red Canyon can’t be beat!

The coordinates are:

40°51’13.2″N 109°40’39.7″W
 

• S N Temple Wash Rd (BLM 1015) Near Goblin Valley State Park

 
This is a cool area if you want to be nestled in the tight valley along the gulch.

You won’t find a cell signal, but you will find some cool hiking, solitude and a short drive to Goblin Valley State Park.

The coordinates are:

38°39’18.3″N 110°39’03.7″W
 

 

Finding Potable Water And Dump Stations In Utah

 

 
Where can you find dump stations and potable water in Utah?

We did not have any trouble obtaining water and finding dump locations in Utah.

Albeit, it’s not as easy as Idaho, but if you utilize your apps, you’ll be able to find resources.

We prefer iOverlander to find potable water and close dump stations.

You can read more about developing these skill sets in our articles:

How To find RV Dump Stations And

How Much Water Do You Need While Boondocking?

There are so many national parks in Utah that have their own dump stations and really good quality water, that we usually scout out the location while visiting and then pull the trailer through on the way to the next location.

This is where a National Parks Pass really comes in handy!
 

 

Wrapping Up Best Places To Boondock In The Beehive State

 

 
One of our favorite aspects of Utah, is the endless number of free dispersed camping sites.

There’s so much BLM land and US Forest’s that you’re bound to find some beautiful and great hidden boondocking locations in Utah!

Do you have a favorite dispersed camping spot?

Happy boondocking!
 
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