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Camping in Moab
Equally as impressive as Moab’s daytime adventures are the town’s nighttime accommodations. Moab offers indoor options aplenty, but for thrill-seekers wishing to take full advantage of Moab’s famed outdoor lifestyle (while also saving a little cash), camping is the way to go.
Purists can stake their claim on a number of remote spots, be it a nook nestled inside a red-rock alcove or a patch near one of Moab’s two mighty rivers — the Colorado River or the Green River. If hookups and showers are a must, there are options for you, too. Either way, all camping options — commercial, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and national/state and forest campgrounds — demand ample planning time. Many sites, including some visitor favorites, fill up quickly. Reserving or arriving early is a must.
Camping at Arches National Park Camping at Canyonlands National Park
Moab's Campgrounds & Resorts
Moab's Best Campgrounds
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Devils Garden Campground
Arches National Park hosts only one campground: Devils Garden. Because of this, reservations for the 50 sites open six months in advance and fill quickly between March 1 and October 31. In the off-season, November through February, campsites are first-come, first-served. Located 18 miles from the park’s entrance, sites are set amongst outcroppings of slickrock formations at an elevation over 5,000 feet. Amenities include drinking water, picnic tables, grills and pit-style and flush toilets.
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Kayenta and Wingate Campgrounds
These neighboring campgrounds within Dead Horse Point State Park offer a great mix of RV, tent and yurt camping amidst can’t-miss photo opportunities and mountain biking trails. Kayenta Campground has 21 campsites, all of which provide tables, fire rings, tent pads and electrical hookups. Wingate has a few more campsites, including 20 that are equipped with electrical hookups and four temperature-controlled yurt campsites. Just minutes away are the Moenkopi Yurts, where you’ll find three more reservable yurts.
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Slickrock Campground
For RV and tent campers who demand ease, Slickrock Campground is the most convenient option. It’s located within walking and biking distance of the Colorado River and downtown Moab’s bustling scene of restaurants, rental shops and gift boutiques. This commercial campground provides 10 acres of shaded grounds, showers, laundry, restrooms, wifi, an onsite store, plus recently upgraded electric, water and sewer services.
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Under Canvas Moab
If glamping (glamorous + camping) is more your speed, reserve a safari tent — complete with a sitting area, hotel bed and wood-burning stove— at Under Canvas Moab. Recognized by Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler, this boutique camping outfitter (with sister locations in Zion, Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell) is just six miles from Arches National Park and 12 miles from downtown Moab. Under Canvas Moab offers culinary experiences, adventure packages and camp programs, including yoga, guided hikes, live acoustic music and campfire s’mores.
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Willow Flat Campground
Island in the Sky is the most visited area of Canyonlands National Park and is easy to visit in a short period of time. Here, Willow Flat Campground fills on a first-come, first-served basis and hosts sites with a shade structure, picnic table, paved parking areas and toilets. There is no water, so campers must bring their own. A quick walk to the Green River Overlook will present campers with sensational views of one of the most photographed vistas in the park.
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BLM Camping
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) maintains 26 campgrounds in the Moab area. BLM campsites are undeveloped public lands with minimal amenities, but sensational scenery. While BLM lands can offer solitude and dispersed visitation, Moab’s busy season (mid-March to May and September to October) doesn’t always guarantee campsite availability. BLM sites are first-come, first-served and not always free. Attendants may not always be on-hand to collect fees, so look for white collection boxes at the site’s entrance (exact cash or check only). Please respect federal land guidelines to keep BLM lands open for generations to come.
Please, Camp With Care
The Moab landscape seems rugged and tough, however, it’s a delicate ecosystem worth preservation. Responsible desert camping comes with a different set of rules. In addition to following Leave No Trace principles of packing out waste, putting out fires and leaving what you find, desert campers must also be considerate of the cryptobiotic soil crust. This webbed crust – dubbed “the protector of the desert” – prevents erosion, retains water for plant life to root in inhospitable desert conditions and converts nitrogen from the air to help plants grow. When damaged, it can take thousands of years to recolonize. It’s critical that visitors camp only in designated campsites and stay on designated trails.
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For Resort Campers
Like the daytime dirt, but prefer nighttime luxury? In addition to Under Canvas Moab mentioned above, Moab touts other high-end resorts including Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa (hello, farm-to-table meals), Red Cliff Lodge (wine tasting, anyone?), and new-to-the-scene Moab Springs Ranch.
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For RV Campers
RV road trippers delight in the selection of easy-in, easy-out Moab RV accommodations. From the KOA to the Moab Valley RV Resort & Campground, RVers rest easy knowing they can make a reservation; have access to showers, running water and RV hookups; and be centrally located to all the Moab fun.
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For Tent Campers
Tent campers have the most options when it comes to Moab campgrounds. Outdoor minimalists can catch the darkest of skies and enjoy the most seclusion by pitching a tent on BLM land or in national park, state park and forest service campgrounds. Meanwhile, novice tent campers can opt for a commercial campground with basic amenities.
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Read the Stories
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01
4 Days
The Complete Arches Trip
Discover a new side of Arches National Park with this four day itinerary. Start exploring the hidden gems in the Arches region today.
Hiking, Scenic Drives/Road Trips
Highlights
- Arches National Park
- Colorado River Rafting Trips
- Delicate Arch
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Manti-La Sal National Forest
02
5 Days
The Complete Canyonlands Trip
The Canyonlands Region of Utah combines the best of the Moab area's easy proximity to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park's most accessible district with some of the United State's most remote and culturally significant landscapes.
Hiking, Scenic Drives/Road Trips
Highlights
- Canyonlands National Park
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Bears Ears National Monument
- Natural Bridges National Monument
- Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
03
4 Days
Salt Lake City to Moab
Moab is Utah’s adventure epicenter — a place where world-renowned natural destinations are scattered around a town that’s brimming with local charm. Be sure to bring a vivid imagination and taste for exploration along with your hiking shoes, sunscreen and water bottle, because this is not your typical retreat.
Adventure, Arts, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Scenic Drives/Road Trips
Highlights
- Arches National Park
- Guided 4x4 Wheeling
- Canyonlands Stargazing
- Floating the Colorado River
04
3 Days
Denver to Moab: A High-Octane Weekend Road Trip
Start planning your road trip from Denver to Moab with three days of mountain biking, hiking, skydiving, rafting and experiencing the best of Moab.
Adventure, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Scenic Drives/Road Trips, Watersports and Rafting
Highlights
- Colorado River Rafting
- Moab Mountain Biking
- Skydive Moab
- World-Renowned Mountain Biking
05
5 Days
Winter Aglow in Southeastern Utah
Find your sense of adventure and awe in the vast yet intricate swaths of desert from Arches National Park to Monument Valley. From delicate river-fed ecosystems to crimson-hued rock buttresses, this magical landscape is awash in history, dating back thousands of years to the original Native American settlers to whom these places were sacred.
Adventure, Hiking, History and Heritage, Native American, Non-ski Winter Activities, Scenic Drives/Road Trips, Stargazing
Highlights
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Castle Valley
- Bears Ears National Monument
- Goosenecks State Park
06
3 Days
Iconic Classics Southeast
Three days on the open roads of Southeastern Utah is just enough for a taste of two of its most iconic national parks — Arches and Canyonlands — and a few things in between.
ATV and off-road, Guided Experiences, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Scenic Drives/Road Trips, Watersports and Rafting
Highlights
- Delicate Arch
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- Moab Dining
- Explore Southeastern Utah