Moab sits between Arches and Canyonlands, surrounded by 1.8 million acres of Bureau of Land Management land. That land draws about three million visitors a year, and it shows in the rules: close to town you must camp in a campground, a bit further out only at marked designated sites, and dispersed camping is pushed to the edges.
The good news is that the BLM runs more than two dozen campgrounds around Moab at $20 a night, many of them right on the Colorado River.
The rules in short
- 14 days at a single location, then move at least 30 miles away.
- Portable toilet required. Throughout Grand County, public land users need a portable toilet system where no toilet is available, and a portable toilet or waste bag is required for all dispersed camping. Don't put waste bags in BLM dumpsters; take them to the Moab Transfer Station at 2295 S. Hwy 191.
- No wood gathering or cutting. Buy firewood in town.
- Don't build new fire rings or create new campsites.
- Stay on designated routes.
- Check fire restrictions at utahfireinfo.gov before you go.
Where you can camp
The BLM's Moab visitor map divides the land into three kinds of zone:
- Camp only in campgrounds. Many areas near developed campgrounds and the town of Moab, including the river corridors along Highways 128 and 279, are closed to dispersed camping.
- Camp only in designated sites. In these zones, sites are marked with a brown post and a tent symbol, and everything must stay inside the marked site.
- Dispersed camping. Outside those zones you can camp on sites that have been used before. Pick hard rock surfaces, don't expand a site, and stay off biological soil crust.
Download the BLM's geo-referenced Moab map (from blm.gov/geo-pdf-maps) to see the zones on your phone offline, or pick up the free visitor guide at the Moab Information Center (25 East Center Street, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily).
BLM campgrounds around Moab
All BLM developed campgrounds have vault toilets, fire rings, picnic tables and dumpsters. None have water or electricity. Generators may run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Individual sites are first come, first served, except Ken's Lake Loop A and Courthouse Rock sites 5 and 6, which you can reserve on Recreation.gov. Group sites can be reserved up to six months ahead.
Along the Colorado River (Highway 128)
| Campground | Miles from Hwy 191 | Sites | Max RV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goose Island | 1.4 | 19 | 40 ft |
| Grandstaff (no trailers) | 3 | 16 | 24 ft |
| Drinks Canyon | 6.2 | 17 | 18 ft |
| Hal Canyon | 6.6 | 11 | 24 ft |
| Oak Grove (no trailers) | 6.9 | 7 | 18 ft |
| Big Bend | 7.4 | 33 | 40 ft |
| Upper Big Bend | 8.1 | 8 | 18 ft |
| Upper Onion Creek | 21 | 14 | 40 ft |
| Lower Onion Creek | 22 | 19 | 24 ft |
| Fisher Towers | 22 | 5 | No RVs |
| Hittle Bottom | 23 | 15 | 40 ft |
| Dewey Bridge | 29 | 7 | 34 ft |
Big Bend (33 sites) is the largest river campground; it and Goose Island take RVs up to 40 feet. Fisher Towers has just five sites and no room for RVs.
Highway 279 and Kane Creek Road
| Campground | Miles from Hwy 191 | Sites | Max RV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaycee Park (no trailers) | 4 | 7 | No RVs |
| Williams Bottom | 6 | 17 | 24 ft |
| Gold Bar | 10 | 9 | 40 ft |
| King's Bottom (Kane Creek Rd) | 2.8 | 23 | 24 ft |
| Ledges A–E (Kane Creek Rd) | 10 | 98 | 30 ft |
Highway 279 runs along the river past the Corona Arch trailhead, 10 miles from Highway 191. The Ledges (98 sites, on a gravel road) are the largest group of sites on Kane Creek Road.
Highway 313, toward Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point
| Campground | Miles from Hwy 191 | Sites | Max RV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horsethief ($25) | 12 | 83 | 40 ft |
| Cowboy (no trailers) | 18 | 7 | No RVs |
| Lone Mesa (groups only) | 9 | — | 50 ft |
Horsethief is the big one on the road to Island in the Sky, and the only BLM campground here that costs $25.
Highway 191 and beyond
| Campground | Miles from Hwy 191 | Sites | Max RV |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Klondike | 1.5 | 25 | 30 ft |
| Courthouse Rock | 1 | 10 | 50 ft |
| Ken's Lake (Loop A reservation only) | 1.8 | 48 | 40 ft |
| Sand Flats Recreation Area | 3 | 140 | 34 ft |
| Windwhistle (no trailers) | 6 (Needles Overlook Rd) | 15 | No RVs |
| Hatch Point (no trailers) | 24 (Needles Overlook Rd) | 10 | No RVs |
North Klondike, north of Moab, and Courthouse Rock both offer Scan and Pay on Recreation.gov. Windwhistle and Hatch Point are south of town on the road to Needles Overlook.
Getting a site
- Arrive early, especially in spring and fall. Individual sites can't be reserved, so the best river sites go first.
- Mark your site. The BLM suggests leaving something of no value at your site when you're away so others can see it's taken.
- Pay at the kiosk with cash or a check (to USDI - BLM). Most campgrounds also take cards or electronic payment.
- Drinking water: none at the campgrounds. Lion's Park, north of Moab, has drinking water from spring to fall. The BLM recommends drinking at least a gallon (4 liters) a day in the desert.
Arches and Canyonlands
Arches and Canyonlands national parks have their own campgrounds: Devils Garden in Arches is reserved on Recreation.gov from March to October, while Island in the Sky and Needles Loop A in Canyonlands are first come, first served. If you can't get a site inside the parks, the BLM campgrounds along Highways 128, 313 and 191 are the closest alternatives.
For the rest of the state, see our guides to dispersed camping in Utah and camping in Utah. For how BLM camping works in general, read our dispersed camping guide.
