Capitol Reef National Park

Camping

This page covers the camping possibilities within the Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.

Backcountry Camping

You may camp anywhere in the Capitol Reef backcountry as long as you adhere to the following regulations:

Do not camp within .5 miles of Highway U24 or the Scenic Drive or within sight or sound of park roads, maintained trails, or developed areas. Routes are not considered trails, so these stipulations do not apply in those areas.
Camp at least 100 feet from any water source.
Select your campsite with care. Use previously established campsites rather than create new ones. Choose sites with an absence of vegetation and orange soil. The best campsites are sandy areas and slickrock benches. Do not camp in dry wash bottoms. Mid-to-late summer thunderstorms can send dangerous flash floods down canyons with little or no warning.
Do not make campsite "improvements," such as trenching around your tent, building rock shelters, or unnecessarily disturbing soil or vegetation.
Leave your campsite in as natural a state as possible. Carefully check your site to remove all traces of your stay.
Camp out of view of other hikers if you encounter them. The Capitol Reef backcountry is a large, lightly used area, so it is unlikely you will meet many other campers. If you do, respect their privacy and set up your own camp where you can both enjoy the solitude so many backpackers seek.
See Camping in Capitol Reef for more details.
See our Camping Tips.


	Fruita Campground
Season:	N/A
Location:	One mile south of the Visitor Center on the Scenic Drive; at map coordinates: 38 16.954N; 111 14.895W.
Availability:	First come, first served. Sites cannot be reserved or held for late arrivals.
Fee:	$10.00 per night, year round.
Sites:	71 sites.	Elevation:	5,436 feet
Group Sites:	One group site, by reservation.
Stay Limit:	14 days each year.
RV Hookups:	No	Maximum Length:	N/A
Sanitary Dump:	Yes, with fresh water.	Drinking Water:	Yes
Restrooms:	Flush toilets and sinks.	Showers:	No
Picnic Tables:	Yes	Fire Pit/Grill:	Grills
Firewood:	N/A
Laundry:	No	Groceries/Supplies:	No
Quiet Hours:	N/A
Campground Host:	N/A	Campfire Program:	Yes
Checkout Time:	N/A
Comments:	Camping is permitted only in designated campsites. Pay telephone. See our Personal Notes.

Cathedral Valley Campground

Located in the backcountry approximately 35 miles from the Visitor Center, via high-clearance dirt roads. A primitive site best suited for tents.

Cedar Mesa Campground

Located in the backcountry approximately 35 miles from the Visitor Center, via dirt roads; at map coordinates: 38 00.447N; 111 05.089W. It's a primitive campground that is best for tents. See our Personal Notes.

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