Campgrounds & Tent Camping in Moab, Utah
Moab campgrounds range from a coveted loop inside Arches National Park to $20 riverside sites under thousand foot cliffs — and a night here ends under some of the darkest skies in the country. The catch: most of them can't be reserved, water is scarce, and the good ones fill by breakfast. Here's how the whole system works and exactly where to point the tent.
- Most Sites Are
- First come, first served — arrive early
- Water
- Rare — most campgrounds have none
- Firewood
- Bring it; gathering wood is prohibited
- Best Seasons
- March–May and September–October
How Camping Around Moab Actually Works
Camping near Moab splits into four systems, each with its own rules and price point. The national parks run one reservable campground apiece — Devils Garden inside Arches and the first come Willow Flat at Canyonlands Island in the Sky. Dead Horse Point State Park runs the most developed camping in the region, with electric hookups, flush toilets, and yurts on the canyon rim. The BLM manages more than 25 campgrounds on the public land surrounding town, including the famous string of riverside sites along Highway 128. And Sand Flats Recreation Area puts campsites directly on the slickrock beside the Slickrock Trail and Hell's Revenge.
The single most important thing to understand: outside of Devils Garden, Dead Horse Point, and Ken's Lake in peak season, nearly all of it is first come, first served. There is no app, no waitlist, and no holding a site by phone. You drive in, find an open site, claim it physically, and pay at the kiosk — cash, check, or card where a payment kiosk exists. In spring and fall, the riverside campgrounds routinely fill before mid morning, so campers treat site hunting like a sunrise hike: early, decisive, and with a backup plan.
The second thing: plan for zero services. BLM campgrounds provide a picnic table, a fire ring, and a vault toilet — no drinking water, no hookups, no showers. Even Devils Garden, with its flush toilets and potable water, has no showers anywhere in the park. Haul in your water (a gallon per person per day is the desert minimum), buy firewood in town since gathering is prohibited, and pack out what you bring.
Reserve vs Roll In: The Two Lanes of Moab Camping
Every Moab campground lives in one of two lanes. Know which lane you're in before you leave the house, because the strategies are opposites: one rewards planning months ahead, the other rewards showing up at 8 am.
Lane 1: Reservable
Book the moment your window opensDevils Garden (Arches)
Reservable March 1 – October 31, minimum 4 days before arrival. Peak dates vanish the morning the window opens. November – February flips to first come.
Dead Horse Point (Kayenta & Wingate)
Rolling 4 month window, same system as the park's yurts. Weekends in spring and fall sell through within hours of release.
Ken's Lake
The only individual site BLM campground near Moab you can book ahead — but only in Loop A, reservable up to 6 months out. Loop B stays first come, first served year round.
BLM Group Campgrounds
Individual BLM sites can't be reserved, but group sites at campgrounds like Goose Island and Big Bend book through Recreation.gov.
Lane 2: First Come, First Served
Arrive early, claim it, then payHighway 128 River Campgrounds
A dozen BLM campgrounds along the Colorado River — Goose Island fills first because it's closest to town. Scout at 8–10 am as campers pull out.
Sand Flats Recreation Area
Campsites scattered across the slickrock beside the trail systems. Popular with the off road and mountain bike crowd; weekends go fast.
Willow Flat (Canyonlands)
A small first come campground near the Island in the Sky overlooks. No reservations, no water — haul everything up the mesa with you.
The Quieter Corridors
Kings Bottom and neighbors on Kane Creek Road, plus Jaycee Park and Williams Bottom on Potash Road, catch the overflow with more seclusion and the same $20 price.
The two lane strategy: Chase your hard reservation first — Devils Garden or Dead Horse Point the morning their windows open — and build the trip around whichever you land. Striking out on both isn't a crisis: keep a first come backup you'd genuinely enjoy (a river site on 128, or Sand Flats if you're riding), and arrive before 10 am to claim it.
The 6 Best Places to Camp Near Moab
Six campgrounds and camping areas covering every style — inside the national park, on the state park rim, along the river, on the slickrock, and two blocks off Main Street.
Devils Garden Campground
The only campground inside Arches, set among the fins and arches at the end of the park road at 5,200 feet. Camping here means sunrise at Devils Garden before the day crowds arrive, and the Broken Arch trail leaves directly from the loop. 51 sites with drinking water and flush toilets — but no showers, hookups, or dump station.
- $25 per night; reservable 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov
- Reservation season March 1 – October 31; winter is first come
- Drinking water, flush toilets, fire rings with grills
- Book at least 4 days before arrival — no same week reservations
Dead Horse Point: Kayenta & Wingate
The most developed camping in the region, 2,000 feet above a gooseneck in the Colorado River. Kayenta's 21 sites sit in a juniper grove; Wingate adds 20 hookup sites, 11 hike-in tent only sites, and four yurts on the open mesa. Every site has electric hookups, a lighted shade shelter, and a tent pad, with flush toilets and a dump station nearby.
- $50 hookup sites, $40 hike-in tent only sites, $150 yurts
- Reservable on a 4 month rolling window; extra vehicle $20
- 20/30/50 amp electric — but no water for RV fill ups, no showers
- Wingate open all year; Kayenta closes December to mid February
Highway 128 River Campgrounds
A dozen BLM campgrounds strung along the Colorado under sheer red walls — the classic Moab camping experience at the classic Moab price. Goose Island (19 sites) sits closest to town and fills first; Big Bend (33 sites) is the largest, with a card payment kiosk; smaller camps like Drinks Canyon, Hal Canyon, and Oak Grove trade size for quiet. Grandstaff and Oak Grove don't allow trailers.
- $20 per site per night, first come, first served
- Vault toilets, picnic tables, fire rings — no water anywhere
- 10 people and 2 vehicles max per site; 14 day limit
- Fills by mid morning March through October
Sand Flats Recreation Area
Camp directly on the slickrock beside the trail systems that made Moab famous — the Slickrock Bike Trail and the Hell's Revenge off road route both start inside the recreation area. Sites scatter across the sandstone in lettered loops; most handle rigs to 26 feet, with a handful in Campground A fitting up to 40. This is the closest camping to town after Up the Creek.
- $20 per vehicle per night, first come, first served
- Day visitors use the $10 seven day vehicle pass ($35 annual)
- Vault toilets and fire rings — no water, pack it in
- Ride or drive to the trailheads straight from your site
Ken's Lake Campground
The outlier in the BLM system: the only individual site campground near Moab you can actually reserve, and the only one with water to play in. The small reservoir allows swimming, paddleboarding, fishing, and limited boating, with hiking and 4WD roads leaving from the campground. A smart pick for families who want a sure thing plus an afternoon activity that isn't another hike in the heat.
- Loop A: reservable on Recreation.gov, up to 6 months ahead
- Loop B: first come, first served only, no reservations
- Swimming, paddleboarding, and fishing at the reservoir
- Numerous sites fit RVs up to 40 feet — no hookups, no water
Up the Creek Campground
Moab's urban oasis: a small, walk in, tent only campground shaded by big cottonwoods beside a perennial stream, close enough to Main Street that dinner and live music are a stroll, not a drive. Park in the lot and carry your gear the short distance to your site. Priced per person rather than per site, which makes it one of the best solo traveler deals in town.
- Tent only — no RVs, vans, or car camping
- Walk in sites under mature shade trees, rare in the desert
- Per person pricing favors solo campers and couples
- Walk to restaurants, shops, and the grocery store
Compare Moab Campgrounds at a Glance
The essentials side by side. "Reservable" means individual sites — BLM group sites book separately on Recreation.gov.
| Campground | Nightly Fee | Reservable? | Water | Toilets | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devils Garden (Arches) | $25 | Yes — 6 months, Mar–Oct | Yes | Flush | Waking up inside the park |
| Dead Horse Point (Kayenta/Wingate) | $40–$50 | Yes — 4 month window | Limited (no RV fills) | Flush | Hookups, comfort, rim sunsets |
| Highway 128 BLM camps | $20 | No — first come | No | Vault | Riverside camping on a budget |
| Sand Flats | $20 / vehicle | No — first come | No | Vault | Bikers and off road groups |
| Ken's Lake | $20 | Loop A yes, Loop B no | No (lake for recreation) | Vault | Families wanting a sure thing |
| Up the Creek | Per person | Yes — book direct | Yes | Yes | Tent campers who want town |
Willow Flat, the quiet seventh option: Canyonlands' small Island in the Sky campground is first come, first served with no water and no reservations — but it puts you five minutes from Mesa Arch at sunrise, which is worth the logistics if you land a site. Treat it as a bonus target on the way to Dead Horse Point, not the plan.
Six Rules Every Moab Camper Should Know
These apply across the BLM campgrounds and most public land camping around Moab. Rangers do enforce them.
Haul Your Own Water
No BLM campground near Moab has drinking water, and even Dead Horse Point trucks its supply in daily. Plan a gallon per person per day, more in summer, and fill up in town.
Buy Firewood, Don't Gather It
Gathering or cutting wood is prohibited on public land around Moab. Convenience stores in town sell bundles — grab them on the way out, and keep fires inside the provided rings.
Claim Before You Pay
At first come campgrounds, physically occupy the site before paying at the kiosk. Bring cash or a check as backup — card kiosks exist only at select campgrounds like Goose Island and Big Bend.
Respect the Site Limits
BLM sites cap at 10 people and 2 vehicles (or one vehicle plus a trailer). Stays are limited to 14 days in any 30 day period. Don't cruise campgrounds posted "Full" — it disturbs everyone.
Generators 8 to 8
Generator hours run 8 am to 8 pm at BLM campgrounds. Outside that window, the canyon acoustics carry every decibel — and Moab's night sky is the amenity you came for.
Leash the Dog, Pack It Out
Pets must be leashed in developed campgrounds. Trash service is minimal to nonexistent at most sites, so pack out everything you pack in, food scraps included.
Moab Camping FAQ
Do I need reservations to camp in Moab?
Only for Devils Garden (inside Arches), Dead Horse Point State Park, and Ken's Lake during peak seasons. Everything else — the Highway 128 river campgrounds, Sand Flats, Willow Flat, and the Kane Creek and Potash Road camps — is first come, first served. In spring and fall, first come sites fill by mid morning, so arrive early with a backup in mind.
How much does camping cost near Moab?
BLM campgrounds run $20 per site per night, Sand Flats is also $20 per vehicle, Devils Garden inside Arches is $25, and Dead Horse Point charges $40 for hike-in tent sites and $50 for hookup sites. Group sites and yurts cost more. Most fees are payable at the campground by cash, check, or card where kiosks exist.
Can I camp inside Arches National Park?
Yes — but only at Devils Garden Campground, 18 miles up the park road, or in the backcountry with a permit. Devils Garden's 51 sites reserve up to 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov for March through October and go almost instantly for peak dates. From November through February, 24 sites operate first come, first served.
Is there water at Moab campgrounds?
Mostly no. BLM campgrounds and Sand Flats have zero drinking water, and Willow Flat at Canyonlands has none either. Devils Garden has potable water, and Dead Horse Point has limited water (none for RV tank fills — the park trucks its supply in daily). Fill containers in Moab before heading out.
Are there showers at any of these campgrounds?
No — not at Devils Garden, not at Dead Horse Point, not at any BLM campground. Campers shower in town: Moab Rim Campark sells showers to non guests for $5 per person, which is the standard move after a few desert nights.
When do the first come campgrounds fill up?
March through October, the Highway 128 river campgrounds routinely fill by mid morning — Goose Island first, since it's 1.4 miles from town. The reliable strategy is arriving between 8 and 10 am as the previous night's campers pull out. Weekdays are noticeably easier than weekends, and winter is wide open.
Can I tent camp at a Moab RV park instead?
At one of the four we cover, yes: Moab Rim Campark has grass tent sites at $33 per night with free hot showers included — actual grass and actual plumbing, five minutes from downtown. The other featured RV parks don't take tents.
What about free dispersed camping near Moab?
Dispersed camping on public land around Moab has tightened significantly as use has exploded — much of the land close to town is now restricted to designated sites only. If you're set on dispersed camping, check current BLM Moab Field Office rules before you go, camp only in previously disturbed designated spots, and pack out everything. When in doubt, a $20 riverside site is the low stress answer.
Rather Sleep Off the Ground?
If hauling water and racing for sites sounds like work, Moab has canvas with real beds — or full hookups with a pool waiting.