$15 / night

Camper submitted image from Calf Creek Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Calf Creek Campground - 2

Nature

Camper submitted image from Calf Creek Campground - 3

Roads

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Water

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People

Established Camping

Calf Creek Campground

24 Reviews

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About

Bureau of Land Management

Calf Creek Campground is a desert oasis located within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The Recreation Area includes a 13-site campground, a day-use picnic area and a trailhead. The campground provides small sites nestled along Calf Creek on a first-come, first-served basis. Elevation 5400 ft. campsites in Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument. Self-guided interpretive trail to Calf Creek Falls (126 feet). 6 mile round trip.

Fee Info

Calf Creek Campground provides 13 campsites. They are first-come first-serve at $15.00 per campsite per night. Interagency Senior and Access Pass Holders receive 50% off camping fees.

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Location

Calf Creek Campground is located in Utah

Directions

Calf Creek Recreation Area Campground is located 15 Miles east of Escalante UT on Highway 12. From Escalante go 15 miles east on UT 12.

Coordinates

37.79528354 N
111.41338682 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Reservable
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Water Hookups

$15

/ night

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

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Contact

General Info

Sophie

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 13, 2023

Love love love

*the app says it’s closed for the season but I have just stayed there - it was full, new people arriving and the host on duty… *

Anyway … the campground is tucked away at the bottom of the canyon which protects it well from the wind. I was there on a windy day in Escalante and it was perfectly quiet down there, even though I could hear the wind ravage the trees up at the top of the mountains. Site #2 is the best kept secret of this place - people tend to pass it because parking is weird but it’s worth it! extreme privacy. So pretty, close to the trails and overall a positive experience. The price is $15 and firewood is $5. They should just make it a combo.

Site2

Month of VisitNovember

robert K.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 23, 2022

Outstanding

Loved the hike and spot 6 was right on creek. Loaded with trout

Site6

Month of VisitNovember

Patrick B.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 14, 2022

Great riverside camping

This is one of those "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" spots off of the highway. I was driving by and took a chance, and I'm glad I did. I managed to snag one of the last of the dozen or so campsites during the week of Labor Day. Calf Creek runs through the middle of the campground, and about half of the campsites have direct access to the water. It's almost like having a pool in your backyard.

The rearmost sites require you to ford the creek, so if you have a lightweight or a low-clearance vehicle like mine, you might not want to chance it. Lots of folks use the campground road to access the hiking trail, so be aware that if you camp before the ford you'll see a ton of foot traffic during the day. The canyon is pretty steep and that has the effect of making it chilly in the morning until the sun comes up over the rim (which happens later than you think). Very chill staff and a quiet place to spend the night.

Site4

Month of VisitOctober

Laura M.

Legend

Reviewed Jun. 3, 2022

Small Beautiful Campground

This BLM recreation area is the trail head for the Lower Calf Creek Falls trail (6 miles round trip) as well as the campground. There’s a day use area as well for $5/vehicle.

Camping is $15/night. It's a small campground, and most of the sites were occupied when we arrived. There were a couple available that were too small for us, and even too small for another truck camper that was looking for a spot. We spoke to the host and he said that staying in the parking lot is an option (for the same cost), or we could park in the parking lot and walk over to tent camp in one of the open spots. We ended up staying the night in the parking lot, and so did some other campers. We hiked to the falls in the morning and left before our big class c could cause issues for other visitors in the parking lot. The hike is really beautiful, and there's lots to see along the way to the falls.

There is also a hiker/biker camping area, but surprisingly it costs the same as a regular camp site. There’s also a group area that’s available for day use if not reserved.

The parking lot has flush toilets, and there are vault toilets in the camp area. There are drinking water spigots throughout the campground. There is no trash service here.

Firewood available for $5/bundle. Note that to get to the camp area, we had to drive across a creek, which was not a problem but just be aware and take it slow. We scraped a bit coming back over it.

No cell reception in this entire area, and the cell booster did not help us. Vehicle length limit is 25ft, due to the tight spaces and turnaround and the dip of the creek. We are in a 26ft class c, and managed, but it was tight.

Siteday use parking lot

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Susan M.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 15, 2022

Loved it! (Lucked out to get a spot)

Check in date April 8 Calf Creek Campground is a peaceful little desert oasis. We pulled in about 4pm on a Friday and all 13 camp sites were full. I was pretty upset after one drive through the campground I knew I loved it and was super bummed at the thought of anything else… but the camp host caught us on the way out and said we could stay the night in the day use area and move to an actual campsite when someone left the next morning. Hallelujah!!! So that’s what we did. We really enjoyed our time there. It was myself and a friend with our two dogs and our two tents. There is a lot of foot traffic if you are on the trailhead side of the stream but that didn’t bother us. Wether you stay in the campground or not, I highly suggest you hike to the falls. Absolutely beautiful! We will definitely be back, we will definitely get there early in the day and we will definitely have a solid plan B!
Bring cash for the campsite fees and they also sell firewood for $5 per bundle.

Sitesite 6 and day use (overflow area)

Month of VisitMay

(9) View All

Lee D.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 12, 2022

Have a back-up plan!

This small BLM campground has 13 sites but is first-come, first available. When planning our trip in January, I didn’t think we would have a problem on a Monday in April but at the last minute, decided to make a reservation elsewhere and it’s a good thing we did, or we would have been out of luck! There is a flush toilet by the parking lot and vault toilets further inside the campground. The first six sites are easily accessible, large, and well-spaced apart but the remaining seven require crossing a water-covered road (at least in April and considering southern Utah is in an extreme drought, perhaps all year during non-drought years). There were warnings that this crossing is very slick. I could see that at least two of the sites on the other side were occupied but there was no way I could convince my husband to cross the water to check availability of the others.

If you can get a spot, you can't beat the price of $15 (50% less with the senior pass). The main draw to this campground is the six-mile roundtrip hike to see Lower Calf Creek Falls and these 125-foot falls are spectacular (even during a drought) and well worth the hike to get there. It would have been nice to stay here but again, I would suggest having a backup plan ahead of time (there is no cell service to make last-minute backup plans).

Month of VisitMay

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Paul M.

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 17, 2022

Great Simple Drive-In

Calf Creek hike is amazing. This campground is nice and simple, not crowded when we went in March

SiteB11

Month of VisitApril

Will M.

Ranger

Reviewed Nov. 1, 2021

Beautiful location, great dayhike

This campground is at the trailhead for the lower calf Creek falls waterfall in South Central Utah. It's a beautiful location with the creek running through and a decent amount of vegetation providing privacy from other campers.

Site6

Month of VisitNovember

(5) View All

Will M.

Ranger

Reviewed Nov. 1, 2021

Beautiful location, great dayhike

This campground is at the trailhead for the hike to lower calf Creek falls which is a beautiful little falls in central Utah. Or perhaps South Central Utah would be better. The campground is very nice that along the creek with a decent amount of vegetation providing privacy from other campers. There are pit toilets and water.

Site6

Month of VisitNovember

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Bruce F.

Ranger

Reviewed Oct. 6, 2021

Hiking!

We stopped here for a night so we would be up and ready for the hike. My wife had this on her bucket list. Such a nice hike in and out. Waterfall was beautiful! Campground wasn’t all that bad. Restrooms were clean. Older and smaller camp sites but hey they got the job done for us. Be prepared to be close to your neighbor.

Month of VisitOctober

(12) View All

Kelly M.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 5, 2021

Get your spot early at this incredible camp spot!

This camp ground is perfect if you are looking to hike through a slot canyon!

Decent amount of flies so be prepared.

Site3

Month of VisitOctober

(6) View All

Jenny L.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 15, 2021

Magical creek campground in amongst red rock

First come first serve. Was delighted to pull up to a spot at 4:30 PM. It was a little nerve-racking to cross a running river in a sedan. Unrivaled views of the red rocks. Driving in be prepared for roads without guardrails but the most stunning drive of your life.

After finding your site, walk to the front billboard with $15 to put in an envelope provided in their cash box, then take a portion of the envelope as your reservation on the sites post.

Site 8 was spacious and had an picnic overhang structure to block sun.

Site8

Month of VisitOctober

Danielle

Ranger

Reviewed Aug. 1, 2021

Fills up extremely fast, small spots

This campground fills up extremely fast, even on a Thursday when we went. The sites are pretty small, tent or car camping is all you'll be able to fit. We did see some larger rigs near the trailhead entrance, but not sure if this is technically allowed. There was a campsite host that arrived sometime around 7:30 who could probably give more information. Bathrooms, water, and a picnic area. The spots themselves, though small, were fine, generally nothing special but did the job!

If you're able to get a spot here, its worth it - the parking lot for the trail can fill up by 8am, and the best time for this hike is to start as early as you can.

As you start the hike, be sure to get one of the trail guides and look for the wooden posts with the numbers! Lots of cool things to look at including pictographs and granaries.

Month of VisitJuly

(8) View All

Kailey S.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 7, 2021

Great spot to get out of the sun and relax by the creek!

Fantastic campsite to escape from the desert heat / sun. You are right on the creek with perfect access to the Lower Calf Creek Falls trailhead so you can beat the crowds. Drinking water / flush toilets available, and you can swim right in the creek. Spots are very secluded from the mayhem of the trailhead parking.

Site12

Month of VisitAugust

Emma A.

Legend

Reviewed Dec. 31, 2020

Beautiful spot, difficult access in winter

We were planning on staying at this campground the night before but a ranger at the BLM visitor center in Escalante told us that the access road to the campground was likely not plowed and since we just had a major snowstorm we decided to stay in Escalante instead. The next day as the roads improved we drove by it and in fact the access road was not plowed and there was a steep downhill section to get into the campground. Didn’t really see the facilities, but saw it was a beautiful area in a canyon and it might be a really great spot to stay in the better weather. Noticed there was no cell reception for either Verizon or AT&T.

Geraldine G.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 31, 2020

Camping by the creek

Very cool camping area. Was very clean and the camping spots were separated enough to have privacy. We stayed at camping spot 6 which is right next to the creek. We were visited at night by a baby owl and in the morning we were visited by some yellow birds. Dark enough to see a show of shooting stars

Connor W.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 17, 2020

Great Area and Campground

It’s a great spot for some mellow camping. Only 13 campsites that have plenty of room. The creek runs between them all and offers some rest spots to walk in the water.

Plenty of drinking water access. Bathrooms aren’t managed well and no trash sites at camp, so pack it out with you.

Super easy access to the trailhead to Lower Calf Creek Falls.

Sam M.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 23, 2018

hot hot hot

This is a really nice little campground. Sites are pretty small, but nice. They're also right along this little river that runs through the campsite. The best part about the campground though, is the trail that begins in it. It leads to lower calf creek falls, this little water fall that dumps into a small pool. It was the most picturesque thing I've ever seen. Also, along the trail are these cool little markers that tell you stuff about the area and the national monument.

It does get super hot in this part of Utah though. I was there in May and it was already in the high 90s. If you hike the trial, bring plenty of water.

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Alex B.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 21, 2018

Chasing waterfalls!!!!

Lower Calf Creek hike is located in Grand Staircase Escalante, 5 hours away from Las Vegas, Nevada. The hike itself is 6 miles round trip with beautiful scenery and a beautiful waterfall at the end. Go during the summer time when the water is warmer so you take a dip in the waterfall.

First come basis for the campground, no reservations allowed. You have to pay a $5 campground fee at the trailhead. Make sure you get there ealry, there’s only 14 spots total and the place gets crowded quick as it the most popular hike/ campground in Escalante. Have fun!!! Totally worth the long drive!!!

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Sheila W.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 21, 2018

Awesome!

We had motorcycles & a tent trailer and space #6 was perfect. We were tucked into our own little area and could listen to the creek running nearby. Lots of people walking by headsd to the falls (6 miles round trip) but there vehicles weren’t allowed past parking lot unless camping. Flush toilets at parking lot which was a little walk away but clean. No showers and downfall to us was no dumpsters. Had to haul trash to nearest dumpsters at Hells Backbone entrance. Hogback on Hwy 12 & Burr trail at Boulder was Beautiful.

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Marlin B.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 21, 2018

Incredible

Love this campground! Better get there early but once your in, plan an extra day! Trailhead is incredible! Pack it in, pack it out but clean flushable toilet at entrance and clean vault toilets at throughout. The creek itself was a nice place to soak the feet after the hike to the beautiful Lower Calf Creek Falls. Very clean and quiet!

Month of VisitJuly

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Marlin B.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 7, 2018

Perfect spot!

Beautiful and quite campground with drinking water, fire rings and an INCREDIBLE trailhead. We camped across the river crossing (on the high side of the campground. We walked down to the river (maybe 30 yards) and sat our camp chairs in the water to cool off our tired feet after the 4 hour hike up the trail. It was so relaxing to soak in the cool river and enjoy a few beers before walking back to the campsite to prepare supper. We were tent camping out of a convertible VW Beetle and crossing the river was a breeze since it is a paved crossing and only about 6 inches deep! Very clean and very nice but you must pack out your own trash. No dumpsters available. Highly recommend this campground!

Month of VisitJuly

Paige J.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 24, 2017

Awesome camp spot!

My fiancé and I took an impromptu weekend trip down to southern Utah to hike Lower Calf Creek Falls. This campsite was perffffect! It was right at the trail head and super pretty. The only downside is that all of the campsites are really close together so you don't get much privacy. Overall a really great experience though.

Month of VisitSeptember

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Colin S.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 9, 2016

Beautiful campground

The campground is located at the bottom of a canyon with Calf Creek running through the middle. You have to drive through (yes through not over!) the creek to get to the majority of campsites. If you have a low suspension you may need to rethink camping or at the very least be careful picking when you go since the water level rises with rain. The site my wife and I stayed at had a picnic table with a large awning To provide shade and cover from rain. There is a suspension bridge to walk over the creek to get to flushing toilets if you don't want to use a pit toilet. There are water spickets located around the campground too.