Mounthaven, Utah provides access to a variety of camping experiences across several nearby recreation areas. Established campgrounds like Spruces in Big Cottonwood Canyon and Granite Flat near Provo offer traditional camping with amenities, while areas like Millcreek Canyon provide backcountry camping opportunities. The region includes both tent-only sites and mixed-use campgrounds that accommodate RVs, with some locations like Jordanelle State Park featuring cabin options. Most developed campgrounds sit within 45 minutes of Salt Lake City, making them accessible weekend destinations.
Seasonal considerations heavily impact camping availability throughout the area. Many campgrounds operate only from May through mid-October due to mountain snow conditions. "Being that we already live in southern Utah county, this place has become a go to for our family. Only about 45 mins away from Payson," noted one visitor about Payson Lakes. Road quality varies significantly, with some dispersed camping areas requiring high-clearance vehicles. A camper warned about Cascade Springs: "The road is atrocious. Don't come unless you have some serious high clearance 4WD vehicle or you will bottom out and destroy your vehicle." Cell service is generally reliable near established campgrounds but may be limited in backcountry areas. Reservations are strongly recommended for summer weekends, particularly at popular sites like Tanners Flat and Redman Campground.
Waterfront camping receives consistently positive reviews across the region. Jordanelle State Park offers lake access with full hookup sites, while campgrounds along Big Cottonwood Canyon provide streamside camping. Several visitors mentioned the value of shade trees during summer months, particularly at Lakeside RV Campground where one reviewer appreciated "the incredible tree coverage" that made camping "quite enjoyable for spending time outside on the grounds—even in July." Wildlife viewing opportunities exist throughout the area, with some campgrounds reporting deer sightings. Mosquitoes can be problematic near water, especially at Jordanelle where one camper reported being "covered in hundreds of bites." Noise levels vary significantly, with campgrounds closer to highways experiencing more traffic sound than those tucked deeper into canyons or forest areas.
$29 - $346 / night
"Bathrooms always close by, no showers. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit. If you’re lucky, you can get a site close to the creek. Nice, cool nights in the summer."
"Right up Big Cottonwood Canyon, this campground has the advantage of being up the canyon so you feel far away from the city, but close enough that you could go on a work night and still make it to the"
$28 - $358 / night
"Tucked in very back. Long ways to walk from car. Water spout next to car area. Will be sharing parking with 2 other sites. 2 lakes nearby. Fire pit with grill gate. Shaded area."
"Utah is such an amazing place to visit for the outdoors. My family and I come here once a year because we love hiking and being in the outdoors."
$35 - $50 / night
"This isn't the prettiest lake. It is nice and big, but since it is one of the closest to Utah Valley and Salt Lake Valley, it gets a lot of traffic."
"We stayed at the "McHenry" campground in a spot right next to a creek. The traffic noise was a bit prevalent during the day because it's close to the highway. Great tent pad."
$29 - $450 / night
"It was quiet, tucked away from anyone. Didn't really see anyone for the three days we are there. Our site was next to the river, which really helped drown out all other sounds! "
"We had site 11 close to the bathroom and in a flat, sunny clearing surrounded by trees. You could hear the nearby road a bit and see the mountains a little bit."
$29 - $217 / night
"This is super close to my favorite mountain bike ride in Northern Utah - The Wasatch Crest Trail. As you can tell in the pictures, this area is very lush and rich with pine trees."
"The campsites are clean, the bathrooms are exceptionally clean with flushing toilets, you are a walk or hike away from Brighton and immersed in some of the most beautiful mountains around."
$50 - $189 / night
"I had the wonderful opportunity to stay the night at Salt Lake City KOA!"
"We wanted to explore Salt Lake City so decided to stay at this downtown KOA. It is a large and crowded RV park but right on a Transit line (UTA light rail Trax) and biking distance to downtown."
$28 - $229 / night
"We got a site with access to the river which my kids really enjoyed. There was a fun giant "sliding rock" in the area to climb on. Lots of trees for hammocks."
"The site we stayed at had many trees around to hang hammocks and also eat and picnic in the shade. There are brand new camp fires in all sites."
$45 - $90 / night
"There is access to potable water right outside the yurt. You do have to walk about 500 yards to the yurt from the parking space, but the privacy is worth it."
"Close to fishing pond, play area for kids, beautiful golf courses, hikes, Midway/Heber cities, fishing rivers and beautiful drives up the mountains for more exploring."
$29 - $87 / night
"Campground Review: An absolutely amazing campground that sits at the very top of Little Cottonwood Canyon near Salt Lake City. "
"This campground located at the top of little cottonwood canyon is a great relief from the city. But the city is close by, and so are the crowds."
"The location of these grounds is money. You have direct access to the bike path that leads directly into Old Town Park City and links you with lots of other trails."
"Convenient location right off of hwy 80! Thought there would be highway noise, but we were far away enough not to hear it. Clean bathrooms."
ScoutI stayed in the adult section and it was nice and quiet! The facilities were clean and well kept and the staff is friendly. The hot tub is so good I was oblivious to the hail and snow, too!
LegendThis was an easy and convenient place to pull over when exhausted from SLC traffic.
Full hook-ups, hot shower and no privacy between sites.
Served its purpose as a good place to rest before moving on.
ScoutThere was trash all over the place and people were ripping through the trails till 2 am blasting music. Some people came and camped right next to us and blasted music and refused to move. They proceded to leave beer cans all over their site and never put out their fire. Would not come back
ScoutAll grass has been torn up and dusty dirt. Hour are dusk to dawn, no camping.
ScoutThis place is a little trashy, but beautiful scenery night 🌙 skies great for viewing little to no light pollution if picked place on top of hill you would see more of the city's nearby and more of the lake. Roads are very ruff, SUV/trucks to 4 wheel drive recommend.
ScoutIt’s a pretty rowdy spot you’re right in the middle of all the ohv that is happening. If you’re looking for something chill this ain’t it. Also the campsites were pretty littered with trash which is a big bummer.
GuideThe road in is a little rough. Some cell service. Pretty views. Camp spots are not too close together.
ScoutLoved this spot! Very affordable, great amenities.
TravelerWe winter camped here so we could ski. It’s a great location about 40-50 minutes to 6 resorts. It is in the city so not in the wilderness but all the sites have one tree and a patch of grass and a picnic table. There is a small off leash dog pen and a self dog wash. Also hot tub, showers, toilets that were clean. We did not use the hot tub or the laundry. The campground is well maintained. Our first site was slightly unleveled so we asked to switch and they accommodated that request. We did have to pay a little extra for that site. We stayed a total of 3 nights. We were going to stay longer but learned that you can’t have dogs in Cottonwood Canyon which meant we couldn’t ski at those resorts so we asked to get out of our reservation early and the KOA accommodated that as well.
Camping near Mounthaven, Utah ranges from high-altitude alpine sites at 9,400 feet to valley locations with temperatures 20 degrees cooler than Salt Lake City. Many campsites require advance booking through recreation.gov, with popular spots filling months ahead for summer weekends. Winter camping options exist at some locations, with snowshoeing access available at higher elevations.
Alpine lakes exploration: Hike to Cecret Lake from Albion Basin, a short 0.5-mile trail accessible from the campground. "There is a great hike leaving from the campground to Cecret lake. But again it is very popular, so lots of people," notes Brian N. For more alpine lakes, continue hiking over Catherine Pass to Brighton Basin.
Climbing historic routes: American Fork Canyon contains some of the most historic sport climbing routes in the country. Areas near Little Mill campground include Hell Cave with 5.13+ routes and the Serenity Wall. "This canyon holds some of the most historic sport routes in America as some of the hardest routes in the country, at the time, were established here in the late 80's and early 90's," explains Alan B.
Mountain biking: The Wasatch Crest Trail near Redman Campground offers premier mountain biking through forests and meadows. Park City's extensive trail system is accessible from campgrounds like Park City RV Resort where "You have direct access to the bike path that leads directly into Old Town Park City and links you with lots of other trails," according to Kristin S.
Fishing opportunities: Multiple streams and lakes provide fishing options. Near Jordanelle State Park, "The fishing is really good too. We catch something every time we go," reports Derek E. Creek access at Little Mill campground allows for streamside fishing, while reservoirs like Tibble Fork provide additional fishing spots.
Alpine wildflowers: Albion Basin becomes particularly stunning during wildflower season. "We go here every august when the flowers are at their peak and it is so indescribably beautiful. I have been there in the other parts of the years and even without the flowers it is still stunning," shares Sam G. Visitors consistently mention the dramatic display of colors.
Wildlife viewing: Multiple campgrounds report wildlife sightings. At Redman Campground, "Very nice campground with water running in multiple places, clean multiple bathrooms and incredible wildlife coming right into your site. In addition to numerous deer, we had two moose munching away at the willow at the adjacent site," reports Outdoor T.
Riverside camping: Many campers appreciate the sound of running water at sites adjacent to streams. At Little Mill, "We loved it. You could hear the river and we had a great time," notes Melody F. Similarly, at Spruces Campground, Tom B. reports: "I just recently stayed at the Spruces. Loved it. Very peaceful. I stayed in campground #47. Right near the end of the loop before it's goes into the peaceful forest section. Great one. Right by water."
Temperature relief: Higher elevation campgrounds provide escape from summer heat. At Albion Basin, temperatures can be up to 20 degrees cooler than Salt Lake City. Michael P. notes: "Location wise, the site is at 9400 ft so the temps are usually 20 degrees cooler than the city."
Reservation requirements: The best places to camp near Mounthaven fill quickly. For Granite Flat, Ash S. warns: "Be aware that this campsite reservations for the weekend fill up quick. I checked in late may and every weekend until September was already booked." Many campgrounds open reservations 6 months ahead through recreation.gov.
Pet restrictions: Dogs are prohibited in watershed areas including Big Cottonwood Canyon campgrounds. Andrea P. notes about Tanners Flat: "NO Dogs allowed in the canyon—it is a watershed." Similarly, Natalie B. shares her experience at Redman: "We had planned to camp here but dogs are not allowed. This campground looked like an awesome spot."
Weather considerations: Alpine campgrounds have shorter seasons due to snowfall. Albion Basin typically operates only from late July to early September, while lower elevation sites open earlier. Winter camping opportunities exist at Spruces, where Shilah M. notes: "Wonderful winter wonder land you can snowshoe into in the winter and camp at!"
Road conditions: Some campgrounds have accessibility challenges. The road to Cascade Springs received this warning: "The road is atrocious. Don't come unless you have some serious high clearance 4WD vehicle or you will bottom out and destroy your vehicle."
Educational hikes: Short trails near Spruces campground offer family-friendly adventures. "I love the scenery. You can get to donut falls from the camp ground which is awesome," recommends Becky C. Donut Falls provides a rewarding destination with children.
Wildlife opportunities: Several campgrounds offer reliable wildlife sightings appropriate for children. Craig E. shares: "I have almost always seen moose and deer in the camp ground and the kids love to catch fish in the stream."
Group sites availability: Many campgrounds offer larger group sites ideal for family gatherings. At Pine Creek Campground, a visitor notes: "This campground has 3 loops. 1 for tents, 1 for medium size trailers, 1 for large trailers... There's also a few group sites with pavilions." Redman Campground also provides spacious group areas as Jill B. comments: "We've used one of the group sites and a double site, and they are very roomy."
Recreation activities: Campgrounds near reservoirs offer additional family options. At Wasatch Mountain State Park, Aaron G. recommends: "Close to fishing pond, play area for kids, beautiful golf courses, hikes, Midway/Heber cities, fishing rivers and beautiful drives up the mountains for more exploring."
Site selection for larger rigs: Pine Creek Campground has separate loops designed for different vehicle sizes. According to David T.: "This campground has 3 loops. 1 for tents, 1 for medium size trailers, 1 for large trailers. Check the website or call the guard station before booking to double check."
Water pressure warnings: At Jordanelle State Park, Trevor S. advises: "Be careful hooking up your RV to water. Very high pressure." Using a pressure regulator is recommended for all hookups in the area.
Site levelness: RVers should check site descriptions carefully as many mountain campgrounds have uneven sites. One visitor at Pine Creek Campground notes: "My 30' TT was perched with some effort on top of a pull-through that was a mound rather than flat. Unlevel and narrow asphalt sites."
Spacing challenges: Many RV parks place vehicles close together. At Park City RV Resort, Courtney notes: "We paid almost $50 for full hook ups on the second level. A back in site really close to two other RVs on dirt/rocks." Similarly, another visitor warns: "Spots are long but very narrow. Less than 3' between our slides and the neighbor's slides."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Mounthaven, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, Mounthaven, UT offers a wide range of camping options, with 279 campgrounds and RV parks near Mounthaven, UT and 66 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Mounthaven, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Mounthaven, UT is Spruces - Big Cottonwood with a 4.4-star rating from 31 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Mounthaven, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 66 free dispersed camping spots near Mounthaven, UT.
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