Camping in Moab, Utah
A complete guide to camping in Moab
Photo Credit: NOAA
Overview
Moab sits at 4,485 feet in a red rock valley along the Colorado River, serving as the base for both Arches and Canyonlands national parks. The town has built its identity around outdoor recreation, and the camping infrastructure runs the full spectrum from in-town RV resorts to free BLM desert dispersed camping.
Sun Outdoors Moab Downtown and Moab Rim RV Campark provide full-hookup RV sites within walking distance of restaurants and gear shops. Red Desert RV Park and Spanish Trail RV Park serve the RV crowd on the south end of town. For tent campers and those wanting a less developed experience, Up the Creek Campground along Mill Creek offers shaded walk-in sites. Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway sits south of town toward the Needles District of Canyonlands. Moab RV and Glamping Resort adds a higher-amenity glamping option with furnished tents and cabins.
Beyond the developed campgrounds, BLM land stretching in every direction provides extensive free dispersed camping. Highway 128 along the Colorado River northeast of town has the most popular dispersed corridor, with established pulloffs offering river-adjacent camping beneath red cliff walls. Sand Flats Recreation Area east of town holds the Slickrock Trail trailhead with designated campsites on the slickrock. The landscape surrounding every campground is sandstone desert with views of red cliffs, mesas, and the La Sal Mountains rising to 12,000 feet to the east. Arches National Park begins four miles north. The Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands is 30 miles northwest.
Weather & Best Seasons
Best months: March through May and September through November
Spring and fall are the camping seasons. March through May brings comfortable daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s with cool nights. Summer exceeds 100 degrees and camping is uncomfortable at desert elevation. September through November offers the best combination of warm days, cool nights, and reduced crowds. October is the single best month. Winter camping is possible but nights drop below freezing and days are short.
