BLM Campgrounds in UT

[Padlin]

Do the BLM campgrounds around Moab fill this time of year? noticed Dead Horse Pt SP is filled. Do these close in the winter? This is for future use, not this year.

Forget it, found the info online.

They are year round and filling faster in the day this spring then in the past.

[4runnerguy]

Yes, Spring and Fall are very busy times. Never visit during the week before Easter when the Jeep Safari is in full swing. Lines at the gas pumps, lines at the restaurants, lines to check out at the grocery store that extent to the back of the store.

Talked to one BLM ranger there last fall who said something like 2.4 million people visited the Moab area in a year. Consider that the entire population of Grand County is under 10,000 and Moab is just over 5000 and it's easy to see why the facilities are stretched to their maximum.

Of course I'm part of the problem. I camped there for a total of five weeks last year.

[pnichols]

BarryG20 wrote:
Utah is becoming if not already a victim of its own beauty. 30 years ago I could go out there and not see anyone for days in the back country if at all or get a hotel in Moab or any other small town, camping spot no problem day of arrival. Now you darn near need to plan 6 months in advance and the place is crawling with people from all over the world. Doesn't keep me away but I do long for the Utah of a few decades ago, undiscovered by most. I certainly understand why people want to go out there and experience it as I do. I just wish the masses would care for the place. Litter, dog poo on trails, dogs in prehistoric ruins, vandalism, disregard for the locals, and a seemingly total disregard for proper etiquette for other people. While the previous statement obviously doesn't apply to all people or dogs for that matter it applies to enough of them that it is causing the de-beautification (I seriously doubt that is even a word) of the place. Sorry for the rant there you asked a simple question and got my worthless words instead.

Welcome to one of the downsides of The Information Age. People swarm all over certain Utah camping areas now because it's so easy for them to find out about them.

We're rockhounds, so we have to often go to places in Utah (and other Western states) that the crowds don't know about ... but some of those spots are as pristine and quiet as the places the crowds know about.

The proliferation of trail bike use, ATV use, and other high tech outdoor equipment use is also cause for much of the swarming in Utah and everywhere else in the great U.S. outdoors.

P.S. .... and to think I was stationed in Utah back in the sixties and visited very little of it's parks back then. 😞

[Padlin]

Feel that way about most of the places we like, or liked.

[BarryG20]

Dead horse Point is a Utah State Park and it definitely fills quickly. The other BLM campgrounds can fill quickly it really depends on where in Utah. IE the ones around Moab certainly fill quicker than the ones out in the San Rafael Swell. One of the nice things about BLM is while they have campgrounds they also allow a lot of dispersed camping regardless of campground or not though there are areas that are closed for camping best to check with the local office in the area you plan on going too.

Utah is becoming if not already a victim of its own beauty. 30 years ago I could go out there and not see anyone for days in the back country if at all or get a hotel in Moab or any other small town, camping spot no problem day of arrival. Now you darn near need to plan 6 months in advance and the place is crawling with people from all over the world. Doesn't keep me away but I do long for the Utah of a few decades ago, undiscovered by most. I certainly understand why people want to go out there and experience it as I do. I just wish the masses would care for the place. Litter, dog poo on trails, dogs in prehistoric ruins, vandalism, disregard for the locals, and a seemingly total disregard for proper etiquette for other people. While the previous statement obviously doesn't apply to all people or dogs for that matter it applies to enough of them that it is causing the de-beautification (I seriously doubt that is even a word) of the place. Sorry for the rant there you asked a simple question and got my worthless words instead.