The Needles Campground

We stayed one night in late October... wish it could have been longer! This two-loop campground is thoughtfully situated to blend into the natural surroundings. From a distance, you can barely make out any sign of life.

There are two loops (A and B) which have a total of 27 spots. A Loop stays open year around, but B will close for the winter months. In December, January and February, there are no camping fees charged, but this area is only for the most dedicated and prepared visitor. Even the National Park service Visitors Center closes up shop and most rangers are furloughed.

Our site had three large tent spots with rock edging and level sand. We could have fit several more vehicles on the paved and level parking pad. Vault toilets were clean and the camp host very friendly and helpful. There is no cell phone coverage at all.

Several short and long hikes take off from the trail head which is located within the campground. If the Visitor's Center is open, stop in and check out the resident raven. Very entertaining.

Canyonlands National Park is a place of extreme temperatures and doesn't see many visitors. July and August can be very hot (upwards of 115 degrees). The ranger also reported that the visitors center closes then too.

Keep an eye out for rock climbers along the Hwy 211 on the drive out to The Needles. When you spot clusters of cars and vans parked alongside the road, gaze way upward to base of the red rock chimneys. You'll spot the brightly colored clothing of these crazy athletes, risking all. But only if you have binoculars!

We were there end of July and the heat was blistering.
One of the loops was closed for repairs but there were enough free site even arriving in the pm. We were on a large back-in site which could have fitted a much larger RV (ours was 30ft). The sites are nestled in between boulders and right at the foot of the rock formations which make Canyonlands so special - right behind our site you could climb the boulders are follow a few excellent trails on rocks and into beautiful canyons... Really a dream location.
The campground reminds me of the famous Devil's Garden campground in Arches...but without the crowds and even more beautiful.
The only negative is the inability to book a site in advance because the road to the campground is very, very long and if/when it would be full it would a very long way to the next campground. However I read that the Needles Outpost campground (private) a couple of miles from Squaw Flat has new management and can be booked in advance, not as beautiful but a good backup plan. Also the dry toilets were very smelly but that can be due to the 100+ temperatures.
Sky at night was intense, very bright Milky Way, better than anywhere I have seen in West USA, we slept outside with no tent or mosquito net.
For nature's lovers :)

We lucked into getting the last campsite available (#22 in the B section), and it’s possibly our favorite campsite of all time. It’s on a cul-de-sac with only 2 other campsites, lots of privacy, and a huge rock that affords 360 views of this beautiful park. Flush toilets and a wash station are just down the road, but a very clean vault toilet and water station are nearby. This is a first come, first serve campground, so have alternatives before you drive in. Note: Site #11 in the A section looks like it’s part of the group camp next door, but it isn’t. The ranger said it’s often overlooked for that reason. We've added this park to our favorites list – amazing hikes and scenery in every direction. No cell service, but there’s limited WiFi in the Visitors’ Center. Rate reflects Senior National Parks discount.

Beautiful campground! Well looked after, no rubbish. Flat and well spaced sites but beware of the dip between the road and site, there were many scratches from people backing in and scraping the undercarriage of their rig.

Vault toilets, no showers. Various hiking trails around.

Beautiful views and amazing sunset!

Very nice camping area in Canyonlands that is clean and well maintained. Spacious sites are nicely spaced apart and each includes a solid metal picnic table, firepit as well as sand area for tents. Really nice restroom building and dish washing station located nearby.

this was the loveliest campground i’ve ever stayed at. the owners are so nice and they keep it nice and clean. it’s quiet and peaceful and steps from canyonlands. the rocks in the camp are fun to climb for kids.

Canyonlands Nat. Park is much less crowded than the other four Utah parks, owing to the remoteness. It was nearly deserted in August heat, getting a site was no problem. I took several hikes of 7++miles, and didn.t see a soul. Just a few tips: the sites are all paved now, some have multiple tent pads (sand). Although the NPS says 28 foot max, the ranger at the entrance station told me that was because of tight turns in the campground loops. My 31 footer fit easily into site 26, and I noticed some sites that would accommodate much longer units, particularly in "A" loop. No cell service, but wi-fi available at the visitor center.

We stayed here for two nights in November 2020. Regular rate is $20/night, but seniors are $10/night. Even though it was mid-November, all of the camp sites were full both evenings by dusk. No reservations were available this time of year, so it was FCFServed. I recommend arriving early. This is a fabulous camp ground for visiting the Needles District of Canyonlands. Hiking is wonderful, although certainly rugged, right out of the camp ground. There are no hook ups, but there is a fire pit and and picnic table at each site. Public bathrooms are available and are very clean and nice. Generators have limited hours, so check the regs. Most of the camp sites are short, so big rigs would need to be very selective. The park is 36 miles from the nearest main highway, so I would not say that access is easy. On the other hand, that is one of the things that makes this park so special. Cell service was only available by climbing to the top of the highest hill, and facing to the east. Good luck. If you like hiking, I would highly recommend this location and this camp ground.

We stayed in Loop A wich is the first come first serve site and Loop B is for reservations only. The sites are spacious with 2 tent sites, picnic table and fire rings. We had an amazing view of the needles and were only 200 yards from the trailheads. They have flush toilets through Thanksgiving but then the amenities are being closed down for the season but you can still camp there. The rangers were super helpful and friendly. Overall we had a fantastic stay here.

We made a last minute plan to come to the needles district of Canyonlands. We weren’t charged the usual camping fee as the ranger informed us that they waive the fee in the winter until March 1st. We found the perfect spot at the end of a culdesac. It was a great site with lots of privacy and wonderful views. We did a 4 wheel drive road to the Colorado overlook and a spectacular hike called Chesleys loop. The trailhead was only a couple of miles from the campground and now one of my all time favorite hikes. We stayed in our 32 foot class C RV. There were several sites that would accommodate larger RVs. I highly recommend this campground.