Capitol Reef East Dispersed Camping

We came here after trying BLM on the West side of Capital Reef. Glad we moved on here. There was no one else here but a camper van on the lower loop closer to the river. The wind was much less than on the west side of the park. Peaceful, gorgeous scenery, enjoyed it.

We actually meant to camp at the Western spot and ended up here by mistake. But it was a nice place to camp by the river either way. There is an upper bank and lower bank. The lower one is probably only accessible by truck or van. The upper back I’m sure most RVs could do. Both spots are right off the road. I’m sure the upper bank gets some road noise. We were on the lower back and couldn’t hear it at all over the river which made us feel like we were more secluded than we actually were. Only downside was getting interrupted at 10pm at night by some late arrivals campers who decided to walk 30 feet from our campsite with flashlights. Very rude and startling way to wake up.

We were hoping to get into Fruita Campground but it was sold out so we settled for this place. It was perfect for a night. We would have stayed and played in the river but we had somewhere to be. We have a 26’ class c and we accessed the upper part with ease. The road noise was almost non existent because the traffic was so low.

There are three or four upper spots, accessible to larger rigs, and three or four spots down the hill by the river. The hill is very steep and rocky, and must be navigated very carefully to avoid bottoming out. Took a couple of tries to get out in my front wheel drive SUV. No cell service. Amazing dark sky view. It is a beautiful space along the river, and I will definitely go back.

Arrive early and get a river side spot, otherwise you’re in the large upper open lot. Not as private, but easy access and still quiet.

Picked the site based on other reviews saying it was less windy than the west side- arrived at 5pm it was completely empty, by 11pm there was only one other camper. The top of the site seems dry and barren but don’t be turned away! The lower part of the site is river front (probably about 3-4 feet deep, perfect for a dip!), by rainbow colored cliffs and has lush vegetation. The road to get down to the lower site is super rough- don’t recommend taking it. Instead park at the top site and walk down to the bottom site. AMAZING sky at night- we ended up seeing the milky way! One of our favorite sites by far as experienced dispersed campers. In the park, great location- made it easy to take part in the ranger programs in the evening!

We thoroughly enjoyed this site. Was RIGHT by the park entrance. Had a great creek flowing and a massive Boulder sheltering the campsites from any road noise. Very highly recommended. We have a 30 ft TT so we stayed left upon entrance which kept us on the easier of the two roads, very easy to navigate.

No cell service for AT&T.

This is literally right outside the park—I almost missed it, it was so close! Like other reviews said, the hill to the bottom looked SKETCHY and I didn’t want to risk it in my 2WD sedan, so I opted for the higher parking. I was somehow the only person there. Gorgeous views of the rocks & river. The water was so cool if felt amazing in the summer heat. So much so that I came back the next day after a long, sweaty hike! Minor noise from the highway, but I slept soundly. Would absolutely stay here again.

**some previous campers left trash in the fire pit. We can do better, y’all!

Reviews correct… lower level road a bit washed out and too rugged. Top level spacious and can turn around. Beautiful view of Milky Way and stars. Hear Fremont River below. Lovely spot.

No ATT or Verizon cellular true boondocking.

We arrived late evening and set up on the upper loop. The road down to the lower loop is steep and requires a vehicle with decently high clearance. Very nice spot, river is soothing and road traffic is minimal. There was no one else there on a Friday night.
Definitely a good option right outside the national park boundary. No cell service.