Desert Mirage — Emery County, Emery County

How we know thisCONFIDENCE · LIKELY

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World-class recommendation
GPS and field notes from veteran overlanders Dave vouches for. The source
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Researched
Checked and detailed by Dave — five decades in the field. Public data — no copyright on coordinates
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Verified on the ground
No dated visit here yet. Stays Likely until Dave's stood on it — or the crowd confirms

A world-class recommendation — GPS and notes from veteran overlanders Dave vouches for, carried and detailed across his five decades in the field. Coordinates and facts are public. Confidence stays Likely until Dave's been there or the crowd confirms — then real field notes replace this.

At this pin

A dispersed site on public land, Emery County. The facts below are structured data from Dave's list; the write-up is being rebuilt from real field notes, so it's held at Likely until it's confirmed on the ground.

✓ Free — no fee

– No 4×4 required

✓ Cell signal (reported)

Stay limits vary by unit — many USFS/BLM areas cap dispersed camping around 14 days, but not all. Confirm the current rule and road status with the managing office before you commit.

Dave was here

Not logged yet. This site is on Dave's list, but there's no dated personal visit for this exact spot. When there is, his notes and photos land here — and confidence moves toward Verified.

Where this is

This site is in Emery County, Utah, in the San Rafael Swell -- BLM land managed out of the Green River District. Free dispersed camping is allowed across much of the Swell, and it is dry country, so pack in all your water. County and setting are confirmed against BLM, USGS, and NRCS data; the on-the-ground details are still unverified.

Area guide — unverified

Regional context — documented in or near this area, not verified for this exact spot.

Emery County in Utah is home to the 'San Rafael Swell,' a large geologic feature known for its scenic canyons. The area is also a hub for rock climbing, offering routes like 'The San Rafael Knob,' the highest point in the swell. Don't miss the 'Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry,' which has the densest concentration of Jurassic dinosaur fossils.

Animals in the area

🌄 Animals: Elk 🦌, Bobcat 🐱, Coyote 🐺, Mountain Goat 🐐, Black Bear 🐻.

Birds in the area

American Kestrel, White-crowned Sparrow, Mountain Bluebird, Black-throated Gray Warbler, and Pinyon Jay.

What we don't know

Road surface & last-mile access
How many rigs fit
Cell coverage by carrier
Seasonal / winter access
Current fire restrictions
Water access from the pin
Shade & wind exposure
Noise / neighbors

Everything you need — measured from camp

Nearest: Water 21 mi · Dump 22 mi · Fuel 27 mi · Grocery 27 mi · Mechanic 30 mi · Pharmacy 30 mi

Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.

A rough supply run — closest of each, nearest first

1 Water21 mi
2 Dump22 mi
3 Fuel27 mi
4 Grocery27 mi

Ordered by straight-line distance, not a routed loop — real drive-time is the refinement coming.

Straight-line miles from camp — real roads run longer; drive-time is the refinement coming. Nearest few per category, from the Rockies dataset. Treat all natural water. Open in Google Maps ↗

Animals in the area

Birds in the area

Been here? Help the next rig.