★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFS · dispersedFree
Fish Lake National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Garfield County, UT · 38.12183, -111.19564
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
Secluded valley in Fish Lake National Forest just outside of Capitol Reef National Park. Beautiful landscape with junipers, mountains, cliffs, and buttes. Primitive campsite with fire ring, miles from pavement. Requires four-wheel drive if accessed via South Draw Road. Enough room for a few vehicles. No cell service. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 6,668 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- WWater11 mi
- DDump11 mi
- FFuel17 mi
- GGrocery17 mi
- LLaundry17 mi
- ShShower17 mi
- @Mail17 mi
- AAir-up24 mi
- MMechanic24 mi
- +Urgent care24 mi
- HHardware31 mi
- OOutfitter33 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 17 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
6,668 ft
County
Garfield County, UT
Coordinates
38.12183, -111.19564
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureSouth Draw (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townGrover · ~11.1 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~7.8 mi
- FuelPetroUS · ~16.9 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~11.4 mi
- GroceriesStore · ~16.6 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
High clearance / 4×4
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomFD Vault Toilet Pleasant Creek B70 · ~4.1 mi N · NPS
- Vault / pit toiletLower Bowns Campground · ~4.6 mi W · USFS
- RestroomFD Vault Toilet Capitol Gorge (first) B33 · ~6.0 mi N · NPS
- RestroomFD Vault Toilet Capitol Gorge (second) B35 · ~6.2 mi N · NPS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Sheets Gulch~6.8 mi
- Sevier River~11.2 mi
- Wayne County~14.4 mi
- Fremont River Cua Dispersed~15.5 mi
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Sunflower Flat at 10,010 ft, about 9 miles away. It sits about 3,342 ft higher than this camp, so treat it as a guide rather than a reading for this spot. We do not repeat a depth here, because any number we stored would be stale by the time you read it — the station publishes today's.
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Garfield County, UT). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Camping near a reservoir →Finding water out here →What “dispersed” means here →Camping with a dog →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →