★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
San Juan County
Drive-up · public land · San Juan County, UT · 37.66425, -109.44115
Ask an AI about this campsiteOpens Grok already loaded with this site. It reads the same records this page is built from, and links whatever it tells you.
Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A free dispersed camping area on the shore of Recapture Reservoir. There are a number of primitive sites on this shore, some with fire ring. No other amenities. Convenient to highway. The reservoir is suited for a refreshing dip in warm season. Some cell service and enough room for a few vehicles. Other campers likely nearby. 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 6,053 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
- FFuel3 mi
- GGrocery3 mi
- LLaundry3 mi
- @Mail3 mi
- HHardware3 mi
- +Urgent care4 mi
- WWater5 mi
- RxPharmacy15 mi
- MMechanic16 mi
- AAir-up52 mi
- DDump59 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 3 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
public land · dispersed
Elevation
6,053 ft
County
San Juan County, UT
Coordinates
37.66425, -109.44115
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureBullpup Canyon (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townBlanding · ~3.4 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~5.0 mi
- FuelSinclair · ~4.4 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesCBs C-Store · ~3.4 mi
- Hospital / clinicBlue Mountain Hospital · ~4.2 mi
- HardwareMonticello Merc · ~15.3 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletDevils Canyon Campground · ~5.5 mi N · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletDevils Canyon Nature Trail Trailhead · ~5.5 mi N · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletPalmers Flat Trailhead · ~7.9 mi N · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletNizhoni Campground · ~9.7 mi NW · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Devils Canyon Campground~5.3 mi
- Nizhoni Campground~9.7 mi
- Free camping~14.0 mi
- Dalton Springs Campground~14.5 mi
Snow, and when this opens
The nearest automatic snow station is Camp Jackson at 8,840 ft, about 11 miles away. It sits about 2,787 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 (San Juan 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
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 →