Free camping near Charleston, UT
Within 25 straight-line miles of Charleston, UT there are 41 camps: 5 free, 34 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is South Cascade Springs Dispersed Camping Areas, 5.0 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Elk Camp, 7.9 miles out.
Who manages them: 41 on the Forest Service.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Cascade Springs Dispersed Camping Areas | 5.0 | Fee | — | 4.5 mi to Sundance | — |
| Forest Lake Dispersed Area | 7.4 | Fee | — | 5.1 mi to Alta | — |
| Elk Camp | 7.9 | Free | South Fork of Deer Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Aspen Grove | — |
| Cascade Scenic Drive Dispersed Area | 8.4 | Fee | — | 2.9 mi to Sundance | — |
| Theater-In-The-Pines | 8.7 | Fee | — | 1.0 mi to Sundance | — |
| Mt Timpanogos | 8.8 | Fee | — | 1.2 mi to Sundance | — |
| Mineral Basin Dispersed Area | 8.9 | Fee | — | 3.0 mi to Alta | — |
| Salamander Flat | 9.0 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Sundance | — |
| Altamont | 9.5 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Sundance | — |
| Holman Flat Dispersed Area | 9.6 | Free | — | 5.8 mi to Alta | — |
| Timpooneke Campground | 9.7 | Unpriced | South Fork (stream) | 2.8 mi to Aspen Grove | — |
| Timpooneke Campground | 10 | Unpriced | South Fork (stream) | 3.0 mi to Aspen Grove | — |
| Granite Flat | 10 | Fee | — | 6.5 mi to Alpine | — |
| Albion Basin | 11 | Fee | — | 0.5 mi to Alta | — |
| Little Mill | 11 | Fee | — | 4.8 mi to Cedar Hills | — |
| Redman | 12 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Brighton | — |
| Hope | 14 | Fee | — | 4.2 mi to Orem | — |
| National Guard Dispersed Area | 15 | Free | First Left Fork (stream) | 2.4 mi to Edgemont | — |
| Tanners Flat | 15 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Alta | — |
| Lodgepole | 15 | Fee | — | 7.0 mi to Independence | — |
| Rock Canyon | 15 | Free | — | 3.6 mi to Provo | — |
| Spruces Campground | 15 | Fee | Big Cottonwood Creek (river) | 1.2 mi to Dunyon Dell | — |
| Spruces | 15 | Fee | — | 2.8 mi to Brighton | — |
| Jordan Pines | 16 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Brighton | — |
| Ponderosa Group Campground | 18 | Fee | — | 2.5 mi to Samak | — |
| Yellow Pine Camp | 19 | Free | Yellow Pine Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Samak | — |
| Mill Hollow Campground | 19 | Fee | Mill Hollow Reservoir (water) | 7.7 mi to Timber Lakes | — |
| Balsam | 19 | Fee | — | 5.0 mi to Hobble Creek | — |
| Lower Provo River | 20 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Woodland | — |
| Shingle Creek Atv | 20 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Woodland | — |
| Pine Valley Camp (Dispersed) | 20 | Fee | — | 6.4 mi to Woodland | — |
| Cherry | 21 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Hobble Creek | — |
| Horseman Camp | 21 | Fee | — | 6.9 mi to Woodland | — |
| Wolf Creek | 22 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Timber Lakes | — |
| Currant Creek | 23 | Fee | — | 13 mi to Independence | — |
| Soapstone Comfort Camps | 23 | Fee | — | 9.9 mi to Woodland | — |
| Sawmill Hollow | 23 | Fee | — | 9.0 mi to Hobble Creek | — |
| Whiting | 23 | Fee | — | 2.6 mi to Mapleton | — |
| Soapstone | 24 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Woodland | — |
| Strawberry Bay | 24 | Fee | — | 16 mi to Independence | — |
| Shady Dell | 25 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Woodland | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Charleston, UT, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.