Free camping near Santa Clara, UT
Within 25 straight-line miles of Santa Clara, UT there are 53 camps: 43 free, 3 fee, 7 unpriced. The closest is Joshua Tree National Landmark, 11 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Sand Mountain Pipeline Designated Dispersed Camping Area, 12 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: AZ and UT.
Who manages them: 39 on the BLM; 9 on the Forest Service; 4 on an agency our record does not name; 1 spread across 1 other manager.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Tree National Landmark | 11 | Unpriced | — | 9.1 mi to Shivwits / See’veetseng | — |
| Sand Mountain Pipeline Designated Dispersed Camping Area | 12 | Free | — | 3.3 mi to Washington | — |
| Quail Creek Reservoir Designated Dispersed Camping Area | 15 | Free | Quail Creek (stream) | 5.0 mi to Leeds | — |
| Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area (P) | 15 | Fee | Cedar Pockets Wash (stream) | 8.2 mi to Beaver Dam | — |
| Red Cliffs Recreation Area | 15 | Fee | Leeds Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Leeds | — |
| Oak Grove Campground | 17 | Fee | — | 6.1 mi to Pine Valley | — |
| Leeds Canyon Dispersed Camping #7/#8 | 18 | Free | Leeds Creek (stream) | 1.6 mi to Silver Reef | — |
| Leeds Designated Dispersed | 18 | Free | Leeds Creek (stream) | 1.5 mi to Silver Reef | — |
| Leeds Canyon Dispersed Camping #6 | 18 | Free | Leeds Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Silver Reef | — |
| Leeds Canyon Dispersed Camping | 18 | Free | Leeds Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Silver Reef | — |
| Sand Cove Primitive Camp | 19 | Free | Virgin River (river) | 2.6 mi to Leeds | — |
| Equestrian Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Santa Clara River (stream) | 1.9 mi to Pine Valley | — |
| Utah Trust Land Dispersed Camping — Washington County, UT (37.0517, -113.3138) | 20 | Free | — | 7.1 mi to Hurricane | — |
| Dean Gardner Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Pine Valley Reservoir (water) | 2.3 mi to Pine Valley | — |
| Crackfoot Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Middle Fork Santa Clara River (stream) | 2.9 mi to Pine Valley | — |
| Yellow Pine Loop | 20 | Free | Santa Clara River (stream) | 2.0 mi to Pine Valley | — |
| Effie Beckstrom Group Campgrounds | 20 | Unpriced | Santa Clara River (stream) | 2.8 mi to Pine Valley | — |
| Ebenezer Bryce Campground | 20 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Mitt Moody Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Middle Fork Santa Clara River (stream) | 3.4 mi to Pine Valley | — |
| Site 10 | 22 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.9 mi to Hurricane | — |
| Site 8 | 22 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to Hurricane | — |
| Site 4 | 22 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to Hurricane | — |
| Site 1 | 22 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.2 mi to Hurricane | — |
| Site 13 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.2 mi to Hurricane | — |
| Site 15 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.0 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 23 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.5 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 16 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 22 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.7 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 25 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.5 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 19 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 21 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.9 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 26 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 27 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.0 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 29 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.0 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 30 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.9 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Hurricane Cliffs Designated Dispersed Camping Area | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.4 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 32 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.8 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 33 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.9 mi to La Verkin | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #3 — Washington County, UT | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.6 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 34 | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.9 mi to La Verkin | — |
| BLM dispersed camp #2 — Washington County, UT | 23 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.7 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 49 | 24 | Free | Nephis Twist (stream) | 1.7 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 35 | 24 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.0 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 54 | 24 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 1.9 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 37 | 24 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.5 mi to Virgin | — |
| Site 56 | 24 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.1 mi to La Verkin | — |
| Site 36 | 24 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.5 mi to Virgin | — |
| Site 55 | 24 | Free | Virgin River (river) | 2.2 mi to La Verkin | — |
| BLM public landDave slept here | 24 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.3 mi to Virgin | — |
| Site 38 | 24 | Free | Chinatown Wash (stream) | 2.4 mi to Virgin | — |
The other 3 inside the circle are on the live map — open it centred on Santa Clara, UT.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Santa Clara, 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.