Temple Mountain Townsite Campground
Temple Mountain Townsite is a fee campground in the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area.
More like this: reservable in Utah · group sites in Utah · dark sky in Utah
Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
Site mix
| Standard, no hookups | 9 |
| Group sites | 1 |
Site guide
10 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site | Type | Entry | Fits, ft | Surface | Water / sewer | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site 01 | Standard | Gravel | No / – | Yes | ||
| Site 02 | Standard | Gravel | No / – | Yes | ||
| Site 03 | Standard | 40 | Gravel | No / – | Yes | |
| Site 04 | Standard | 35 | Gravel | No / – | Yes | |
| Site 06 | Standard | 45 | Gravel | No / – | Yes | |
| Site 07 | Standard | 45 | Gravel | No / – | Yes | |
| Site 08 | Standard | 55 | Gravel | No / – | Yes | |
| Site 09 | Standard | 55 | Gravel | No / – | Yes | |
| Site 10 | Standard | 55 | Gravel | No / – | Yes | |
| Site 05 (Group) | Group | Back-in | 60 | Gravel | No / – | Yes |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site.
Amenities & rules
| Campfires | Allowed, subject to restrictions |
| Fees | Individual sites $15/night and group sites $50/night, paid at self-pay kiosks. |
| Dark sky | 4.8 miles from Goblin Valley State Park, a certified International Dark Sky Park |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Weather by month
Getting there
From Highway 24, turn west onto Temple Mountain Road (signed for Goblin Valley State Park). Continue straight on this road past the state park turnoff as it turns from pavement to gravel and enters a short canyon. Temple Mountain Townsite is located on the north (right) side of the road as the canyon opens up, seven miles from the highway turnoff.
| Coordinates | 38.6674° N, 110.6862° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Motorized vehicle use is not permitted in wilderness.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedSalina Canyon East Rx
45 mi from the campground · 17,375 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 6.7 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Video
A beautiful rock formation of Paria Townsite, Kanab, Utah - 4K UHD
Worth a stop
Goblin Valley State Park (fee area), 2 miles east: The state park entrance is two miles up the Temple Wash Road going back towards Highway 24. The state park is famous for its unique landscape of sandstone hoodoos (goblins) and buttes. The park has hiking and mountain biking trails as well as a fee campground and yurt rentals. Little Wild Horse Canyon: The Little Wild Horse slot canyon is the most popular hike in the San Rafael Reef. Visitors can appreciate sculpted sandstone walls and narrows through the three-mile canyon. Paired with Bell Canyon via the Behind-the-Reef Road, this makes for an eight-mile moderate day hike with varied scenery. The canyon bottoms are gravel and there are some obstacles requiring straightforward scrambling. Temple Mountain Mining District: The townsite is in the heart of the historic Temple Mountain Mining District. Visitors can visit sites and learn about the history of Cold War-era uranium mining by foot or vehicle.
- 1.9 miSkylight Arch Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 3.4 miWaterfall North Trailhead ↗Trailhead
Public land it sits in
Little Ocean Draw Wilderness begins about 2.9 miles away, and it is the closest of these.
- 2.9 miLittle Ocean Draw Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Bureau of Land Management · 20,660 acres
- 6.1 miLittle Wild Horse Canyon Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Bureau of Land Management · 5,479 acres
- 6.3 miBig Wild Horse Mesa Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Bureau of Land Management · 18,192 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Natural features
The campground is at the mouth of a short, steep canyon (Temple Wash) which cuts through the San Rafael Reef. One of the most distinctive geologic features of central Utah, the Reef is a 75-mile-long rocky spine that reaches up to 1,000 feet high and forms the eastern edge of the San Rafael Swell. The Temple Mountain area provides acces to many scenic slot canyons, hills, and spires cut from red and white rock.
Recreation
Temple Mountain Townsite is at the intersection of Temple Mountain Road and the Behind-the-Reef Road. From the campground, visitors can hike to reclaimed uranium mines, drive a short distance down the wash to the Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel, or drive the longer North Temple Wash loop. The Behind-the-Reef Road is accessible to most vehicles for six miles, accessing several trailheads for hikes into the San Rafael Reef Wilderness. Two of these (Chute Canyon and Wild Horse Canyon) are accessible for horseback riders. The road continues for another 14 miles requiring high clearance and four-wheel-drive as it follows the rugged base of the reef against a backdrop of 500-foot cliffs and jagged canyons. After about seven miles, the road narrows to a maximum vehicle width of 50 feet. More wilderness slot canyons hikes can be accessed from this road.
Guidebooks for Utah
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Temple Mountain Townsite Campground?
Sites at Temple Mountain Townsite Campground are reservable on Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.
Source: Recreation.gov
How much does it cost to camp at Temple Mountain Townsite Campground?
Individual sites $15/night and group sites $50/night, paid at self-pay kiosks.
Source: Recreation.gov
How many sites does Temple Mountain Townsite Campground have?
10 sites, including 9 standard sites without power and 1 group site.
Source: Recreation.gov
Can I have a campfire at Temple Mountain Townsite Campground?
Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there is 1 active fire within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one.
Source: Fire nearby
Is Temple Mountain Townsite Campground good for stargazing?
Goblin Valley State Park, a certified International Dark Sky Park, is 4.8 miles away. Skies that dark carry for miles; a moonless night here should show the Milky Way.
Source: DarkSky International
What is there to do at Temple Mountain Townsite Campground?
Temple Mountain Townsite is at the intersection of Temple Mountain Road and the Behind-the-Reef Road. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What if Temple Mountain Townsite Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Temple Moutain Campground West (under 0.1 mi, first-come), South Temple Wash (1.5 mi), and Temple Mountain Campground East (1.5 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby