U.S. Forest Service · Fishlake National Forest · Glenwood, UT

Little Cottonwood Campground

The Little Cottonwood Campground is conveniently located off Utah's I-15, adjacent to the Beaver River just outside of the community of Beaver in the Fishlake National Forest. At 6,500 feet in elevation, this is a great place to enjoy the mountains where recreation opportunities include stream fishing, hiking, and hunting.

Closed for the seasonReservable · Recreation.gov14 sites69 ft maxNo hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in Utah · big rigs in Utah · pets allowed in Utah

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗
LITTLE COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUNDLITTLE COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUNDLITTLE COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUNDLITTLE COTTONWOOD CAMPGROUND
Photos via Recreation.gov

Site mix

Standard, no hookups14
Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

Will my RV fit

The longest site here provides 82 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter.

Have the trailer VIN? It carries the trailer length.

14 sites. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

SiteEntryFits, ftSurfaceShadeWater / sewerWaterfrontPeople / vehiclesFiresAccessibleRating
01Back-in82GravelPartialRiverfront8 / 2YesStandard
02Back-in50GravelPartialNo / NoLakefront8 / 2YesStandard
03Back-in53GravelPartialNo / NoLakefront8 / 2YesStandard
04Back-in58PavedPartialNo / NoLakefront8 / 1YesStandard
05Back-in53GravelPartialNo / No8 / 2YesStandard
06Back-in55PavedPartialNo / No8 / 2YesStandard
07Back-in40PavedPartialNo / No8 / 2YesStandard
08Pull-through69GravelPartialNo / No8 / 2YesYesStandard
09Back-in49PavedPartialRiverfront8 / 1YesYesStandard
10Back-in48PavedFullRiverfront8 / 1YesStandard

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
Max vehicle length69 ft
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed, subject to restrictions
Tent padsYes
AccessibilitySites 08, 09 are listed accessible

The campground has fourteen single-family campsites, two of which are accessible units available for reservation. All campsites are paved and have picnic tables and grills. An accessible restroom with flush toilets serves the campground. Potable water is available during the summer season. RVs up to 40 feet in length can be accommodated; no hook-ups are available.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonMay to September
ForestFishlake National Forest
FeesGo to Little Cottonwood Campground on rec.gov for details and reservations. Elevation is 6,500 feet. Potable water is available during the season. Flush toilets. Dogs must be on a leash. No OHVs.
RulesOpen to all street legal vehicles including street legal ATV/UTV for ingress and egress only. Pets must be on a leash. Camp fires are limited to fire rings in the camp sites. 16 day limit.

Fishlake National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Little Cottonwood Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.87 inches of precipitation, 22.3 inches of snowFebruary: 1.82 inches of precipitation, 23.7 inches of snowMarch: 2.09 inches of precipitation, 19.6 inches of snowApril: 2.17 inches of precipitation, 14.9 inches of snowMay: 1.86 inches of precipitation, 3.7 inches of snowJune: 0.82 inches of precipitation, 0.9 inches of snowJuly: 1.96 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.64 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.26 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.74 inches of precipitation, 5.4 inches of snowNovember: 1.27 inches of precipitation, 11.2 inches of snowDecember: 1.72 inches of precipitation, 18.8 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 26.3°F averageFebruary: 28.4°F averageMarch: 34.9°F averageApril: 40.3°F averageMay: 49.6°F averageJune: 59.6°F averageJuly: 65.6°F averageAugust: 64.3°F averageSeptember: 57.3°F averageOctober: 45.4°F averageNovember: 34.4°F averageDecember: 25.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 in25 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Beaver Canyon Pwr House, 3 miles from the campground at 7,275 feet, station USC00420527 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 121 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Travel east of Beaver approximately 6 miles on SR 153.

Nearest townGlenwood, Utah
Coordinates38.2569° N, 112.5433° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗37.7 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Cottonwood Campground Review: Stargazing Paradise in Joshua Tree NP

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.1 mi
    Lt Cottonwood Access Fishing
    0.05 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 0.4 mi
    Wet Hollow - Wades Canyon ↗
    23.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
  • 1.9 mi
    Porkies Pasture
    1.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.9 mi
    Kane Canyon
    2.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
  • 2 mi
    Copes Basin
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike
  • 2.1 mi
    South Fork of Baker
    4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Dixie National Forest begins about 9.3 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Natural features

Common vegetation includes cottonwood, aspen, pinion, juniper and ponderosa pine trees. A majority of campsites at Little Cottonwood are well-shaded. The Fishlake National Forest offers spectacular vistas and opportunities to view wildlife in their natural habitat.

Recreation

Enjoy fishing in the Beaver River; an accessible fishing path is located within the campground. The Piute ATV Trail is nearby; however there is no access directly from the campground. Be prepared to trailer ATVs to the nearby trailheads for access. Nearby Cottonwood Trail is a horse and foot trail that is accessed through the lower part of Cottonwood Campground. This rugged trail will lead southwest for about the first two miles and then takes a sharp turn to the east through Horse Flat.

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 Little Cottonwood Campground?

Sites at Little Cottonwood 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 Little Cottonwood Campground?

Go to Little Cottonwood Campground on rec.gov for details and reservations. Elevation is 6,500 feet. Potable water is available during the season.

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Little Cottonwood Campground?

Check-in 2:00 PM, checkout 12:00 PM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Little Cottonwood Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026. Season May to September.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Little Cottonwood Campground have?

14 sites, including 14 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Little Cottonwood Campground?

The longest site here provides 69 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are there showers or a dump station at Little Cottonwood Campground?

An accessible restroom with flush toilets serves the campground.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Little Cottonwood Campground?

Yes, pets are allowed at Little Cottonwood Campground. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Little Cottonwood Campground?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. Open to all street legal vehicles including street legal ATV/UTV for ingress and egress only.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are there accessible sites at Little Cottonwood Campground?

Sites 08 and 09 are listed accessible on Recreation.gov. What that covers (a paved pad, an accessible table, a nearby accessible restroom) is on each site's booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

What is there to do at Little Cottonwood Campground?

Enjoy fishing in the Beaver River; an accessible fishing path is located within the campground. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Little Cottonwood Campground?

Glenwood, Utah.

Source: Getting there