BLM · Moab, UT

Upper Onion Creek Campground

Upper Onion Creek Campground offers striking views of the Colorado River canyon and the surrounding red rock cliffs, mesas and spires, with the La Sal Mountains as a dramatic back-drop. Well-situated 0.7 miles off SR 128, there is direct access to the Onion Creek four-wheel drive road (watch for seasonal rains and flash floods). The town of Moab is approximately 40 minutes away and has dining, shopping, sports rentals, tour companies and museums. Fees: $20/night Water: No Toilets: Yes Hook-ups: No Individual Sites: 14 (limited to 10 people & two vehicles per site). Group Sites: 2 (reservable). Water: No. Toilets: Yes.

First-come, first-servedFrom $20 per night

More like this: first-come in Utah

Upper Onion Creek Campground
Photo from the area. The Greater Southwestern Exploration Company (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

Fees$20/night (Pay at campground-cash or check only)
Stay limit14 nights in a 30 consecutive day period

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Upper Onion Creek Campground20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.04 inches of precipitation, 10.4 inches of snowFebruary: 0.81 inches of precipitation, 8.6 inches of snowMarch: 0.94 inches of precipitation, 7.3 inches of snowApril: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 3.8 inches of snowMay: 0.99 inches of precipitation, 0.6 inches of snowJune: 0.66 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.31 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.20 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.45 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowOctober: 1.36 inches of precipitation, 1.8 inches of snowNovember: 0.93 inches of precipitation, 5.3 inches of snowDecember: 0.89 inches of precipitation, 12.3 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 27.1°F averageFebruary: 30.8°F averageMarch: 39.2°F averageApril: 45.7°F averageMay: 54.6°F averageJune: 65.3°F averageJuly: 71.5°F averageAugust: 69.7°F averageSeptember: 61.4°F averageOctober: 49.0°F averageNovember: 36.8°F averageDecember: 26.7°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at La Sal 1Sw, 10 miles from the campground at 6,787 feet, station USC00424947 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 50 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

From the junction of Hwy. 191 & Hwy 128, drive east 22 miles along the Colorado River. Turn left (across from the "Fisher Towers" sign) and drive 1.5 miles up the gravel road.

Nearest townMoab, Utah
Coordinates38.4335° N, 109.2070° W · Directions ↗

Good to know

  • Two group sites, Upper Onion Creek Group Sites A and B, are available for reservation through Recreation.gov.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗20.2 mi
Outdoor gearGearheads Outdoor Store ↗20.7 mi
RV sales & serviceCentennial RV ↗55.8 mi

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

Explore

Worth a stop

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.3 mi
    Burlfriends
    3.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.1 mi
    South Mountain (sz) ↗
    9.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.2 mi
    Tukuhnikivatz (tuk)
    1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.5 mi
    Medicine Lake
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.9 mi
    Gold Basin
    1.3 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 3 mi
    Chicken Creek
    1.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, 4WD

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

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

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 Upper Onion Creek Campground?

No. Upper Onion Creek Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: How first-come camping works

How much does it cost to camp at Upper Onion Creek Campground?

$20/night (Pay at campground-cash or check only)

How long can I stay at Upper Onion Creek Campground?

14 nights in a 30 consecutive day period

What is the nearest town to Upper Onion Creek Campground?

Moab, Utah.

Source: Getting there

What if Upper Onion Creek Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Dewey Bridge Campground (3.8 mi, partly first-come), Oowah Campground (6 mi, first-come), and Warner Lake (7.1 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby