GOBLIN VALLEY, Utah — With Memorial Day around the corner, it's natural to think of outside adventures, including camping in Utah's beautiful wilderness; a recent report named three spots in Utah as among the top ten in the West.
According The Dyrt, a comprehensive camping resource, Goblin Valley State Park took the number one spot, with Watchman Campground coming in at number four and Volcano Peak Campground at number eight.
What makes a campsite great? Visitors to Goblin Valley raved about the variety of campsites, the convenience to hiking trails and viewpoints, the incredible stargazing, and proximity to other attractions such as Capitol Reef National Park and the San Rafael Swell.
Ratings for the campsites on the list are largely based on such factors, with comfort, privacy, proximity to national or state parks and beautiful settings ranking high.
But campers better be prepared to make plans in advance; The Dryt's 2023 camping report found that it was five times harder to find an available campsite in 2022 than in 2019, with 7.2 million new campers last year.
Overall, 80 million people in this country take camping trips, with nearly half camping in a vehicle.
“According to our 2023 Camping Report, more Americans are camping now than at any other time in history,” says Sarah Smith, founder of The Dyrt.
“The number of reviews, photos and tips from The Dyrt’s community of campers doubled in the past year to 8 million."
See all of the 2023 Best Places to Camp Regional Awards.
