Natural Bridges Campground
Natural Bridges National Monument, Near Lake Powell, Utah
Natural Bridges Campground does not offer reservations through Recreation.gov. Please take a look at the area details below for more information about visiting this location. Enjoy your visit!
Overview
The Natural Bridges National Monument Campground is located approximately 35 miles West of Blanding, UT, nestled in the heart of Bears Ears National Monument. Situated in a high-desert environment at 6,500 feet above sea level, the campground is surrounded by a sprawling pinon-juniper forest. The elevation can also be cause for dramatic temperature fluctuations. Temperatures can reach highs of 100 degrees Fahrenheit mid-Summer and can dip below freezing in the Winter. The campground includes 13 sites total, each of which can accommodate tent campers or RVs. The campground is open year-round and is typically busiest from mid-March to mid-June. Visitation also spikes in the late fall, between September and October. The campground tends to fill up quickly during these busy periods. Natural Bridges National Monument is surrounded by a multitude of public Federal Lands, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Forest Service (NFS), and other National Park Service (NPS) sites, as well as state and tribal parks. Within a two-hour drive or less, visitors can access Bears Ears National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, various NFS recreation areas, Goosenecks State Park, Monument Valley Tribal Park, and Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. All of these locations have opportunities for hiking, scenic viewing, and other activities. There are also several museums in the area, including Edge of the Cedars State Park in Blanding, UT and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Delores, CO. Natural Bridges National Monument is home to three of the largest natural bridges in the United States. The bridges can be viewed from three overlooks situated along the nine-mile loop drive through the park. The overlooks are each paved and located less than one-quarter mile from the parking areas. Hiking trails to the bridges themselves are also available. Descend into White or Armstrong canyons and wind along the wash to view the bridges from below. The hiking routes along the canyon bottom are unmaintained and may experience small changes depending on weather. Visitors may also encounter archeological sites in the area. When visiting archeological sites, structures, pictographs, petroglyphs, or delicate rock formations, please visit with respect. Stop by the visitor center and ask a ranger about the "Dos and Don'ts" of visiting these areas. Natural Bridges also boasts an incredible night sky as the world’s first International Dark Sky Park. Night-sky programming may be available in the spring and fall, dependent on staffing levels. Each campsite is complete with a picnic table, at least one tent pad, and a metal fire ring. There are two pit toilets situated in the campground as well. The campground does not provide water, showers, flushing toilets, RV hookups, or a dump station. Drinking water is available at the visitor center, with a limit of five gallons per person, per day. Due to the very tight campground loop, the maximum RV length permitted in this campground is 26 feet combined --anything larger will not able to navigate the campground loop road. There is also a maximum limit of eight people per campsite, two tents per site, and two vehicles per site (trailers count as a separate vehicle). Fires must stay in the provided metal fire ring. There is no cell service in the campground, but public Wi-Fi is available at the visitor center. The Natural Bridges National Monument Campground is located just one-quarter mile from the Visitor Center, which can be accessed by car, bike, or by walking path. Visitors can connect the trail to the Visitor Center with another short path that leads to the park’s solar field, which provides all power for the monument. Please stay on the marked pathways and campsites, as an abundance of living biological soil crust surrounds the campground. Views of the Bears Ears, a natural formation of two buttes for which the surrounding area is named, can be seen from the campground. The campground is enclosed by beautiful pinon pine and juniper forest, which provides ample privacy between sites without obstructing the view of wide-open skies. These vast and unpolluted skies make Natural Bridges a wonderful place to stargaze.
