Saint George, Utah quickly became one of our favorite places to visit every winter. There is so much to love from the desert scenery to the city itself, the prime location to Zion National Park, and the endless activities it offers. Plus, there is excellent free camping in St George and the surrounding area!
By Bekah Whitney
In the west, BLM (Bureau of Land Management) Public Land is your friend. There have been many changes on the BLM lines because of people trashing the desert so you should always check in with the Saint George Field Office before heading out. It is also a really fun field office with maps and free posters and friendly rangers. You can technically disperse camp on any of the BLM public land, but this can be long and hard to drive to. This post outlines our two favorite spots for free camping in St George.
Wash Cove BLM is a popular mountain biking, OHV, and hiking destination, as well as a dispersed camping area located near Santa Clara. Unlike the Bloomington BLM land, you do not have to drive down a long dirt road to access the camping area.
Wash Cove Trail head Address: 37.12891, -113.66331
Where you can camp: Primitive dispersed camping is allowed only in Zone 4 and at least 25 feet from designated trails and 200 yards from cultural sites. You can visit the BLM Map at https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/SCRR_brochure.pdf
Amenities: NA
Reservations: NA
Time of year: Year round
Type of Camping: Primitive, dry camping, Boondocking.
Number of sites: Dispersed Camping so Unlimited.
Cell Service: Verizon & AT & T had enough internet to stream
Fees: Free
Interesting Features: Off-Roading, Mountain Biking, Beautiful Vast Desert Views
Snow Canyon State Park.
Pioneer Park
Vortex Hike
There is a ton of mountain biking right there at the Cove Wash trailhead. One of our favorites was going up Sidewinder, up then down Precipice and the rest of the way down Barrel Roll.
Gunlock Reservoir
This land does not have an “actual” name, but we call it the Bloomington BLM area because you access it through Bloomington. In 2021, a good chunk of this area was taken over by the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. This means you must drive further along a dirt road to get to the places where you can camp, about 2 more miles to be exact. There are signs all over that say “no camping” this is because this area used to be all BLM land and they wanted to get the message across that you must drive to where BLM now starts, so don’t let this scare you away.
The road: The road is loose dirt, making it very dusty, but the road is actually maintained very frequently so almost any car can make it.
Bear Claw Poppy Trailhead Address: 37.05374, -113.62670
GPS of where BLM starts: 37.046904, -113.658413
Amenities: There is a toilet and water fountain at the trail head, but once you are out in the desert, there is nothing but you and the land.
Reservations: NA
Time of year: Year round
Type of Camping: Primitive, dry camping, Boondocking.
Number of sites: Dispersed Camping so Unlimited.
Cell Service: Verizon & AT&T had enough internet to stream
Fees: Free
Interesting Features: Off-Roading, Mountain Biking, Beautiful Vast Desert Views
Many people do choose to hike around the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, but I would recommend leaving the area if you are wanting to get some really great hikes in. You can visit our St George, Utah Hiking Guide Here!
Mountain biking in this area is absolutely amazing! Before the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area took over the area, you were able to camp very close to the trail. Now to camp everybody must go at least 2 miles down a dirt road which isn’t very fun to ride. I would suggest driving your bikes down and starting from the trailhead.
Bloomington Cave: One exciting thing near this free camping in St George is the Bloomington Cave. You do have to get a permit, but it is completely free. Read our full article on entering the Bloomington Cave!
Sand Hollow Reservoir State Park: Sand Hollow isn’t actually super close to this spot, but it is very convenient to get to from this side of town.
Saint George, Utah, is full of chain restaurants, which can be great if you are looking for a quick familiar bite, but I always prefer to get local restaurant recommendations. The following are our absolute favorites!
It’s hard for me to resist the allure of Thai Food, so naturally I found myself wanting to try Benja’s one afternoon. After asking for an outdoor table, we learned we would be dining right in the middle of the historic town square! The atmosphere and wide array of food on the menu made Benja’s one I always visit when in the St. George area. Benja grew up in Thailand and learned to cook in a monastery, and she is very good at what she does.
We have been going to Zion Brewery Station 2 since they first opened. They have done an amazing job creating a wonderful atmosphere out of this old fire station. They do not have food in-house, which means outside food is welcome! They literally have something for everyone including outdoor patios with games, a small venue for open mic and performances, a full service bar, and a large screen tv for game days. Plus, amazing craft beer. What more could you ask for?
Red Fort was actually recommended to us by some of Sawyer’s clients. If you are looking for some authentic and delicious Indian food, you’re in luck! The ambiance they have created is very intimate and luxurious. The food is even better and if you can agree on the same thing, the portions are large enough to share between two people. They even have 4 different types of Naan. I suggest trying their Peshwari Naan, a white flatbread stuffed with a mix of coconut, raisins, and cashew nuts baked in a tandoor. It sounds weird, but if you think you might like it, you will probably love it!
I usually don’t include a “Where to Shower” section in my guides as most everyone has their own things figured out, but two years ago the Saint George Planet Fitness closed down leaving us high and dry on our go-to shower spot.
The Saint George Rec center in fact does have showers and it is a cheap $3.00 entry fee. Last time we visited, the men’s showers were not up to par. Basically they were as Sawyer described them as “Prison Showers”. Luckily, the ladies room has normal showers with curtains and separators.
If you are not a Yogi, you may not know that yoga studios with heated classes will often have showers and they are included when you sign up for a class. Be Hot located on Riverside Drive and downtown has an app that shows you class schedules, allows you to see when your passes expire, and sign up for classes. I thoroughly enjoyed all the yoga classes I attended and Sawyer loved the one that he joined in as well.
Although we have never had a sketchy experience any of the times we have camped here, you do need to know that BLM land is for everyone to recreate on. This means people come out here to have bonfires, ride dirt-bikes, shoot guns, and whatever else they please. You do not have any more right over anyone else to this land, so if you are sensitive to noise you may not want to be in BLM land. That being said, it is so big and vast that no one will set up right next to you. Will you hear gunshots in the distance, yes. Do you need to be worried about bullets flying around in your space, no. If someone is too close to you, just move a little further down the road.
People trash this desert. It’s really heartbreaking to see how much litter is partially buried in the dirt or stuck in the sagebrush. Please do not be one of these people. I know that it is almost impossible to not drop a single piece of trash while camping somewhere for a long time, so before I leave, I always walk around with a trash bag and get as much trash as I can, even if it isn’t mine. This is BLM land, no one is coming to clean it up, so it is our job to take care of the land we use.
If you are not familiar with the Mojave Desert Tortoise, get excited! These tortoises are extremely protected because this is the only place they exist in the whole world! There are many restrictions placed on building and land use to protect them. If you see a tortoise here is the official statement on what to do, “If you see a tortoise in the wild, please admire it from a distance and do not pick it up. Some tortoises may void their bladder (or pee) if they are disturbed. That might not sound like much, but tortoises are well adapted to survive in the hot desert and losing this valuable water can lead to dehydration or death. For this very reason it is actually illegal to pick up a wild desert tortoise. There is one important exception. If you see a tortoise crossing the road or in immediate danger, we encourage you to please move the tortoise out of harm’s way. If this occurs, hold the tortoise low to the ground with both hands and move it in the direction it was headed.”
Saint George Utah is an absolute must in your travels. It’s beautiful, has lots of wide open spaces, and is perfect to get away from colder weather during the winter. Although the city is rapidly changing, we think it’s just getting better.
Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts on camping in Saint George Utah BLM! Remember to share with all your friends traveling through and planning their trips to Utah.
Hi! I’m Bekah, but you can call me Beks, all my friends do! I travel full-time in a tiny home on wheels that my partner, Sawyer, and I built from a cargo trailer shell in 2019. We started out in beautiful Colorado and have been all over the United States over the years. This space is designed to inspire and guide the nature obsessed nomad, weekend warrior, and future roadlifer. I’m so excited you’re here!
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