There is only one front-country campground in Arches, but it's located in a spectacular setting.
The Devil's Garden Campground is located 18 miles from the park entrance and is open year-round. Facilities include potable water, picnic tables, grills, as well as both pit-style and flush toilets. There are no showers. Bring your own wood or charcoal for the grills. Some sites will accommodate RVs up to 30 feet in length.
Here's Traveler's review of the campground:
Heading through Arches National Park in mid-March, I figured I'd spend a night at the Devils Garden Campground. I also figured I'd have it all to myself. Boy was I wrong.
So wrong was I that a week before I left home the 50-site campground was already sold out for the night I hoped to pitch my tent, a Monday night at that!
In hindsight, though, I shouldn't have been surprised. Spring break in Utah and Colorado falls for many schools in mid-March, and for people well-familiar with the park, mid-March is a much, much better time to be camping in Devils Garden than July or August. That's when temperatures soar towards, and occasionally beyond, the century mark.
Located on the northern end of the park road 18 miles from the main entrance, the campground runs long, and somewhat skinny, along an east-facing ridge of red-rock. The campground road runs down the middle of this ridge, with sites on either side. There's somewhat of an "upper" and "lower" section to the campground, elevation-wise, but it's not a great drop.
Which side should you aim for when making a reservation?
Telephone and on-line reservations for both group and individual sites may be made through www.recreation.gov. Reservations are not accepted by the park, and the park does not maintain information about site availability. From mid-March through October, the campground generally fills every day, so reservations are highly recommended.
Individual Sites
The campground has 50 individual sites which are $20 per night and will accommodate up to ten people. These sites may be reserved for nights between March 1st and October 31st. Reservations must be made no less than four days and no more than 180 days in advance. There is an additional $9 booking fee for reservations. To make a reservation, visit www.recreation.gov, or call (877) 444-6777, (877) 833-6777 (TDD), or (518) 885-3639.
During the winter months (November 1st to February 28th) sites 1 - 24 are available on a self-serve basis at the campground.
Group Sites
The campground has two sites for groups of eleven or more people. The Juniper Basin campsite will accommodate up to 55 people; the Canyon Wren campsite up to 35. The group camping fee is $3 per person per night, with a $33 per night minimum. No recreational vehicles or trailers are permitted in the group sites.
The Canyon Wren group campsite may be reserved year-round. Juniper Basin is available from March 1st to October 31st. Reservations must be made no less than 4 days and no more than 360 days in advance. There is an additional $9 booking fee for reservations. To make a reservation, visit www.recreation.gov, or call (877) 444-6777, (877) 833-6777 (TDD), or (518) 885-3639.
Unreserved group campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of arrival.
Other Camping Options
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) operates many campgrounds in the Moab area. Some accommodate large groups and may be reserved in advance.
