Bear Canyon
We don’t think it should be. Every campground should hold some sites for whoever drives up.Tell your representative →
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 1 of the next 1 nights read 14:46 UTC
- Sites
- 163 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 15 notices
In the agency’s own words
Bear Canyon Campground is situated on the boundary of the Mount Nebo Wilderness Area just off the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway at an elevation of 6,800 feet. Visitors enjoy hiking and fishing in this quiet canyon. Keep reading
Recreation
Salt Creek runs along the edge of campground, offering rainbow trout fishing. Bear Canyon Trail, for hiking, biking and horseback riding, begins at the campground entrance.
Facilities
The campground contains three large group sites with picnic tables, serving tables, grills and campfire circles. Site A can accommodate up to 60 people , Site B can accommodate up to 40 people , and Site C can accommodate up to 20 people . Group A has Porta Potties , all other sites vault toilets are provided. This is a pack-in-pack-out campground, come prepared. No water is available at this campground, water can be obtained at Ponderosa Campground filling station. Roads, parking spurs and walking paths within the site are paved.
Natural Features
Each campsite within Bear Canyon offers beautiful views of the surrounding Wasatch Range. Aspen and fir trees line the edges of the campground, which sits in a large grassy meadow. Few trees are located within the campsites, so shade is very limited. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (385) 273-1100.
Nearby Attractions
The Mount Nebo Wilderness Area is adjacent, brimming with beautiful mountain scenery, pristine waters, abundant wildlife, vibrant summer wildflowers and numerous trail opportunities. The Nebo Loop Scenic Byway stretches 37 miles through high alpine terrain, dense forests and colorful meadows. Devil's Kitchen Geological Area can be found along the loop, just 6 miles from Bear Canyon. It offers a 1/2-mile round-trip trail to interesting red rock hoodoos.
Charges & Cancellations
Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation (including campsites, cabins, lookouts, group facilities, etc.). The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount. You can cancel or change reservations through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Late Cancellations Overnight and Day Use Facilities: Late cancellations are those cancelled between 12:01 a.m. (Eastern) on the day before arrival and check out time on the day after arrival. Individual Campsites: If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and will also forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but no cancellation fee will apply. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers will be charged a $10.00 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night's use fee if a cabin or lookout reservation is cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Facility: If a customer cancels a group overnight facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date they will be charged the $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee. Cancellations for a single night's use will not be assessed a service fee. Group Day Use Area: If a customer cancels a group day use facility reservation within 14 days of the scheduled arrival date, they will forfeit the total day use fee with no service fee charge. No-Shows Camping / Day Use: A camping no-show customer is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Reserved campsites and group overnight facilities will be held until check-out time on the day following your scheduled arrival. Group day-use facilities will be held until check-in time on your scheduled arrival date. If a customer does not arrive at the campground or group facility by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the times listed under "Late Cancellations" above, the customer may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and forfeit use fees. Refunds Customers must request refunds no later than 14 days after the scheduled departure date. Recreation.gov will not grant refund requests after 14 days of departure. Reservation Fee: For some facilities, tours or permits an additional reservation fee is charged. For some overnight and day-use facilities, an additional non-refundable reservation fee may apply. The non-refundable reservation fee for tours and tickets is $1.00. The non-refundable reservation fee for permits varies by location. Refunds for Bankcard Purchases: Refunds for bank card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank card. Refunds for Check or Cash Purchases: Refunds for Recreation.gov payments made by check or money order, and cash payments at selected campgrounds will be issued a check refund. A refund will be processed within 30 days of receipt and approval. Please Note: Refund requests made during or after departure can only be processed when approved by the facility management staff based upon local policy. Refunds for Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team will attempt to notify users and offer alternate dates (as appropriate). If this is not possible, reservations will be cancelled and all fees paid will be refunded. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information Reservation transaction will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777." Changes to Policies and Procedures Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated July 2018.
What the agency tells you
This Campground is in Bear Country Always store food and trash securely to avoid attracting wildlife -Failure to comply may result in fines up to $5,000, removal from your campsite and/or imprisonment Remember, a fed bear is a dead bear; your actions can save lives
This is a 'pack it in, pack it out' facility; bring trash bags No water available on site; bring all water needed for your stay including drinking water
Dogs or Domestic Pets Owners must -Control dog by leash not to exceed six feet (6’) at all times -Clean up dog feces immediately -Limit two dogs per campsite Do not allow dogs to -Threaten or attack people/animals -Interfere with people, vehicles, or property -Cause damage to vegetation or harass wildlife
Everything else this campground posts · 12
Campground Etiquette and Rules Gates open at 7am, Gates close at 10pm Quiet Hours are 10pm-6am No generators after 10pm Camping is allowed only within the designated space provided. Do not go beyond the boundaries of your site Max occupancy is 8 people per single site Reserved campsites will be held until 12pm on the day following your scheduled arrival date Horses/Off-road vehicles are prohibited in the campground Leave No Trace -Put all trash in dumpsters, when provided, or properly stored in your vehicle or bear box -Remove all personal property and trash when leaving -Unclean campsites will be reported to the District Ranger LEO -Leaving food/trash in an unoccupied campsite may result in a $5,000 fine Cleaning fish, animals, or bathing where drinking water is supplied is strictly prohibited Fireworks or other explosives are prohibited. Discharging of a firearm in the campground is not allowed No fighting or boisterous behavior. Be courteous to your fellow visitor. Keep noise at a reasonable level No amplified music is allowed in USDA Forest Service campgrounds and facilities. People come to the campgrounds for peace and quiet Max Vehicle Length includes tow vehicle
There is a 2-night minimum stay on weekends; 3-night minimum stay on holiday weekends
Trailers/Campers and RVs: Come with water tank filled. Hooking up to spigots or the power in the restrooms, even for medical devices is strictly prohibited
Advance Reservations: Reservations are required and must be made at least 5 days in advance Walk-ins/first come first serve not available for these sites
Check-in at Ponderosa Uinta Campground
Extra Vehicle -$10 per vehicle, per day (paid on-site at Ponderosa Uinta Campground by cash/check) Firewood -$9 (available at Ponderosa Uinta Campground)
If you booked at a discount without a Senior or Access pass, you'll need to pay the difference in cash/check upon arrival. Only Senior or Access passes qualify for discounts and proof of ownership upon arrival is required
Please understand that camping is an outdoor experience; we do not give refunds or credits for weather or natural conditions Cancellations within14 days of the arrival date will forfeit the first night use fee and a $10 cancellation fee No-shows, early departures, or cancellations after the arrival date are not entitled to a refund Failure to arrive at the campsite 12pm the day after scheduled arrival, and does not cancel the reservation, a $20 service fee will be assessed and will forfeit the first-night use fee
For more information on visiting Bear Country visit wildawareutah.org wildlife.utah.gov For campground Rules and Regulations visit gocamputah.com/rules
Click here for more info about the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest -For more information, please call Spanish Fork Ranger District at 801-798-3571 or Utah Recreation at 385-273-1100 -Visit our website gocamputah.com or Facebook facebook.com/letsgocamputah To reserve a campsite call Recreation.gov reservation line 1-877-444-6777
Don't Move Firewood: Help prevent the spread of tree-killing pests in our national forests by obtaining firewood within 10 miles of your destination and burning it on-site. For more information click here
Please note: Utah Recreation is not responsible for accident or injury to any person or property resulting from the use of this facility and is not responsible for the loss of money or valuables of any kind. The user of this permit assumes full and complete responsibility for the conduct and actions of all members in their party
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 16 · 1 tent-only, 3 group
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 99 ft
- Paved pads
- 10 of 16
- Accessible sites
- 6
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets · Portable Toilets
- “…up to 20 people . Group A has Porta Potties , all other sites vault toilets are provided. This…”
- Drinking water
- None, bring your own
- “…campground, come prepared. No water is available at this campground, water can be…”
Around the campground
- On the water
- Creek, Meadow
- Biking
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Picnicking
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · 388th darkest of 458 in UT
- Bortle 4
- Fall color · reported 5 days ago, 31 km away
- Peak color
Full this Saturdayread 14:46 UTC
How full the weekend is nationally.
OpenBooked
Watch for a cancellation
Watch this campground
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 13
What you actually pay
“Cash, Check, or Scan & Pay (with recreation.gov app) 1 tent only group site (C) - $103.00 , capacity - 50 people + 10 vehicle 2 group sites (A & B) - $143.00 , capacity - 75 People + 15 vehicle Day Use in a campground…” · the U.S. Forest Service’s own fee record
“Change and Cancellation Policies and Fees - Overnight and Day Use Facilities: To ensure fairness, reservation arrival or departure dates may not be changed beyond the booking window until 18 days after booking the reservation. - Camping / Day Use: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservat…” · this campground’s own no-show terms
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 7
recreation.gov availability, read 14:46 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
16 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 3 mapped sitesAll 16 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 3 of the 16 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 16 of the 16 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| BEAR CANYON | A | group standard nonelectric | 30 ft | yes | 217 ft | 248 ft | 150 ft | $127.43 |
| BEAR CANYON | B | group standard nonelectric | 30 ft | yes | 217 ft | 107 ft | 147 ft | $127.43 |
| BEAR CANYON | C | group tent only area nonelectric | 25 ft | yes | 236 ft | 146 ft | 203 ft | $91.78 |
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 001 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 002 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 003 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 004 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 005 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 006 | type not stated | 99 ft | yes | $91.78–$127.43 | |||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 1 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 2 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 3 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 4 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| MANAGEMENT SITES | 5 | type not stated | $91.78–$127.43 | |||||
| S&P | Group Standard | type not stated | 30 ft | yes | $91.78–$127.43 | |||
| S&P | Group Tent | type not stated | 25 ft | yes | $91.78–$127.43 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Ponderosa UintaUinta National Forest · 1.7 mi
Tinney FlatUinta National Forest · 7.8 mi
BlackhawkUinta National Forest · 9.1 mi
Payson Lakes Guard StationUinta National Forest · 11 mi
Payson LakesUinta National Forest · 11 miFrom I-15, take Nephi exit 225. Travel about 5 miles east on Highway 132 to the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway. Turn left onto the byway and travel 3.5 miles to the Bear Canyon turnoff. Turn left. Bear Canyon Campground is located at the end of the road, just past Ponderosa Campground.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Mona, UT
Typical weather
Typical October night 36°F, day 64°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 19°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it · a letter you can send
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Bear Canyon is in Utah’s 4th congressional district. Its representative, Burgess Owens (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →
Who can change it · 3
Two offices, two different asks. The draft to the agency asks it to set aside a published share of the sites here for whoever drives up. The draft to Congress asks why that share is zero and presses for a published minimum at the campgrounds it funds.
- The member who votes the moneyBurgess OwensU.S. Representative · Utah’s 4th district
No contact form we could verify, so that link is their own site. Contact is inside it. Washington office: 202-225-3011.
- Your senator, on the same appropriationJohn R. CurtisU.S. Senator · Utah
- Your senator, on the same appropriationMike LeeU.S. Senator · Utah
Read the draft, or change the wording
For the camper who turned up, or tried to book, and couldn’t get in. Every draft is written from this campground’s own record (its agency, its unit, its site count and its own weekend) and the buttons above copy whichever wording is selected here.
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Bear Canyon, Uinta National Forest, Utah
Dear Burgess Owens, I’m a constituent in Utah’s 4th district. I tried to camp at Bear Canyon, Uinta National Forest, Utah, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 3 of the 16 campsites the agency files at Bear Canyon, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 2 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Bear Canyon keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Bear Canyon. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Bear Canyon (Uinta National Forest, Utah) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Bear Canyon, Uinta National Forest, Utah
Dear John R. Curtis, I’m a constituent in Utah. I tried to camp at Bear Canyon, Uinta National Forest, Utah, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 3 of the 16 campsites the agency files at Bear Canyon, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 2 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Bear Canyon keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Bear Canyon. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Bear Canyon (Uinta National Forest, Utah) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Bear Canyon, Uinta National Forest, Utah
Dear Mike Lee, I’m a constituent in Utah. I tried to camp at Bear Canyon, Uinta National Forest, Utah, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 3 of the 16 campsites the agency files at Bear Canyon, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 2 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Bear Canyon keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Bear Canyon. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Bear Canyon (Uinta National Forest, Utah) via campanac.com