U.S. Forest Service · Wasatch National Forest · UT

Butterfly Campground

ReservableOut of season, no booking; November 29 opens May 29.
Book on recreation.govWe make nothing when you book
Right now
Listed not openA database flag with no reason and no date
A night
$23.23From, per site
Sites
2120 on recreation.gov
10,320 ftElevation
328 ftWater · Butterfly Lake
19.7 miE of Oakley, UT
0%Tree cover
Bortle 3Night sky · 293rd darkest of 458 in UT

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there · 14 notices

In the agency’s own words

Butterfly Campground is located just off the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway on the shores of its beautiful namesake lake at an elevation of 10,300 feet. The byway cuts through the Uinta Mountains, which are known for their abundant recreational opportunities and scenic beauty. Keep reading

Recreation

This campground offers access to Butterfly Lake with great canoeing, kayaking, fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities.The lake is open only to non-motorized watercraft. Many hiking, backpacking, biking, horse and off-road vehicle trails crisscross this beautiful region.

Facilities

Butterfly Campground is a beautiful high elevation campground with 20 single campsites. Vault restrooms are available at this facility.

Natural Features

Butterfly Campground is situated adjacent to Butterfly Lake with pristine clear waters it’s a sight to be seen. The campground lies among a forest of white fir trees, which provides partial shade. Colorful summer wildflowers dot the landscape. Summer temperatures range from 65-75 degrees during the day to 40-50 degrees at night. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (385) 273-1100.

Nearby Attractions

Mirror Lake Scenic Byway parallels the Lower Provo River as it snakes across a portion of the Uinta Mountains, leading to numerous high alpine lakes and streams, countless trails, breathtaking scenic viewpoints and various campgrounds. Fishing, canoeing, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding and biking are popular activities. The High Uintas Wilderness can be accessed from several trails along the byway.

Charges & Cancellations

Reservation Cancellations & Changes Cancelling a Reservation: Customers may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Depending on when you cancel in relation to your arrival day, it may be considered a late cancellation (see below). Changing an Existing Reservation: When changes are made prior to the cut-off window: If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. There is no change fee if a customer extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. If they choose to depart early, they may forfeit the recreation fee for the day of departure. There is no change fee if the customer wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility. If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date. Late Cancellations or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window Individual Campsites: A customer who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Cabins / Lookouts: Customers who cancel a cabin or lookout reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. Group Facility (including Cabins and Lookouts): Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee. Group Day Use Area: Customers who cancel a group day-use facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will forfeit the total day-use fee. Changes or Cancellations within the Cut-off Window: Once a reservation date has begun, customers cannot change a reservation using the online system or through the Call Center (see below for early departures). If the location is staffed, on-site personnel may or may not be able to assist with changes or cancellations (check with local staff). No-Shows Overnight and Day-Use Facilities: A 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 (or for day-use facilities, by check-in time the day of arrival). Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date and will hold group day-use facilities until check-in time on the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night’s recreation fee for a campsite or forfeit the entire day-use fee for a day-use facility. Early Departures If a customer departs prior to the scheduled check-out date, they may be eligible for a partial refund. Please notify staff at the facility if you depart early to allow others to use the site. Customers may notify the call center to request a refund of remaining unused nights. If a customer requests a refund for an early departure after the facility check-out time has passed, the customer will not be refunded for that night and is eligible for a refund on any additional nights that will not be used. Interagency Pass Discounts The following are the only Interagency Passes that provide a discount on camping reservations and some tickets: Senior Annual Pass Senior Lifetime Pass Access Pass Golden Age Pass Golden Access Pass Eligible pass discounts only apply to individual campsites and may apply to a ticket for the pass holder. Interagency Pass discounts do not apply to group reservations, cabins, shelters, and multi-use sites (doubles, triples, etc.). Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount. The holder of the pass must occupy the site for which the discount is applied. The pass can only be used for one site during a time period. Refunds Customers may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Customers may also initiate a refund request through the call center at any time after their reservation has ended. Fees: Applicable fees, such as reservation fees, service/cancellation fees, lottery application fees, and change fees, are non-refundable. Debit or Credit Card Purchases: Refunds for debit or credit card payments made after October 1, 2018 will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. In the event that a customer has cancelled this card, they will need to contact their card company to have the funds released. We cannot issue refunds to any card other than the one used to pay. If a customer paid with a debit or credit card prior to October 1, 2018 their refund will be issued in the form of a Treasury check. Check or Cash Purchases: Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. You may update the address at the time you request the refund. It may take up to 6-8 weeks for the Treasury check to arrive. Please make sure your address is up to date in your customer profile. Emergency Closures: In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within your Recreation.gov customer profile. Reservation fees for free tickets are non-refundable in the event of an emergency closure. Recreation.gov Billing Information Reservation transactions will appear on customer's credit card statements as "Recreation.gov 877-444-6777 NM" Changes to Policies and Procedures Recreation.gov reserves the right, when necessary, to modify reservation policies. These policies were last updated September 2019.

What the agency tells you

Rule

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

Rule

No water available on site; bring all of the water you will need for your stay including drinking water This is a 'pack it in, pack it out' facility; bring trash bags

Rule

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 · 11
Rule

Campground Etiquette and Rules 7 day stay limit Gates open at 7am, Gates close at 10pm Quiet Hours are 10pm to 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 garbage 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

Rule

There is a 2-night minimum stay on weekends; 3-night minimum stay on holiday weekends

Rule

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

Rule

First Come First Served (FF) sites You must claim a FF site in person on the day you wish to check-in A site listed as FF does not guarantee availability, Recreation.gov does not update FF occupancy The only way to know if an FF site is available is to arrive at the campground on the day you plan to check-in Availability cannot be predicted Many sites are in remote locations, we cannot contact camp hosts about availability Recommended arrival times vary by day. Weekends and holidays typically fill more quickly To claim an FF site, you must be present, occupy the site, and pay at that time There is no waiting list for FF sites

Rule

Extra Vehicle -$10 per vehicle, per day (paid on-site cash/check) Firewood -$9

Rule

Only Senior or Access passes qualify for discounts and proof of ownership upon arrival is required. If you booked at a discount without a Senior or Access pass, you'll need to pay the difference

Rule

Please understand that camping is an outdoor experience; we do not give refunds for weather or natural conditions Cancellations within 24 hours prior to arrival date will forfeit the entire use fee. Group Site Cancellations within 14 days will forfeit entire use fee No-shows, early departures, or cancellations after the arrival date are not entitled to a refund Failure to arrive at the campsite by 12pm the day after scheduled arrival and does not cancel the reservation, will forfeit site and first-night use fee

Rule

For more information on visiting Bear Country visit wildawareutah.org  wildlife.utah.gov  For campground Rules and Regulations visit gocamputah.com/rules

Rule

Click here for more info about the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest For more information, please call Evanston/Mtn View District at 307-789-3194 or Utah Recreation at 385-273-1100 Visit our website gocamputah.com or Facebook facebook.com/letsgocamputah

Rule

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

Rule

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

Read them on the agency’s own page →

Tents and rigs

Sites
21
Hookups
None
Accessible sites
None listed
Pets
Allowed
Campfires
Allowed, barring fire bans
Source: Recreation.gov campsite records · Aug 23, 2026

Facilities

Toilets
Vault Toilets
“…campground with 20 single campsites. Vault restrooms are available at this facility. Natural Features…”

Around the campground

On the water
Lake, River, Creek
Backpacking
Canoeing
Fishing
Hiking
Horseback riding
Kayaking
Mountain biking
Non-Motorized Boating
Wildlife viewing
Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026

No reading yet, book on recreation.gov

recreation.gov lists 20 of the 21 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.

No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.

Booking windowOut of seasonOut of season, no booking. On November 29, 2026 at 10 AM ET, availability opens through May 29, 2027.recreation.govAdd to calendar (.ics)
Max stay7 nightsthe facility record
A night$23.23plus $8 to reserve, once per bookingthe agency’s rate schedule
A weekend$54.46DerivedFriday and Saturday, everything includedours, from the lines above
If plans change$10 to cancel$10 to change a reservation; this campground publishes its own terms toorecreation.gov’s schedule
Runs itU.S. Forest ServiceBooked through recreation.govthe agency’s record
Watch for a cancellation

Full? Watch it.

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.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
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’ll write once, when the season that starts Sat, May 29 2027 is open for booking.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Book on recreation.gov

We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.

Every line of the receipt · 13

What you actually pay

The sign priceU.S. Forest Service
A night$23.23
Standard Nonelectric$23.23
These are next season’s rates, May 29, 2027 to Sep 13, 2027. The campground is between seasons now.
The booking feerecreation.gov
Reservation fee, booked online$8
One fee per reservation, however many nights you book, and it’s non-refundable. $9 if you book by phone, $3 in person.
Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount.
What this campground addsits own record
Extra vehicleSee the note

“Cash, Check, or Scan & Pay (with recreation.gov app) 20 single sites - $26.00, Capacity - 8 people + 1 vehicle Day use - $15.00 Extra vehicle - $10.00 per vehicle Trailhead parking - $5.00 per vehicle” · the U.S. Forest Service’s own fee record

What a stay costs
One nightDerived$31.23
A weekend, Friday and SaturdayDerived$54.46

Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $23.23 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.

If your plans changerecreation.gov
Change fee, moving to dates outside your booking$10
Cancellation fee$10
Cancelling the day before, or the day of$10 + your first night
No-show$20 + your first night

“A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. Changing an Existing Reservation: When changes are made prior to the cut-off window: If a customer wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee.” · 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

rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Oct 1, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

The sites

21 sites

All 21 sites

SleepsTakes aUp to

The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 21 of the 21 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.

BUTTR1standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR10standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR11standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR12standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR13standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR14standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR15standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR16standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR17standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR18standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR19standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR2standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR20standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR3standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR4standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR5standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR6standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR7standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR8standard nonelectric$23.23
BUTTR9standard nonelectric$23.23
S&PSingle S&Ptype not stated$23.23

Getting there

the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Coordinate40.72065, -110.86700
The phone385-273-1100
The agency’s pageOfficial page ↗

Where it is

Getting there

In Kamas, UT, at the intersection of State Rt. 32 (Main St.) and State Rt. 150 (Center St.), take Rt. 150 (Mirror Lake Scenic Byway) east 34.6 miles to the campground sign. Turn left at the sign into the campground.

The weather

the next four days

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

This Afternoon47°Sunny
Tonight29°Mostly Clear
Saturday50°Sunny
Saturday Night28°Mostly Clear

NWS forecast for Samak, UT

The land, and who answers for it

what threatens it · who answers for it

Roadless country, and what’s coming for it

Roadless
Lakes121,967 acres · 8 mi · inventoried roadless area

You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.

Who answers for this land

Mike Kennedy, official portrait

Butterfly Campground is in Utah’s 3rd congressional district. Its representative, Mike Kennedy (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from
Right now: U.S. Forest Service’s own recreation database flags it not open and publishes no reason and no date. That’s a flag, not a notice: the number below is the only way to be sure.
Cell signal: the Forest Service’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.
Nearest place of any size: Samak, UT, 19.5 mi ENE (a census designated place). Straight line.