Cottonwood Campground - SLRD
- Right now
- Listed not openA database flag with no reason and no date
- A night
- $19.79–$34.18Across the site types the agency prices
- Sites
- 41 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 14 notices
In the agency’s own words
Cottonwood Campground is located southwest of Grantsville, Utah, in South Willow Canyon at an elevation of 6,080 feet. It’s located in the Stansbury Range where visitors enjoy exploring local trails. Keep reading
Recreation
The multi-use Stansbury Front Trail and Medina Flat Trail begin across the road from the entrance, offering access to the rugged Deseret Peak Wilderness. Willow Creek offers rainbow and brown trout fishing.
Facilities
This campground has 1 single site and 1 double site. This campground has vault restroom facilities. There is no water system in this campground you will need to bring your own. This is a primitive campground.
Natural Features
The remote desert canyon is forested with oak, maple and juniper trees, which offer partial shade. Willow Creek flows through the site.
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
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 site and/or imprisonment Remember, a fed bear is a dead bear
There is no water available on site; bring all of the water needed for your stay including drinking water This is a 'pack it in, pack it out' facility; bring trash bags
Dogs or Domestic Pets Owners must -Control dogs by a leash not to exceed six feet (6’) at all times -Clean up dog feces immediately -Limit two dogs per site 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
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 sites 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, if provided, or properly stored in your vehicle or bear box -Remove all personal property and trash when leaving -Unclean sites will be reported to the District Ranger LEO -Leaving food/trash in an unoccupied site may result in a $5,000 fine Cleaning animals or bathing where drinking water is supplied is strictly prohibited Fireworks, discharging of firearms, or other explosives in the campground is not allowed No boisterous behavior. Be courteous. Keep noise at a reasonable level No amplified music is allowed in USDA Forest Service campgrounds and facilities 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
First Come First Served (FF) sites For reservable sites, reservations must be made at least 5 days in advance FF site must be claimed 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 in real time 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
Extra Vehicle -$10 per vehicle, per day (paid on-site cash/check) Firewood -$9
If you booked at a discount without a Senior/Access pass, you'll need to pay the difference in cash/check upon arrival. Only Senior/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 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
For more info on visiting Bear Country visit wildawareutah.org wildlife.utah.gov For campground Rules and Regulations visit gocamputah.com/rules
Click herefor more info about the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest For more info, please call Salt Lake Ranger District at 801-733-2660 opt 3 or Utah Recreation at 385-273-1100 Visit our website gocamputah.comor Facebook facebook.com/letsgocamputah To reserve a site 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 info visit 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
- 4
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
Facilities
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets
- “…and 1 double site. This campground has vault restroom facilities. There is no water system in this…”
- Drinking water
- None, bring your own
- “…has vault restroom facilities. There is no water system in this campground you will need to bring…”
Around the campground
- On the water
- Creek
- Fishing
- Hiking
No reading yet, book on recreation.gov
recreation.gov lists 1 of the 4 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.
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.
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 · 14
What you actually pay
“Cash, Check, or Scan & Pay 1 Single Sites - $22.00 - 8 people + 1 vehicle 1 Double Site - $38.00 - 16 people + 2 vehicles Day Use - $15.00 Extra Vehicle - $10.00 per vehicle (paid on-site cash/check) Firewood - $9.00…” · the U.S. Forest Service’s own fee record
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $19.79–$34.18 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.
“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
The sites
5 records · the site map
All 5 records
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 2 of the 5 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. 4 of the 5 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| COTTON | 1 | standard nonelectric | 56 ft | 280 ft | $19.79–$34.18 |
| COTTON | 2 | type not stated | 39 ft | 136 ft | $19.61–$33.88 |
| COTTON | xxx3 | unnamed record | $19.61–$33.88 | ||
| S&P | Double S&P | type not stated | $19.61–$33.88 | ||
| S&P | Single S&P | type not stated | $19.61–$33.88 |
The agency files 1 more record here that isn’t a site for the night. It types it MANAGEMENT rather than a campsite. It’s in the table above, marked for what it is, and it isn’t counted as a site.
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Boy ScoutWasatch National Forest · 1.2 mi
Upper NarrowsWasatch National Forest · 1.8 mi
Lower Narrows CampgroundWasatch National Forest · 1.8 mi
Loop Campground (UT)Wasatch National Forest · 2.5 mi
Clover Springs CampgroundSalt Lake Field Office · 11 miThis campground is located 0.7 miles up South Willow Canyon from the Forest boundary. This is a gravel road.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Grantsville, UT
Typical weather
Typical October night 38°F, day 62°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December 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
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
Cottonwood Campground - SLRD is in Utah’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Celeste Maloy (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →