Bureau of Land Management · San Juan River Area of Critical Environmental Concern · UT

Sand Island Recreation Area

An aerial view of the San Juan River line with green cottonwood trees and the Sand Island boat launch area.

Photo · Bob Wick/BLM

Not publishedStatus

ReservableAccess

23Sites

The place

Sand Island Recreation Area is a good camping option for visitors launching San Juan River float trips , or wishing to camp close to the town of Bluff or the Cedar Mesa area of Bears Ears National Monument. The campground provides 21 campsites that each feature a tent/trailer space, a picnic table, a fire ring, and vault toilets. Drinking water is available seasonally (typically March through October). Each campsite can hold 8 people and 2 vehicles. Reservations are not available for camping at this location. Keep reading

Individual campsites are available on a first come, first served basis upon arrival at the self-register kiosk at the site. The Sand Island Group Sites are available for larger groups, and may be reserved here . Recreation Sand Island is the primary launch point for multi-day San Juan River float trips. San Juan River trips provide boaters with access to spectacular canyons rich in scenery, geology, archeology, history and wildlife. A river permit is required in advance. The Sand Island Petroglyph Panel site is located on the sandstone walls on the north side of the recreation area. There are many nearby hiking and scenic driving opportuites in the Cedar Mesa area of Bears Ears National Monument. Natural Features Sand Island is located along the San Juan River. Cottonwood trees line the banks of the river and are scattered throughout the campground, providing shade at many of the sites. The north side of the campground is lined with red sandstone walls. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (435) 587-1500. Nearby Attractions Bears Ears National Monument San Juan River Cedar Mesa Valley of the Gods Goosenecks State Park Charges & Cancellations No refunds are available.

SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23

The sites · 23

Loop	Site	Type	Max rig	Electric
Loop B	23	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	1	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	10	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	11	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	12	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	13	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	14	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	15	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	16	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	17	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	18	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	19	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	2	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	2	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	20	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	21	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	3	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	4	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	5	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	6	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	7	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	8	standard nonelectric	—	N/A
	9	standard nonelectric	—	N/A

SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23

Booking

183 daysBooking window before arrival

Recreation.gov default: most campsites can be booked six months prior to arrival date. Most campgrounds go on sale at 7am PT / 8am MT / 10am ET, but not always; check the facility Seasons and Fees tab. Some locations also offer shorter supplemental booking windows.

Book on recreation.gov

SRC · Rules verified against recreation.gov · 2026-08-24

Fees

The campground at Sand Island Recreation Area is first come, first served and payment must be made upon arrival at the self-register kiosk at the campground using cash, check, or the Scan & Pay feature on the Recreation.gov mobile app. You must have the Recreation.gov app installed on your mobile device to use the Scan & Pay payment method. There is no fee for day use.

SRC · Recreation.gov RIDB full extract · 2026-08-23

Your representative

This campground sits in UT-03. This member’s public-lands record →

SRC · U.S. Census TIGER · MTJP Scorecard