Location location location! It's so beautiful and peaceful at this campground. It sets you up perfectly for quick access to the needles zone of canyonlands. The owners are kind, helpful and friendly. Thanks so much for being able to squeeze us in and host us for a night!! read more

Great camping, peaceful and quiet. Pet friendly with amazing vistas and out of this world stars and Milky Way views. Amber and Caleb are awesome hosts, and knowledgeable of the area be it 4 wheeling or hiking. read more

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If I ever go back to Canyonlands I will DEFINITELY be coming back to this campsite! The host Amber is so sweet and will go out of her way to make sure that you have everything you need. The campsites are very spread out so you were able to have your own space and privacy. I highly recommend camping here! read more

I stayed here in 2017 and didn't like it at all. The plumbing was horrible. I knew it was new owners so gave them lots of grace. I booked a site for this month, for 3 nights. Our friends arrived the day before us. They were having plumbing issues again! My friends were in the office to see if it would be fixed before we arrived. I need plumbing due to a medical condition, otherwise we would have stayed in the park. While he was in the lobby the plumber showed up from Moab. They didn't have the right equipment with him so had to return to Moab. That is 1 1/2 hours away. There was no guarantee it would be fixed. So we cancelled. The person I have talked to, Caleb, has been very dismissive about the plumbing. He lied and said it was fixed by them in an hour. This is flat out not true. The owners won't reimburse me my $113. Says there is a 14 day cancellation policy. Hat a money grab. They are right outside of the park and it was the eclipse week. Surely they rebooked our site. I understand keeping one nights stay, but all three???? Avoid this place. It is primitive at best. Boondocking is better. read more

This was an awesome location. Friendly staff and a perfect location just outside of the NP. Needles was awesome and the camping was excellent. read more

NOTE: this is for the Needles Outpost Diner only. I was famished from days of hiking, and stopped in to the Needles Outpost expecting just something to sustain me through the night. To my great surprise, I had some really amazingly good chicken fajitas, which was a welcome sight in a barren land of rocks and sand. It was great that they are there to provide a little flavor to the otherwise desolate near-wasteland that is Canyonland's Needles District. I highly recommend a stop there on your way in or out of the Needles District. read more

What a beautiful place. loved the fact that's its quiet time after 9:00 pm. We're a family that gets up early and goes all day, so by 9:00 -9:30 pm we're ready for lights out. Bathrooms / Showers were ok. not the cleanest but far from filthy. can't say enough about the views and the kids love hiking around the camp, so while were cooking dinner their exploring the land. Caleb and Ashley were super nice and when we emailed them they responded immediately. read more

Stayed at Needles Outpost on 3/14/24. The campground is really neat backing up to rock formations that our kids absolutely loved playing on. The reason for the lower rating is because absolutely no one was available at the campground when we were there. I should also say that we booked this well in advance, back in November of 2023. We planned on utilizing firewood purchased from the store, but had no one to purchase from. I believe I saw a sign somewhere that stated that their season started on 3/15, however none of the communications with me prior to our arrival stated anything of the sort. Fortunately we were able to make it work, however I was disappointed in no communication around the fact that there would be no services prior to our arrival. There was only one other person in the campground as well, so considered it a big safety issue in a place that I received no cell service. For these reasons, I would be unlikely to book here again if we were in the area. read more

The new ownership seems to working hard to update the campground as a hub for people in the area. Good campgrounds, they pack as much as they can into the area they have wedged up against the National Park. If they expanded south of the outpost it would clash with the scenery so I like what they have and they make the most of it. They're busy remodeling the bathrooms which were in terrible dire need of it. I'm not sure how long it will take or what the result will be, I'm surprised they didn't just raze the old bathrooms and start again but I understand the finances of it all is probably pretty tight. The new owners are very helpful. I rolled up late after they had closed and was looking over the message board to see if they had left me instructions on what campsite was mine and they opened the door and invited me in to check in as normal (I believe they live onsite so they're very hands on). They said I could have my choice of any site that was open and they'd follow up in the morning to make sure the site is officially checked in. Some basic foods and supplies are available at the outpost as is gas. Considering the distance to Monticello it's great to have some stuff close to cover anything you forgot but you are going to be paying a bit more. But that means even people staying at the official Canyonlands NPS Campground can head over to the outpost for gear or if they want to pay to use the showers for a mid-camping refresher that doesn't involve lots of baby wipes. They only recommendation I'd have for the place is to fix up the bathrooms (already in progress), and maybe an wood enclosure with a couple porta-johns on the far side of the campground so you they don't have to walk so far. read more

We enjoyed our one-night stay at Needles Outpost. The owners were very helpful with plenty of tips and the campsite itself was awesome: plenty of space between sites, and sported an incredible view of the sunset. Others have mentioned the bathroom issues, which weren't great, but meh - it's a campground, in the desert, water is a limited resource out there. They could be better maintained though, it's the only thing keeping it from being a 5-star spot. Would definitely stay again and recommend it to anyone down for camp vibes and visiting The Needles. read more

First the pluses: They *have* showers, gasoline, ice, and WiFi internet access, things which the nearby national park does not have, far from civilization where such amenities are hard to get. Campsites are large, many with room for trailers. The owners are super friendly and helpful. But it is important to have reasonable expectations. Gas is really pricey due to the distance. The men's bathroom is operable, but not in great shape, and had only 1 functioning shower. read more

Needles Outpost - Campgrounds Near Me - Monticello, Utah

Hands down one of our favorite camp spots. Amber and Caleb are the best and offer what they can to make everyone a happy camper. We honestly prefer this location over the campground at the park. Plus showers and late afternoon ice cream is always a good idea! We will be back for our next Canyonlands trip for sure! read more

Amber and Kaleb are great hosts. The campsites are large, and the view is gorgeous. Great spots on top of the red rocks to watch the sun set. And being so close to the park entrance was ideal. One of the showers was out of order the last day we were there, but they are working on upgrading the bathrooms. Will stay again. read more

Needles Outpost - Our campsite for the week. - Campgrounds Near Me - Monticello, Utah

It is difficult to review anything camping related with anything less than five stars, but since this is a private business, I thought it may be helpful. We camped the night before in Canyonlands. If you are lucky enough to get a spot in the campground it is well worth it at a great price. Of course, you have water stations but no showers. We decided to book a tipi at Needles for a night for showers and running water. We arrived early and checked into our tipi and we were Super impressed. They are huge and can easily sleep a family or a large group. Be aware though. This is an open space and is windy. We went hiking for the day and called on the way back to inquire about the showers, since we forgot at check in. We were told that you had to receive a token and the office closed at 6. I thought management would have offered to leave the tokens at the site and pay in the morning, but they did not. We used the sinks in the bathroom at night and the bathrooms were pretty dingy. No soap or papertowels and hair everywhere. We returned when the office reopened in the morning at 9am, and by 9:30, no one was there, so we left and showered at a gas station. Point is, spend 20 dollars at a campground or pay 80 dollars at the private place for the same amenities. It should not be such a hassle to use the facilities! read more

While climbing and camping out at Indian Creek for a few weeks, I decided to check out the Needles Outpost because of a glowing recommendation from the writers of the Indian Creek guidebook - the guidebook painted a picture of a charming mom-and-pop couple with a hospitable little shop in the middle of the desert. When I pulled up to the outpost around 7:00, it was closed. The two cars in my party parked for a moment to convene, then my two friends drove up to check out the store hours on the front door. Suddenly, I heard a woman: "WHAT THE HE** DO YOU WANT, ***HOLES?" Woah. The owner of the outpost came bursting out of the shop, shaking her fist, threatening my friends, and demanding that we leave her property. She cursed up a storm and berated us in a manner I have never experienced from a stranger before. We didn't even manage to get in a single word during the entire exchange. And all 'cause we decided to drive up the road to pick up an onion and some beer. We will NOT be returning, nor will we ever recommend a fellow climber to give that woman business. That is absolutely no way to treat someone who drove 30 minutes to give you some patronage. read more

You're out in the middle of nowhere, prices aren't that bad. $8 for a huge, delicious deli sandwich including chips and salsa. Cold beer. COLD BEER. Bring cash, and lots of it. read more

Even though we read about problems with inappropriate and unprofessional behavior from the previous owners, we decided to give this place a try. Well, as the song goes: "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss." Here's what happened. It had rained that day during our stay at the campground, and much to my surprise about 50 feet of the sandy road leading to a few campsites, including ours, was flooded in about a foot of water. We had become acquainted with the couple camping next to us and one of them approached us at the end of the day to ask if it was difficult getting through the water to our campsite. We told him it was a little slippery but not too bad. He then decided to take his vehicle through the water and made it to his campsite. That evening, just before it started to get dark, I heard a loud dune buggy type vehicle and saw it drive very fast through the water and up to the campsite next to us The man driving the vehicle, one of the owners, then got off and walked up to the campers and said that his wife in the office told him that they were "disgruntled" and asked if that is true. The man responded that everything was okay now, but he was disappointed when he asked for some advice at the office as to whether or not he would be able to get his car through the flooded road leading to his campsite and was told "you could give it a try." All of a sudden the owner walked up right in the man's face and started shouting that the couple has to leave immediately "if you know what's good for you." The owner was clearly upset and agitated and when the couple protested that they have not done anything wrong, the owner continued yelling that he is the owner and can kick anyone out of his campground for any reason. It seemed to me from this owner's body language, words and tone that he was threatening the use of force if the couple chose to remain. Well, to make a longer story short, the campers packed up and left within about 45 minutes or so. I felt really sorry for them for having been treated that way and now having to go find and set up a campsite in another campground in the dark . I did not sleep well at all that night as I found the owner's behavior very frightening. We decided to leave early the next morning. read more

Lucky for us we found the Needles Outpost Campground a few weeks before our trip and reserved it immediately, as the National Park is booked well in advance. We spent the night here and would have stayed two nights except we had to make it to Moab to run the river. It was very nice with, fire pits, picnic table, sandy tent areas, bathrooms & showers, and store. They even have Tipis to rent/stay in at the campground. We did not eat at the cafe. Campground is in quiet, well kept and a perfect location with views of the park. We awoke to the most spectacular sunrise with a double rainbow over the park and a nearby butte. Ill attach an image of the sunrise as my photo, but most people know that phone cameras never do justice to the actual view. We will come back again and recommend this convenient alternative to anyone traveling to Canyonlands, especially the needles district. read more

We camped among sweet scented desert primoses and the view was awesome. the night before we camped in a blm site on the other end of the park where you can hear oil rig trucks all night. Thanks NPS for ruining that one. This place is not next to drilling land where you can hear it anyway. 20$ per night for our car, bathrooms were very clean. Showers are short but work, you're in a desert water is sparse. I chatted with the owner I see some others have had less than fun times according to their reviews here. Must be my awesome aura she liked or something. She asked if me and my girlfriend were having man problems---- 99 problems but that aint one sista. read more

Staff/owners were friendly. Campsites were nice. The bathrooms were in so-so shape. Based reviews mentioning the bathrooms from over a year ago, the owners do not have a great sense of urgency in completing the maintenance on them. Office hours were short and we were not informed of the tokens needed for a shower. Bummer. Miss having the grill that previous owners ran. read more

The background view in this campground is spectacular. Very quiet two night stay and nice to have access to a shower. Thank you.

Caleb insulted us, telling us to "go elsewhere" while we were trying to make a reservation. They use the "Off-the-grid" as an excuse to not respond to customers. In the age of satellite internet, there is no reason a business can't respond to emails or phone within a few days. read more

I am glad that I was not able to reserve a campsite at the campground inside the park. Needles outpost is a convenient location for hiking and exploration of the Needles district. Sites are large and private. I had a spectacular view of sunset over The Needles. Showers are a plus. You must bring your own potable water. They haul water from the Canyonlands Visitor Center! The campground seems like a labor of love from the owners. read more

This campground, just outside the park, is the place to camp! It is scenic, clean, and has great campsites. The prices are reasonable.

We stayed here two nights while visiting The Needles section of Canyonlands NP. The campground is gorgeous (we'd recommend site 4 for amazing views). We thought this campground was much more beautiful, private, and spacious than the one in the NP. The staff at the store are helpful and friendly and work super hard to make their campers happy. Considering EVERYTHING has to be trucked all the way out to the desert (including the water for that hot shower you take), we should all be SOOO grateful that this place exists. There's nothing else out in the Needles section that's closer than an hour drive away. the store is well-stocked with snacks and drinks, and also handmade ceramics and knitted hats that one of the owners crafts herself. I'd give the place five stars if it weren't for some moderate (and needed) renovation going on in the bathrooms that had some of the toilets and showers shut down. The cafe was also closed due to some major plumbing upgrades. Overall though, very great place, I'd very highly recommend! read more

Needles Outpost - Campgrounds Near Me - Monticello, Utah

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This place is great and a great location as an alternative for the national park. Bathroom an shower are in need of upgrade which is in the plans of the new owners. I would give it a higher mark except for the needed upgrades. New owners are friendly and helpful. Highly recommend. read more

Great place. We are on a two week road trip from Seattle area-2 adults, 3 kids and a dog in a minivan. We camped for two days at a private campground outside of Moab--tiny space (barely enough to fit our tent) with a view of some construction equipment 20 feet from our door. We made a reservation at Needles Outpost, thinking we would stay a night and then head into the park. Instead we at stayed four days. Nice, big camp sites (ours was right up against a rock face). Amazing views. Rock climbing right there. After a few days exploring parks in the area we had a day at the Outpost--my kids were happy to just explore the entire day. Showers are good, shop is there for some emergency supplies (and very reasonable prices for being the only store within 30 or 40 miles). And they people who run it were really nice. As we left, my sons asked when we could come back. read more

TRAVELER BEWARE: DO NOT IGNORE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS!!! This place was horrible! This campground is right on the edge of Canyonlands National Park. We had planned on stopping here for a couple of nights during our trip through Utah and Arizona this summer. The reviews on Yelp and Trip Adviser were so-so. Many negative reviews and a few oddly positive. In the spirit of adventure, we ignored the negative reviews and decided that we would try to stay here anyway. We figured if it was bad, we'd be gone during the day exploring and it wouldn't matter. Who stays in the campground all day anyway? Especially when its 105 outside. This campground was the worst experience camping I have ever had. I have been to some bad campgrounds, but I have never felt unsafe at a campground until coming here. The grounds themselves looked empty aside from a lone gas pump priced at 7 dollars per gallon. Not too bad, we don't need gas anyway I thought. Then we quickly discovered the source of all of the negative reviews. The camp hostess was off her rocker, and that's putting it nicely. She yelled at us as soon as we stepped through the door to close the door or she would not speak to us. Then she ushered us away from the seating area where a couple of people were discussing something in an odd manner and out of the building to talk with us. Her mannerisms were similar to that of someone who is on something and by something I mean drugs. I come from a city well known for its drug problem (unfortunately) and I know it when I see it. She was very agitated when she spoke to us, using profanities, jumping around and swinging her body about in a manner only befitting a caveman. In an attempt to save face and get the heck out of there, we asked her if she had a pay phone available for use, as ours were out of cellular range and we needed to contact the other half of our party. She did not. She also became visibly alarmed when she noticed the rather large camera that my friend, who happens to be a photographer was carrying with him. Yelling at him that that wasn't a phone. We excused ourselves from her as quickly as possible as she was muttering incoherently behind us, got into our car and bolted out of there. Never have I experienced someone so obtrusive in a position like this. Location aside (this place is literally in the middle of nowhere), this place simply does not feel safe. Never will I return. Traveling here is not for the faint of heart. Ignore my warning if you must, but do not bring children along. read more

Great place chock full of everything you forgot to bring - and then some. Great prices, great owners. Have a coffee milkshake while you're there! read more

I brought up a relatively new credit card service because the woman working the counter said they only took cash. She began screaming at me and chased me out of the store. If you need to go there for food or propane, do not establish eye contact or initiate a conversation. You may consider playing dead if necessary. Good luck. read more

Note: this was May 2013, but after revisiting this experience, I wanted to ensure the word got out for others' planning purposes and safety. Long story short, when I went in to pay for camping and firewood, I had a (hopefully) once in a lifetime incident. Immediately upon entering the building and stating that I needed to pay, the proprietor attempted to grab all my money from my hand (I needed change). I did not let go and she proceed to curse at me and then backhanded me across the face. Yes-she actually hit me! She then followed us and tried to enter our truck; I need to throw money away from the vehicle so we could get out of the situation. Police and the rangers strongly encouraged and wanted me to file assault charges (a man had done so two weeks prior for a similar incident). Apparently, they need a paper trail for her escalating behavior and suspect drug use is involved. I chose not to file the charge. Overall, I would love if reading this encourages you to stay elsewhere. There are some beautiful options on forest service or BLM land if you can't get into a spot in the park. If you do choose to stay here, I would strongly recommend coming after hours and leaving before, just pay through the slot on the door to avoid any engagement with the people who run it. If something does occur-don't let it ruin your trip as we still had a blast in Canyonlands! read more

Thank goodness for Needles Outpost! $6 showers and worth every penny! Great to fill up on hiking snacks, beverages, and gas. New owners are exceptionally nice and are very interested in finding out if customers want or need anything that they can stock for them! read more

The outpost provides the only services for miles and miles around, so we did appreciate the fact that it's up and running. We stayed in site 23, which has two lovely trees for shade. From the looks of the rest of the sites, that's a rare commodity and may be desirable during the hot months of the year. We visited during the off season and only two other sites were occupied. The staff we encountered was snarky. Maybe it was just an off day. Whatever the case, the bathrooms were reasonably clean and the showers were hot: luxuries in this remote area. The mere existence of the showers is the cause for 2 of the 3 stars above. The other star is a nod to the beautiful setting and the proximity to the Needles entrance of Canyonlands. Side note: the owner responded to a question I posted on Trip Advisor. He shared the updated website: http://www.needlesoutpost.com. read more

Well worth it to book in advance! It was the only place nearby to take reservations and the campground was fine. Great sunset views and dark night skies. $6 showers are amazing when camping/hiking for multiple days. They have a small shop to get some essentials as well. I forgot forks and spoons and they had them readily available for me. It is a quick drive to the park--so very easy and close access. I'd definitely recommend during the busy season because you can book the campsites in advance with an easy online system. read more

The view from the campsite was lovely. The water in the showers was hot. And I appreciated the location, the ability to make reservations, and low-cost price. Otherwise, I was disappointed. I was in a small tent, and the campsite was not very flat. My neighbors were rather noisy; compared to my site at the Outpost, there was definitely more privacy between sites at the nearby BLM Hamburger Rocks campground. The campsites could benefit from some gravel as was at the campsites in the national park. It was very windy in the afternoon and evening, and I woke up covered in sand, with probably a 1/8th cup of sand inside my meshy tent. The campground road and campsite parking was all red dirt; I'm not sure what it's like when it's wet. The showers needed some cleaning or maybe just updating. A rubber mat would have been a nice addition so one could step out of the shower without having to step on the dirty floor. And I didn't realize that, as a camper, I'd need to pay $3 for the 5 min. shower. Nor did I realize that there would be no drinking water at the campground. These two factors could have been fixed simply with more information on their website. I wish the new owners well and hope they can make some upgrades in the near future. It's certainly a fabulous location for camping. read more

We spent the night in a tent and had a great time. I texted early about wood and firepits, and got a response right away. Each site has a firepit and the campsites are clean and their is brush between the sites. The campsite we had was up against the rocks which was great when the monsoon rain hit. I would recommend the place to future visitors, the man who checked us in was very nice and super helpful, even when we arrived after hours. I didn't realize they had teepee's to stay in. That would have been really fun, too. read more

We utilized the fuel, convenience store, and showers. They could have easily taken advantage of us because they are the only place for miles, but the prices are really fair. The staff we dealt with were nice and friendly. The place was very well stocked. If you forgot it, they probably have it. read more

This place is right next to the needles entry in canyonlands. Awesome location! We desperately needed showers (after several nights in the backcountry) and we got them here! No showers at squaw campground so this place was a find. It's also a pretty and quiet location. No irritating camp neighbors (lots of spacing between sites). Folks at general store were friendly. We loved it here! Highly recommend. They take rezzos and you can use WiFi at needles visitor center to reserve spot. I recommend campsite 23. read more

This campground / store / gas station has now re-opened under new ownership. We were there in early May 2016. The whole site is not quite as attractive as the campgrounds within Canyonlands National Park but it is still very pretty, it is quiet, and there is sufficient space between the sites. There are several reasons to pick this campground over the Park ones : - hot showers (fairly clean) - store (decent Selection) - reservations possible Note that the campground access road is just within the Park. I recommend to support this place as it provides essential services. Without the store, food is 90 mind away. read more

Our camping group stayed at Needles Outpost September 1-5 2014, and it was an oasis in the middle of the desert! Showers, clean facilities, nice basic campsites (with firepits), fuel, great burgers and hot dogs, campstore, and best of all, gracious and fun hosts (Tracy & Gary)!! Gary cooks up a mean 1/2 pound burger that melts in your mouth, and his hot dogs taste so great they should be a food group! Tracy is funny, personable, and full of great stories! This place is a must for those who like to camp and do day hikes into the Needles district. read more