Can you reserve a site at South Temple Wash?

Yes, South Temple Wash is reservable through Recreation.gov.

South Temple Wash — 12 sites, fees and cancellation alerts

Overview

South Temple Wash is a fee campground in the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area.

Recreation

South Temple Wash campground is located along the Temple Mountain Road on the east side of the Reef. A short distance back to the east of the campground is the turn to go to Goblin Valley State Park. Turning west before the entrance of the state park will lead to Little Wild Horse Canyon, a popular hike for many in a slot canyon. From the campground and driving west on the Temple Mountain Road will lead to the Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel, a short drive further is Temple Mountain Townsite. Here visitors can hike to reclaimed uranium mines. Opposite Temple Mountain Townsite is The Behind-the-Reef Road and it is accessible to most vehicles for six miles, accessing several trailheads for hikes into the San Rafael Reef Wilderness. Two of these (Chute Canyon and Wild Horse Canyon) are accessible for horseback riders. The road continues for another 14 miles requiring high clearance and four-wheel-drive as it follows the rugged base of the reef against a backdrop of 500-foot cliffs and jagged canyons. After about seven miles, the road narrows to a maximum vehicle width of 50 feet. More wilderness slot canyons hikes can be accessed from this road. Motorized vehicle use is not permitted in wilderness.

Facilities

South Temple Wash has two vault toilets and an information kiosk. All campsites have fire rings, flat gravel surfaces, and picnic tables.

Natural Features

The campground is at the Eastern mouth of a short, steep canyon (Temple Wash) which cuts through the San Rafael Reef. One of the most distinctive geologic features of central Utah, the Reef is a 75-mile-long rocky spine that reaches up to 1,000 feet high and forms the eastern edge of the San Rafael Swell. The Temple Mountain area provides acces to many scenic slot canyons, hills, and spires cut from red and white rock.

Nearby Attractions

Goblin Valley State Park (fee area), 2 miles east: The state park entrance is two miles up the Temple Wash Road going back towards Highway 24. The state park is famous for its unique landscape of sandstone hoodoos (goblins) and buttes. The park has hiking and mountain biking trails as well as a fee campground and yurt rentals.

Little Wild Horse Canyon: The Little Wild Horse slot canyon is the most popular hike in the San Rafael Reef. Visitors can appreciate sculpted sandstone walls and narrows through the three-mile canyon. Paired with Bell Canyon via the Behind-the-Reef Road, this makes for an eight-mile moderate day hike with varied scenery. The canyon bottoms are gravel and there are some obstacles requiring straightforward scrambling.

Temple Mountain Mining District: The townsite is in the heart of the historic Temple Mountain Mining District. Visitors can visit sites and learn about the history of Cold War-era uranium mining by foot or vehicle.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (435) 636-3600.

The facts

12 bookable sites
Loops: South Temple Wash

Site types

10 Standard Nonelectric
2 Group Standard Nonelectric

Amenities

Shade

Not recorded upstream: electric hookups, water hookups, sewer hookups, campfires allowed, fire pits, picnic tables, grills, pets allowed.

Book on Recreation.gov

12 campsites at South Temple Wash

Site	Loop	Type	Entry	Surface	Max rig	People
Site 01 (Group)	South Temple Wash	Group Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 02	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 03	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 04	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 05	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 06	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 07	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 08	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 09	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 10	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 11	South Temple Wash	Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—
Site 12 (Group)	South Temple Wash	Group Standard Nonelectric	—	Gravel	—	—

Getting there

38.65681, -110.66118 · 38°39'24.5"N 110°39'40.3"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Typical weather

Typically 95°F in Jul, down to 41°F in Dec.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	41	47	59	66	76	89	95	92	84	68	53	41
Low °F	17	23	30	37	47	55	63	61	51	39	26	18
Precip in	0.5	0.6	0.8	0.7	1.0	0.5	0.8	0.9	0.9	1.2	0.5	0.4

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 6 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Fees and stay limits

Sites 1 & 12 are group sites at $50/night. Sites 2-11 are individual sites at $15/night.

From Recreation.gov, which is not always current. The operator's own page is the authority on what you will be charged.

Common questions about South Temple Wash

Can you reserve a site at South Temple Wash?: Yes, South Temple Wash is reservable through Recreation.gov.
How many campsites does South Temple Wash have?: 12 sites.

Camping near South Temple Wash

Temple Mountain Townsite Campground 1.5 mi · Campground · we watch it
Temple Mountain Campground East less than 0.1 mi · Campground
Temple Moutain Campground West 1.5 mi · Campground
Crack Canyon Trailhead 4.6 mi · Facility
Waterfall South Trailhead South 4.7 mi · Facility
Waterfall North Trailhead 5 mi · Facility
Chute Canyon Trailhead 6.1 mi · Facility
Baptist Draw Trailhead 8.1 mi · Facility
Little Wild Horse Trailhead 9.2 mi · Facility
Five Miles of Hell TH 9.5 mi · Facility
Ding and Dang Trailhead 10.3 mi · Facility
Behind the Reef Trail 14.5 mi · Facility

Contact

Book Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.

South Temple Wash