About Spruces - Big Cottonwood
Number of accommodations: 96
Nearby Activities & Attractions
Fishing
Hiking
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Rates, Sites & Availability
96 Sites Available
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Site Details
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96 Sites Available
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Reviews (312)
What Guests Are Saying
The campground at Spruces in Big Cottonwood Canyon offers beautiful scenery, friendly staff, and well-maintained sites, making it a popular choice for campers. Many visitors appreciate the peaceful atmosphere, great hiking options, and clean facilities, despite some complaints about the restroom situation and water availability. While there have been issues with locked bathrooms and high traffic on weekends, overall experiences highlight the campground's charm and natural beauty.
What Guests Are Saying
The campground at Spruces in Big Cottonwood Canyon offers beautiful scenery, friendly staff, and well-maintained sites, making it a popular choice for campers. Many visitors appreciate the peaceful atmosphere, great hiking options, and clean facilities, despite some complaints about the restroom situation and water availability. While there have been issues with locked bathrooms and high traffic on weekends, overall experiences highlight the campground's charm and natural beauty.
Review Summary
Robert N
VerifiedAugust 2, 2022 • Stayed at: 035, Loop: LOWR
Excellent time with great weather and enjoyable campsite.
Jordan A
July 29, 2022
Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Would definitely recommend and will positively revisit!
Frank L
VerifiedJuly 26, 2022 • Stayed at: 050, Loop: UPPR
Stayed 2 nights. Site was great, but too close to the nearby road.
Jessica C
VerifiedJuly 25, 2022 • Stayed at: 008, Loop: LOWR
We loved this location by the stream it helped us sleep. The best tent spot we found is a small trek to the back of the site which we didn’t mind. There is also shade and room for hammocks and to play horseshoes. There is no one behind you so it feels a little remote and no one directly across from you. Parking allows for two cars. Lots of spiders this year but overall a really good experience.
Joan K
VerifiedJuly 23, 2022 • Stayed at: 015, Loop: LOWR
We love this camp ground. We feel sad that they have taken some of the best camp sites and put in those yurt tents that sit empty every time we have gone there. I think they could make better use of these sites with people using them as single sites. The rest rooms still need some repairs like having the water taps repaired so you can wash your hands after use. The camp attends never come around and many of the sites are reserved and never used.
Jim S
VerifiedJuly 21, 2022 • Stayed at: 018, Loop: LOWR
The campsites are clean and well taken care of. Restroom facilities are well managed. There are several hiking trails close that are great for a morning hike.
paul w
VerifiedJuly 18, 2022 • Stayed at: 028, Loop: LOWR
The camping is awesome, but there needs to be some maintenance on two of the bathrooms in the lower unit, one had a side not open and the other side was disgusting, the other one on the west side needed clean good, the fire pit on site 28 needs to be re-poured around the ring it is all broken away and very dangerous, that fire ring seriously needs to be fixed, I love the spruces campground though and the camping is spectacular. Thank you
Meredith M
VerifiedJuly 16, 2022 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: LOWR
This place is beautiful. Our tent was in the shade all day! The bathrooms are flush toilets and running faucets. The space was large and parking was easy. I will definitely be coming back. I gave 4 stars because the place for tents had a lot of roots poking up and made it a little difficult to place the tent, but that is how it is camping under trees.
Jason B
VerifiedJuly 15, 2022 • Stayed at: 077, Loop: UPPR
great experience
Yvette Rae C
VerifiedJuly 12, 2022 • Stayed at: 043, Loop: UPPR
This was our first camping trip since my husband and I were 30 years younger so Spruces was a perfect place. Grant it that it is right next to Big Cottonwood Canyon and very noisy but was very convenient by being only 15 to 20 minutes from our house. The campground was very clean and had flushable toilets. The glamping tent was worth the extra money and the mattresses were super comfy. During our stay we saw a bull moose, a Momma moose with her 2 babies, pot guts galore and the friendliest chipmunks. We were in spot #43 which was next to a little creek in the middle section. There is a trail to Doughnut Falls located in the lower section of the campground which was nice as we had the trail to ourselves until it joined up with others who just drive up. There are other hiking trails within walking distance so that also made it convenient. Overall we had a wonderful stay. P.S. our site did not have one of those built in standing charcoal grills and were grateful we had been smart enough to bring a propane stove. The picture shows that they do but better be prepared.
Location Spruces - Big Cottonwood
Address:
Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd
Salt Lake City, UT, 84121
United States
Latitude & Longitude: 40.6406 / -111.636
Elevation: 2251 feet
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check out time
12PM
General
- 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
- Dogs are NOT allowed (only service animals) and owner may be fined $650 This is a watershed area; -Visitors will be fined for bringing domestic pets or livestock into the area -Wading and playing in the water is not allowed
- Gates open at 7am, close at 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 strictly prohibited in the campground. Leave No Trace. 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.
- This is a 'pack it in, pack it out' facility; please bring trash bags
- There is a 2-night minimum stay on weekends; 3-night minimum stay on holiday weekends
- Trailers/Campers and RVs: Come with your RV/trailer 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 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
- Extra Vehicle -$10 per vehicle, per day (paid on-site cash/check) Firewood -$9
- If you booked at a discount without a Senior or Access pass, you'll need to pay the difference in cash/check upon arrival. Only Senior or Access passes qualify for discounts and proof of ownership upon arrival is required
- Off-road vehicles are not allowed in the canyon.
- Please understand that camping is an outdoor experience; we do not give refunds or credits for weather or natural conditions. Cancellations within 24 hours prior to arrival date will forfeit the entire use fee and a $10 cancellation fee. No-shows, early departures, or cancellations after the arrival date are not entitled to a refund. If a guest does not arrive at the campsite by 12pm the day after scheduled arrival and does not cancel the reservation, will be charged a $20 service fee and forfeit the first-night use fee.
- For more information 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, 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 campsite 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 information 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
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Last updated: June 4, 2026
