Sites & Rates
Average nightly rates96 total sites
RV Sites
90 sites
Tent Sites
2 sites
Yurts
4 sites
About Spruces - Big Cottonwood
Number of accommodations: 96
Activities & Attractions
Nearby
Fishing
Hiking
Year-round
Fishing
Hiking
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Parking
Picnic Table
Restrooms
Fire Pit
Water and Hygiene
- Restrooms
Cooking and Fire
- Picnic Table
- Fire Pit
- Firewood Available
Parking and Transport
- Parking
On Site Services
- Dumpster
Views and Setting
- View
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Rates, Sites & Availability
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96 Sites Available
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Reviews (383)
What Guests Are Saying
Spruces Campground in Big Cottonwood offers a beautiful and well-maintained setting, with friendly hosts and ample opportunities for outdoor activities, making it a favorite among visitors. Many guests appreciate the clean campsites and the picturesque surroundings, including nearby streams and hiking trails. However, the ongoing lack of running water and functional restrooms, which has persisted for several years, has been a significant concern for many campers, affecting their overall experience.
What Guests Are Saying
Spruces Campground in Big Cottonwood offers a beautiful and well-maintained setting, with friendly hosts and ample opportunities for outdoor activities, making it a favorite among visitors. Many guests appreciate the clean campsites and the picturesque surroundings, including nearby streams and hiking trails. However, the ongoing lack of running water and functional restrooms, which has persisted for several years, has been a significant concern for many campers, affecting their overall experience.
Review Summary
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.
Aspen A
VerifiedJuly 10, 2022 • Stayed at: 021, Loop: LOWR
My eight-year-old nephew was really upset they let a moose go through our campsite, but other than that we had a wonderful time. The bathrooms were clean (bring your own soap), there was plenty of room for all of our tents, and we had a lovely three-day camping trip. The pictures of campsites for 19-21 don't do it justice, because it's against the mountain and you pitch your tents up the hill from the fire pit. The kids had a great time exploring the mountainside.
Andrew D
VerifiedJuly 9, 2022 • Stayed at: 034, Loop: LOWR
Beautiful area. Nearby Brighton made for a nice outing.
Ron C
VerifiedJuly 8, 2022 • Stayed at: 008, Loop: LOWR
Nice spot
Steven S
VerifiedJuly 8, 2022 • Stayed at: 067, Loop: UPPR
It is a beautiful - but very a busy, noisy - place. The area is beautiful and the campground is well taken care of. The one big downside is the canyon road is just across the stream and is SO BUSY and NOISY that you don't really feel like you have "gotten away from things". The traffic noise was constant and loud! for the 4 days we were there. There also seemed to be an unending parade of NOISY motorcycles zooming up and down the canyon - well into the nights. Its close, convenient, but not very peaceful. Not our first choice for a getaway.
Emelia A
VerifiedJuly 7, 2022 • Stayed at: 089, Loop: UPPR
We love this campground! It’s super close to home, so full of trees and beautiful plants, close to the river, just lovely. You feel secluded and you barely notice you’re camping by others when you have one of the spots in the deeper loops. We love our spot we get every time! I’m keeping it a secret lol. The only complaint I have is that the men’s restroom in the upper loop that we were closest to was not up to par. The sink didn’t work so my husband and son had to walk back to camp with dirty hands to wash. Plus I think my son said one of the toilets was broken and there was no toilet paper. Otherwise, great campground and we are making this a yearly camping destination!
Matthew O
VerifiedJuly 3, 2022 • Stayed at: 045, Loop: UPPR
Clean sites and beautiful location
Joan K
VerifiedJuly 1, 2022 • Stayed at: 031, Loop: LOWR
This canyon is just beautiful.
Dave Nelson 1
VerifiedJuly 1, 2022 • Stayed at: 035, Loop: LOWR
We stayed in site 35. 1. We showed up to our site and there were people cooking food on the BBQ, provided our paperwork and had to ask them to leave 2. We were never told that a film crew was showing up to film. They took up 2 sites plus ours. We lost that day with our grandson. We should be credited 1 day. 3. The restroom next to the site only had 1 side open, the other was locked all week long. 4. No running water in the restroom to wash your hands. 5. Outdoor lights for the restroom didn’t work at night. 6. Our reservation name and time period we had the spot reserved were not on the the reservation sign on the post. 7. Lots of unused reserved sites. Not fair to the people who want to use the campground.
Rachael W
VerifiedJune 26, 2022 • Stayed at: 073, Loop: UPPR
I loved this site. I've never camped in Spruces so I picked this randomly. I walked around the whole campground, and I think this is probably the best site for single tent campers. The fire pit is next to the picnic table but the tent site is tucked away. It's like 40 ~ 50 feet down a little path. There's no one in front of the great view either. All the other sites I saw were feet from the road. It really felt like I was tucked away from everyone. You could see my car from the road but had to squint to see my tent. Great site. I'll be back just for this site again.
Location Spruces - Big Cottonwood
Address:
Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd
Salt Lake City, UT, 84121
United States
Elevation: 2251 feet
24 mi drive to downtown Salt Lake City (about 35 min)
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: September 6, 2026
