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
Denise A
VerifiedJuly 17, 2020 • Stayed at: 035, Loop: LOWR
Very clean and lovely!
Robert A
VerifiedJuly 17, 2020 • Stayed at: 084, Loop: UPPR
Nice camp sites! Close to many hikes and Silver Lake. For our family it's far enough from home but yet close.
Jared W
VerifiedJuly 16, 2020 • Stayed at: 034, Loop: LOWR
Amazing site #34! We try to reserve the same space each year - but for some reason we thought that the "paved floor" seemed to be more bumpy because of root damage. Just FYI.
Thank you for a wonderful experience.
jay w
VerifiedJuly 16, 2020 • Stayed at: 035, Loop: LOWR
Very Peaceful setting
Brent W
VerifiedJuly 15, 2020 • Stayed at: 033, Loop: LOWR
Very fine time, stream made it nice and relaxing
Duane B
VerifiedJuly 14, 2020 • Stayed at: 077, Loop: UPPR
Love the Spruces! It's always clean and beautiful and so close to home that we can spontaneously run up and stay for a few days at a time!
Tamara W
VerifiedJuly 13, 2020 • Stayed at: 068, Loop: UPPR
Campsite 68 is one of my favorites! It sits right next to the river. It is a very private site. Has lots of trees and lots of room for multiple large tents. We do a lot of hammocking and there were plenty of places to have several hammocks.
Tamara W
VerifiedJuly 13, 2020 • Stayed at: 088, Loop: UPPR
Campsite 88 and Campsite 82 are adjoining. I would not recommend this site unless you know the people in the site it adjoins with. Absolutely no privacy if you don't know them. Also, there is a private cabin pretty close to this site and it was terribly noisy all day every day from kids coming in and out of that private area running through the campground and yelling. Also, because we were almost the highest point of the campsite, cell and internet service was very spotty. I camp at Spruces a good 6 to 8 times in the summer, because we love it there. But I would not camp in this site again. One cool thing, we did have a moose come into our campsite and he stayed for three hours. He took his nap right in our site. Pretty Crazy! What this site does have is lots of trees for hammocks. And lots of tress means lots of shade. Just no shade over the picnic tables. And a good amount of space for multiple large tents.
Christine T
VerifiedJuly 9, 2020 • Stayed at: 049, Loop: UPPR
Spent a few days here. Good access to trails and fishing at silver lake. Had a mom and baby moose wander INTO our campsite while we were around the campfire. Amazing experience!
Layne R
VerifiedJune 27, 2020 • Stayed at: 033, Loop: LOWR
The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the lower camp host never being at their post when I needed to buy firewood. The host was usually with the other host in the upper spruce. The only time I saw the host was when they came by to warn of moose in the area (which I was grateful for).
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
