About Spruces - Big Cottonwood
Number of accommodations: 96
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Sites & Availability
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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
Pamela U
VerifiedAugust 8, 2025 • Stayed at: 050, Loop: UPPR
This is a great campground up Big Cottonwood Canyon. Unfortunately, this year drinking water was unavailable and the plumbed bathrooms were locked so bathroom use was limited to port-a-potties.
Mitchell S
VerifiedAugust 4, 2025 • Stayed at: 080, Loop: UPPR
For Site #80 - The listing and the map are inaccurate. The site is not a back-in or even a pull-through, it is just a wide spot in the loop road with the camper door opening to the road. My pillow was a few feet from every car that passed by. If we hadn't been able to turn the camper around, then it would have been dangerous for my kids to enter/leave the camper. We were able to make it work, but the misleading listing and photo are unacceptable. Site #80 should be listed as a tent only space.
Other than the parking, the site is fine and standard for the campground. Picnic table and fire pit in good condition. Big trees. Semi-connected to neighboring site to the north.
Campground is nice and quiet. Canyon road is not quiet. Bathrooms were well maintained.
Sierra F
VerifiedAugust 4, 2025 • Stayed at: 010, Loop: LOWR
The yurt was nice and Bobbi was very friendly. She told us to expect moose in the morning & we did see them the first day. We enjoyed setting up chair & a hammock along the stream.
Julia P
VerifiedAugust 4, 2025 • Stayed at: 086, Loop: UPPR
The site itself was fantastic. Very private with a lovely spot right on the creek. Unfortuantely during our stay there was a water problem and so portapotties were placed and there was no running water at all. Luckily we came prepared with plenty of potable water, but it did affect our enjoyment of the site.
Janet H
VerifiedAugust 3, 2025 • Stayed at: 061, Loop: UPPR
This year...I was a bit hesitant about staying at Spruces since there were portable toilets...however, the toilets were always very clean! (I would suggest putting more portable toilets at each bathroom site and not so close together!) Our stay was very good and the campground was well kept by the campground hosts. We met several of the campground hosts (Olivia, Chuck, and others) who were friendly and were diligent about keeping things clean. We were fortunate that the water was working during our visit. We love site #61. Nearby, there are great hiking trails and we saw a few moose during our stay. Overall, a very good family camping experience.
Alisha N
VerifiedAugust 3, 2025 • Stayed at: 044, Loop: UPPR
Bathrooms were all closed with no explanation, and there didn’t seem to be any work towards restoring them. Port-a-potties were not maintained, and one at the bathroom nearest us was literally overflowing (refuse to the lid). It’s camping, I get it, but the conditions were pretty dosappointing.
Quiet hours were not observed or enforced by the camp hosts, with loud rowdy groups keeping our family awake into the morning hours.
We saw 2 moose which was very cool, otherwise a pretty disappointing couple of nights.
Robert H
VerifiedAugust 1, 2025 • Stayed at: 066, Loop: UPPR
Love this campground and hosts were great but the campground itself needs a little love. Picnic tables need serious help and brush around fire pits need to be cleared back for safety reasons and so you can put chairs around it . There were a lot of deadfall trees all around our site 66 that made it hard to walk around trails.
Diana O
July 30, 2025
First, the good. The site itself was beautiful and immaculate. There was evidence of recent maintenance on the tables and benches, which we appreciated. The fire pit was great, as was the grill. The park staff were helpful and friendly. Now for the complaints. There was no running water, a circumstance that we were not notified of prior to our arrival. Also, with no advance notice, the restrooms were out of commission and we instead had to use portable toilet booths, which was a significant problem for my disabled sister-in-law. There were light poles and fixtures at the perimeter of the site, which did not come on at dark as we expected, based on past years of reserving group sites. I feel that for the price we paid, these were significant issues that warranted at minimum, a discounted rate until corrective action was taken to bring the facility up to the advertised condition. Instead, the rates have gone up.
David W
VerifiedJuly 29, 2025 • Stayed at: 027, Loop: LOWR
We reserved a camping space at Spruces in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake City Utah. The staff had our reservation posted and ready for us. The site was spotless, the air was cool and the hot dogs and marshmallows were yummy
Rylee B
VerifiedJuly 27, 2025 • Stayed at: 040, Loop: UPPR
This campground and camp site was sooo beautiful!!! The nature was so green and amazing. No bothersome bugs. We saw juvenile moose playing across from our campground in the open field. We hiked at the hikes nearby. We loved our camp spot with creek access. The spot to put the tent in is a tiny bit slanted so be prepared for that. We loved walking around the campground to look at all the beautiful sites.
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
| Category | About |
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| General |
This Campground is in Bear Country
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Dogs are NOT allowed (only service animals) and owner may be fined $650
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Campground Etiquette and Rules
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This is a 'pack it in, pack it out' facility; please bring trash bags |
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There is a 2-night minimum stay on weekends; 3-night minimum stay on holiday weekends |
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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 |
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First Come First Served (FF) sites
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Extra Vehicle -$10 per vehicle, per day (paid on-site cash/check)
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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 |
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Off-road vehicles are not allowed in the canyon. |
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Please understand that camping is an outdoor experience; we do not give refunds or credits for weather or natural conditions
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For more information on visiting Bear Country visit
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Click herefor more info about the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
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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 |
| General |
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 |