South Temple Wash

About

South Temple Wash campground sits at the eastern mouth of Temple Wash, a short steep canyon cutting through the San Rafael Reef. This 75-mile-long rocky spine reaching up to 1,000 feet high forms the eastern edge of the San Rafael Swell, one of central Utah's most distinctive geologic features. The Temple Mountain area provides access to scenic slot canyons, hills, and spires carved from red and white rock. The campground offers 12 sites: 10 standard nonelectric sites and 2 group sites, all with fire rings, picnic tables, and flat gravel surfaces. Two vault toilets and an information kiosk serve the area. Multiple parking areas accommodate large recreational vehicles. No potable water is available; campers must bring their own supply. Nearby attractions include Goblin Valley State Park (2 miles east), famous for its sandstone hoodoos, and Little Wild Horse Canyon, the most popular slot canyon hike in the San Rafael Reef. The three-mile slot canyon can be paired with Bell Canyon via the Behind-the-Reef Road for an eight-mile loop. Temple Mountain Road leads west to the Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel and the historic Temple Mountain Mining District, where visitors can explore reclaimed uranium mines from the Cold War era.

Directions

From Highway 24 between Hanksville and I-70, turn west onto Temple Mountain Road at the Goblin Valley State Park sign. The campground is approximately 5 miles west, just past the Goblin Valley turnoff, at the base of the San Rafael Reef.