National Park Service · Utah
Canyonlands National Park Needles District Campground
National Park Service · Utah, United States · in Canyonlands National Park
- Sites
- 26
- Hookups
- 22 with water, 11 no hookups
- Season
- March 15 to November 15
- Max RV length
- 28 ft
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 4,905 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1 · certified dark-sky place
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Canyonlands National Park
- Nearest town
- Moab
- Address
- 2282 SW Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532
- Phone
- (435) 259-4711
- Activities
- Backpacking, Biking, Camping, Evening Programs, Hiking, Historic & Cultural Site, Interpretive Programs, Photography, Star Gazing, Wilderness
25 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
The Needles is a remote district located within the southern portion of Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. The Needles District is 1.25 hours driving time from Monticello, Utah, and 1.5 hours from Moab, Utah, and sits at an elevation of approximately 4,900 feet (1494 m).
The Needles Campground offers limited services and is best suited to tents and small, self-contained campers and RVs. If you are looking for group campsites, visit the Needles District Group Campground page.
You may book individual campsites in Loop B up to six months in advance mid-March through mid-November.
Loop A is available first come, first served only.
Please, also read “Facilities” below and the “Need to Know” tab for important information.
Recreation
The Needles District's extensive trail system provides many opportunities for long day hikes and overnight backpacking trips. Foot trails and four-wheel-drive roads lead to such features as Confluence Overlook, Druid Arch, the Joint Trail and Chesler Park.
Facilities
The Needles is a remote district with limited services and no cell coverage. The Needles Campground and group sites are best suited to tents and small, self-contained campers and RVs. A seasonal campground host (spring and fall) is located in Loop A of the campground.
Individual Campsites: Drinking water and flush toilets are available in the campground. Picnic tables and fire rings are provided at each site. There are no RV hook-ups. The campground does not have electricity, showers or a dump station. Maximum combined vehicle and trailer length is 28 feet (8.5 m).
If you are looking for group campsites, visit the Needles District Group Campground page.
Natural Features
The campground contains stands of Utah juniper and pinyon pine. Flowering prickly pear cacti, yucca and other desert wildflowers dot the landscape in the spring, adding to the vivid colors of the surrounding red rock desert. The Needles District forms the southeast corner of Canyonlands National Park and was named for the colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that dominate the area. The park is within an arid, high desert environment with hot summers and cold winters.
Nearby Attractions
Southeastern Utah offers breathtaking scenery, hiking, road and mountain biking opportunities, rafting and scenic driving routes. Arches and Mesa Verde National Parks, the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, Hovenweep and Natural Bridges National Monuments and Dead Horse Point and Edge of the Cedars State Parks are all within three hours drive of the Needles Campground. Moab, Utah, (1.5 hours away) offers numerous restaurants, shops and museums.
Charges & Cancellations
Fees
Individual Camp Sites: 1-10 people, $20
For groups of 11 or more, please book a Group Campsite.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 24° | -1° | 54° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 47° | 27° | -7° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 54° | 34° | 20° | 78° | 8 of 11 |
| April | 68° | 42° | 25° | 83° | 4 of 11 |
| May | 78° | 54° | 34° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 90° | 64° | 50° | 102° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 96° | 70° | 62° | 103° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 92° | 66° | 58° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 84° | 61° | 38° | 94° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 67° | 44° | 27° | 81° | 1 of 10 |
| November | 57° | 35° | 20° | 69° | 9 of 10 |
| December | 43° | 25° | 16° | 55° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Hamburger Rock Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 5 mi · 10 sites
- Creek Pasture Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 7 mi · 32 sites
- Superbowl Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 8 mi · 37 sites
- Windwhistle Group Site · Bureau of Land Management · 16 mi · 1 sites
- Windwhistle Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 16 mi · 15 sites
All public campgrounds in Utah · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.