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Desert Moon Campground and RV Park

85%

· Thompson Springs, Grand, Utah

11 acres hosted by The Desert Moon T.

5 RV/tent sites

Near Arches National Park

Within a 60-minute drive from the Arches.

Near Canyonlands National Park

Within a 60-minute drive from the Island in the Sky.

Staff verified

Accuracy verified by Hipcamp's on-the-ground team.

Setup your tent and enjoy some respite before and after exploring the beautiful canyons and desert landscapes that surround the Desert Moon and beyond. We have 2 showers, bathrooms, potable water, picnic tables, and wifi on site. There is also a covered seating area for guest use by our Inn. There are 5 campsites total. Please note, the Union Pacific Railroad is right across the street, with trains passing by multiple times a day and night. There will be noise at night. Campsites are relatively close together so you will likely see other campers during your stay. Also, there is not a lot of shade on the property so be prepared. Thompson Springs began as a railroad stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in the mid to late 1800's. It soon became a shipping point and community center for local farmers, cattle ranchers and sheepherders. It is now a ghost-town with a population of 50 people. The Desert Moon has a true wild western past. The old dancehall on the property, The Cactus Caberet, once served as the town bar and brothel. We are currently in the process renovating the dancehall into a venue for live music and retreats. There are 8-12 staff members living on site in their personal RV's at all times. We are a small community of artists, builders, and adventurers. We are constantly working to improve this property that came under our ownership in July of 2020. Feel free to come say hello and ask us about what we are building here! Thompson Springs is a true "ghost town" with no retail or restaurants except a 7-11 off the I-70 exit. The towns of Moab and Green River are only a half hour drive away and are full of regional and eclectic restaurants and shops. The Desert Moon is located just four miles from the Sego Canyon Rock Art in the Bookcliffs featuring pictograph and petroglyph panels from three different Native American cultures: Barrier, Fremont, and Ute. Be sure to check them out! There are miles of off-road trails accessible from our property. Some require a 4x4 vehicle or dirtbike, but many are well maintained enough for almost any vehicle.Setup your tent and enjoy some respite before exploring the beautiful canyons and desert landscapes that surround the Desert Moon and beyond. We have 2 showers/bathrooms and potable water on site. The Desert Moon has been serving the greater Moab area since the coal mining days of the mid 1930's. Thompson Springs began as a railroad stop on the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in the mid to late 1800's. It soon became a shipping point and community center for local farmers, cattle ranchers and sheepherders. It is now a ghost-town with a population of 50 people. The Pacific Union Railroad is right across the street with trains passing by around 5 times per day. There are 10 staff members living on site in their RV's. We are always working on projects around the property, feel free to come say hello at any time! *under new management as of July 2020*

Activities

Biking

Fishing

Hiking

Off-roading (OHV)

Natural features

Desert

Canyon

Mountainous

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85%

629 ratings · 474 reviews

Christy T.

July 11, 2024

Desert Moon Tent Camping

This campsite was a nice, safe spot and got the job done for our family of 5 after visiting Arches National Park. We would have loved to have a place to put our things in the shower as well as a lock on the shower door. There were some pretty big spiders in the bathroom, so a good cleaning would be nice, too. Otherwise, it was a cute quiet spot.

Noémie P.recommends

July 10, 2024

Desert Moon Tent Camping

C’était vraiment super! Très tranquille. Les installations sont faciles d’accès et le site est très beau le soir avec les petites lumières :) très près de Moab!

Sarah W.recommends

July 7, 2024

Desert Moon Tent Camping

Lovely Experience Utah Camping

We stayed at Desert Moon campground for 1 night while roadtripping across the country. We needed a location that was dog friendly and that had a bathroom. Check in was a breeze - we were sent a message by the hosts explaining that whenever we arrived we could choose any available campsite, given info about the bathroom/water, etc. and contact information if we had questions. We arrived around 1pm, set up camp, and then went out to explore Arches National Park. It's only about a 20-30ish minute drive away which makes the location incredibly convenient! It's also <5 minutes away from a 7-11/gas station which was very helpful. The night sky and scenery was gorgeous, the art around the property added a fun charm, and our camping spot was comfortable and clean. The bathrooms are funky and cute! Our only complaints were: 1) There are a LOT of ants, which is kind of par for the course with being outside, but it was startling how many anthills there were! Take care when feeding/watering pets and yourself for sure. 2) Another set of campers arrived at like, 10pm. It says explicitly in the instructions you aren't supposed to arrive this late, and clearly these campers did not heed this instruction, but because the managers/owners aren't on site there's nothing stopping this type of behavior. I encourage other campers to make sure you read the directions and just be considerate of your neighbors, because setting up camp with your headlights in the dark is pretty disruptive!

Brooke C.recommends

July 3, 2024

Desert Moon Tent Camping

Typical Campsite

Campsite had a restroom and picnic tables and fire rings, was a little sketched out but I was safe so no complaints. I was traveling and it wilted for what I needed with a good price

La Rue C.recommends

July 2, 2024

Desert Moon Tent Camping

Great location for tent camping to visit Canyonlands and Arches.

Kylee R.recommends

June 30, 2024

Desert Moon Tent Camping

Simple campground that’s quiet and private. Fire pit, picnic tables, showers and restrooms which were pretty clean given where this is located. I don’t know the area but it was a little rundown, however I never felt unsafe or anything. I would stay here again. Also, the train didn’t bother us one bit. It passed once around 3am but it wasn’t terrible. My son didn’t even wake up. Then again, I am from a very urban city with lots of noise so if you’re not used to that, I could see how it might be bothersome. There’s also a dump station, a place to wash your dishes, and fairly good signal. Nice quiet evening.

Location

Thompson Springs , Grand, Utah, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Timpanogos and Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking