South Temple Wash

3 reviews

South Temple Wash

Quick Facts

Price

Varies

Booking

Check Site

Sites

Varies

Season

Year-round

Cell

Unknown

Pets

Not Allowed

Opens San Rafael Swell Recreation Area site

Get Directions

Quick Facts

Price

Varies

Booking

Check Site

Sites

Varies

Season

Year-round

Cell

Unknown

Pets

Not Allowed

Opens San Rafael Swell Recreation Area site

Get Directions

South Temple Wash

No fees available

Campsite Fees

Fee campground in the San Rafael Swell Recreation Area (specific fees and rates not provided).

Standard Site Fee$0.00

Hookup Site Fee$0.00

Premium Site Fee$0.00

Hike and Bike Site Fee$0.00

Group Site Fee$0.00

Food Storage Locker Fee$0.00

Total Campsite Fees$0.00

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Provider

(435) 636-3600

What Campers Say

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Limited Reviews

Based on 3 reviews

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About South Temple Wash

Nestled at the dramatic eastern mouth of Temple Wash canyon, South Temple Wash campground serves as your gateway to the San Rafael Swell's most captivating adventures. From this fee campground along Temple Mountain Road, you'll find yourself perfectly positioned between the twisted corridors of Little Wild Horse Canyon, ancient pictograph panels, and the haunting remnants of a Cold War uranium mining town—all set against a backdrop of soaring cliffs and crimson spires near Goblin Valley State Park.

The site is described as a fee campground with individual campsites that have flat gravel surfaces, fire rings, and picnic tables. There is no mention of hookups, designated RV facilities, cabins, glamping, or formal group sites in the provided information.

Historical SignificanceStep back into America's atomic age at the nearby Temple Mountain Mining District, where the urgency of Cold War uranium production once transformed this remote desert into a bustling frontier town. The Temple Mountain Townsite stands as a weathered testament to that era, its scattered ruins telling stories of prospectors and miners who extracted the raw materials for nuclear weapons and power. Today, hikers can explore trails leading to reclaimed mine areas, where nature slowly reclaims what was once carved from the earth in the name of national security.

ElevationThe campground occupies a strategic position where Temple Wash canyon dramatically pierces through the towering San Rafael Reef, creating a natural gateway between the protected Swell interior and the open desert beyond.

Natural Features and SceneryTemple Wash carves a short but spectacular path through the San Rafael Reef, creating the dramatic setting for this campground. Surrounding you is the Reef itself—an imposing 75-mile spine of rock that rises up to 1,000 feet above the desert floor like a prehistoric fortress wall. The Temple Mountain area showcases nature's artistry at its finest: labyrinthine slot canyons narrow enough to touch both walls, whimsical spires reaching skyward, and layered formations painted in bold strokes of red and white that glow magnificently at sunrise and sunset.

Geological RegionThe campground lies within the San Rafael Swell, specifically along the San Rafael Reef—a magnificent 75-mile-long monocline that forms the dramatic eastern rampart of the Swell. This rocky spine represents one of the most visually striking geological features in the American Southwest, where millions of years of uplift and erosion have created a natural barrier between ancient stone and open sky.

Campsite details

Sites SizeFlat gravel surfaces

Total Campsitesnull campsites

Recommended CampsitesAll campsites have fire rings, flat gravel surfaces, and picnic tables; the campground has two vault toilets and an information kiosk. Choose vehicles appropriate for Back-the-Reef Road if planning to drive those routes.

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Reserving a campsite

Tents

Tents are not allowed

RV vehicles

RV vehicles are not allowed

Primitive

Primitive are not allowed

Reservable

Reservations are not allowed

Site layoutCampsites feature flat gravel surfaces, picnic tables, and fire rings. The campground includes two vault toilets and an information kiosk.

Amenities available

Fire rings

Picnic tables

Vault toilets

Activities you can enjoy

Recreation centers on hiking and exploring nearby scenic features accessed from Temple Mountain Road and the Behind-the-Reef Road, with opportunities to visit slot canyons, pictograph panels, and historic mining sites.

Hiking

Access to numerous hikes including Little Wild Horse Canyon (a three-mile slot canyon), Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel, and trailheads reached via the Behind-the-Reef Road. Chute Canyon and Wild Horse Canyon are noted as accessible for horseback riders; the Behind-the-Reef Road provides access to additional slot-canyon hikes and wilderness trailheads. Motorized vehicle use is not permitted in wilderness.

Cultural and Educational Programs

Visitors can explore the Temple Mountain Mining District to learn about Cold War–era uranium mining history; interpretive/educational opportunities are available via site visits.

Campground rules

Pets are not allowed
All campsites have fire rings; specific fire regulations or restrictions are not provided in the source.

Hazards

General hazardsRoads in the area include sections that require high clearance and four-wheel-drive and can be rugged; after about seven miles some road sections narrow (source states a maximum vehicle width of 50 feet). Slot canyon hiking can include gravel bottoms and obstacles that require straightforward scrambling.

Weather at South Temple Wash

°F

Dec 11

Thursday

Clear sky

Precipitation: 0%

Humidity: 41%

Wind: 3.8 mph

Clear sky

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Good to know

Proximity to water featuresSituated at the mouth of Temple Wash canyon (no lakes or streams specified).

Campground Map

South Temple Wash

Driving directionsSouth Temple Wash campground is located along the Temple Mountain Road (Temple Wash Road) on the east side of the San Rafael Reef. The state park entrance for Goblin Valley is two miles up Temple Wash Road going back towards Highway 24. Turning west before the state park entrance leads to Little Wild Horse Canyon; driving west on Temple Mountain Road from the campground leads to the Temple Mountain Pictograph Panel and Temple Mountain Townsite. The Behind-the-Reef Road is opposite the townsite and provides access to multiple trailheads; portions of that road require high clearance and four-wheel-drive and narrow after about seven miles.

Accessible via Temple Mountain Road/Temple Wash Road with connections toward Highway 24.

Nearby places

Goblin Valley State Park, 2 miles east (state park entrance is two miles up Temple Wash Road toward Highway 24).