Porcupine Rim Dispersed Camping

Drove up Sand Flats rd in our 4wd Sprinter van (144 wheel base with upgraded suspension and bigger tires) and honestly you don’t need it at all until the last 100 yards or so.

Once you get to the point where you turn off Sand Flats Rd and up towards the campground there is a bit of a sandy bottom then a fairly gnarly section with some unavoidable rocks/obstacles about 12-16 inches in height. Our heavy van struggled up but made it. Any off-road 4x4 like a Tacoma or a Wrangler wouldn’t blink at it. Just need a bit of clearance.

I expected the cliff side sites to be taken in summer but we arrived early afternoon on a Tuesday and were the first ones there. Two other vehicles made it up later but quiet overall.

Obviously the views are insane. Amazing sunset and great sunrise as well. Favorite site of my life so far.

Cherry on top is that is right next to the Upper Porcupine Singletrack mountain bike trails which make up part of the famous Whole Enchilada trail system. Rode that back into town. Great experience.

Was a bit of a drive to camp at this location to find out that these sites are no longer accessible by towing. At least the site on the “cliff”. Pretty deep mud puddles on your way in. My trailer was hitting pushes all the way in. Something like a Mantis or Black Series would do fine with a capable tow vehicle. Truck camper would be perfect too. I’m in an F150 towing a 17’ TT so I had some weight on me. Probably around 5,200lbs. Not worth trying the mud.

Did walk up to the cliff and check out the view. It’s pretty amazing. There’s a vault toilet close by. Lots of hiking trails too. But I left because I wanted to camp at the cliff. Kinda the whole point.

Segiun ( the Dog) and I were up there June 28, all by ourselves.....it was AWESOME. We drove in from the South what a beautiful drive. There are a lot of camp sites and you do need a high clearance vehicle to get the last little bit. Yes it rained and hailed while we set up camp...but who cares.The views are spectacular the rain with the sunset you could ask for better. I was a bit nervous about he cliff and the dog, I had this image of him chasing a chipmunk or squirrel and going over the edge....it's one heck of a cliff! The morning light on Monument Valley is something to be experienced. Seriously great place. The toilet is a short walk and clean. We drove down into Moab and wished I was back up there the entire time, the amount of people was mind boggling. OH I forgot the stars...make sure you do a little star gazing.

Our group had the intention of camping up here for two nights, oh boy was I wrong. To be frank, I should have done a bit more research before driving up there. We drive a Toyota corolla, and it felt that we were pulling that baby a bit too hard that day. It's possible to get up there with a compact car, but it's going to make you feel uneasy. The surrounding area is called the sand flats recreation area. Inform the person at the entrance that you'll be heading up to porcupine rim. There is a fee to enter. On the way up, you will pass many other campgrounds, they have over 140 designed campsites that are offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. Double-check with their website www.sandflats.net and www.recreation.gov for group sites. I recommend staying down there if you're not driving a 4x4. The road is bumpy, narrow, winding, with washboards, sinkholes, rocky and sandy. Watch out for the sand! we got stuck for a few minutes, but manage to get out.
We arrived feeling a little defeated, but morale was lifted once we had some food and a few drinks. Try to arrive around 2-4ish pm if you're looking to camp b/c the campground doesn't provide much space to set up a tent. The campground provides one toilet.
Please follow Leave no trace! It's quiet. no water, no electricity
4/5 -
We manage to get some service by the toilet, but it goes in and out.

Made it up there during the week. Only 1 other camper there. Lucked out and got a spot right at the lookout. Views were absolutely amazing. It's literally a sheer 2000 foot drop just a few steps from the tent. Sunset...amazing! Sunrise...amazing! Night sky...amazing! Nice clean pit style toilet 150 yds down the hill.
It would not be a place to haul up a trailer. I tent camped and there were other Overlanders camping out of vans. It's about 15 mile down Sand Flats road. When you enter through the gate at the beginning of Sand Flats road there is a ranger there to collect day use fees. I told him where I was headed and they let me pass free of charge.

ABSOLUTELY thee best campground near Moab. As long as you're OK with no running water or electricity. There is a very clean pit toilet here though. At an elevation of 7295 feet? The views are magnificent! A MTB riders paradise. To get here you have to drive through San Flats Recreation Area that may have an entrance fee. (On the day) that I arrived there was no one at the gate. 4WD only needed to reach the top of the road campsites where the views of Castle Valley 2,000 feet below are spectacular.