Santaquin Meadows Dispersed Camping

Couldn’t get back in to camp due to road closure.

For the weekend of August 25-27, 2017, I was looking for a new place to explore. Despite its proximity to home (only about 60 miles away) I had never before driven the Nebo Loop, a National Scenic Byway that runs around the east side of Mt Nebo, which at 11,929 feet is the highest summit in the Wasatch Mountains.

Bow season for elk and deer began August 15 in Utah, and many hunters seem to leave their RVs in a spot for the 14-day camping limit. Because of that, finding all of the good dispersed spots along the Nebo Loop already taken on a Friday evening, we left the pavement and headed west on the unpaved but well-graded FR-014 toward Santaquin Canyon. Just before the road drops into the canyon, we found a delightful dispersed camping spot in Santaquin Meadows.

There are about 5 good spots in the Upper Meadow along FR-022, most of which would accommodate multiple rigs. One nice flat spot was a little closer to FR-014 than I liked (and was subsequently occupied later on Friday by a smaller 5'er for one night), and spots further up FR-022 were already taken. The Lower Meadow on the opposite side of FR-014 is permanently closed to vehicular traffic. We settled on a site with a nice view of the Lower Meadow and Mt. Nebo which admittedly had a bit of a tilt to it, which is the only reason I gave this review 4 stars instead of 5. With some creativity we were able to level the trailer and eliminate the 5" side-to-side height differential.

Realize that this is open range for cattle, and while a small herd grazed nearby on Friday night the dogs didn't pay much attention to them. That of course means that there are some meadow muffins scattered about, but campgrounds up here aren't immune to the cattle, either, as we spotted another herd right in the middle of the nearby Blackhawk Campground during our Saturday drive. After Friday night, the cattle disappeared until Sunday, when they materialized in the Lower Meadow. There was nothing to hear except the birds, the breeze and the clicking of grasshoppers. The stars at night stretched from horizon to horizon. Cell service was non-existent, which isn't always a bad thing. FR-014 is open to highway legal vehicles only, which minimizes the ATV traffic and dramatically reduces the dirt bikes.

From a campsite in Santaquin Meadows, you have easy access to all of the sights that the Nebo Loop offers, including Devil's Kitchen and Payson Lakes, the latter with an $8 day use fee. I've included a couple of photos of the sights along the Nebo Loop with my photos of Santaquin Meadows itself.

When we left on Sunday we opted to continue downhill into Santaquin Canyon, reaching asphalt at the Tinney Flat Campground, which FYI has only group sites. Be aware that while stunningly lush and beautiful, this tight canyon's road is incredibly narrow. While not busy, it was very tricky negotiating past any oncoming vehicles. Also, the dirt stretch that drops into the canyon below Santaquin Meadows is steep, very twisty with hairpin turns, and just as narrow as Santaquin Canyon. By contrast, FR-014 from Nebo Loop to Santaquin Meadows is quite good. I'd therefore recommend that anyone with anything larger than a mid-size rig access Santaquin Meadows from the Nebo Loop.