Tom's Best Spring Dispersed Camping
Dixie National Forest
Write a Review Toms Best Spring Rd. (FR-117) Panguitch, UT 84759 435-676-9300 435-865-3700 Official WebsiteGPS: 37.728, -112.2487
Overview of Tom's Best Spring Dispersed Camping
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: Boondocking 101.
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by BootsBikesBoatsBooks on 11/9/2023
Longest RV Reported: 44 feet (Fifth Wheel)
Reported by Jackiehollander on 5/13/2023
Pad Type dirt
Open Seasonally Yes
Elevation 7,841 ft / 2,389 m
Max Stay 16
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Tom's Best Spring Dispersed Camping
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 435-676-9300
mscheff asked on 1/1/2022
Would a 40 foot 5th wheel be ok to drive in this dispersed camping area?
C.Gracey asked on 2/5/2022
New to boondocking. Do many people leave their trailers alone there while exploring Bryce Canyon in the daytime?
camper-869253 asked on 9/4/2023
Has anyone camp here with a RV during late December? I am wondering, will this place be accessible during that time. ...
camper-779568 asked on 8/15/2023
Our camper needs 13' height & 9.5' width of tree clearance. Is this doable?
happycampers asked on 5/6/2022
My husband will need to work for part of our travel at Tom's Best Spring. He is a computer programmer and I am wonde...
Carpe_RVin' asked on 6/3/2021
People are reporting good cell signal but can anyone confirm that speeds are good?
afonte asked on 9/8/2020
How likely is it you can grab a spot here? Like, how full does it get? TIA
Mal asked on 8/15/2020
Curious to know if this camping area can accommodate a 19ft. travel trailer. Any pull through sites? Cheers!
Reviews of Tom's Best Spring Dispersed Camping 142 people have reviewed this location.
Reviewed 4/10/2019
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 0 |
RV Length: | 18' (Teardrop Trailer) |
We tried to stay here on April 8 and the road was closed. Bryce has more snow than usual this year, so hopefully the road will open as the snow melts. We headed up Johns Valley Rd. instead and that was fine for two nights.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful forested campsite”
Reviewed 6/7/2018
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 10 |
Site Number: | 37.7315, -112.2454 |
RV Length: | 21' |
There are campsites along the first 1 1/2 miles of FR117, but none beyond that. There are also sites within the first 100 yards or so on some of the side roads, but I wouldn’t go further down the side roads without scouting first, because some of those roads get pretty rough as you get further from 117. I camped 1 mile in from Hwy 1... more
There are campsites along the first 1 1/2 miles of FR117, but none beyond that. There are also sites within the first 100 yards or so on some of the side roads, but I wouldn’t go further down the side roads without scouting first, because some of those roads get pretty rough as you get further from 117.
I camped 1 mile in from Hwy 12, at 37.7315, -112.2454. It was a delightful site, among the trees but with enough space to get solar for a good part of the day. The site was level and clean. I was there over Memorial Day weekend, and there was a lot of truck and OHV traffic along 117.
I had 3 bars of Verizon, but 4G was poor. The best speed I had was 2.3 Mbps down and 1.5 up, but it was mostly worse than that, and sometimes there was no signal.
There is $5 water, a $5 dump station and dumpsters at the Red Canyon Forest Service Campground (37.7429,-112.3102). Stock up on groceries before you come. The local stores are poorly stocked, and their prices are twice what they should be.
For your first day at Bryce, park at the shuttle parking lot past the gas station in Bryce City, and take the free shuttle. The shuttle serves the visitor center and the viewpoints at the south end of the park, and those parking lots fill up. The next day, drive in to the points at the north end of the park. If you want to go right into the bottom of the canyon, but you don’t want to have to climb all the way back up, park on Bryce Way at 37.6137,-112.1331, and take the Tropic Trail in from the mouth of the canyon for 1.8 miles to the picnic site at 37.6177, -112.1584, right at the intersection of some of the trails from the rim. Go a little further up one of those trails, and you will get stunning views looking up at the hoodoos. Then it’s all down hill back to your vehicle.
John T would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great space, didn’t see a person for days, full fast LTE”
Reviewed 5/20/2018
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
RV Length: | 25' (Travel Trailer) |
There are a ton of spots all over this easily accessible road- our rig has low clearance and terrible suspension and we were just fine. We pulled down the first major left and went down about a mile until we came to a perfect spot over looking the canyon. There were a few tight spots through trees getting back there so don’t recomme... more
There are a ton of spots all over this easily accessible road- our rig has low clearance and terrible suspension and we were just fine.
We pulled down the first major left and went down about a mile until we came to a perfect spot over looking the canyon. There were a few tight spots through trees getting back there so don’t recommend much larger than our 23 footer- but there are plenty of other spaces big rigs can fit.
Being farther down one of the offshoots we literally didn’t see another person until we pulled back out to leave. The views were amazing looking over the canyon but the whole area is pretty- if you go farther down the main road it opens up to a huge meadow with crazy views in the distance and lots of pronghorns grazing.
Also this whole area had some of the fastest LTE coverage we’ve seen!
Vicari.us would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Quiet, Clean and very close to Bryce Canyon and Red Canyon”
Reviewed 5/7/2018
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
Easy access with smooth gravel main road and numerous dirt side roads with plenty of sites and fire rings. Vault toilet at junction of rt 12 and Tom's Best Road. Paved bike trail can be accessed at same location as the vault toilet and runs along south side of rt 12 from Red Canyon all the way into Bryce Canyon. Beautiful location ... more
Easy access with smooth gravel main road and numerous dirt side roads with plenty of sites and fire rings. Vault toilet at junction of rt 12 and Tom's Best Road. Paved bike trail can be accessed at same location as the vault toilet and runs along south side of rt 12 from Red Canyon all the way into Bryce Canyon. Beautiful location with very little trash and lots of sites. Verizon cell service is excellent. Town of Panguitch is about 12 miles or so north on 89 and has a very good - a bit expensive, General Store with lots of fresh produce, meats and other essentials. All in all a highly recommended spot with Bryce Canyon and Red Canyon only short drives away.
KyneKirk would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Good spot”
Reviewed 3/28/2018
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
It was clean and uncrowned. Very close to the park. It’s right off the main road and it’s easily accessible. No 4x4 needed
ccp005 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Another One for the Record Books!”
Reviewed 7/20/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 12 |
RV Length: | 32' |
This place has got it all! The access road is in really good shape, ancillary roads are hit or miss. Some sites are very large and level, and most of them are very well spaced out. The trees are just tight enough to offer nice shade and hammock hanging, while sparse enough to afford a lot of good sun for solar. The Verizon signal ... more
This place has got it all! The access road is in really good shape, ancillary roads are hit or miss. Some sites are very large and level, and most of them are very well spaced out. The trees are just tight enough to offer nice shade and hammock hanging, while sparse enough to afford a lot of good sun for solar. The Verizon signal is strong and very usable.
We went pretty far down the main road, about to right before it opens up in some low lying meadows. There are a ton of spots to chose from and we were being a little picky, which worked out because our spot was absolute perfection. Definitely the kind of place that is worth grabbing the first usable one you find and then scouting for something better, because the sites are sneaky around here. Road look tight but they open up to giant group sites and other good looking roads suddenly end, offering cul-de-sac like camping options at the dead end.
There is a little traffic on the main road as farther back is a popular OHV area, but we camped maybe 100 yards off the main road and barely noticed the traffic through the thick Ponderosa and Juniper trees.
Bryce NP is very close, and there is a serviceable little grocery store in between here and there. We used the dump and water station at Bryce, which is available to non-campers for a $5 self pay fee.
Unlike many places, there is somehow no litter and broken glass here!!!! It's amazing how rare that is, especially the glass part - but it was refreshing.
The elevation keeps it nice and cool here when it's much hotter in nearby places.
NomadicNeighbors would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Access To Bryce, Red Canyon and More”
Reviewed 6/26/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
RV Length: | 31' (Class A) |
We scouted out this area and showed up after filling up with water and dumping at the Red Canyon Campground. Tons of spots exist all along the road. So if you are able, look around to find the best spots. A few easy access spots right off the highway - we went higher and farther back for better views. We had hammock trees, good s... more
We scouted out this area and showed up after filling up with water and dumping at the Red Canyon Campground. Tons of spots exist all along the road. So if you are able, look around to find the best spots. A few easy access spots right off the highway - we went higher and farther back for better views.
We had hammock trees, good sun/solar and great internet.
The road is fairly busy and dusty - so get off of it if you can. Truck campers/tenters will find lots of tucked away spots on the side roads, either side. It did get busy on the weekend.
We went into Panguitch for groceries (about a 20 minute drive) and the small store has a good selection and prices - but not open on Sundays! Laundry at a nearby Bryce Canyon Pines Campground (Chevron Station).
There are a few geocaches in the area, easy 4 wheeling and access to the paved bike trail - goes between Red Canyon and Bryce (and access to other mountain biking trails).
2WanderAway - Shannon would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Trees surround you and the chatter of cows will have you laughing”
Reviewed 6/25/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 14 |
We for some reason decided to check out southern Utah in June/July and they were having a crazy heat wave. Luckily we found an RV park that was about $13 a day in Panguitch before the temperatures cooled. We checked out all the areas and this had the best spots for larger rigs. It's close to Panguitch if you need gas, groceries or prop... more
We for some reason decided to check out southern Utah in June/July and they were having a crazy heat wave. Luckily we found an RV park that was about $13 a day in Panguitch before the temperatures cooled. We checked out all the areas and this had the best spots for larger rigs. It's close to Panguitch if you need gas, groceries or propane. The best part though is it's in Dixie National Forest, close to Red Canyon, a 10 minute drive to Bryce Canyon National Park, 50 miles to Escalante (and the national monument), 30 minutes to Panguitch Lake, an hour and a half to Kanarraville and Zion National Park.
This location does get a lot of ATVers, but they have all been very good about slowing down when they go by us. This is a popular spot so be aware that it might be busy with cars as well. If you can look past that it's amazing. The paved bike path is right across the street with a parking lot and if you must they have vault toilets. It starts about 5 miles towards Red Canyon and then goes all the way through Bryce Canyon National Park.
This spot is also at about 7,700' in elevation, so you might need to acclimate a little. When we were here there was a huge fire in Brian Head. It was incredibly sad since it was man started and hit 45,000+ acres. The smoke covered the area and you could smell it all the time. So please as boondockers, be very careful about when you think you should have a fire.
Again, this place is awesome! You get a lot of space and even though it's off a busy road you rarely hear it or if you go far enough in, you won't be able to hear it. There are multiple turn offs that you can go down, but if you are too big, you might want to scout. If the spots are full you will have some problems turning around.
We would definitely stay here again. Verizon was awesome on our phones, but if you need it as a hot spot, the download and upload waiver around 1 mbps. We were able to stream Fire TV and play PS4. Some spots had great exposure to the sun for solar, but others would only get a couple hours of sun because the trees are so thick and/or high.
I was pleasantly surprised to see all the spots clean and no garbage. let's keep that up!
Lastly, this is a roaming place for cows. They have free range, but will usually stay away from your RV. We had them walk past our RV at a distance a couple times and the dogs went nuts. You can hear them moo-ing at each other and you can watch their babies play.
33andfree would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great access to Bryce Canyon National Park and Red Rock Canyon. 7700 ft elevation. Wooded area. ”
Reviewed 5/23/2017
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Loved this gem. Short drive to Bryce for great hiking.
fillingourbucket would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Bentmaps would stay here again!”
Reviewed 5/19/2017
Days stayed: | 1 |
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Easy access to Bryce National Park, about 15 minute drive and to Red Rock Canyon. There is a sign on Hwy. 12 that says Tom's Best Spring Rd. Multiple sites as you continue to drive farther down the road. We picked the first available site, about three in. It was very quiet, no visible neighbors. Occasional car would pass. Easy ac... more
Easy access to Bryce National Park, about 15 minute drive and to Red Rock Canyon. There is a sign on Hwy. 12 that says Tom's Best Spring Rd. Multiple sites as you continue to drive farther down the road. We picked the first available site, about three in. It was very quiet, no visible neighbors. Occasional car would pass. Easy access with our low mini van.
Bentmaps.com would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Confusing directions from the reviews”
Reviewed 5/9/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
We saw the sign for Toms best spring from Johns Valley rd. We had no cell/internet service so we were a bit confused as how far to drive before we started to see the dispersed camping sites. We did see the actual Toms Spring, as you do have to drive through Hunt creek to get to it. When we finally obtained cell/internet service we re... more
We saw the sign for Toms best spring from Johns Valley rd. We had no cell/internet service so we were a bit confused as how far to drive before we started to see the dispersed camping sites. We did see the actual Toms Spring, as you do have to drive through Hunt creek to get to it.
When we finally obtained cell/internet service we realized we were coming from the opposite direction.
We were able to find a decent site to camp for 1 night. As it was a bit busy.
Those leaving reviews should add a bit more details and direction.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
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- Dispersed Camping
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