Camping near Payson, Utah

Camping near Payson at a glance

Public campgrounds

4 (4 National Forest)

Getting a site

4 reservable

Cost

Lowest posted fee at Maple Bench: "From $25.68 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day"

Distance from Payson

5.6 miles (Maple Bench) to 11 miles (Blackhawk) in a straight line; 4 within 15 miles

Elevation

5,800 ft (Maple Bench) to 8,000 ft (Blackhawk), 4 of 4 on record

Campsites

144 across the 4 campgrounds that state a count

RVs

2 take RVs; no hookups on record; longest stated RV length 128 ft (Payson Lakes)

Distances are straight-line miles from Payson's point in the US Census Bureau Gazetteer (2025), not driving distances. Every other fact comes from each campground's own sourced record, linked from its page.

More campgrounds within 30 miles of Payson

• Tinney Flat, 9.3 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $25.68 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Santaquin.
• Whiting, 13 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $27.45 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Mapleton.
• Utah Lake Lakeshore Campground, 14 miles from Payson in a straight line , State Park , reservable ($50/night (water and 30-amp electric, first vehicle); $40 per extra vehicle (1 max)); listed under camping near Provo.
• Diamond, 17 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $27.45 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Spanish Fork.
• Cherry, 17 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $27.45 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Springville.
• Bear Canyon, 17 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $91.78 per group site per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Nephi.
• Cottonwood, 18 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ($10 per vehicle for 3 days, $20 for 7 days, $60 per year (day use/overnight pass)); listed under camping near Nephi.
• Rock Canyon, 18 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $98.30 per group site per night (Recreation.gov listing)); listed under camping near Orem.
• Diamond Fork Group Sites, 19 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable ; listed under camping near Spanish Fork.
• Ponderosa, 19 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $25.84 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Nephi.
• Hope, 20 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $27.45 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Orem.
• Dry Canyon (diamond Fork), 20 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ($10 per vehicle for 3 days, $20 for 7 days, $60 per season (day use/overnight pass)); listed under camping near Spanish Fork.
• Balsam, 21 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $27.45 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Springville.
• Sawmill Hollow, 22 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ($10 per vehicle for 3 days, $20 for 7 days, $60 per season (day use/overnight pass)); listed under camping near Spanish Fork.
• Unicorn Ridge, 24 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ($10 per vehicle for 3 days, $20 for 7 days, $60 per season (day use/overnight pass)); listed under camping near Spanish Fork.
• Theater-in-the-pines Group Campground, 26 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $362.20 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Orem.
• Mt Timpanogos, 27 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $27.45 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near Orem.
• Timpooneke, 28 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $27.45 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near American Fork.
• Altamont Group Campground, 28 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $312.61 per night (Recreation.gov listing)); listed under camping near Orem.
• Salamander Flat, 29 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , first-come ($10 per vehicle for 3 days, $20 for 7 days, $60 per season (day use/overnight pass)); listed under camping near American Fork.
• Little Mill, 29 miles from Payson in a straight line , National Forest , reservable (From $27.45 per night (Recreation.gov listing); extra vehicle $10 per day); listed under camping near American Fork.
• Chokecherry Campground, 29 miles from Payson in a straight line , State Park , reservable (Full hookup $50-$60/night (30 or 50 amp); tent sites $35; $30 per extra camping unit); listed under camping near Midway.
• Fox Den Campground, 29 miles from Payson in a straight line , State Park , reservable ($60/night (full hookups, 50 amp; includes 1 vehicle); $30 per extra camping unit); listed under camping near Midway.
• Great Horned Owl Campground, 29 miles from Payson in a straight line , State Park , reservable ($40/night (no hookups; includes 1 vehicle); $30 per extra camping unit); listed under camping near Midway.

Things to do near Payson

Public land and water within 30 miles of Payson, the public land its campgrounds sit in, and landmarks at those campgrounds, nearest first.

• Salem Pond fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 3.8 miles from Payson; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, all 4 campgrounds here sit inside this national forest, the nearest Maple Bench at 5.6 miles from Payson; publiclandsdb.com has its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary.
• Utah Lake State Park, a state park whose mapped point is 10 miles from Payson; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Utah Lake fishing, a fishing water whose mapped point is 13 miles from Payson; stocking record and species on fishypedia.com.
• Mount Nebo Wilderness, a wilderness area whose mapped point is 18 miles from Payson; its permit and camping rules and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Three Forks, a swimming hole whose mapped point is 21 miles from Payson; swimming details on swimholesmap.com.
• Fifth Water Hot Springs, a hot spring whose mapped point is 22 miles from Payson; soaking details on swimholesmap.com.
• Bridal Veil Falls, a waterfall whose mapped point is 22 miles from Payson; details on the falls on swimholesmap.com.
• Camp Floyd State Park Museum, a state park whose mapped point is 24 miles from Payson; its hours, entrance fee, and boundary on publiclandsdb.com.
• Stewart Falls, a waterfall whose mapped point is 25 miles from Payson; details on the falls on swimholesmap.com.

Supplies and emergencies near Payson

Nearest emergency room: Mountain View Hospital, 1000 E 100 S, Payson, UT, 1.3 miles from Payson , (801) 465-7100. Next nearest: Intermountain Health Spanish Fork Hospital, 765 East Market Place Drive, Spanish Fork, UT, 8.3 miles, (385) 344-5000. Both report emergency services in the CMS Hospital General Information dataset (accessed 2026-09-26) ; the location of Intermountain Health Spanish Fork Hospital is from OpenStreetMap, the Census geocoder could not place its address. In an emergency, call 911.

Groceries

• Smith's supermarket · 0.2 miles · (801) 465-9213 · Hours Mo-Su 06:00-24:00
• Fast Gas convenience store · 0.3 miles
• Last Chance Store convenience store · 0.7 miles

Fuel

• Smith's Fuel Center fuel station · 0.3 miles · Hours 24/7
• Exxon fuel station · 0.3 miles
• Last Chance fuel station · 0.7 miles · Hours unknown

RV dump station

• Springville / Provo KOA RV park · 12 miles · (801) 491-0700
• Lakeside RV Campground RV park · 14 miles · (801) 373-5267
• Utah Lake State Park Campground campground · 14 miles

Pharmacy

• Smith's Pharmacy pharmacy · 0.2 miles
• Walgreens pharmacy · 0.7 miles
• Mountain View Family Pharmacy pharmacy · 1.5 miles

Laundromat

• Nebo Laundry laundromat · 0.3 miles · Hours 05:00-23:00
• Tumbl Laundry Mat laundromat · 4.2 miles
• Day-Nite Laundromat laundromat · 11 miles · Hours Mo-Su 07:00-22:00

Not mapped in OpenStreetMap within 25 miles of Payson: propane, potable water fill, and ice. Stores, fuel, propane, dump stations, water fill, laundromats, and pharmacies are the nearest few mapped within 25 miles, straight-line, © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of 2026-09-29; this extract under the ODbL). Hours are as mapped; call ahead.

Common questions