U.S. Forest Service · Ashley National Forest · Utah

Cottonwood River Camp

Cottonwood is on the north side of the river 8.75 miles below the dam and 1.55 miles below Little Hole. Site has one table, one fire ring, two tent pads, portable toilet screen and two benches. Site has natural shade. Capacity: 10 people. Hike in from Little Hole or boat in from the Spillway or Little Hole. Sites are along the banks of the Green River on Section B, downstream from Little Hole. Vegetation is Pinyon pine, juniper, sagebrush, Ponderosa pine and river bottom shrubs and grasses. Reservations may be by calling 1-877-444-6777 or reserve online at Recreation.gov. All other sites are first come, first served.

Open nowPartly reservableDark skyFrom $13 per nightTents only

Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

More like this: first-come in Utah · reservable in Utah · tent only in Utah

Cottonwood River Camp
Photo from the area. Carpenter, Kenneth (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
1fire
active
D1 Pondo Rx (prescribed burn) · 31 mi away · 532 acres
Interagency incident data as of 2026-10-26
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesCampsite Fees: $13.00/night; winter fees $5.00/night October 1 – March 31. This campsite is located in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and will also require the purchase of a Recreational Use Pass.
Dark sky9 miles from Dinosaur National Monument, a certified International Dark Sky Park

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonAll Year
ForestAshley National Forest
BookingReservations may be by calling 1-877-444-6777 or reserve online at Recreation.gov. All other sites are first come, first served.
FeesCampsite Fees: $13.00/night; winter fees $5.00/night October 1 – March 31. This campsite is located in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and will also require the purchase of a Recreational Use Pass.
RulesThis is primarily a boat-in camp facility. It is also accessible by foot travel.

Ashley National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Cottonwood River Camp10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 0.61 inches of precipitation, 3.6 inches of snowFebruary: 0.64 inches of precipitation, 2.2 inches of snowMarch: 0.61 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowApril: 0.69 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowMay: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.54 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 0.65 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.59 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.20 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.09 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowNovember: 0.47 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowDecember: 0.57 inches of precipitation, 4.5 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 19.0°F averageFebruary: 27.2°F averageMarch: 41.3°F averageApril: 49.8°F averageMay: 59.5°F averageJune: 69.8°F averageJuly: 76.6°F averageAugust: 74.1°F averageSeptember: 64.2°F averageOctober: 50.1°F averageNovember: 36.1°F averageDecember: 22.5°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Dinosaur Nm-Quarry Area, 10 miles from the campground at 4,802 feet, station USC00422173 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 9 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 12 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates40.5449° N, 109.1728° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    D1 Pondo Rx

    31 mi from the campground · 532 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearRedneck Archery and Pro Shop ↗19.2 mi
Dump stationDump station ↗24.1 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Cottonwood BLM Campground Tour -- Salmon River Camping in Idaho

Worth a stop

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside John Wesley Powell.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Cottonwood River Camp?

For some sites. Some sites take reservations on Recreation.gov. Others are first-come, first-served.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Cottonwood River Camp?

Campsite Fees: $13.00/night; winter fees $5.00/night October 1 – March 31. This campsite is located in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area and will also require the purchase of a Recreational Use Pass.

Source: Forest Service

Is Cottonwood River Camp open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026. Season All Year.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Cottonwood River Camp?

Cottonwood River Camp is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

Is Cottonwood River Camp good for stargazing?

Dinosaur National Monument, a certified International Dark Sky Park, is 9 miles away. Skies that dark carry for miles; a moonless night here should show the Milky Way.

Source: DarkSky International

What if Cottonwood River Camp is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Cats Paw River Camp (under 0.1 mi), Bootleg River Camp (0.1 mi), and Sand River Camp (0.1 mi, partly first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby