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Sand Island Recreation Area
BLMBureau of Land Management — Monticello · Utah · Bears Ears National Monument
| Agency | BLMBureau of Land Management |
|---|---|
| Area | Bears Ears National Monument |
| Location | Monticello · Utah · Bears Ears National Monument · 37.26256, -109.61034 · Map |
| Sites | 23 public sites counted from the federal listing — 23 standard nonelectric |
| Getting a site | Reservable — the federal listing marks this campground as taking reservations. Some sites or seasons may still be first-come; the listing’s own words are below. |
| Hookups | Electric at 0 of 23 sites Water hookups at 0 of 23 sites Sewer hookups at 0 of 23 sites Full hookups (all three at one site) at 0 of 23 sites Counted site by site from affirmative reports in the federal record. A site with no report is not counted either way. |
| Max RV length | Not reported in the federal data |
| Months open | Not in federal data — the federal listing does not publish a season for this campground. Check the official description below or Recreation.gov. |
| Fees | The campground at Sand Island Recreation Area is first come, first served and payment must be made upon arrival at the self-register kiosk at the campground using cash, check, or the Scan & Pay feature on the Recreation.gov mobile app. You must have the Recreation.gov app installed on your mobile device to use the Scan & Pay payment method. There is no fee for day use. |
| Check-in / out | In 00:00 PM · Out 11:00 AM (most common in the listing) |
| Pets | Allowed at 23 sites, as reported |
Check availability & book on Recreation.gov →
This site takes no reservations and shows no live availability. Source: Recreation.gov (RIDB export pulled November 5, 2026); this listing was last updated in the federal record on 2026-02-25.
From the official listing
Overview Sand Island Recreation Area is a good camping option for visitors launching San Juan River float trips , or wishing to camp close to the town of Bluff or the Cedar Mesa area of Bears Ears National Monument. The campground provides 21 campsites that each feature a tent/trailer space, a picnic table, a fire ring, and vault toilets. Drinking water is available seasonally (typically March through October). Each campsite can hold 8 people and 2 vehicles. Reservations are not available for camping at this location. Individual campsites are available on a first come, first served basis upon arrival at the self-register kiosk at the site. The Sand Island Group Sites are available for larger groups, and may be reserved here .
Recreation Sand Island is the primary launch point for multi-day San Juan River float trips. San Juan River trips provide boaters with access to spectacular canyons rich in scenery, geology, archeology, history and wildlife. A river permit is required in advance. The Sand Island Petroglyph Panel site is located on the sandstone walls on the north side of the recreation area. There are many nearby hiking and scenic driving opportuites in the Cedar Mesa area of Bears Ears National Monument.
Natural Features Sand Island is located along the San Juan River. Cottonwood trees line the banks of the river and are scattered throughout the campground, providing shade at many of the sites. The north side of the campground is lined with red sandstone walls.
Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (435) 587-1500. Nearby Attractions
Bears Ears National Monument San Juan River Cedar Mesa Valley of the Gods Goosenecks State Park
Charges & Cancellations No refunds are available.
Directions, from the listing
The recreation area is located off U.S. Route 191 approximately three miles west of Bluff, UT and approximately one mile east of the junction of U.S. Routes 163 and 191. It is accessible by all passenger vehicles.
Nearest federal campgrounds
0 mi straight-line · Monticello UtahNPSNational Park ServiceNatural Bridges Campground
32 mi straight-line · UtahFSU.S. Forest ServiceDevils Canyon
35 mi straight-line · UtahFSU.S. Forest ServiceNizhoni
36 mi straight-line · UtahFSU.S. Forest ServiceBuckboard
44 mi straight-line · Monticello Utah
Trip Card — Sand Island Recreation Area
Monticello · Utah · Bears Ears National Monument
| Agency | BLM · Bureau of Land Management |
|---|---|
| Location | Monticello · Utah · Bears Ears National Monument |
| Fees | The campground at Sand Island Recreation Area is first come, first served and payment must be made upon arrival at the self-register kiosk at the campground using cash, check, or t… |
| Getting a site | Reservable |
| Hookups | None reported |
| Max RV | Not reported |
| Months open | Not in federal data |
| Sites | 23 sites |
Book: recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10214711 · Source: Recreation.gov, pulled November 5, 2026. Facility details come from federal recreation data and may be out of date — this site takes no reservations and shows no live availability; confirm details and book through Recreation.gov or the managing agency.