Farmington Canyon
35 min $/0
There are some great places to camp up Farmington Canyon. During the winter, Farmington Canyon has been closed at the lower gate and is only open to snowmobiles, 4 wheelers or foot traffic and usually opens in May up to the Y in the road, until the roads are clear on top. See http://www.fs.usda.gov/uwcnf for updates. The Forest Service is currently considering keeping it closed until June 15th.
From the above website as of 5/5/19:
"Farmington Canyon and Ward Canyon roads in Davis County were scheduled to open on May 1st, but due to snow and wet/muddy conditions the roads will remain closed until dry enough to support motorized vehicles over 50 inches."
The Forest Service is planning on closing Sunset campground at the end of 2018. At Sunset campground (which is first one and before the Y), signs may indicate that it is closed (in the spring or fall). I wouldn't worry about it. I've seen the campground half full when the sign says it is closed. It probably means that the restrooms are closed and no one is collecting money.
There are established and non-established camping areas up Farmington Canyon. However, because of the steep terrain the non-established campable areas are few a far between until you get to the top. It is a long, winding, kind of scary (but safe) dirt road to get there. Go north on 100 East in Farmington, it changes to Skyline Drive and heads up the canyon. The first campground you come to is Sunset and has nine single and 1 double site, which are first come first served and fairly close together and usually fill up fast. They are $14 per site and $8 for extra vehicles. See http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/uwcnf/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=9068&actid=29 for more info. Most of the sites are small and only have enough room for one or two tents. There is a nice waterfall that you can hike down to on the Farmington Canyon trail. There is a sign on the southwest side of the campground. It's only about 1/4 mile down the trail, or you can hike it from the bottom at the parking lot where the pavements ends.
Just across the road from Sunset is a wooden stairway leading up the hill to a nice little campsite. It's as good as or better than the other sites and I don't know if it is part of the fee area. It has room for about three tents:
Going further up the road, the road splits and there is a place you could camp there at the Y. It's not a great place, but doable if the gates are closed. There are gates just above the Y on both roads that are locked in the winter until the roads are clear, usually in May. If you go right at the fork and then the next left, you come to Bountiful Peak Campground. There are about 25 pay sites for $16 and are first-come-first serve and an extra $8 for extra vehicles over one (park it out on the road). Most of the sites are fairly small, for one or two tents. There are three double sites, for a double fee. If they have 2 tables they are double sites. This is site #2:
There is also a group site nearby that is reservable for $150. For more information see:
or http://www.recreation.gov/camping/Bountiful_Peak_Campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73612 or http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/uwcnf/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=9068&actid=31 for information.
Here is a summary of the sites and number of tents possible. The even numbered sites are on the left and odd on the right as you go around the loop to the right. There are some skipped numbers. The largest single price site is probable 24 and the largest double is 25.
1) by a creek, 2 medium & 1 small tent. 2) 1 medium & 1 small tent. 3) large table, 1 medium & 1 small tent. 4) 1 small, RV spot. 5) 1 small. 6) 1 large. 7) 1 small. 8) 1 small & 1 medium. 9) large site but currently a mess, I don't think you can camp there. 11) 1 medium & 1 small. 12) 1 large and 1 medium. 13) 1 medium. 14) 1 medium and 1 small. 15) 2 small.16) 1 medium & 2 small, RV spot. 17) 2 small no table, needs some work. 19) several, RV spot. 20) no table, 1 large & 1 medium. 21) several tents, RV spot. 22)1 large & 1 small. 24) 2 large & two medium. 25) double, largest site, you can put a few tents down in the meadow. 27) 1 large & 3 small depending on ground water. 28) 1 medium & RV spot 29) double spot, several tents, has broken bench on one table. 30) or 32) 1 medium. 33) 1 medium, but secluded 35) double, several tents
There are also a lot of primitive campsites around that are free. Double click on the map to see some of them in red. At the junction just below Bountiful Peaks CG, look to your left going uphill and you will see some rock stairs going up the hill. It leads to a pretty large site, but with just small trees.
If you continue up the road past Bountiful Peaks CG, there are quite a few places to camp. On the left, just past the campground entrance you will see a dirt parking area where people have camped. There is a better place to camp just beyond the parking lot. Not much further up the road is another good place on left without a parking lot. But, there is room on the shoulder to park. You will see a post there for, some reason. Further up the hill are some more nice spots. The road eventually loops around back to the first junction, the Y.
If you go right at both junctions you will pass by a turnoff on the right with a nice spot to camp and a little further up you will see a couple ponds. There are a couple nice camping spots by the third pond called Farmington Lake. But, it is about a 10 minute hike to get to them.
Follow the trail around the left side of the first two or three (marshy) ponds, cross a small creek and go up the hill to Farmington Lake. Here is a photo of the lake. It is pretty clear, you could wade in it.
The two camping spots are up and over the ridge to the right of the lake and down hill. Here is the lower one with room for several tents.
The second is just up the hill in some thick pine trees. It has room for a small and a medium size tent. You could fit a larger group using both sites.
There are more flat places further up the road.
Up the road above the ponds is a couple pull-offs on the right where you could camp.
Another option is to backpack from the bottom up on the Farmington Canyon trail. It starts at the parking area to the right of a U shaped turn and the pavement ends. About 0.4 miles from the parking lot and trailhead you'll see somewhat of a trail headed town towards the river. Head down and there is a primitive little camping spot overlooking the river. There isn't a lot of room for tents, but you could find enough flat places for at least 8 under the stars.
There is also a smaller site just off the trail just above the big falls, about 1.5 miles up. There is room there for about 6 people.