Needles Campground, also known as Squaw Flat Campground, is the primary developed camping area within the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. Situated about 3 miles west of the Needles Visitor Center along the main park road (UT-211), it provides a convenient base for exploring the district’s iconic sandstone spires, hiking trails, and backcountry routes. The campground is open year-round and offers a rustic desert camping experience amid red rock formations, piñon-juniper woodlands, and expansive views of the surrounding canyons. It’s ideal for tent campers, small RVs (up to 28 feet in length due to tight turns and limited maneuvering space), and groups seeking immersion in the park’s remote beauty, though it lacks modern conveniences like hookups or showers to preserve the natural environment.
The campground features 26 individual sites divided into two loops (A and B), plus three group sites for larger parties. Loop A operates on a first-come, first-served basis year-round, while Loop B allows reservations during peak seasons (March 15–June 30 and September 1–October 31) up to six months in advance via Recreation.gov. Group sites accommodate 11–50 people and are also reservable. Each individual site includes a picnic table, fire ring with grill, and space for up to 10 people and 2 vehicles. Amenities are basic: vault toilets are available, but there is no potable water on-site (visitors must fill up at the visitor center), no electricity, no dump station, and no showers. Trash and recycling collection is provided, and firewood gathering is prohibited—bring your own or purchase it locally. Generator use is restricted to specific hours (typically 8 a.m.–10 a.m. and 4 p.m.–8 p.m.) to minimize noise.
Fees are $20 per night for individual sites and range from $90 (11–20 campers) to $135 (21–30 campers) for group sites, with a $10 discount for holders of Interagency Senior or Access passes. Check-in is after 8:30 a.m., and check-out is by 10 a.m., with a 7-day camping limit during peak seasons. Reservations can fill quickly, especially in spring and fall when temperatures are mild (daytime highs 60–80°F), so booking early is recommended; otherwise, arrive early for first-come sites. Regulations emphasize low-impact practices: pets must be leashed (and are not allowed on trails), quiet hours are 8 p.m.–8 a.m., and all food must be stored properly to avoid attracting wildlife like ravens or rodents. Visitors should prepare for extreme weather—hot summers (over 100°F with no shade), cold winters (below freezing), and potential flash floods—and carry ample water (at least 1 gallon per person per day). The campground’s proximity to trails like Chesler Park and Elephant Hill makes it a hub for day hikes, but its remote location (75miles from Moab) means no nearby services; stock up on supplies in Monticello or Moab..
Campground Map
Description and History of the Needles Region of Canyonlands National Park
The Needles District, encompassing the southeastern portion of Canyonlands National Park, is renowned for its striking landscape of multicolored sandstone spires, towers, and fins formed from Cedar Mesa Sandstone, creating a maze-like terrain of red-and-white banded rock formations that resemble needles piercing the sky. Covering about 74 square miles, it’s the most accessible yet least crowded district of the park, located roughly 40 miles south of Moab or 14 miles north of Monticello via US-191, then 35 miles west on the paved UT-211 (which dead-ends in the park). The area features dramatic canyons, grassy meadows like Chesler Park, ancient ruins, and panoramic overlooks such as Confluence Overlook, where the Green and Colorado Rivers meet. Elevation ranges from 4,500 to 6,000 feet, supporting sparse desert vegetation including yucca, prickly pear cactus, and piñon pines, with wildlife like bighorn sheep, coyotes, and golden eagles commonly spotted.
Activities center on exploration: over 60 miles of hiking trails (from short loops like Slickrock Foot Trail to multi-day backpacks into Salt Creek), 50 miles of challenging four-wheel-drive roads (e.g., Elephant Hill, one of the toughest in Utah with steep switchbacks and rock ledges), and rock climbing on the sandstone features. Backcountry permits are required for overnight stays outside developed areas, and ranger-led programs (evening talks at the campground April–June and September–November) educate on geology, ecology, and history. The Needles Visitor Center, open spring through fall, provides exhibits, maps, permits, and a year-round water filling station. The district’s remoteness fosters solitude, but visitors must prepare for limited cell service, no fuel or food in the park, and variable weather—flash floods in monsoon season (July–September) or snow in winter.
Human history in the Needles spans over 10,000 years, beginning with Paleoindians who hunted big game and gathered plants in the post-Ice Age era. By 2,000 years ago, Ancestral Puebloans (formerly called Anasazi) thrived here, farming corn, beans, and squash in the fertile canyons, constructing granaries, dwellings, and rock art panels (petroglyphs and pictographs) that remain visible today, such as at Tower Ruin or Newspaper Rock nearby. These peoples left around 1300 CE due to drought or resource depletion, with later Ute, Paiute, and Navajo groups using the area seasonally. European exploration began in the 19th century, notably with John Wesley Powell’s 1869 and 1871 expeditions down the Green and Colorado Rivers, which mapped the canyons but bypassed much of the Needles interior.
In the early 20th century, cowboys grazed cattle in the grassy parks, and the 1950s uranium boom brought prospectors who built primitive roads (now used for 4WD trails) while searching for ore, inadvertently opening the area to outsiders. The park’s creation stemmed from the 1950s advocacy of Bates Wilson, superintendent of nearby Arches National Monument, who explored the Needles in 1959 and pushed for protection amid growing interest in desert preservation under President Kennedy’s administration. Canyonlands National Park was established on September 12, 1964, by President Lyndon B. Johnson, encompassing the Needles as one of its three districts (along with Island in the Sky and The Maze). Early controversies in the 1960s–1970s centered on development: initial plans for extensive roads (e.g., to Chesler Park) clashed with wilderness advocates, leading to limited access and a focus on backcountry preservation. Today, the Needles embodies this balance, protecting cultural sites under the Antiquities Act while offering low-impact recreation, with ongoing efforts to collaborate with Tribal nations on heritage management.