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Joes Valley Reservoir Campground is located in a high mountain valley adjacent to and just above Joes Valley Reservoir at an elevation of ~7,000 feet. Juniper, pinyon pine, and sagebrush cover the area, and aspen and pine dot the surrounding hillsides. Several sites provide nice views of the reservoir, and some sites are shaded. The campground contains several single- and double-family campsites, all of which are accessible. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided. Roads and parking spurs are paved. A boat ramp is located within the campground. The reservoir offers good fishing for cutthroat, rainbow trout, and trophy splake. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing, water skiing, and canoeing, as well as horseback riding, hiking, and mountain biking. The expansive Arapeen OHV Trail System can be accessed just west of the reservoir and has more than 350 miles of designated, well-maintained trails that are suitable for all riding skill levels.
From Orangeville, Utah, head northwest on State Route 29 and travel for ~14 miles until you see Joes Valley Reservoir. Continue to follow SR-29 around the reservoir for about 5 more miles to the west side of the reservoir, past the Pavilion. Head southeast on Forest Road 0170 for 0.14 miles, then head east on Forest Road 0167 into the campground area.
$10 per night for single unit, $18 per night for double unit.
Parking is available at overlooks and fishing areas around the lake.
Joes Valley is one of the earliest areas on the Wasatch Plateau to open for recreation. However upper elevation roads leading from Joes Valley are unpaved and impassable until late spring or early summer.
Great campground at Joe's Valley Reservoir. Not all of the camp spots have shade, but most are big enough for an RV or trailer. The Reservoir features great fishing, and in the summer is warm enough to swim, paddle board, etc. You also have easy access to Skyline drive for ATV's and other fun in the high country.
Joes Valley Campground is beautiful campground in the idle of Manti-La Sal mountain range.
The campground is clean and well kept. We stayed in site 26. There were trees on both sides of the campsite and there is ample spacing between sites. There are water spigots throughout the campground to fill water containers, but non at the individual sites.
There are no trash bins onsite, so what you bring in, you have to pack out. The campground sits right on the Joes Valley Reservoir which is a beautiful turquoise color and is great for boating and fishing. The water is still very cold for swimming.
There is no shortage of biking, hiking and riding trails. The campground sits adjacent to the Arapeen Tail which is a network of OHV trails. We stayed two nights here and wished we could stay more. Will definitely be back. Highly recommend.
Update - 2022- 2023 was a good winter water year. The reservoir is now full. We were there in July and the wildflowers were still beautiful everywhere, but up by Mary's lake is especially lovely with wildflowers and everything was still green.
There are picnic table and fire pits at each site. Potable water @ three locations around the campground, but we fill up in Orangeville town site, before going up the canyon. Bring your own wood and haul your trash away. There's a large assortment of four wheeling trails. It's a good idea to have a map, because it is such a vast area and it's easy to get turned around. We have a paper map, but we also use the GAIA app. There was still snow on skyline drive as of the middle of July 2023, but there are many trails that have full access. We had no problems spending the whole day, each day out on trails, we were there 5 days.
2021-Beautiful place to camp fish and four wheel. But the lake is very low and difficult to get a boat in right now. And they want you to bring your own water because of the drought. But we go here every year and it's wonderful.
The campsites are very nice and they are quite level. The view of the lake from the site we always choose is really beautiful. My only issue is that I wish there were campsites with easier access to the lake so that we don't have to haul our kayaks, canopies, lunches, beach toys, chairs etc each time we want to play on the water. But it's a really nice place to stay.
Comfortable camp spots with clean pit toilets. Ample water for cooking and cleanup. Some sites may be a bit exposed, though many are nestled in trees and relatively private. Great access to the reservoir and be sure to check out the smaller lakes and and forest nearby.
