Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway: Campground Review and Photos
Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway is perfectly situated between Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park in Moab, Utah!
But, if you’re looking for a complete vacation destination, this campground also offers family friendly amenities, incredible views, and an onsite gas station.
In the review below, you’ll find everything you need to know about this campground from site photos to an overview of the property’s amenities.
We’ve camped here during our trips to Moab, both in our travel trailer and in the cute cabins.
We originally chose this campground for its convenient location, but keep returning for the views and many things to do.
If you’re looking for a campground that blends fun with a laid back desert feel, add the Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway to your Utah itinerary!
The main camping area at Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway for shorter travel trailers and RVs
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Camping in Moab, Utah: What to Consider
We ended up choosing the Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway on our first trip to Moab because the little casitas were cheaper than a hotel for us and our kids.
Then, we loved the experience so much that we’ve returned in our travel trailer to see what the other side of the campground is like. It was one of the first places that I booked when planning our Utah Mighty Five road trip with our kids!
While I know that the Sun Outdoors campground is expensive compared to some of the free options in Moab, I’ve felt that the extra splurge was worth it to have activities and amenities to help our family relax at the end of a busy day of hiking and exploring.
Other Camping Options Nearby
For such a small town, Moab has a lot of camping options.
PIN ME!
Whether you’re looking for free boondocking spots on BLM land, or a full service campground, you’ll find plenty of places that fit your requirements.
In addition to the Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway, which is located about 5 miles north of downtown Moab, the company also has a campground downtown called, creatively, Sun Outdoors Moab Downtown.
While this campground is within walking distance of many restaurants and activities in Moab, the lots here are really tight, so it is all about location over comfort.
NOTE: If you are looking for where to eat and what to do in Moab, check out my itinerary for 3 days in Moab, Utah.
Most of the campgrounds that you’ll find within Moab proper will have this same issue as land is at a premium.
If you’re partial to the KOA campground brand, you’ll find one of those in south Moab. The Moab KOA Holiday is not within walking distance of the grocery stores and shops, but it is a very short drive into downtown Moab.
Because the KOA is just outside of the main downtown area, you get more of the desert feel there than you do with some of the other Moab campgrounds.
Another option here is to try and nab one of the campgrounds inside either Canyonlands National Park or Arches National Park. Just be aware that these are very limited and the sites get snapped up quickly.
Additionally, these sites do not have hook-ups, so you’ll need to be prepared to boondock.
And, speaking of boondocking, there are some other really great options if you can’t get one of the coveted spots inside the national park.
Look to BLM like the small campground at the trailhead to the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite or the multiple boondocking campgrounds along Potash Road.
Truly, Moab camping has something for everyone and every budget.
For more information on the camping near Canyonlands, Arches, and the other national parks, read my guide to the best RV camping at the Utah national parks.
Canyonlands Gateway Campground Review
Since we’ve stayed at this campground more than once over multiple years, I’m going to compile as much as possible to give you a truly complete review.
That being said, if something stuck out during one of our experiences, I’ve made a note of that, but, overall, we have enjoyed our experiences here immensely.
Check-in Process
The campground is perfect for a Wild West photo shoot!
We’ve found the employees here at the campground to be helpful and friendly during our stays.
On our most recent trip, we arrived just a few minutes before check-in time, coming from our stay at Pa-Co-Chu-Puk campground inside Ridgway State Park in Colorado.
We’d had a wonderful stay there, and I was excited to come back to Moab for more hiking and exploring.
Despite our slightly early arrival, the lady who was working the desk promptly got us into our site. I never assume that we’ll be able to check in early as we’ve literally had other campgrounds turn us away 15 minutes before check-in time officially starts.
I’d also wanted to extend our time in Moab by for few days, and she quickly added that to our reservation and made sure to put us in a site that we wouldn’t have to leave for the duration of our now extended stay.
The check-in area is inside the camp store/gas station. There is a dedicated booth for campers so that you don’t have to wait with those who are in the store just to pick up snacks or drinks.
Individual Campsite Review
On our most recent trip, we were placed in site 53, which is on the second row from the back of the general camping area.
It was a standard pull-through lot with 30/50 amp power, water, and sewer hook-ups.
NOTE: All of the sites here have full hook-ups. The main difference between the different categories comes down to how long your site is. There are some sites near the casitas that will hold RVs and trailers up to 110 feet!
Our Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH travel trailer is small (only 22’!), so it fit just fine in one of the standard sized sites.
The lots aren’t huge, but they’re pretty standard for what you get in a privately owned campground like those in the Sun Outdoors or KOA brands. We had neighbors on both sides for a few days of our stay, and they were close, but not so much as to feel squished.
All of the sites at the Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway have pea gravel down, which helps keep the place from getting muddy after the occasional summer storms. However, it does get dusty during the heat of the summer, and I recommend bringing an outdoor rug with stakes to keep some of that dust outside and not in your camper.
A few of the sites in this area have more mature trees, but our site was not one of them. I know some people want tree coverage for the shade, while others don’t like the mess and leaves.
I would’ve rather had the more mature trees on some of the other lots since we were visiting in the late spring/early summer, and the mid-day sun was hot.
Overall, I liked our site as it was easily walkable to one of the bath houses (called “Comfort Stations” on the property), the laundry room, and the pool.
For better views from our camper, I’d suggest grabbing one of the end sites nearest Highway 191 like site 70, 57, or 44.
Cabins and Casitas
On our first trip here, I had 2 very small kids in tow as we did a road trip from Denver to the Grand Canyon. We didn’t have money to spend on luxury hotels, so I was looking for places to stay that were clean, safe, and inexpensive.
When researching for our time in Moab, I stumbled upon the casitas and cabins at this campground and knew it was what I was looking for.
NOTE: When we first stayed here, the property went by a different name and had different owners. Despite the ownership changes over the years, the campground has remained consistently good—and the new addition of the Sun Outdoors brand has only added options for guests.
The casitas are located on the side of the campground furthest away from Highway 191, so these are very peaceful at night. You’ll also be able to get excellent views of the back of Arches National Park in the distance.
The casitas are very similar to the basic KOA camping cabins, if you’ve ever stayed in one of those, with beds and a small table inside. You can use the nearby bath house, and there is a grill next to the casita for meals.
Since Sun Outdoors took over the property, they have added more cabins in 2 categories, both of which are larger than the casitas. These cabins are scattered around the property, but are mostly at the back of the camping section near the laundry.
The cabins (not the casitas) do have included bathrooms and showers, making these more of a glamping experience than the casitas.
Both the casitas and cabins’ guests have access to the rest of the site’s amenities, including the pool, large cookout area, splash pad, and trails.
Campground Layout
The Old West church near the gas station
The first thing you see when you enter the property is the gas station and camp store. When you’re approaching Moab from the exit on I-70, this is the first gas station you’ll find.
For that reason, it tends to be busy.
You’ll also notice the old church that looks like something out of an old Western!
Heading further into the campground, you’ll come to an intersection.
To the left will be your first row of rental cabins, tent sites, overflow parking, and the pool area. The tent areas are very shady with parking nearby.
Heading straight will place you in the large camping area. 70 of the camping sites are located here. All of the way to the back of this area are the majority of the cabins.
Turning to the right leads you past an additional 26 camping sites; these are the sites appropriate for longer rigs. You’ll also find the circle of 6 casitas in this area.
As with the campsites, the roads are made of gravel, so the entire property gets dusty when it hasn’t rained for while.
This campground is located on Highway 191 and across the highway from Scenic Byway 313.
Scenic Byway 313 is the road to Canyonlands National Park, so this is the closest commercial campground with full hook-ups to the national park.
More information for your visit to Canyonlands National Park:
Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway is also only 10 minutes to the Arches National Park entrance station to the south.
If you’re interested in biking to Arches, you can take the paved multi-use path from the campground’s entrance to the national park or even further into downtown Moab.
More helpful information for planning your trip to Arches National Park:
TIP: To save money on your national parks visits, get an NPS annual pass! This will get you into any NPS site—including national parks, national battlefields, and national historic sites—for a year. And for even more savings, grab the national parks annual pass and AllTrails+ bundle!
Campground Amenities
Camp store and gas station
The gas station and camp store are a great place to start or end your trip at Canyonlands Gateway to get gas, snacks, and cold drinks.
There are even some basic groceries here like bread, s’mores, and ramen if you don’t want to head into Moab for dinner.
You can also ask the desk attendant about refilling your propane tanks at the kiosk located directly across from the gas station.
Access to trails
The Sovereign Multi-Use Trail begins right next to the old Western church at the front of the property, giving you miles of hiking, mountain biking, and ATV trail access.
TIP: Before you set out on any hike, it’s a good idea to check for any recent updates, trail conditions, and level of difficulty at AllTrails! Purchase your annual subscription here.
You can even get into Arches via this trail and the other ATV trails in this area if you’re up for a jaunt. (It’s several miles through rocky desert climate, so don’t haphazardly set out.)
Because of this trail’s beautiful views and convenience from the campground, it made my list of best hikes in Moab outside of Arches National Park!
So many people come to Moab to go off-roading in an ATV or UTV, and we met several groups at the campground who’d chosen this campground just for that reason.
Adding an ATV tour to. your time in Moab is a really fun option, and there are tours available for all ages and experiences.
Pool and splash pad
The best solution to a hot day in Moab
These were worth the cost of staying at this campground for my kids!
Visiting Moab any time between May and October means hot weather, and having a pool to splash around in mid-day is the perfect option.
We lived here when it got really hot and we couldn’t go hiking.
The pool isn’t huge, but it is large enough that a dozen or more kids could play in it at a time without feeling overcrowded.
There are many chairs on the pool desk if you’d like to relax.
However, there’s no shade around the pool, so prepare to sweat if you’re here watching kids in the heat of the day.
There’s also a small splash pad next to the pool for younger kids who don’t want to get into the pool. It’s still fun for older kids, too, as my 10-year-old asked to go here several times.
The empty splash pad next to the pool
Group cookout area
Because the sites are fairly close together, and because the wind here can kick up at a moment’s notice, the campsites don’t come with fire rings.
So, if you want to grill out, you’ll either need to use your own grill or griddle, or make use of the group cookout area near the pool.
This fenced in area has multiple picnic tables under a covered awning. It’s great if you have others in your party who want to hang out while you’re cooking.
The grilling area with multiple picnic tables
Laundry
The laundry room is between the two camping section towards the back of the park.
An empty laundry room all to myself!
It’s an easy walk from just about anywhere in the campground, so the tent campers, RVers, and cabin guests can access it.
There is a full row each of washers and dryers, and I haven’t had any issues getting a machine when I needed one.
They are coin operated, so be sure to bring your quarters.
Bath Houses
One of the doors to an individual comfort station
Called “comfort stations” on this property, there are 3 bath houses scattered throughout the campground.
The bath houses near the pool included 4 separate rooms, each with their own shower, sink, and toilet.
These were huge, but they didn’t have enough ventilation, so the steam from the showers was stifling by the time our showers were over.
The bath houses were very clean throughout our stay.
One other thing I didn’t love about the bath houses was that the metal door you see in the photo above is the only door or partition between the public and the shower.
So, when someone tried the handle, all I could ever think was, “I really hope that lock holds.” Usually, the shower areas have a partition or some sort of privacy divider to separate it from the toilet and sink area.
It also would’ve helped to have a clearly visible indicator on the door lock to show if the room was occupied or not.
Final Thoughts on Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway
My daughter living our her little cowgirl dreams at the campground
I was worried about returning to a campground that we’d previously loved since things change over time naturally.
I shouldn’t have been worried since this campground has only gotten better over the years. Since our first visit, the casitas have been given a facelift, the cabins have been added, and the camping areas have gotten more trees.
Additionally, the pool and splash pad are clean and welcoming, and are the perfect addition to your family camping trip here.
We love the convenience of this campground’s location between Canyonlands and Arches National Park. Despite this closeness to everything Moab has to offer, the property still feels remote, thanks to its position near trails (and nothing else!).
This campground comes recommended to anyone looking for a safe, comfortable home base as they explore the incredible outdoor adventures in Moab.
And, you’d better believe that we will be back the next time we return to this part of Utah!
