How to Get a Butte West Permit
Thirty first-come sites with rock fire rings on the west side of the butte, less developed than its neighbour and usually quieter for it.
Check Butte West permit availabilityNo nightly fee is published for this campground. The park's announced $15 per-site fee applies to the Behind the Butte East campground. A daily park entry fee is charged separately.
Permit Cost
1-14 nights
Duration
easy
Difficulty
About Butte West
Behind the Butte West Campground is one of three Behind the Butte primitive campgrounds along Little Wildhorse Canyon Road at Goblin Valley State Park. These areas were added to the park in 2022, and the park says management changes will be implemented over the next several years to protect natural resources. Behind the Butte West holds 30 designated sites with rock fire rings, and the park says improvements are coming in 2025-2026. It is a step less developed than the East campground, which has picnic tables and metal rings. A separate parking area serves it, where overnight camping is not allowed but overnight parking is, and no day-use fee is required. The rules are the same across all three. Camping is allowed only in sites marked with a tent symbol. All sites are first-come, first served. There is a 14-night camping limit. Site capacity is no more than 4 vehicles, and some small sites will only hold 2. Vehicles and bicycles must remain on designated roads and camping areas, and cross-country riding or driving is not permitted. The roads are primitive, high clearance is recommended, and they may be impassable when wet. Goblin Valley is a certified International Dark Sky Park, so the park asks campers to limit light use, favour red lights, and avoid shining spotlights on the rock walls. This is first-come camping, not a reservation system - Utah State Parks reservations through ReserveAmerica cover the developed campground and the yurts, not these sites.
West is the middle option of the three Behind the Butte campgrounds: nearly as many sites as East, with less infrastructure. Rock fire rings rather than metal ones, no picnic tables listed, and improvements the park has flagged for 2025-2026. If East is full on a spring weekend, this is where 30 more first-come sites are.
The Experience
Open desert with the San Rafael Swell around you and nothing built except a rock ring. The absence of picnic tables changes the feel more than you would expect - it reads as dispersed camping with a numbered site rather than as a campground.
Behind the Butte West is on Little Wildhorse Canyon Road, in the area added to the park in 2022. There are 30 designated sites with rock fire rings, and the park says improvements are coming in 2025-2026. A parking area serves the campground where overnight parking is allowed but overnight camping is not, and no fee is required for day use of it.
What to Expect
30 designated sites, marked with a tent symbol
Rock fire rings, and no picnic tables listed by the park
Improvements the park says are coming in 2025-2026
A first-come, first-served campground with no reservation system
No published nightly fee - the park's announced $15 site fee applies to the East campground
A separate parking area allowing overnight parking but not overnight camping
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Permit Requirements
Camping is allowed only in sites marked with a tent symbol along Little Wildhorse Canyon Road, covering Behind the Butte east, west and north
All sites are first-come, first served
There is a 14-night camping limit
Site capacity is no more than 4 vehicles, and some small sites will only hold 2
Vehicles and bicycles must remain on designated roads and camping areas only; cross-country riding or driving is not permitted
Do not widen roads or drive on vegetation
No shooting is allowed in any camping site or area, and no fireworks
Goblin Valley is a dark sky park - limit your use of lights, favour red lights, and do not shine spotlights on the rock walls
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •All your water. These are primitive campgrounds with no supply of any kind
- •A high-clearance vehicle, which the park recommends for these roads
- •A stove, and firewood if you plan to use a ring - do not collect wood
- •Shade you bring yourself: the park describes this as an extreme desert landscape with little or no shade
- •A red-mode headlamp, because this is a certified International Dark Sky Park
Hazards & Safety
Primitive roads. High clearance is recommended and the roads may be impassable when wet
Flash flooding in the nearby washes and slot canyons, particularly in late summer
Extreme desert heat with little or no shade, in the park's own description of the area
No water anywhere in these campgrounds - everything comes in with you
Fragile cryptobiotic soil and endangered species habitat either side of the designated roads
Best Time to Visit
Spring and autumn, the two seasons the park recommends. This campground is the overflow when East fills, so it is at its most useful on a spring break or holiday weekend. Summer is over 100 degrees with no shade and winter nights fall below freezing.
Pro Tips
These are first-come sites, so arrive with daylight to spare rather than trying to book anything.
Check the forecast before you commit. The roads are primitive and the park says they may be impassable when wet.
Carry all your water. There is none in any of the Behind the Butte campgrounds.
Use a red light after dark. This is a certified International Dark Sky Park and the park asks for it specifically.
Camp only in a site marked with a tent symbol. Everywhere else along these roads, camping requires an already-established site with a rock fire ring.
Little Wild Horse Canyon is the reason most people are out here, and it is a slot - do not go in when thunderstorms are forecast.
If you want facilities, the developed 24-site campground and the two yurts book four months to the day in advance at 8 a.m. Mountain time through ReserveAmerica.
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Butte West permit?
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Butte West permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Butte West?
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Spring and autumn, the two seasons the park recommends. This campground is the overflow when East fills, so it is at its most useful on a spring break or holiday weekend. Summer is over 100 degrees with no shade and winter nights fall below freezing.
How difficult is Butte West?
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Self-sufficient campers with a high-clearance vehicle who want dark skies and slot canyon access without a booking window.
What gear do I need for Butte West?
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Essential gear includes: All your water. These are primitive campgrounds with no supply of any kind, A high-clearance vehicle, which the park recommends for these roads, A stove, and firewood if you plan to use a ring - do not collect wood, Shade you bring yourself: the park describes this as an extreme desert landscape with little or no shade, A red-mode headlamp, because this is a certified International Dark Sky Park.
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