How to Get a Wingate Hike-In Permit
Eleven tent-only sites you park away from and walk into, on a mesa 2,000 feet above a gooseneck in the Colorado River.
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Daily Permits
$45 per night in March, April, May, June, September and October; $40 all other months. $20 extra vehicle. Day-use entry $20 per private vehicle
Permit Cost
1-3 nights
Duration
0.06 miles
Distance
easy
Difficulty
About Wingate Hike-In
The Wingate Campground's eleven hike-in tent-only sites are the walk-in inventory at Dead Horse Point State Park. You park your vehicle by the restroom and hike in up to 300 feet to the site - short enough that it is not a backpacking trip, far enough that no vehicle is beside your tent. Each site has a shade shelter, a picnic table, a fire ring and one 15 by 16-foot tent pad. All campsites have access to bathrooms with running water and dishwashing sinks, and the campground has two restrooms with flush toilets, one vault toilet and a dump station. There are no showers anywhere at Dead Horse Point, and there is no water available for RV fillups anywhere in the park - all campers must fill water storage tanks and containers before coming. Rates are $45 a night in March, April, May, June, September and October, and $40 all other months. Day-use entry is $20 per private vehicle. All campsites and yurts can be reserved for up to four months prior to your arrival date, on a four-month rolling basis, through ReserveAmerica or by calling 1-800-322-3770. Inside the 48-hour window, campsites are walk-in only - you must appear in person at the park. The park sits at 5,900 feet, is an International Dark Sky Park, and is 32 miles from Moab: nine miles northwest on US 191, then 23 miles southwest on Utah 313 to the end of the highway.
Dead Horse Point is the overlook Utah puts on its own posters, and the Wingate hike-in sites are the only tent-only inventory on that mesa. You leave the vehicle at the restroom and walk in, which is a small thing that changes the entire feel of the campground - no headlights, no engines, no RV next to your tent. In an International Dark Sky Park at 5,900 feet with almost no light pollution, that matters after sunset.
The Experience
You are on a high desert mesa with a 30-yard-wide neck of land connecting it to everything else, and 2,000 feet of air below the rim. There is no water source, no shower, and the nearest services are 35 miles away in Moab - everything you drink came in your vehicle. What you get for that is a night sky that most people never see and a sunrise over Canyonlands that starts before anyone drives up from town.
The Wingate Campground has 31 campsites: twenty with electrical hookups for RVs or tents, and eleven hike-in tent-only sites. For the hike-in sites you park at the restroom and walk in up to 300 feet - the reservation system describes it as less than 200 yards from the parking lot. Each site has a shade shelter, picnic table, fire ring and one 15 by 16-foot tent pad, and two of the campground's sites are ADA accessible. Bathrooms with running water and dishwashing sinks serve every site, along with two restrooms with flush toilets and one vault toilet. From camp, the park's eight miles of hiking trails run out along both rims, and the Intrepid Trail System puts nearly 30 miles of mountain biking at your door.
What to Expect
Eleven hike-in tent-only sites, with a walk of up to 300 feet from the parking area
A shade shelter, picnic table, fire ring and one 15 by 16-foot tent pad at each site
Bathrooms with running water and dishwashing sinks; two flush restrooms and one vault toilet in the campground
No showers anywhere in the park, and no water available for RV fillups
A four-month rolling reservation window through the Utah State Parks reservation system
Walk-in only inside the 48 hours before arrival - no advance or telephone reservations at the park
International Dark Sky Park skies at 5,900 feet, with the nearest town lights 32 miles away
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Permit Requirements
All campers must fill water storage tanks and containers before coming to the park
Check-in is 3:00 p.m. and check-out is 12:00 p.m.
Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily
Pets must be on a leash less than 6 feet long and attended at all times; dogs are allowed on hiking trails but not on the mountain bike trails
Reservations are on a four-month rolling basis; inside 48 hours, campsites are walk-in only and require appearing in person
Only one vehicle is allowed per campsite; an extra vehicle costs $20 per night and only one extra vehicle is allowed per site
Length of stay is generally limited to 14 days within any 30-day period
A camping unit is one tent, one trailer or one camper - not a combination or multiples
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •All the water for your stay - there is no water available for RV fillups anywhere at Dead Horse Point and the park tells campers to arrive with tanks and containers full
- •Stakes that hold in packed mesa ground; the tent pad is 15 by 16 feet
- •Sun protection and shade layers beyond the site's shade shelter
- •Warm layers for 5,900-foot desert nights, in every season
- •A headlamp for the walk between the parking area and the site
- •Firewood bought in advance, plus a lighter, for the site fire ring
Hazards & Safety
Unfenced rim edges with 2,000 feet of exposure below - stay back from the drop, particularly in wind
No water source in the park; running out is the most likely trouble you will have here
High desert heat with almost no natural shade on the mesa
Sudden temperature swings at 5,900 feet, with cold nights following hot days
Nearest services are 35 miles away in Moab, and cell service at the visitor center is spotty
Best Time to Visit
March through June and September through October are the park's own peak-rate months for a reason - that is when a high desert mesa at 5,900 feet is comfortable, and it is also when these eleven sites are hardest to get. July and August drop to the $40 rate and bring real heat with no shade. Winter is cold and quiet, with the best availability of the year and the sharpest night skies.
Pro Tips
Fill every water container before you leave Moab. There is no water for fillups anywhere in the park, and the nearest services are 35 miles back.
Set a reminder for exactly four months before your arrival date. The window is a four-month rolling basis and eleven tent sites go fast at peak rates.
July and August run the $40 off-peak rate rather than $45, and have better availability - if you can handle heat with no shade, the off-peak months are the easier target.
Dogs are welcome on the hiking trails but banned from the Intrepid mountain bike trails, so plan the day around which one you are doing.
There are no showers in the park at all. Budget for that or plan a night in Moab on either end.
The visitor center has WiFi and spotty cell service - if you need to check anything, do it there rather than at your site.
If you strike out on the tent sites, the Moenkopi yurts have five units versus Wingate's four, which is a marginally better cancellation target.
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 Wingate Hike-In permit?
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Wingate Hike-In permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Wingate Hike-In?
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March through June and September through October are the park's own peak-rate months for a reason - that is when a high desert mesa at 5,900 feet is comfortable, and it is also when these eleven sites are hardest to get. July and August drop to the $40 rate and bring real heat with no shade. Winter is cold and quiet, with the best availability of the year and the sharpest night skies.
How difficult is Wingate Hike-In?
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Tent campers who want a car-camping trip without a car beside the tent. The walk is up to 300 feet, so the only real work is carrying all your water in from Moab.
What gear do I need for Wingate Hike-In?
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Essential gear includes: All the water for your stay - there is no water available for RV fillups anywhere at Dead Horse Point and the park tells campers to arrive with tanks and containers full, Stakes that hold in packed mesa ground; the tent pad is 15 by 16 feet, Sun protection and shade layers beyond the site's shade shelter, Warm layers for 5,900-foot desert nights, in every season, A headlamp for the walk between the parking area and the site. Additional specialized gear may be required based on conditions.
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