Primitive Beach Camping Permit
Sand Hollow State Park · Utah
Primitive camping on the reservoir beach. Half reservable, half first-come.
70% of the openings our scanner caught on Primitive Beach were gone within 10 minutes.
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Primitive Beach Quick Facts
Primitive Beach Permit Facts
- As of September 2026, Primitive Beach in Sand Hollow State Park, Utah requires a permit issued via first-come, first-served.
- Primitive Beach is a high-demand permit, rating 8/10 on PermitSnag's demand index.
- The permit season for Primitive Beach runs year-round.
- Cancelled Primitive Beach permits are re-released on the booking system; PermitSnag monitors availability and alerts watchers when dates open.
Key Information
Key Dates
Permit Details
Pro Tips
- •Book through ReserveAmerica or call 1-800-322-3770. Utah State Parks does not use Recreation.gov.
- •Come in one vehicle. The no-extra-vehicle rule on primitive sites has no exception fee attached to it.
- •Budget $4 a head for a shower - primitive campers pay for them, developed-campground campers do not.
- •Check the park's harmful algae advisories before anyone gets in the water. It runs separate mat and bloom warnings.
- •Borrow life jackets free at the visitor center rather than hauling your own.
- •Buy ice at the visitor center or the OHV parking lot instead of stopping in Hurricane.
- •If primitive is gone, look at Beachside - its full-hookup sites are non-reservable, so they turn over on a different clock.
What to Expect
Route Details
Highlights
- •A $30 per-night primitive site covering exactly one vehicle, with no extra-vehicle option
- •A maximum of eight people and one camping unit per site, per the park's general camping rules
- •Showers at $4 per person, once daily, since they are not bundled the way they are for the developed campgrounds
- •Warm reservoir water - the park notes swimmer's itch is active when the lake is over 65 degrees
- •OHV traffic to and from Sand Mountain, which is a major draw at this park
- •Year-round hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. summer, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. winter
Best Time to Visit
Spring and fall are the comfortable months here. Summer is when the reservoir is at its best and the campground at its most contested, and it is also when heat and algae advisories matter most. Winter camping is quiet and cheap, with the park on reduced 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours.
Hazards & Considerations
- !Summer heat in the St. George area, on open shoreline with little shade
- !Swimmer's itch, which the park says is active when the lake water is over 65 degrees
- !Harmful algae: the park posts separate mat and bloom advisories, so check its current conditions page before swimming
- !OHV traffic moving between the campgrounds and Sand Mountain
- !Sudden afternoon wind on the reservoir, which turns a flat lake choppy fast
Weather Forecast
Trailhead (5,000 ft)
Today
79°
46°
Sun
70°
44°
Mon
82°
44°
Tue
87°
47°
Wed
89°
50°
Thu
92°
52°
Fri
92°
54°
How to Get This Permit
Create a Utah State Parks account
Sign up at Utah State Parks if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.
Know the release schedule
Permits typically release on a rolling basis. Check the specific release time for your desired dates.
Be ready when permits drop
Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.
Monitor for cancellations
If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.
When to Go
Conditions
Warm days, cool nights, and the water starting to come up in temperature. Spring break brings the first big crowds.
Crowd Level
HighAdvantages
- +Comfortable daytime temperatures
- +Water warm enough to swim by late spring
- +Best conditions for Sand Mountain
Challenges
- !Spring break demand
- !Wind can be strong and carries sand
Difficulty Assessment
Fitness and endurance required
Climbing, scrambling, or specialized skills
Steep dropoffs and fall potential
Route finding and trail clarity
Difficulty of bailing out mid-route
Best For
Anyone who wants warm water and red rock without paying developed-campground rates, and who is arriving in one vehicle.
Recommended Experience
None. This is a drive-in stay - the only real skill is heat management.
Not Recommended For
Groups over eight, parties arriving in two vehicles, and anyone who needs shade, hookups or an included shower.
About This Permit
Sand Hollow State Park runs primitive camping as its own class of site alongside four developed campgrounds. The park's fee page states it plainly: limited availability, reservations preferred, $30 per night for one vehicle, and no extra vehicles allowed for primitive camping at all.
That last rule matters more than the price. Sand Hollow's general camping rules allow one camping unit and a maximum of eight people per campsite, and only one vehicle per campsite, and the developed campgrounds sell an extra-vehicle slot for $30. Primitive camping does not. A party arriving in two cars needs two sites or a different campground.
The developed campgrounds - Westside, Sandpit, Beachside and Lakeview - have fire pits, tables and access to restrooms with showers. Primitive campers pay $4 per person for a shower. Note also that Beachside's full-hookup sites are non-reservable, which is a separate first-come pool from the primitive area.
The park is open year-round: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. in summer and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in winter, with reduced hours on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Experience
Why It Matters
Sand Hollow is the busiest state park in Utah's southwest corner because it does something no other park nearby does: warm reservoir water against Navajo sandstone, with Sand Mountain's dunes on the far side for off-highway vehicles. The primitive camping is the cheap end of that, and the park's own fee page is blunt about the constraint - limited availability, reservations preferred. There is no big overflow field behind it.
The Route
This is a drive-to stay, not a hike. The park sits off State Route 9 east of Hurricane, roughly 15 miles from St. George. Primitive camping is separate inventory from the four developed campgrounds - Westside, Sandpit, Beachside and Lakeview all have fire pits, tables and access to restrooms with showers, while the primitive sites do not carry the same amenities and are priced at $30 rather than $35 to $55. Only one vehicle is allowed per primitive site, with no extra-vehicle option at all, which is the rule most likely to catch a group arriving in two cars.
The Feeling
The water at Sand Hollow is a strange colour against the rock, closer to the Caribbean than to southern Utah, and it stays warm well past when you would expect. Primitive camping puts you on the ground near the shoreline with no hookups and no shade structure, so it is a tent-and-a-cooler proposition. The dunes on Sand Mountain rumble with OHVs by day and go silent at dark.
Rules & Regulations
- •Unless otherwise noted on your confirmation, one camping unit and a maximum of eight people are allowed per campsite
- •A camping unit is one tent, one trailer or one camper - not a combination or multiple of the above
- •Only one vehicle is allowed per campsite; a vehicle and attached in-tow equipment counts as one vehicle
- •No extra vehicles are allowed for primitive camping
- •A drone permit is required to fly within the state park and costs $15 for a five-day permit; violators are subject to citation
- •If you stay in the park after day-use hours you need a campsite or an after-hours fishing permit, or you risk a citation
Gear Checklist
Required
- Your own shade. Primitive sites are not the shaded, tabled sites of the developed campgrounds
- Plenty of drinking water for a southern Utah summer
- A camp stove or grill, plus whatever fuel it takes - do not count on a fire ring at a primitive site
- Sun protection: this is open reservoir shoreline at low desert elevation
- A life jacket if you are on the water, or borrow one free from the visitor center
Plan Your Trip
Gear Checklist
Required and recommended gear for Primitive Beach
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Key Landmarks
Sand Hollow Reservoir
Warm, blue water against red Navajo sandstone; swimming, boating and fishing
Sand Mountain
Dune and slickrock OHV area on the park's south side, with its own parking lot and ice sales at the visitor center
Visitor center
Gift shop, bagged ice, and free life jacket rentals - the park loans them at no charge
Primitive Beach FAQ
How much does primitive camping at Sand Hollow State Park cost?
The park lists $30 per night for one vehicle. Showers are $4 per person once daily, because they are not included the way they are for the Westside, Sandpit, Lakeview and Beachside campgrounds.
Can I bring a second vehicle to a Sand Hollow primitive campsite?
No. The park states directly that no extra vehicles are allowed for primitive camping. The developed campgrounds sell an extra-vehicle slot for $30, but primitive sites do not have one.
How many people can stay on a Sand Hollow campsite?
Eight. The park's camping rules say that unless otherwise noted on your confirmation, one camping unit and a maximum of eight people are allowed per campsite. A camping unit is one tent, one trailer or one camper, not a combination.
Do I need a reservation for primitive camping at Sand Hollow?
The park describes primitive camping as limited availability, reservations preferred. Reservations for Utah State Parks go through ReserveAmerica or the reservation line at 1-800-322-3770 - not Recreation.gov.
Is Sand Hollow State Park open in winter?
Yes, year-round. Summer hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and winter hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., with shortened hours on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Can I fly a drone at Sand Hollow State Park?
Only with a permit. The park requires a drone permit to fly within the state park, sells a five-day permit for $15, and says violators are subject to citation.
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Trip Reports
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Golden Hour
Sunset over the reservoir from the shoreline, when the low sun puts the red rock and the blue water in the same frame.
Best Light
Early morning, before the wind comes up and before the OHV traffic starts - the water goes glassy and mirrors the sandstone.
Beat the Crowds
Midweek, and outside the summer peak. Primitive camping is limited-availability inventory, so the quiet weeks are also the ones where you can actually get a site.
Classic Shots
- 📍Red Navajo sandstone meeting turquoise water, the shot this park is known for
- 📍Sand Mountain dunes at low sun, when the ripples throw shadows
- 📍Reflection of Zion's outer cliffs across a still reservoir at dawn
- 📍Camp silhouetted on open shoreline after dark
Where to Stay
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