Fruita Campground, Capitol Reef national park

The Fruita Campground is proof that some mirages are real. Early settlers planted orchards along the Fremont river to provide the region with apples, peaches, pears, plums, walnuts and almonds. The Fruita Campground is an oasis with grassy campsites under cottonwood trees and next to the orchards. Fresh fruit is a welcome treat upon returning from one of the park's many incredible hikes. Picking what you can eat is free but there is a minimal fee for taking some home. The campground is first-come, first-served, and no reservations can be made. Get there early and during the middle of the week for the best chances at one of the 71 sites.
• Teasdale, nps.gov/. Camping $10 a night

Calf Creek Falls Campground

This developed campground is found on the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument just off Scenic Highway 12 between the Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks. While the campground setting is beautiful, it is Lower Calf Creek Falls, a three-mile hike along the creek, that people come to see. The 126ft waterfall – one of the most stunning in Utah – is a breath of cool air, which you'll need if you're hiking in the summer months. Utah is the second driest state in the nation, so this one gets visited a lot by locals.
• blm.gov. Camping $7 a night; day use $2

Devils Garden, Arches national park

The only campground in Arches may have been created by the devil, but it is a child's wonderland of slickrock (sandstone), sand, lizards and nearby arches, several of which are accessed from trails in the campground. Devils Garden is 18 miles into the park at the end of the road and near the tremendously popular Devils Garden trailhead, which leads to Landscape Arch, Double O Arch and the Primitive Loop trail. There are 50 pitches and two group sites. All can be reserved March-October and are first-come, first-served over the winter.
• Moab, discovermoab.com. Camping $20 a night. Group sites are $3 per person; minimum $33 (no recreational vehicles or trailers allowed in group sites)

Albion Basin Campground, Salt Lake

This high-elevation campground at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon is typically open only for a few short months each summer due to snow, but is worth the wait. The 19 pitches are as likely to be occupied by a moose or an elk as another group of people. Stunning arrays of mountain wildflowers arrive in Albion Basin not long after the snow melts and the campground opens. One of the most popular walks here is the two-mile round trip to Cecret (pronounced "secret") lake via the trailhead near the entrance to the campground. Wildflowers cover the landscape and the lake provides a scenic background for pictures of your adventure.
• fs.usda.gov. Camping from $19 (must be reserved five days in advance)

Ruby's Inn, Bryce Canyon national park

For a truly historic way to experience the American west, try sleeping in a tipi. But like the Native Americans who used them centuries ago, you have to provide your own bedding. Ruby's Inn, which sits just outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon national park, has tipis, rustic cabins and hotel rooms for visitors to Utah's highest-elevation national park. The cabins, like the tipis, have no bedding, but at least have bunks and mattresses, and sleep up to eight adults. Ruby's also offers a dinner show at Ebenezer's Barn and Grill, featuring western music and cowboy food, and during the summer months, there are rodeos four nights a week. Horseback rides are popular, though some visitors prefer a different kind of horse power and go on off-highway vehicle rides.
• brycecanyoncampgrounds.com. Camping from $29.14; tipis from $39.25 a night; cabins from $62.83

Red Canyon Lodge, Flaming Gorge national recreation area

Tucked on a forested plateau of the Flaming Gorge national recreation area, Red Canyon Lodge serves as a serene base while exploring the many nearby outdoor wonders. You can waterski; fish for lake trout on Flaming Gorge Reservoir; fly-fish on the world-renowned Green river, casting to 15,000 trout per square mile; burn some calories hiking or mountain biking and check out one of the best views in the state at the Red Canyon visitor center. However, with a lake in front of the cabins, a chair on the patio and a tasty restaurant a short stroll away, chances are you may just decide to stay put. The cabins are clean, comfortable and cozy. Perfect for a week with the family.
• Dutch John, redcanyonlodge.com. Cabins from $115 a night for two

Goblin valley state park

Like many of Utah's 43 state parks, Goblin valley near Hanksville offers yurts for visitors planning to spend the night. It is easy to imagine the mushroom-shaped sandstone rocks with their goblin faces coming to life and moving around during the night. Other wonders nearby include Little Wild Horse Canyon, and the pictographs in Horseshoe Canyon, in Canyonlands national park.
• stateparks.utah.gov. Camping from $18 a night; yurts from $60; day use $8

Tavaputs Ranch

This could easily be Utah's most remote guest ranch. The Tavaputs, named for the plateau it sits on, is 50 miles east of the town of Price and 25 miles "from what anyone might care to call civilisation". The highlight of any trip here is a guided tour to the ancient ruins and rock art of Range Creek Canyon, which are noted as one of the greatest collections of pre-Columbian Fremont culture in the south-west. The canyon was privately owned for years but is now managed by the University of Utah, and the Tavaputs Ranch has a permit to lead tours. A wide variety of wildlife can be spotted on the ranch and wildlife/photography tours are also offered.
• tavaputsranch.com. Full board $200 per person per day. Range Creek tour: $150 per person

Boulder Mountain Lodge

Food should not be the main reason for visiting Boulder Mountain Lodge. That said, after exploring the high plateau of Boulder Mountain, the deep slot canyons of the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument or hiking in Capitol Reef national park you will find that the cuisine at the Hell's Backbone Grill and Farm is equal to the surrounding landscapes. The owners are committed to using locally grown food, including from their garden, orchard and hen house. The grounds and buildings are quiet, allowing undisturbed reflection of your time in the area. Sleep with the windows open to enjoy the cool night air and wake up to the sounds of marsh birds on the pond.
• boulder-utah.com. Rates from $152 a night during the peak season (March to end Oct). Hell's Backbone Grill, +1 435 335 7464, hellsbackbonegrill.com. Open daily 7.30am-2.30pm, 5pm-9.30pm

Sorrel River Ranch Resort

If the thought of hiking, biking and rafting south-eastern Utah without easy access to a massage, facial or a body scrub is too much, then the Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa should be on your reservations list. The ranch, set on the banks of the Colorado river 17 miles north of Moab, is a great base for adventures in the Arches and Canyonlands national parks, but you'd better plan a multi-day trip because there are plenty of things to do right from the ranch, including hiking, rafting, mountain biking, off-road driving – and fine dining. Check out the spa's Bourbon Cowboy, a full-body scrub with a mix of sugar and bourbon, followed by a massage ($200).
• Moab, sorrelriver.com. Suites and three-room ranchos from $479 per night

Brett Prettyman is outdoor editor for the Salt Lake Tribune

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