Guinavah-Malibu campsite under reconstruction until 2025
Within Logan Canyon and the surrounding area, there are lots of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, especially through camping. Each of the campgrounds differs depending on the desired experience.
David Ashby, a recreation staff officer for the Logan and Ogden Ranger Districts, said there are a wide variety of opportunities in the canyon.
“The most popular campgrounds are Guinavah-Malibu, Tony Grove and Sunrise,” he said. “There are also smaller, more intimate campgrounds such as Red Banks, Preston Valley or Bridger Campground, which provide a different experience with fewer camping sites and are near the Logan River.”
Guinavah-Malibu campground is currently undergoing reconstruction. It would usually be open between May and October. However, it will be closed for the 2023 camping season.
“The first phase started in 2022 by removing the non-native crack willows from the campground,” Ashby said.
He said the trees were a safety hazard because of their age and size. The trees were also dangerous because they were prone to breakage. They plan to remove the stumps of the trees in the spring, and will begin reconstruction of the campgrounds in the fall.
“All of the campsites and groups sites will be reconstructed while preserving historic features, such as the amphitheater,” Ashby said.
The amphitheater was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
Ashby said the reconstruction will not be completed until the fall of 2025.
The reconstruction of the campground is possible because of federal funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law in 2020. The campground will receive a little over $2 million to fund the projects.
The legislation uses revenues from energy development to provide up to $1.9 billion a year for the renovations in national parks and public lands across the country. The act lasts for five years.
In many national parks and public lands across the country, there are roads, trails, restrooms, water treatment systems and visitor facilities that are aging and exceeding the capacity they were intended to hold.
The National Park Service has a backlog of projects addressing these types of issues since they did not have the funding to handle them before the GAOA was signed into law. The federal funding is currently helping to address these maintenance issues.
Other projects have recently been finished at campgrounds in the canyon.
They have installed new fee tubes at picnic sites, removed hazard trees from several campgrounds, added a new restroom in Bridger campground, paved the roads at Tony Grove, improved the water system and installed new signs around campgrounds.
“The day-to-day management of the campgrounds are contracted through our concessionaire, Utah Recreation Company,” Ashby said.
The concessionaire also takes care of routine maintenance.
“Other campground projects would include maintenance of signs, restrooms, parking areas and infrastructure of the facilities through the concessionaire,” Ashby said.
Most sites have bathrooms and drinking water, but check for specific amenities of the one you plan to camp at.
According to Ashby, all of the improved campgrounds and day-use sites in Logan Canyon and the surrounding areas have fees for people who want to use them. Depending on the site selected, the cost per day can range from $10 to $30.
They also offer group site reservations, which can be used for larger groups or special events.
Reservations for these campgrounds can be made through recreation.gov. Reservations for most campgrounds can be made as early as 240 days in advance but they usually need to be made at least five days in advance.
“This is the best way to reserve a campsite,” Ashby said. “There are also opportunities for first come, first serve campsites, but on weekends and holidays it is best to have a reservation.”
The majority of the campgrounds are expected to open near the middle of May. However, there are some of the campgrounds, like Tony Grove and Sunrise, which will not open until the beginning of July.
The camping season ends between September and October, depending on the campground.
People who visit the canyon can also find opportunities for fishing, rock climbing, mountain biking, paddle boarding, horseback riding and hiking. In the winter, people can enjoy the canyon by snowshoeing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and dowhnhill skiing at Beaver Mountain Ski Resort.
Sam Christensen, a resident of Logan, has spent time enjoying what the canyon has to offer. He has rock climbed, walked his dog, gone on drives and used his drone to shoot videos.
“I like to just be with some friends out in nature,” he said. “It’s really fun, and it’s really peaceful.”
Christensen said he also loves all of the trees in the canyon, and how it has so many more than in the valley.
“It just kind of feels like you are going into a whole different world when you go from the valley into the canyon,” he said. “It’s just a whole change in the scenery, which is really cool.”
The canyon connects Cache Valley on the west and Bear Lake along the Utah/Idaho border. It is also part of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
Go Camp Utah said the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest is one of the most visited national forest systems, with over 10 million visitors each year. The forest also reaches southeastern Idaho and southwestern Wyoming.
The Cache National Forest portion was first established in 1908. It has since been combined with the Wasatch National Forest and Uinta National Forest to create the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.