Dispersed camping · Wyoming
What the Ashley National Forest (Flaming Gorge NRA, UT/WY) actually allows for dispersed camping — how far off a road you may drive, which roads that applies to, and the closure orders that override it. Every figure below is sourced; the primary documents are linked at the bottom.
| Rule | This forest | |
|---|---|---|
| How far off the road you may drive | 300 ft | from the road centerline |
| Where that applies | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | |
| Distance to keep from water | 200 ft | guidance |
| Stay limit | 16 days | per the forest order |
The corridor applies ONLY where the map carries the dispersed-camping symbol (usually dots beside the road line). An unmarked open road is not a camping corridor, and this is the rule most often misread.
Motorized dispersed camping is allowed only within 150 feet of designated roads/trails in Utah and 300 feet in Wyoming, and only on designated route sections shown on the MVUM: 'Motorized dispersed camping is allowed only within 150 feet of designated roads and trails in Utah and 300 feet in Wyoming consistent with the 2009 Ashley National Forest Motorized Travel Plan (USFS 2009) and is limited to designated sections that are shown on the Motorized Vehicle Use Map where significant impact to other resources is not likely to occur' (verbatim from the Flaming Gorge NRA Management Plan Decision Notice/FONSI, signed Sept 2025). The WY portion of the Flaming Gorge RD therefore uses 300 ft.
UNVERIFIED - the Flaming Gorge RD MVUM legend itself could not be downloaded (Ashley now distributes MVUMs via an interactive ArcGIS 'MVUM Finder'); the corridor language above comes from the 2025 FGNRA plan decision citing the 2009 Motorized Travel Plan, which designates specific dispersed-camping sections rather than a blanket allowance.
Flaming Gorge NRA: new FGNRA Management Plan adopted by Decision Notice/FONSI signed ~9/23/2025 (amends the 2024 Ashley Forest Plan) - keeps motorized dispersed camping limited to MVUM-designated sections, authorizes paving Antelope Flat Road and 3 new group sites; expect designated-corridor enforcement around the reservoir. Order 0401-21-007's quarter-mile no-camping radius around every developed rec site effectively bars dispersed camping near most reservoir ramps/campgrounds/visitor centers. Summer 2026 (low reservoir levels): Anvil Draw boat ramp closed from 7/7/2026 (Order 0401-26-01-03), Horseshoe Canyon water-skiing/wake-towing ban (Order 0401-26-01-02, 6/30/2026), forest-wide low-water hazard alert (5/25/2026).
Forest spans UT and WY; corridor distance differs by state (150 ft UT / 300 ft WY - verified in the Sept 2025 FGNRA DN/FONSI, which notes the split originates in the 2009 Ashley Motorized Travel Plan). corridor_feet=300 reflects the Wyoming side - use 150 for the Utah side. Stay limit is an enforceable order: 0401-21-007 (signed 4/22/2021, Vernal UT): no camping in the same location OR within five road miles of it for more than 16 consecutive days in a 30-day period (36 CFR 261.58(a)); also 72-hr unattended-equipment limit, 10-person site cap, and 1/4-mile no-camping radius around developed sites. CAVEAT: the order text says it expires 4/22/2026 'or until rescinded, whichever occurs first,' yet the forest's alerts page still lists it as current in July 2026 - no renewal order was found; verify before relying on the 16-day figure for late-2026. Water setback: no Ashley-specific order found; the R4 Intermountain Region dispersed-camping page advises placing campsites 'at least 200 feet from any stream or other water source' (regional guidance only). The Flaming Gorge RD MVUM legend was not directly read (medium confidence driver); the FGNRA plan text is the strongest available primary statement.
Open the map with scored campsites in Wyoming
Confidence in this summary: medium. Forest orders change mid-season and districts differ — this is a research summary, not legal advice. Check the sources above before you drive out.