Three campgrounds you can’t miss near Park City

Photo: Photo by Wei Pan

Roam Echo Island, Jordanelle & Rockport State Parks are three local, Utah gems.

PARK CITY, Utah — Sleeping under the Wasatch sky comes in three distinct flavors this summer: the full-service pads at Echo Roam, the marina-front loops at Jordanelle State Park, and the quieter coves at Rockport State Park. Here is how the reservoirs stack up, site by site.

Roam Echo Island: resort amenities on the Weber River headwaters
Roam Echo Island, branded “Echo Roam,” opened in September 2024 on 40 acres just west of Echo Reservoir, a 15-minute drive from Coalville. The private resort lists 178 overnight spots—160 RV sites with 30/50-amp hookups, nine glamping tents, eight tent pads and one cabin—plus two heated pools, hot tubs, a treetop ropes course and pickleball courts. The campground sits three miles from Echo State Park’s public boat ramp, where the reservoir is 96 percent full and holding 70-degree surface water as of June 19.

Jordanelle State Park: big-water camping with a dark-sky twist
Twelve miles south of Park City, Jordanelle spreads 10 square miles of water across three recreation hubs—Hailstone, Rock Cliff and Ross Creek. Hailstone’s 103 RV sites come with power, water, hot-shower restrooms and a dump station; Rock Cliff offers walk-in riverfront pads scheduled to reopen later this season alongside a rebuilt nature center. Rangers also host monthly dark-sky programs at the park’s amphitheater, capitalizing on low light pollution above the Heber Valley. All campgrounds are open and bookable two to 120 days in advance. Water sits at 94.6 percent of capacity, with surface temperatures near 65 degrees.

Rockport State Park: reservoir coves and a 3-D archery range
Rockport’s five campgrounds—Juniper, Crandall, Twin Coves, Cottonwood and Pinery—string along the reservoir’s eastern shoreline, giving tent and RV campers easy access to fishing, small-craft launches and an on-site 3-D archery course that features full-size wildlife targets. The water level is 91 percent and boat docks are in; generators must be silenced from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and individual sites open for reservations on a four-month rolling window. Day-use gates run 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with overnight guests admitted after hours by code.

Choosing a campsite

• Amenities: Echo Roam reads more like a boutique resort, with swimming pools and Wi-Fi baked into the nightly rate. Jordanelle balances comfort with state-park programming—think hot showers plus ranger-led astronomy. Rockport offers the leanest setup but pairs it with archery, group sites and boating.

• Reservations: Echo Roam operates on a typical private-park calendar and fills weekends quickly. Both state parks use ReserveAmerica; Jordanelle and Rockport release individual sites four months out, but Rockport’s group loops can be booked 11 months ahead.

• Crowds: Hailstone’s marina draws the most traffic during peak boating season, while Rockport’s smaller coves stay quieter. Echo Roam sits outside state-park gates, so its traffic hinges on resort occupancy rather than day users.

• Night skies: For telescope owners, Jordanelle’s dark-sky events are unmatched. Rockport also benefits from minimal light wash, but Echo Roam’s pool lights and proximity to I-80 create more ambient glow.

Whether campers want resort comforts, classic state-park hookups or a back-to-basics shoreline, Summit County’s reservoirs deliver—all within a 40-minute drive of Old Town Park City.