Devils Garden or BLM camping near Moab: which campground fits your RV?

By Romana | Updated September 16, 2026

Devils Garden is the clear choice when sleeping inside Arches National Park matters more than hookups, tank service, or an easy supply run.[1]

For most RV travelers who miss that reservation, the useful public-land alternatives are not interchangeable: Goose Island is the close-in, shaded gamble; Horsethief offers far more first-come RV inventory on the mesa; and Ken's Lake is the best of this group for a large rig when you can reserve Loop A.[3][4][5]

Every option in this comparison is dry camping. Devils Garden has running water and restrooms, but no hookups, showers, or dump station.[1][2]

The three BLM choices have toilets, but their official pages list no water and no hookups or electricity.[3][4][5] Arrive with full freshwater, empty waste tanks, and enough battery capacity for the stay.

Fast decision: Reserve Devils Garden for the only in-park base. Try Goose Island only if you can arrive early and your measured rig fits an unassigned site. Pick Horsethief when a larger pool of first-come RV sites matters more than being beside Arches. Pick Ken's Lake Loop A for a reservable large-rig option; do not send a large motorhome into Loop B without direct confirmation.

The comparison at a glance

The Devils Garden column reflects the current NPS campground page.[1]

The three BLM columns reflect their respective official records.[3][4][5] "Not listed" is deliberate: it means the reviewed official page does not promise the service, not that an unverified amenity can be assumed. Plan to dump and fill in Moab before taking a BLM site.

Devils Garden: the only in-park campground

Devils Garden sits 18 miles beyond the Arches entrance, at the far end of the park road. NPS lists 51 total sites, including two group sites, and says the campground is usually full nightly during the March-through-October reservation season.[1] Standard sites open at 10 a.m. Eastern six months ahead and can be reserved no later than four days before arrival. From November 1 through February 28, sites switch to first come, first served; NPS tells winter campers to download the Recreation.gov app before arrival for Scan & Pay.[1]

The payoff is simple: once parked, you are already inside Arches. The cost is that the RV remains off-grid. NPS lists zero electric hookups, no dump station, no showers, and generator use only from 8-10 a.m. and 4-8 p.m.[1] Restrooms and running water are available, and each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring.[1][2]

There is one source conflict worth flagging. The campground description and FAQ say the campground has drinking or running water, while the structured amenity field says "Potable Water: No Water."[1][2] Do not build a trip around a faucet without checking current conditions. Carry enough drinking water to cover a shutdown, especially in hot weather.

Do not treat 40 feet as a campground-wide promise

The current NPS campground record says RVs and trailers are welcome, sites range from 20 to 40 feet, and the RV maximum is 40 feet.[1] A separate NPS FAQ says only that some sites accommodate RVs up to 30 feet.[2] Those statements are not equivalent. The first describes the outer edge of the pad range; the second warns that only part of the inventory works for a 30-foot RV.

Use the exact Recreation.gov site record, not the campground maximum, to judge fit. Measure the complete occupied length: bumpers, hitch or tow bar, ladder, spare tire, bike rack, cargo box, and the vehicle that must share the pad. NPS requires parked vehicles to stay out of the roadway.[1] If the booking page does not clearly fit the entire setup, call the park before the cancellation deadline.

The two group sites are not an RV workaround. NPS states that no RVs or trailers are permitted in those group sites.[1]

Goose Island: closest BLM fallback, with the least certainty

Goose Island is 1.4 miles east of the US 191/SR 128 junction. BLM has 20 individual sites for tents, RVs, and trailers, all first come, first served.[3] It is popular for its proximity to Moab, riverside setting, and summer shade. BLM says it typically fills in the morning from March through October.[3]

That makes Goose Island a poor late-arrival strategy. It works best when someone can reach the campground early without blocking traffic or circling with a long trailer. Have a second and third destination ready before you turn onto SR 128.

The individual sites have toilets but no water or hookups.[3] BLM publishes no maximum RV or combined length on the campground page. "RVs and trailers" means those equipment types are allowed; it does not mean every pad fits every coach. A 20-site first-come campground is not the place to discover that the remaining pad is too short.

Two Goose Island group sites are reservable, but those are separate group inventory.[3] A group reservation should not be mistaken for a reservable individual RV site. Unless the group-site listing accepts the exact equipment and party size, use the individual-campground rules.

Horsethief: more RV inventory, farther from an Arches-first itinerary

Horsethief has 83 individual sites. BLM identifies 56 RV-capable sites across the Appaloosa, Buckskin, and Cayuse loops; the 28-site Dapple loop is for tents and prohibits generators.[4] Individual sites are first come, first served, while five group sites are reservable.[4]

The size of the RV pool is Horsethief's main advantage over Goose Island. Its location on SR 313 also makes it a better base for the Island in the Sky side of Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point than for repeated drives to Arches.[4] If Arches is the only trip goal, you are trading proximity for a better chance of finding an eligible RV site.

Horsethief has toilets, but no water or hookups.[4] The BLM page does not publish pad lengths. It also limits an individual site to 10 people and two vehicles, which matters for a motorhome towing a car or a trailer with a separate tow vehicle.[4]

Do not reserve a Horsethief group site as a way around the first-come system. Recreation.gov says the five reservable group sites accept sedans, trucks, or vans only, with no trailers or RVs.[6] The same group listing gives generator hours of 8 a.m.-8 p.m., but BLM's individual-campground page only states the stricter Dapple prohibition.[4][6] Ask the Moab Field Office or follow posted rules rather than extending group-site hours to every individual loop without confirmation.

Ken's Lake: the most useful reservation fallback for a large rig

Ken's Lake is about 10 miles south of Moab and uses two different arrival systems. Loop A is reservation-only through Recreation.gov, with bookings available the same day through six months ahead. BLM says cash and checks are not accepted on site for Loop A. Loop B remains first come, first served and can be paid by cash, check, or Scan & Pay.[5]

For RV fit, the loop name matters more than the campground name. BLM points bigger coaches and towables toward Loop A; Loop B's tighter layout creates turnaround trouble for longer equipment.[5] No numerical maximum appears on the official page, so "large" is not a measurement. Confirm the exact site against the RV and any towed vehicle before booking.

Loop A also has no shade and closes during low-use periods in summer and winter on dates that vary by year. By contrast, BLM keeps Loop B operating throughout the year, with some juniper and cottonwood shade.[5] A saved screenshot from an old booking calendar is not proof that Loop A will operate for the next trip.

Each campsite has a gravel pad for two vehicles, a picnic table, and a fire ring, with vault toilets and trash receptacles nearby. BLM explicitly counts a vehicle pulling a trailer as two vehicles.[5] There is no drinking water or electric service.[5]

Ken's Lake is the strongest fallback here when arrival certainty and big-rig geometry outrank being near the Arches gate. It is weaker for an Arches-at-dawn plan because it starts south of Moab, and Loop B should not be treated as overflow for a rig that only fits Loop A.

Water, waste, power, and heat

None of these is a full-hookup campground. Devils Garden is the only one in this comparison whose descriptive text promises running water, yet NPS has a conflicting potable-water field and no dump station.[1][2] Goose Island and Horsethief explicitly list no water and no hookups. Ken's Lake says no drinking water or electrical hookups.[3][4][5]

A practical arrival sequence is to fuel, fill freshwater, empty black and gray tanks, buy groceries, and download reservation or payment details while still in Moab. Bring a second payment method for first-come BLM sites; the current Goose Island and Horsethief pages specify cash or check at their self-service stations, while Ken's Lake splits payment rules by loop.[3][4][5] Verify the posted fee and payment instructions on arrival because field procedures can change before a web page does.

Power planning needs the same care. Devils Garden's generator windows leave a six-hour midday gap and no overnight operation.[1] Horsethief's Dapple loop bans generators.[4] The reviewed Goose Island and Ken's Lake pages do not state generator hours, so silence is not permission. Read the entrance board and ask the host or field office.

Do a no-hookup test at home. Disconnect shore power for the length of a normal night, run the refrigerator controls, lights, fans, water pump, furnace or ventilation, and any medical equipment, then check the battery state in the morning. This is an RVCamping.info planning recommendation, not a land-manager rule.

Reservation traps to avoid

1. Booking the wrong kind of site. Devils Garden group sites prohibit RVs and trailers. Horsethief's reservable group sites also exclude RVs and trailers.[1][6]
2. Reading a campground maximum as a site guarantee. Devils Garden ranges from 20 to 40 feet, and the NPS FAQ only promises that some sites handle a 30-foot RV.[1][2]
3. Assuming every BLM campground is first come. Goose Island and Horsethief individual sites are; Ken's Lake Loop A is reservation-only.[3][4][5]
4. Assuming "large RV" is a specification. Ken's Lake Loop A is described for large rigs, but BLM publishes no numeric maximum on the page.[5]
5. Arriving after dark with one choice. NPS says busy-season and holiday demand can claim first-come sites near Moab before noon.[1]
6. Relying on campground water. Carry a dry-camping supply even at Devils Garden because the NPS water fields conflict.[1][2]

A choice framework that works

Choose Devils Garden when the trip is centered on Arches and you can secure an exact site that fits. It removes the commute but does not remove dry-camping chores.

Choose Goose Island when you want the closest BLM option in this set, can arrive early, and have a shorter or independently confirmed rig. Its 20 first-come sites and morning fill pattern make it a chance, not a reservation.[3]

Choose Horsethief when first-come inventory matters most or the itinerary also includes Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point. Stay out of Dapple with an RV, and do not confuse its reservable, RV-prohibited group sites with the 56 individual RV sites.[4][6]

Choose Ken's Lake Loop A when you want a reservable public-land site and need the loop BLM directs bigger coaches and towables toward. Confirm seasonal opening and exact fit. Choose Loop B only when the rig can handle smaller sites and the turnaround.[5]

Choose none of these without a phone call if the complete setup approaches 40 feet, the site record does not show an adequate pad, overnight power is medically necessary, or arriving with full tanks is not possible. Public land does not mean every RV can fit or operate comfortably.

Bottom line

Devils Garden wins on location, not services. Goose Island wins on proximity among these BLM alternatives, Horsethief on the number of identified RV sites, and Ken's Lake Loop A on reservation certainty for a larger rig.

The safest plan has two layers: a confirmed site whose pad fits the entire setup, plus a tank-and-power plan that assumes no hookups. For first-come camping, add a real fallback before leaving pavement and cell service.

Source note: RVCamping.info reviewed current National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Recreation.gov campground pages on September 16, 2026. Site-selection guidance, the dry-camping test, and the choice framework are original editorial analysis. Fees, opening dates, alerts, fire restrictions, and field payment systems can change; verify them for the travel date.

Sources

1. Arches National Park camping guide — NPS campground location, inventory, facilities, generator hours, reservations, pad range, and operating details. Accessed September 16, 2026.
2. Arches National Park frequently asked questions — NPS running-water, shower, hookup, dump-station, winter-inventory, and 30-foot rig caveats. Accessed September 16, 2026.
3. Goose Island Campground — BLM individual-site count, first-come policy, RV eligibility, amenities, fill pattern, directions, and limits. Accessed September 16, 2026.
4. Horsethief Campground — BLM loop assignments, RV-site count, first-come policy, amenities, directions, and occupancy limits. Accessed September 16, 2026.
5. Ken's Lake Campground — BLM loop-specific reservation, rig-fit, shade, seasonal-operation, amenity, vehicle, and payment details. Accessed September 16, 2026.
6. Horsethief Group Sites — Official Recreation.gov group-site equipment exclusions and generator hours. Accessed September 16, 2026.