Horsethief Campground — Island in the Sky Mesa BLM Camp

Horsethief sits up on the Island in the Sky mesa off Highway 313, on BLM ground just outside the Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point boundaries. It’s a basic, no-frills camp: vault toilets, fire rings, and a lot of piñon-juniper and slickrock mesa. There’s no water on site, so fill up in Moab before you climb. It also puts you close to the Shafer Trail, Dead Horse Point, and the Island in the Sky visitor center.

The access road is graded dirt and usually fine for any vehicle when dry, though washboard and mud after storms can change that. It’s a popular base for mountain bikers, and spring and fall weekends fill it up, so get there early. Sites are first-come, first-served as far as I know, but verify fee, site count, stay limit, and reservation status with the BLM Moab Field Office before you go. Pack out your trash and mind fire restrictions, which come and go in summer.

BLM mesa-top camp near Shafer Trail and Dead Horse