A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Barker Recreation Area

Forest Service campground in Dixie National Forest, Garfield County, Utah. About 9,300 feet. 15.5 miles from Antimony.

Managed by
Forest Service Dixie National Forest
Elevation
About 9,300 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
16 13 standard non-electric, 2 group standard non-electric, 1 group standard area non-electric
Longest rig
35 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Barker Recreation Area is located high on the Colorado Plateau at an elevation of 9,300 feet. Visitors enjoy canoeing, fishing and exploring local trails.

Recreation

Upper Barker Reservoir provides canoeing, kayaking and fishing for rainbow and brook trout. Numerous hiking, biking and horse trails can be accessed from both the Upper and Lower Barker Reservoir trailheads. Trails, including the non-motorized Great Western Trail, lead to nine backcountry fishing lakes and beautiful mountain views. The area also has excellent stream fishing and spectacular fall colors.

Facilities

This recreation area contains 13 single-family sites, three group campsites and a day-use area. Horses are permitted in the Porter group site.

Drinking water is provided from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Amenities include accessible vault toilets and bear-proof food storage lockers. Fishing docks are located at Upper and Lower Barker Reservoirs. Roads and parking spurs are gravel.

Natural Features

A dense canopy of aspen and spruce trees forests Barker Recreation Area. Summer wildflowers are plentiful and a variety of wildlife frequents the area, including black bear, blue grouse, golden eagle, ducks and wild turkey.

Nearby Attractions

Both the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park are located approximately 45 minutes away. Sightseeing along Utah Highway 12, a National Scenic Byway, is very popular. Travelers visit from every corner of the world to see the stunning red rock canyons and desert landscapes.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park and Anasazi State Park are also located in the area.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • horseback riding
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Barker Recreation Area

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated May 22, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.