A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Lower Bowns

Forest Service campground in Fishlake National Forest, Garfield County, Utah. 7,437 feet. 15.2 miles from Boulder.

Managed by
Forest Service Fishlake National Forest
Elevation
7,437 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
5 4 standard non-electric, 1 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
60 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Lower Bowns Campground is located on the east side of Boulder Mountain on the shore of Lower Bowns Reservoir at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Visitors enjoy boating, fishing and exploring local trails.

View Lower Bowns Campground Map

Recreation

Popular activities in the area include hiking, biking, hunting and riding the Rosebud ATV Trail. Lower Bowns Reservoir offers boating, canoeing and fishing for rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout.

Facilities

This campground contains three accessible sites: one group site can accommodate up to 50 people, and two single sites can each accommodate up to 10 people.

Vault toilets are provided, and roads and parking spurs throughout the site are gravel.

Natural Features

The campground is sparsely forested with pinyon pines and juniper, which offer only limited shade. Boulder Mountain lies to the west of the site, and Capitol Reef National Park's Waterpocket Fold and the Henry Mountains lie to the east.

Nearby Attractions

Capitol Reef National Park is just 45 minutes from the campground. This unique park offers excellent hiking trails, historic sites and breathtaking scenery.

Sightseeing along Utah Highway 12, a National Scenic Byway, is very popular. Travelers visit from every corner of the world to gaze upon stunning red rock canyons and desert landscapes.

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
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Lower Bowns

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 February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.