A wooden table laden with a variety of bowls containing salads, dips, olives, and bread in a warm, dimly lit setting.

Small Town. Surprisingly Good Food. 

Dining Near Canyonlands Basecamp

Monticello may be a small town — fewer than 2,000 residents — but when it comes to good, honest food, it punches well above its weight. One of the advantages of staying at Canyonlands Basecamp is that you’re just minutes from local restaurants, cafés, grocery stops, and quick fuel options — without the traffic and wait times often found in busier tourist towns. Below are some of our local favorites.

LOCAL RESTAURANTS (~10–15 Minutes Away)

A plate of stir-fried Pad Thai noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, and a lime wedge.
Two seasoned steaks with charred grill marks cooking on a black outdoor metal grill grate.
A grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and melted cheese on toasted bread, served on a plate on a dark wooden table.
A plate of chilaquiles topped with chorizo, avocado, and crema, served in a rustic clay dish with a mug in the background.
A chicken Caesar salad in a white bowl with cherry tomatoes, croutons, and dressing, against a white background.
A hand lifting a slice of pepperoni pizza from a cardboard delivery box.
Two slices of golden French toast topped with fresh strawberries, blueberries, apple slices, and edible flowers.

QUICK & EASY OPTIONS 

Several bowls of food and hot dogs arranged on a wooden counter with bottles of water in the background.
A cut-in-half cheeseburger with bacon on branded paper against a dark background.
A brightly lit 7-Eleven storefront at night with silhouetted figures standing outside the glass entrance.
Three breakfast burritos stacked on a white plate, filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese, and red peppers.

GROCERIES & SUPPLIES

Monticello also offers grocery stores and supply stops for guests who prefer cooking at their RV site. Stock up before heading back to Basecamp and enjoy a quiet dinner under desert skies.

Dining in Monticello Makes Sense 

Top-down view of a wooden table spread with burgers, fries, a pizza, corn, dips, and sides on various plates and trays.

Many travelers assume they need to stay in Moab to have food options. The reality? Monticello offers variety, shorter wait times, and a more relaxed pace — all within 5–10 minutes of Canyonlands Basecamp. You can enjoy the parks during the day and avoid crowded dinner scenes at night. That’s part of the retreat experience.

Stay Close to the Parks

The San Juan River winds through deep, steep, red rock canyons in the Goosenecks area of Utah under a blue, cloudy sky.

And the Good Food


Canyonlands Basecamp offers the best of both worlds: Access to world-class destinations and a small-town food scene that keeps things simple.