When I was a kid my parents would often take me on vacations through the US camping at all sorts of campgrounds near/in national parks and from what I remember we never made any reservations before hand.
Is this still possible in utah to just drive around and find campgrounds if all you have is a car & tent? Or should I be looking to book campgrounds beforehand?
I prefer to keep my flexibility if at all possible. Goal of the trip is to go to a couple of national parks (Canyonlands, Arches, Grand Staircase and Zion are the main goals).
Yes. Probably not in the most popular parks this time of year (Zion, Bryce, Arches), but maybe at some of the more remote ones like Capitol Reef.
You should be able to find a tent site in an independent campground in one of the little towns down the road a way from the parks. Just stay a little ways away, get up early and drive to the park for the day.
Also, don't forget there are some nice state parks down there too. If you're more in the middle, check out Goblin Valley State Park.
