Spend a night camping under the stars and soaring cliffs of Zion National Park! You will be in awe of the fantastic rock formations, the beautiful Virgin River, and the diversity of desert plants and animals that make up this fragile landscape.
Waking up with these incredible views right outside your tent door should definitely be on your bucket list!
What You Need to Know About Camping in Zion
- Each standard campsite only accommodates six people and two large tents or two small tents. If you have a larger group, you will need to book two campsites or look for a campground that offers double or group campsites.
- There is a 14-day stay limit during the summer months, and Senior/Access Pass holders can get 50% off of the camping fee (this does NOT include the America the Beautiful Pass)
- Any first-come, first-served sites should be claimed first thing in the morning during summer months! Plan your trip so that you can get to the campsite early before it fills.
- April and May is tent caterpillar season in Zion, meaning the campgrounds are covered in caterpillars that like to live in the cottonwood trees! Camp at your own risk during these months — plenty of people do — but I personally would look for lodging elsewhere.
- A maximum of 2 vehicles is allowed at each campsite (RV’s, 5th Wheels, and trailers count as a vehicle).
- The campground restrooms do not have showers or electrical outlets.
- Zion National Park gets extremely hot during the summer months, and many campsites have partial or no shade. A few riverside spots do exist but are extremely difficult to snag. Consider the heat when planning your camping trip.
Getting to the Campgrounds in Zion
Check the Zion National Park Map before you go! The South and Watchman Campgrounds are just inside of the South Entrance near the Visitor Center and shuttle pickup area. The Lava Point Campground is located accessed by driving along the Kolob Terrace Road in a remote northern section of the park.
How to Get a Campsite in Zion
Two of the three campgrounds in the park accept reservations. If you’re hoping to reserve something, click over to Recreation.gov to find a site.
The third campground in the park is first-come, first-served and is located about 1.5 hours from the main section of the park. When you arrive, pick a site and set up camp. These sites are free!
To choose your ideal campground, take a look at the in-park options below:
South Campground
The South Campground is a great base camp for your Zion adventure! Conveniently located near the Visitor Center, shuttle pickup area, the Pa’rus Trail (popular for biking), and the Virgin River, staying here means staying near all of the action.
Open Season: End of February to the end of November.
Max RV Length: No length restrictions, but vehicles cannot be taller than 13 feet.
Generators: Allowed from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Reservations Required: Yes, reservations must be made two weeks in advance here.
Hookups: No
Dump Station: Yes
Fee: $30 per night.
Number of Sites: 127
Pets Allowed: Yes, but please review Zion’s Pet Policy.
Restrooms: Flush toilets and running water.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes, 3 sites.
Watchman Campground
Like the South Campground, the Watchman Campground is also located right in the action of the South Entrance. This campground sits near the base of the gorgeous Watchman rock formation and provides amazing views of the surrounding red rock.
Several sites are near the river (loops A and B) and other sites are up on a small hill (loops C, D, and F). Shade can be hard to come by in this campground, but the views are stunning.
Open Season: Year-round.
Max RV Length: No length restrictions, but vehicles cannot be taller than 13 feet.
Generators: Not Allowed.
Hookups: No full, electric only.
Dump Station: Yes
Reservations Required: Yes and can be made up to 6 months in advance. Check here for availability.
Fee: $30 for Loops A and B (Electric Sites). $20 for Loops C, D, and F (Tents Only).
Number of Sites: 176 regular sites and 6 group sites.
Pets Allowed: Yes, but please review Zion’s Pet Policy.
Restrooms: Flush toilets with running water.
Wheelchair Accessibility: Yes, 2 sites.
Lava Point Campground
The Lava Point Campground is located in a remote location approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes away from the South Entrance of the park. This primitive campground is accessed by driving along the Kolob Terrace Road and then turning off onto the unpaved Lava Point Road. Pulling a trailer along this road is not recommended as it is narrow with steep grades.
The campground and overlook are located at the end of the Lava Point Road, providing gorgeous views of a seldom seen section of Zion National Park. You can also access the incredible West Rim Trail from the nearby Lava Point Trailhead.
Open Season: June through October
Max RV Length: Vehicles longer than 19 feet are not permitted on the road to the campground
Generators: Allowed from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Hookups: No
Dump Station: No
Reservations Required: No, first come first served only
Fee: Free
Number of Sites: 6
Pets Allowed: Yes, but please review Zion’s Pet Policy
Restrooms: Pit toilets and no running water
Wheelchair Accessibility: No
Planning a trip to Zion can be overwhelming.
How do you make a solid plan if you’ve never been to the park before? How do you keep everyone in your group excited and engaged?
You can spend hours on the internet searching for things to do, but you still won’t find the insider tips and first-hand knowledge that I’ve gained from working as a park ranger.
If you’re hoping to see the best sights without getting stuck in traffic, circling parking lots, or being surrounded by people, check out this Zion Itinerary.
You will see all of the can’t-miss spots, plus get lodging and dining guides, driving directions, and insider tips!
Now that you’ve seen your options for camping in Zion, are you ready to make sure you don’t miss out on the best sights in the park?
Click NEXT to see the 10 things you can’t miss on your first visit!
Our family of 4 (3yo and 6yo) is staying at Watchman Campground this Thanksgiving 2020. Do you have any pointers for fall/winter camping and suggestions for kid friendly hikes/thing to do? Thank you!
Wear layers…daytime temps in November can be quite pleasant, but it will likely get cold when the sun goes down. Most things in this list are kid-friendly: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/10-things-zion-national-park/ Have a great time!
Not sure if you are still monitoring this site. but, what do you think the chances are of getting a first come first serve at the end of October? For the watchman campground. Thanks!
The Watchman Campground is reservation only, no first-come, first-served at that one!
Do you know what the chances are of claiming a first come first serve site (or a cancellation) at south campground on a weekday?
I keep reading posts about people lining up at the entry early AM to try to claim one.
If you aren’t able to get reservations, I honestly wouldn’t count on getting in. It’s such a busy campground. You can try, but if it were me I’d rather spend my mornings beating the crowds on the shuttle and trails than standing in line for a campsite that isn’t guaranteed. Just my two cents 🙂
Hi Ash, are there campgrounds outside of the park that are near the Visitor Center that you would recommend?
Thank you!
Hey Laura,
It depends on what you’re looking for, so I’d check http://www.campendium.com to find an option that will be the most comfortable for you. Have fun!
Hi
If we drive up to Lava to find all of the 6 sites are full what options do we have? I’m concerned that arriving late in the day we may not be the first in!
Would this mean backtracking the 1hr 20m to the main campsites at the south entrance?
We would be prepared to camp without any facilities and happy to walk a distance from the car to get to a site.
I’d suggest taking a look at a site like The Dyrt or Campendium to check out other options nearby! There is a decent amount of camping in the area that you could try out if you weren’t able to get into any of the park campgrounds.
Why are the RV restricted to 13FT my RV is 13′ 2″ tall 45′ long? Is the electric 30amp and 50 amp?
As far as I can tell {but I don’t know for sure} the electric is 30 and 50. They may not have clearance in the campground above 13′ if you go….there could be some low hanging trees in your campsite. As you look on Reserve America, your best bet would be to get a site that doesn’t have shade, but it’s hard to know. Also, at that height you’ll have to have a special permit to drive through the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. Basically they have to close down the tunnel to all traffic so that you can drive your rig down the middle of both lanes where the tunnel is higher. Just something to keep in mind when you go!