Campgrounds in Zion

Campground
 

Check the current campground status on our Current Conditions page.

Camping
Zion National Park has three campgrounds:

  1. Watchman Campground is open year-round. Make reservations up to six months ahead of your visit.
  2. South Campground is closed for a long-term rehabilitation project.
  3. Lava Point Campground is about a 1-hour drive from Zion Canyon on the Kolob Terrace Road. Reservation only.

There are no campgrounds in Kolob Canyons. Camping is only permitted in designated campsites, and not in road pullouts or parking lots (including the oversize parking lot near the Zion Canyon Visitor Center). From mid-March through late November the campgrounds are full almost every night.

Reservations at Watchman Campground are required. No first come first serve spots available.

ATTENTION: If you plan on renting an RV or camping equipment and having it delivered to Zion National Park, it is your responsibility to make sure that the individual or business that you are renting the equipment from has a valid permit to do business in the park. It is illegal to conduct business in a park area without a permit, contract, or other written agreement. Renting from a business or individual without a Commercial Use Authorization (CUA) may leave you without accommodations as the RV/camping equipment may be turned away upon delivery.

Several area campgrounds are a short drive from the park. Please check the following links for more information:

East Zion
St. George Area Visitor Bureau
BLM, St. George Field Office
Kane County, Utah (including Kanab)

Zion Canyon Campgrounds
South Campground and Watchman Campground (Call 877-444-6777 or visit www.recreation.gov) are near the south entrance at Springdale. This part of the park is desert. There are few trees to provide relief from the heat. Some campsites get shade for part of the day, but many get no shade at all. Summer temperatures exceed 95°F (35°C) and lows rarely dip below 65°F (18°C); staying cool is a challenge. Remember these temperatures and the possibility of a sunny campsite when planning. The Virgin River runs along the edge of each campground; there are a few riverside campsites.

All campsites are drive-up and allow a maximum of two vehicles. Only one RV or trailer is allowed. Any RV including motorhomes, cabover campers and camper vans, or any trailer including 5th wheels, pop-up campers, and cargo or boat trailers are vehicles and count toward the limit. Each campsite allows a maximum of six people and two tents; plan accordingly. Hammocks are allowed but are limited to the footprint of the campsite. Check out time is 11:00 a.m.

Comfort stations provide flush toilets, cold running drinkable water, and trash containers, but no showers or electrical outlets. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire pit with attached grill. Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Pets are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. Hiking in the park with pets is allowed only on the roads and Pa'rus Trail.

Please note that food must be stored in a vehicle or a hard-sided lockable container. Feeding wildlife is strictly prohibited. Do not leave trash unattended while camping at Zion, and dispose of trash in dumpsters.

Springdale is adjacent to Zion Canyon; pay showers, small markets, firewood, laundromats, a limited medical clinic, and restaurants are available. Springdale can be reached from the campgrounds by car, foot, bicycle, or Springdale shuttle.

From March through mid-November, the park-wide camping limit is 14 nights. An additional 30 nights is permitted the rest of the year. These limits apply to all park campgrounds.

 
Shuttle Information
Shuttle schedule & information

Learn about the Free Zion Canyon Shuttle Service.

Cover of map and guide newspaper. Towers and Temples of the Virgin with fall color trees.
Publications

Maps, shuttle schedules, hiking, and camping information. Check here for materials translated into languages other than English.

A ranger hands a visitor a map and newspaper about Zion National Park
How and when to apply for permits

Apply for permits to visit Angels Landing, to canyoneer, and to camp in Zion Wilderness

Last updated: September 27, 2024

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Zion National Park
1 Zion Park Blvd.

Springdale, UT 84767

Phone:

435-772-3256
If you have questions, please email zion_park_information@nps.gov. Listen to recorded information by calling anytime 24 hours a day. Rangers answer phone calls from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT, but a ranger may not answer if they are already speaking with someone else.

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