Zion National Park Camping Guide

There’s no better way to experience Zion than waking up under its cliffs. Camping puts you in the park before the day visitors arrive, it’s far cheaper than a Springdale hotel, and the night skies here are some of the darkest in the country.

Zion has three campgrounds of its own: two big ones by the South Entrance and a tiny, remote one high up at Lava Point. There are also good private campgrounds and RV parks just outside the park. This guide covers the best of them, how and when to book, and the rules you need to know before you spend a weekend in Zion under the stars.

Zion Campgrounds: At a Glance

Campground	Where	Booking
Watchman Campground	Inside the park, by the South Entrance	Up to 6 months ahead, open all year
South Campground	Inside the park, by the South Entrance	Up to 14 days ahead, spring to autumn
Lava Point Campground	Inside the park, off Kolob Terrace Road	Up to 14 days ahead, roughly May to September
Zion Canyon Campground & RV Resort	Springdale	Direct with the campground
Zion River Resort	Virgin	Direct with the resort
Zion Crest Campground	East Zion, at Zion Ponderosa	Direct with the campground
Kolob Reservoir	Off Kolob Terrace Road, north of the park	Reservations in summer

Campgrounds Inside Zion National Park

All three park campgrounds must be booked in advance on Recreation.gov. There’s no first-come, first-served camping, and the South Entrance campgrounds are full almost every night from mid-March to late November.

Watchman Campground

The largest and most popular campground in Zion, Watchman Campground sits between the Virgin River and the towering Watchman, a short walk from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center and the park shuttle. It’s open all year, and you can book up to six months ahead.

There are around 180 sites in several loops: electric sites for tents or RVs (some backing onto the river), non-electric sites, walk-to tent sites and group tent sites for 7 to 40 people, plus accessible sites. Every site has a picnic table, a fire ring and a food locker, and there’s drinking water, toilets and a dump station. There are no full hookups or showers, and generators aren’t allowed. Some loops are closed to RVs and trailers of 19 feet or more, so check the site details when you book.

From your tent, it’s a few minutes’ walk to Springdale’s cafes, shops and restaurants, including Zion Canyon Brew Pub. The Watchman Trail, one of our favourite hikes in Zion, starts nearby, though it’s currently closed for repairs.

South Campground

Zion National Park - Pa'Rus Trail Sunset

Just north of Watchman, South Campground reopened in May 2026 after a two-year renovation. It’s open from spring to autumn and closes in winter, and reservations open just 14 days before your arrival, so it’s worth checking if you’ve missed out on Watchman.

There are around 120 standard and walk-to sites plus four group sites, all non-electric. You’ll find flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, fire rings, food lockers and a dump station, but no hookups or showers. Generators are only allowed for short periods in the morning and evening.

The campground sits right beside the Pa’rus Trail, the only trail in the park that allows dogs and bikes. We loved paddling in the river along the Pa’rus, and it’s a brilliant spot for stargazing after dark. The Archeology Trail is close by too. It’s near the road and the Pa’rus is busy by day, so if you want real peace and quiet, it isn’t the place.

Lava Point Campground

For a night away from the crowds, head up to Lava Point, at nearly 7,900 feet on one of the highest accessible points in the park, with sweeping views over Zion’s high country. It’s tiny, with just six primitive sites, each for up to six people and two vehicles.

It’s no longer free: sites are booked on Recreation.gov up to 14 days ahead, for a small nightly fee, and you can’t book or pay on arrival. There are pit toilets, picnic tables and fire rings, but no drinking water, so bring all you need. Vehicles over 19 feet aren’t allowed on the access road.

Lava Point is about 25 miles up Kolob Terrace Road from Virgin, roughly an hour and 20 minutes’ drive from the South Entrance. Snow closes the roads from autumn to spring, so it’s usually open from around May to September only. Check the NPS current conditions page before you set off.

Campgrounds Near Zion National Park

Zion Canyon Campground & RV Resort

If you can’t get a site in the park, Zion Canyon Campground & RV Resort in Springdale is the next best thing. It’s on Zion Park Boulevard, about half a mile from the park entrance and on the free Springdale shuttle route, so you can leave your car at the campsite.

It takes both tents and RVs, with full hookups for big rigs, and the facilities are a step up from the park campgrounds: hot showers, laundry, a pool and a store. Some sites sit beside the Virgin River, and you’re a short walk from Springdale’s restaurants.

Zion River Resort RV Park & Campground

About 20 minutes from Springdale, Zion River Resort in Virgin is a good choice for RVs. It has 40 paved, full-hookup sites, some of them pull-through and suitable for big rigs, plus a couple of rustic cabins. There are restrooms, showers, laundry, a heated pool and spa, a market and pickleball courts.

Zion Crest Campground at Zion Ponderosa

Just outside the park’s eastern boundary, Zion Crest is the tent campground at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, and a great option for quieter camping among the trees at around 6,500 feet. Sites have a picnic table and grill, and there are new bathrooms, hot showers and coin laundry.

Campers can use the resort’s facilities, which include a pool and hot tub, plus extras like mini golf. Zion Ponderosa also has RV pads with hookups, covered wagons and cabins. From here it’s an easy drive to the East Entrance, and close enough to visit Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the Grand Canyon’s North Rim on an extended trip.

Note that since June 2026, vehicles longer than 35 feet 9 inches, wider than 7 feet 10 inches or taller than 11 feet 4 inches can’t use the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway through the park. If you have a big RV, you’ll need to reach the east side the long way round.

Kolob Reservoir

North of the park, about 23 miles up Kolob Terrace Road from Virgin, Kolob Reservoir has primitive campsites right on the shore. It makes a great base if you miss out on camping in the park and want to explore Zion’s quieter Kolob Terrace area when you visit Zion National Park.

The road winds in and out of the park on the way up, with great views. At the reservoir you can fish, kayak or paddleboard, and the sites are widely spaced, so you’ll have more privacy than in the busy park campgrounds. It’s also a great spot for undisturbed stargazing.

Camping is in designated sites only. From Memorial Day to the end of September, sites must be reserved online in advance; outside that window they’re first come, first served, weather permitting. There’s no drinking water or hookups, so come prepared.

Free Camping Near Zion

There’s no free or dispersed camping inside Zion National Park. Overnight trips into the park’s wilderness need a wilderness permit.

Outside the park, free dispersed camping on BLM land along Highway 9, in areas such as Sheep Bridge Road, Smithsonian Butte and Gooseberry Mesa, has long been popular. In 2026 the BLM approved a plan to limit camping in this area to designated campgrounds and sites. The decision is under appeal, so the rules may change; check the latest with the BLM before you go, use only existing sites and pack out everything.

Practical Tips for Camping in Zion National Park

Book early. Watchman reservations open six months ahead, and South and Lava Point 14 days ahead, all on Recreation.gov.
Each standard site in the park takes up to six people and either two vehicles or one RV or trailer. Group sites take between 7 and 40 people, depending on the campground.
You can camp for up to 14 days in the park. Check-in is from noon, checkout is at 11am, and quiet hours are 10pm to 8am.
Dogs are allowed in the campgrounds if they’re on a leash, but the Pa’rus Trail is the only trail in the park they can walk on.
Store all food and rubbish in your site’s food locker or your vehicle, so you don’t attract wildlife to your campsite.
Fires are only allowed in the fire rings, and you can’t gather firewood. In dry periods, fire restrictions can ban campfires entirely, as they did at Watchman and South in summer 2026, so check the current rules before you light one. Camping stoves are usually fine.

Zion National Park Camping Guide: Best Campgrounds + Practical Tips

Zion Campgrounds: At a Glance