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    South Campground

    4.1 (37 reviews)

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    Tent setup with heater
    Krista P.

    Very nice to be directly in the park with only 0.2 mile walk to the visitor center and town. Staff were friendly, sites were a decent size and the sites along the Virgin River were really nice with some grass. Ours was a dirt site, which made it really dusty and dirty when the wind came up, as well as really hard ground (difficult to get tent pegs hammered in). But, we loved it. Location is everything. The only reason it's not getting 5 stars is because it would greatly benefit from getting showers installed! Hopefully one day they will get some. The bathrooms could also use a bit of TLC. They were looking pretty run down.

    Our tent #52
    Lisa W.

    There isn't much choice when it comes to camping in Zion near the popular hikes. You have South campground or Watchmen. This is first come first serve for south campground . Upon arriving early (8-10am) the entrance booth will say "full" which isn't true. They don't really keep track, go and look for a camp site anyways. Other reviews will tell you to come around 10 (when everyone is checking out) I say its WRONG! Come earlier! On popular days (Thursday-Saturday) come as early as 8! We came at 10 exactly on Thursday and could not find a spot! We talked to some people and somehow managed to find the last (undesired) spot in the campground. Here's how it works: 1. Pick up the envelope at the entrance and fill it out 2. Drive around and stop at your desire campsite and check the yellow ticket on the pole for the date and how many nights they are staying 3. Even if the current campers aren't out of their campsite but checking out the same day, you can claim it by putting your top half of the yellow envelope there (we didn't know this until someone told us) 4. Wait til current campers leave 5. Another option is be aggressive and ask campers if they are leaving Also, everyone is EXTREMELY nice, just ask and anybody will help you. We were shy first but realize it's freaking Utah man, not California. We got help from everybody! Campsite: Really close to your neighbors... Campground is hard and full of rocks, good luck staking your tent to the ground. Our campsite (52) was probably the worst. No shade, and somehow it was continuously wet due to the small creek next to us... So our fire pit and everything near the creek was wet. And by creek it's really not a creek you'll see it. No showers, we washed off in the Virgin river, which was nice and refreshing after a hike! Bathrooms were pretty dirty... Looks like they don't clean it often. But plenty of toilet paper and have soap but no paper towels. Campsite is close to the visitors center... You can catch the first bus out. Which is highly recommended on popular hikes. Campsite hosts are extremely nice! They wave and do their camp runs hourly. Since the campground is so close to your neighbors, make friends or hope you don't get loud partiers. We got unlucky for one night and had a group of Vegas partiers. Easily fit 2-3 cars. Beware of bees! They love meat. We cooked steak, salmon, Cioppino, bacon and they swarmed us. Also watch out for cockroaches at night! We thought it was our campsite but walked around and saw tons everywhere! But only one night... If must be something in the weather for them to come out. We luckily found only one roach in our tent... It's not the best campground but it's a better alternative to being outdoor and not paying for that pricey hotel room. Also look up at night, the stars are amazing.

    A picture is worth a 1,000 words.
    Navid D.

    Just an amazing campsite. Watchman had electric hookups, but our reservations were canceled last minute due to construction and we were saved two spots at the South Campground to accommodate our two RVs that required at least a 35' back in or pull through. This site is perfect and close to all the areas you'd need to use to get to the shuttles and other park facilities. Been to Yosemite and this has by far blown us away. Totally different. And you have cell coverage. That's good and bad however you want to look at it. Bathrooms are near by with flushing toilets and running water. Very clean. Robin Mueller did a great job to ensure we got our spots since our reservations that were made 6 months prior, were cancelled. Looking forward to being back maybe this summer and next year for spring break again.

    View I wake up to
    mong linh n.

    We arrived to zion national park at 3AM on a Thursday. As you enter, the first campsite is Watchmen, it is a walk on, so we checked it out. the sign said it was full, so we just pulled out. we drove around the corner to South Campground, as you pull in, it will say site is FULL, and then theres a sign that says line forms here. You pull up and wait in line until hosts appears around 630-7AM. we pulled up and was the second car in line around 3AM. around 630-7 there was tonsssssssss of cars waiting behind us. luckily its NOT a holiday wknd, so being 2nd in line was wonderful! the host said theres a few spots open, and asked us if we wanted to be near the river. we said YES! we got campsite 82 or was it 92..it was directly across the opening to the river. and close enough to the restroom. and it is steps away from pra rus trail? which leads to the visitor center and the shuttles (10 mins walk to it) campsite was $20 a day, and check out is 11AM. if you wish to stay longer you can renew before 11AM. bathrooms were uber clean! water is only located near the restrooms for drinking and cooking. showers? you have to go to visitor center where you rent all the gears for hiking. its $4 for 5 mins. pretty pricey! lived camping here!! will def do again!

    Beautiful night, before the wind came
    Heather S.

    By the time we came around to this campground, we had just recently camped at 3 other national parks. So we thought, the process must be the same - get to the campground as early as you can, drive around and look for an empty spot, if there's no tag on the post then the site is yours. However, when we got to Zion, we soon realized that they do it kind of different here where they assign you a campsite. Luckily for us, our campsite was near one of the popular easy hike and near the bathroom as well. Location wise, the campground is easy to find. It's right at the beginning of the entrance. There are pros and cons to that. Pros - other than being near the entrance, you are also near the visitor center and near a number of stores and restaurants just outside of the park's entrance. Very convenient if you ever you need more camping supplies or food. Cons - because the campground is near the entrance and a parking lot where visitors who aren't camping can park, it can be very noisy. Something I'd like to avoid especially if the main reason for camping is to get away from all that. Do be prepared. It so happens that on our last camping trip at the last national park on our list for this trip, there were a couple of mishaps. The ground at our campsite was really rocky that we could not even get one spike into the ground. We ended up holding down our tent with rocks. That night was really windy as well, good thing we tied down our tent pretty good lol. The next morning, we were woken up to very loud roaring of thunder. We spent most of the morning sleeping in our car. Although these all seem like misfortunes, it made our camping trip an unforgettable one.

    View from the campsite
    Danny B.

    This is no longer a first come, first serve campground. Reservations open up at approximately 10 am EST exactly 2 weeks before the date that you'd like to book. Similar to other national parks, there is no check-in process. You drive to your site, which should have your name pinned to a sign. Upon leaving, remove the note with your name on it and deposit it in the box at the entrance of the campground As for the site, I liked it. From the entrance booth of the park, continue driving straight ignoring the Visitor center/Watchman campground sign and it'll soon be on your right hand side. There are pros and cons with the site being situated not far from the entrance. As others mentioned, many cars pass through Zion and depending on your site, this could be slightly distracting if you are a light sleeper. There are two bathrooms within the campground. One was out of order, which made it a bit of an inconvenience for the entire campground to share two stalls in a pretty messy bathroom. Long lines in the morning meant it was much more convenient to just walk to the visitor center bathrooms, which were much larger and cleaner. It did take some time to find ground that wasn't too hard to put tent stakes in, and my particular site also seemed to have several large ant mounds. Lastly, the Pa'rus trail goes directly through the campground and I highly recommend it Other things about the site - You will have phone signal, and you are also within a short walk of the shuttle as well as the showers/laundromat at Zion outfitters ($4 for 5 mins). There are machines that will accept credit card payment and give you a shower token. Zion outfitters will also supply you with dry suits if you wish to hike the Narrows. I opted for the shoes/suit/walking stick package without the bibb, which was ~$44 after tax. Overall, a pleasant stay and one that I definitely recommend.

    Pa'Rus bike trail runs along the Virgin River @ South Campground
    Liz F.

    We arrived at the South Campground on a Tuesday morning around 10am and found the perfect campsite, #60! The campsite had plenty of shade all day and is right along the Pa'Rus bike trail and the Virgin River! We biked the trail and played in the River of course! We were just a short walk to the bathroom. The bathrooms were decent, sink with soap & flushing toilets, no showers, and no hand dryers or towels. There were deer in the campground, they just walk around grazing on vegetation and don't seem bothered by people. The park shuttle was a 3 minute walk from the campsite. We hopped on the shuttle and hiked the Emerald Pools and the Narrows, highly recommend both.

    Vivian W.

    FIRST COME FIRST SERVE CAMPGROUND! Lava Point Campground is also another first come first serve campground, however they have no water and pit toilets. Watchman Campground is first come first serve from December 1 to February 26, however the number of camp spots open to that varies. South Campground has 126 spots and it still amazes me how fast this campground fills up. We arrived at 10am MT and wow.... we were SO LUCKY to get a camp spot. Literally every camp spot was filled and my friends and I were running to each asking people if they were leaving or not. I thought we were seriously not going to find one but finally, we did. Thank goodness. We got Campsite 40 which was right across the restrooms. Tips: - Even if the campground sign says "full", I would still go in and check it out because you never know if someone is leaving or not. -I highly highly highly recommend getting there early to reserve a camp spot. On our trip, I've seen people come between 5-7 am, just waiting and asking around if people are leaving and if they can take their spot. - The ground is quite hard and rocky so I recommend bringing a yoga mat or those camping foam pads to sleep on with your sleeping bag. How to Reserve: 1. Get a yellow envelope at the Kiosk when you enter the campground. 2. Find an open camp spot. Ones that do not have the yellow tag or the "occupied" sign on the wooden posts. You can also read the yellow tag and see when the campers are leaving or how many nights they are staying. 3. Fill out the envelope. 4. Tear off the tab and clip it on the wooden post. 5. Put the payment in the envelope (takes cash or card). 6. Put the envelope in the payment cylinder. Price: $16 per night; $8 per night for Senior or Access Pass Maximum: 6 people per site; 3 tents; 2 cars or 1 car + 1 RV They have restrooms and firepits. Lots of insects in the restrooms at night, be aware! Showers are also available at the Zion Outfitters (I think that's what the store is called) near the entrance where the shuttle takes you to Springdale (behind the Visitor Center). It cost $5 for 7 mins, quite expensive. This is an awesome campground since you're close to the visitor center (walkable) and are surrounded by Zion's beautiful red rocks and mountains. You are also close to the shuttle since the first stop is at the visitor center. Mule deer also stumble upon this campground.

    Our perfect campsite
    Tiffany L.

    2 friends and I camped for the first time in late June. We were fortunate enough to get a really sweet spot with views of the red rock along the river. Each spot is spaced out enough so that you are not cramped or hear your neighbors next to you. We arrived around 8AM to stake out for a site. We asked the people before us if we could take their spot after they were done packing. We were able to park our car there as they were cleaning up and left to hike Angel's Landing for the day. Each site is $16/night and you can stay there for a good amount of days (you can ask the rangers at the entrance). The restrooms are dispersed around the ground and all within a few min walking distance from where you are. Each have 3 stalls and 1 sink and were kept clean. I didn't find it crowded at all when washing up. There's a drinking fountain where you can get water outside of each restroom along with trash bins. There are no trash cans on your campsite so make sure you have a bag to collect your rubbish. Each site has a campfire pit, however we were cautioned that we could not use it due to fire hazards during this season. There are no hookups and no showers. There are public showers at Zion Outfitters just outside the park entrance for $5 for 5 min. Our site was 5 min walking distance to the Zion park info center which has the nearest shuttle stop. You can dispose of your propane can at the entrance of south campground. Tips: - Arrive EARLY - there is no specific time you can enter and stake out for a campsite. Many people are packing and leaving their site around 5-6AM. 7:30-8:30AM would be a reasonable time to come. - Before you enter into the campground, pick up a payment envelope so that you can drop your money in after you have chosen your site. You can pay by cash, check or credit card. This saves you a lot of time going back and forth. - Make sure you tear off the slip on the payment envelope and fill out the info and clip it onto the post on your site before leaving. This ensures that you have reserved your spot.

    T H.

    One of the best campgrounds ever. First come first serve only... so line up in front of the kiosk. Our site had lots of shade due to the trees. Only 5 min walk to the park shuttle and 2 min walk to the river.

    Don't be surprised if you have visitors during meal time
    Jennifer P.

    South Campground is a first come first serve campground for all you spontaneous campers out there. It's $16 a night - $8 if you have an access pass. There's running water (no showers), clean restrooms (I saw about 2 restroom buildings in the entire camp), a picnic table, fire pit, and two parking spots per site. Each site is extremely spacious with enough room for 2 tents. 6 total people to each site. Before you enter the site, there will be a sign out that either says "camp full" or "vacant." Do not be discouraged if it's "full." Park your car in a line and at around 6:30am a ranger will come out, give you an envelope, and allow you to quietly drive around the campground to try and find an empty site. Usually you can see campers packing up - kindly ask if they are leaving and they would be more happy to reserve the spot for you as you wait for them to pack up & leave (Campers are the nicest!) Finding an opened site has more to do with luck then being the first car in line. Although being early does not hurt. It's quite possibly one of the best first come first serve campgrounds I've been too. The rangers are extremely friendly and helpful. The Virgin River runs through along the edge and makes sleeping + relaxation super peaceful. You're a 5-10 min walk from the Visitors Center and shuttle buses (these come around every 4 min so there's never a need to rush. Stress doesn't exist here). And the Zion Market is less than a 5 minute drive away. Beautiful Zion rocks surround the mountains. Trees are bountiful, but do not block your view of the Milky Way at night. Plus, you can see deers roaming freely without anyone bothering them. South Campground made camping a breeze!

    Site 91. There was plenty of space for multiple tents & cars. Not far from trails & river. Not much shade at this spot but we'll be back!

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    Review Highlights - South Campground

    Located by the river AND the visitors center, which also happens to be a location for shuttle stop.

    Mentioned in 12 reviews

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    Watchman Campground - View from our campsite

    Watchman Campground

    4.2(129 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Campground is right inside Zion Nation Park. Clean no showers lots of rest rooms make and female…read moreboth have 4 stalls. And a handicap also a private handicap or family restroom. Pros I side the campground walking distance to the little town get the bus to Zion park or rent e-bikes to get around. No cars allowed to the Narrows. Get the bus to the town of Springdale eat shop rent stuff. Cons: expect delays this is in the national park always a line to get in walking riding a bike or driving your car. If going to the Narrows busses start around 7 or 8 am. Bike pickup are early whenever you want them so pick up your bike early to get back into the park before the line starts. Campsites are big not all crunched up you have plenty of space between you and your neighbor. When it's a little windy no fires and hat so ever. Flushable toilets squirrels are aggressive here taking a nap outside and a got scratched by one.

    Stayed 2 nights (Friday-Sunday) in Watchman @ $45/night for an electric hook-up site. Was…read moreconvenient to charge my EV, as well as plug in my induction stove for cooking convenience!! This was my first time staying on-site of a National Park, and I fear it has spoiled me. No lines to enter the park, no excuses to dilly-dally, just straight to nature. Made reservations online, was able to switch to a different site that opened up very conveniently online if you are on the fence about sites. They have a refund/cancellation policy, but you'd have to check their website for details. Checked in around 11:45am, and lady at the booth asked if next I could wait until check-in of 12pm (ok??). When I walked by the booth later to ask questions, the booth was closed and it was self check-in. Maps available in the covered vestibule. Heated bathrooms were nice, restrooms themselves were decently clean. Stall trash cans for feminine products wasn't overflowing. Outdoor sink for pots/pans (bring your own detergent); someone had left a sponge, which was nice. Bought firewood + starter @ Walmart in prep, and made a nice fire one evening. I did shower at Zion Outfitters twice ($4 per 5 minutes), which is walking distance to the campground (~10 min depending what site). Same walking distance to Zion Canyon Brew Pub, and a ~30 min scenic walk to Springdale.

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    Watchman Campground - Rent bikes or bring your own

    Rent bikes or bring your own

    Watchman Campground
    Watchman Campground - View from our campground

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    View from our campground

    Zion National Park

    Zion National Park

    4.9(20 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Zion National Park absolutely lives up to the hype. The scenery is incredible, with towering red…read morerock cliffs and breathtaking views around every corner. We visited several areas of the park, including the Pa'rus Trail, and loved how accessible it was. Since we visited during warmer weather, we appreciated being able to enjoy the park without tackling strenuous hikes. The shuttle system made getting around easy. They have a great visitors center as well. One of my favorite parts was simply slowing down and taking in the beauty of the landscape. Photos don't do this place justice. Whether you're hiking, sightseeing, or just enjoying the views, Zion is a place everyone should experience at least once.

    Zion National Park is among the crown jewels of the National Park system, with some of the most…read moreepic natural environments you can visit in the United States. The raw and rugged beauty of the giant red rocks has inspired people for generations. There are some places that are simply breathtaking, resonating with the primal human spirit and inspiring to the soul. The sense of timelessness is what really does it. You can really see how the environment took millions of years to form, and know that it will be there for millions of years to come. Any season you visit is amazing - the sharp clarity of spring and summer, to the wonderful contrast that a fresh blanket of snow can bring in the winter. It's all just beautiful. The winding road through the park with one amazing view after another, and the tunnel through the side of the giant mountain, is simply iconic. The National Park Service has done an amazing job making the park accessible to just about anyone as well. There are easily accessible, beautiful areas for children and those that aren't as hardy or adventurous. But there are also extreme trails that go back far into the wilderness for the more thrill seeking, and average trails for your regular explorer. There's a lot to see, and you can go as deep, or as shallow, as you want. Zion National Park is definitely worth visiting at least once in your lifetime. Five stars, without question.

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    Zion National Park
    Zion National Park
    Zion National Park

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    South Campground - campgrounds - Updated July 2026

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