Camping cabins near Colorado City, Arizona provide easy access to Zion National Park and surrounding recreation areas at elevations ranging from 3,000-5,000 feet. The region experiences extreme temperature variations, with summer highs frequently exceeding 100°F and winter nights dipping below freezing. Most cabin facilities remain open year-round despite these seasonal fluctuations, with advance reservations becoming essential during peak travel months of May through September.
What to do
Hike Water Canyon: The Water Canyon area near Zion Glamping Adventures offers less crowded trail experiences. "The view here at night is AMAZING. There's barely any light pollution here so it was a stargazers dream," notes one visitor about the camping location.
Explore riverside areas: Many campgrounds offer access to the Virgin River for cooling off. At Zion River Resort, "The cool Virgin River behind our site was a nice place to soak our tired feet and enjoy a beverage after hiking in Zion. We preferred the pace of Virgin over Sugardale, and it was only 20min away."
Visit off-season for better experience: South Campground in Zion becomes less crowded outside peak months. "Location is great for access to Zion NP. Has all amenities. Reserve early is a must. Within walking distance to many Springfield restaurants," confirms one camper.
Utilize park shuttles: When staying at South Campground, take advantage of the easy transportation system. "The campground is best suited for tents and smaller trailers/RVs/van setups... larger rigs should seek out Watchman campground next door. This is a National Park campground. The sites are pretty close together, amenities are minimal, and it is busy. The convenience of staying in the park and walking to the shuttle is worth it; at least you eliminate parking and waiting to get into the park."
What campers like
Clean facilities: Visitors consistently mention the well-maintained restrooms at certain sites. At WillowWind RV Park, "It may be because we had just come off of 5 days of dispersed camping but we found WillowWind to be an oasis. The grounds are beautiful, the staff is polite and helpful, you get a concrete pad and a nicely sized grass area, and the restrooms/showers were the nicest I've ever seen."
Shade options: During hot summer months, tree coverage becomes essential. "This campground was spectacular. I highly recommend staying here. The staff was great, everything was very clean. On weekends they have a grill and serve dinner. Their pool & hot tub area is clean and very nice. Despite being in the desert, there's grass and it's a very pretty campground," notes a visitor at Zion River Resort.
Proximity to attractions: Staying near park entrances saves significant travel time. A visitor to Zion RV and Campground appreciated that "Great location, you feel like you're in the park. The drive to the visitor center is through a scenic historic park road and was a great part of each day."
River access: The Virgin River creates cooling opportunities during hot weather. "This camp site was awesome! Had plenty of openings, reasonable price and full hookup! At the site we were on there was a creek behind us which we loved and so did our dogs! Friendly neighbors! Beautiful place. Located close to Zion park," shares a camper from Zion River Resort.
What you should know
Reservations essential: Cabin availability becomes extremely limited during peak season. For South Campground, "The campground used to be first come, first serve but is now reservable, with sites opening on a rolling basis two weeks in advance. This is great for a semi-spontaneous trip at a busy time of year - a little advance planning, but your site doesn't have to be booked months in advance."
Temperature extremes: Prepare for significant temperature variations. At Sand Pit Campground, "We stayed at a group site without hookups for a week in mid-May and had a great time! The park was not crowded at all. There are trails for all SxS/quad level riders, including dunes and rock crawling."
Water access varies: Not all cabins include private bathroom facilities. "We stayed in the tent sites, some of the sites were small. But we had a ton of room," notes a visitor at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.
Noise considerations: Highway proximity affects some campgrounds. At St. George/Hurricane KOA, "Pros: nice showerhouse and bathrooms, good view of red cliffs recreation area, free mini golf and pool, electric and water at the tent site, laundry facilities, right off the interstate. Cons: right off the interstate. Nothing but vehicle traffic all night long."
Tips for camping with families
Ranch resorts offer most activities: Families find comprehensive options at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. "Nice resort with many activities available. Nice showers/restrooms. Restaurant, miniature golf and other activities. We did the jeep tour and enjoyed it very much. Too cold for the pool, but looked very inviting."
Check for pool temperatures: Not all advertised pools are heated year-round. At St. George/Hurricane KOA, a visitor warns, "The pool was listed as heated but it's not. It hasn't been heated since we got here and office told a mom today that it just broke. BS!"
Consider cabin alternatives: For families seeking more space, some locations offer varied options. At Zion Ponderosa, "We finished out our Spring Break Outdoor recreation trip by glamping in one of the canvas tents at Ponderosa. I'd never been so excited to sleep in a bed. We slept with 5 people in each tent. The tents were accommodated with 4 beds (2 twin, 1 Queen, and 1 pull-out couch)."
Look for educational programs: Some campgrounds offer ranger-led activities. "Watchman 8 am hike with a ranger was easy but informative. We learned about the recent storm that caused quite a bit of damage and closed several trails," reports a South Campground visitor.
Tips from RVers
Consider pad sizing: RV sites vary significantly in levelness and dimensions. At WillowWind RV Park, "Pretty good size park. Lots of trees for shade. Pretty easy to back out 44ft 5th wheel in. Spots are a little skinny but the grass is green and the pads are clean."
Wi-Fi reliability issues: Connection quality varies between campgrounds. "We needed stable, steady Internet for a month. While we regularly travel with two hotspots for Internet coverage, we barely needed to use them," notes a WillowWind RV visitor.
Tree placement affects site selection: Consider overhead clearance and satellite access. "Our RV space was in the area with grass between the spaces. Sprinklers were programmed for daily delivery, and because of the width of the concrete pad, we were getting hard water stains on our RV (the sprinkler head pointed directly at our steps out of the RV)."
Research routes carefully: Some roads to campgrounds have restrictions. Zion Canyon Campground provides good RV access as "The closest campground to Zion National Park without actually being inside the park. You can walk to the National Park from the campground or take the free shuttle which picks up basically right at the entrance to the campground."
