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Free Camping Collection

Dispersed Camping

Kolob Resevoir

Kolob Reservoir, near Virgin, Utah, is a stunning spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature. This area offers a unique camping experience with sites right by the water, making it perfect for fishing, kayaking, and stargazing.

Visitors rave about the breathtaking scenery and the peaceful atmosphere. Many have enjoyed fishing for trout and crawdads, with one camper even spotting a bald eagle during their stay. The camp host is known for being friendly and attentive, ensuring that everyone has a great time while keeping the area clean and well-maintained.

While there are no electric hookups or drinking water available, the rustic charm of Kolob Reservoir is part of its appeal. Campers appreciate the freedom to have campfires and the opportunity to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As one visitor put it, “You can make relaxing by the lake,” which captures the essence of this beautiful location.

If you're up for a little adventure, the drive to the reservoir is scenic, and the nearby Zion National Park offers additional hiking and exploration opportunities. Whether you're camping in an RV or pitching a tent, Kolob Reservoir is a fantastic choice for a memorable outdoor getaway.

Description

Fish and Wildlife Service

Kolob Reservoir is a 250-acre impoundment of Kolob Creek in southwestern Utah. This mountain reservoir is a popular place for the desert dwellers of St. George, as well as southern Nevada. The reservoir and most of the shoreline are owned by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. Dispersed camping is allowed and a few vault toilets are provided, along with a boat ramp and dock. Private land restricts access around the southwest bay. Seasonal access from the south is by paved county road from Virgin (Utah Highway 9); and from the north, by gravel road from the Right Hand Fork of Cedar Canyon (Utah Highway 14). Winter access is limited to snowmobile.

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Location

Kolob Resevoir is located in Utah

Detail location of campground

Directions

To get there from the town of Virgin, follow SR-9 to the turnoff at Kolob Terrace Road and continue north for 23 miles. From Cedar City head five miles up Cedar Canyon on highway 14, turn right onto Right Hand Canyon Road and continue for eight miles as the road changes to Kolob Road. Follow Kolob Road for another 11 miles to reach the reservoir.

Coordinates

37.45413509000003 N
113.0490084 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Good
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Dispersed

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Pull-Through Sites

DISPERSED CAMPING

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Kolob Resevoir needs a permit.

Contact

General Info


Reviews

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18 Reviews

Reviewed Nov. 23, 2021

It’s freezing

We stayed in our RV camper And it was absolutely freezing thank God we had that our friends stayed in tents in the dispersed camping area because all the reservations were booked and they came and crashed in our RV it was so cold!! fishing is really good! I really need to place those super pretty mother nature at its finest we must treasure what God has created in this beautiful world of ours. Our campsite was pretty big I took a few pictures of smaller ones on our way down to the lake that were the most decent ones in this entire place.

  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by amber N., November 23, 2021
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by amber N., November 23, 2021
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by amber N., November 23, 2021
  • (11) View All
Reviewed Sep. 10, 2021

25$/night for residents. No verizon service. Idk other networks

We stayed here Sept 4-5th. They charge 25$/night for WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH residents plus others (military etc). 50$/night for non-residents

We booked our sites online at bookyoursite.com . Put your zipcode and the discount will automatically show up. The site you book under bookyoursite.com would be your regular along the shore sites which can be pretty big with no neighbor campers.

There’s a private camp in the reservoir but not by SHORE through private owner hipcamp. When we went there himcamp area looks really crowded which we didn’t like. The sites are way close together.

The leaves hasn’t changed yet. The night sky is still just as amazing. We caught trout & crawdads. We spotted a bald eagle on the way out. There’s a porta potty for each camp site. There’s 3 regular restrooms, one by the entrance. There’s also access to clean water by the entrance.

The place is best for kayaking, fishing, stargazing (you can see the milky way). You will be entering Zion National Park road otw if coming from Virgin.

The camp host is Jeff and lives by the entrance on a 5th wheeler. He has the American Flag up. He also went around the reservoir to make sure there are no non-paying-campers. He encouraged everyone to pay to camp and that area is free for day use.

Site11
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Sariah J., September 10, 2021
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Sariah J., September 10, 2021
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Sariah J., September 10, 2021
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Jun. 29, 2021

Expensive

My daughter and I went all over Southern Utah last weekend, thought Kolob reservoir was beautiful. I got home and was going to book a reservation but the fee came up to be $178 for three days that is not what I consider a nominal fee.

Month of VisitJune
Reviewed May. 30, 2021

$50 a Night

This is no longer a free dispersed camping area. Reservations now must be made and the sites are $50 a night with no services.

Reviewed May. 24, 2021

Kolob Reservoir

Great camp sites, friendly host. Always checking up on everyone. Had camp site 4. Will definitely be back.

SiteCamp site 4
Month of VisitMay
Reviewed May. 18, 2021

Amazing Campground with Amazing Host

We stayed at Kolob Campground in mid-2020. This was our first time camping on Kolob Mountain, and we were lucky enough to find Kolob Campground through an internet reservation site. The campsite was nestled in a convenient area on the south side of the reservoir in a grove of aspen trees. The hosts came by the camp shortly after the arrival and gave us some great tips and ideas for making our stay perfect. The weather was amazing with warm days and cool evenings. There was a wood fire restriction in place and the hosts made sure we had an option for a campfire by providing a propane fire bowl for our stay. I think we payed $35 or $45 dollars to rent the fire bowl for our entire stay and it even cam with a large tank of propane. I'm sure they don't make any money on that, but want to make sure the guests are happy, which we were! According to several campers and locals, this family has been hosting campers here since 1967! They know what they are doing! The campsites were level and clean.  The hosts gathered up our garbage throughout our stay, and every campsite has a trash can, table, and fire pit (for when fires are allowed). They also have toilets on site and public toilets are also a short walk down the hill. We are already planning on returning again, and cant wait to see the Blake Brothers (Camp Hosts) again.

Reviewed May. 3, 2021

Beautiful spot

Great spot- all the sites are right on the water. The drive up to the reservoir is long but very pretty. It was kinda crowded by the time I got there so getting there early in the day is best.

Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by maura , May 3, 2021
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by maura , May 3, 2021
Reviewed May. 1, 2021

Beautiful area

Road is well maintained, some small ruts but nothing impassable for my Nissan Rogue. Good spots all along the river. It was a little muddy but that’s too be expected on a lake.

Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Jennifer , May 1, 2021
Reviewed Sep. 27, 2020

Gem outside Zion

Review of Kolob Campground (private campsite), Booked on Hipcamp. 

My cousin and I had a fantastic camping trip at Kolob Campground. Campsite #4 was great with privacy and direct lake access. No bug/ mosquito issues when we went in September. Weather fluctuated from 70s in the day to 30s at night. High elevation of 8100' makes for a great escape of summer heat. Sitting and hiking along the reservoir was peaceful and idyllic. Nighttime stargazing and sunrises were great! 

Lots of nearby sites to visit as day trips. Lava Point is a nice view point worth stopping by on the way. We also detoured up to Cedar Breaks National Monument which was a beautiful place to see the sunset. It's basically a mini-Bryce canyon without crowds. Plus, the pup was allowed on the Sunset trail, an easy, paved 2mi trail. Would recommend taking the 15 fwy back if you go for sunset to avoid any mishaps or wrong turns on the bumpy, unpaved Kolob terrace backroads. Zion NP Kolob Canyons road is also a nice place to check out on the way.

Site#4 and 2
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Esther Y., September 27, 2020
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Esther Y., September 27, 2020
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Esther Y., September 27, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 7, 2020

Amazing for relax

I found this place on map. I was looking where is a dark green area close to me. Stayed one night 8k feet (2500 meters) elevation in a cool weather. 70 -50 Fahrenheit in September 5 2020. There is a nice reservoir lake. Inside a lot of ducks🦆.You can make relaxing by the lake. Some people bringing their boards for go to the little island. Available camp fires pets Rv tents motorhome. It’s make you feel freedom in this place. No signal on gsm is the best think 😉 if you need to call someone you need to go back 5-6 miles. That’s amazing place will make you don’t want come back anymore.

  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Oguz , September 7, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 7, 2020

What a place

The Blake brothers run the campsite up there and there is many places for dispersed camping as well. The fishing is great! The trees are magical when they blow in the wind. You can rent kayaks and canoes from the mini market for a great price as well. It gets chilly at night so don’t forget your sweater.

  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Brittney  C., September 7, 2020
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Brittney  C., September 7, 2020
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Brittney  C., September 7, 2020
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2020

This lake soaked up my 2020 stress

This was an easy to find beautiful area. Plenty of off the road spots to camp for free, some right on the water.

The drive in takes you through a part of Zion, the sights along the way at sunset will remind you of whatever holy thing you believe in.

Don’t forget sunscreen if you spend the day on the water, and mind the ducks! They love to come through camp at mealtimes

  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Monika V., August 22, 2020
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Monika V., August 22, 2020
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Monika V., August 22, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jul. 27, 2020

Hidden Gem

The best local spot even the locals don’t know about. Hidden on the back side of Zion National Park, this Reservoir has amazing camping, just drive along the banks until you find an open spot. With several bathrooms, firepits, and kayak rentals, this semi-off the grid gem still has the amenities to make your stay extra comfortable.

  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Jared B., July 27, 2020
Reviewed Jul. 3, 2020

Just perfect!

Plenty of Beautiful lakes side sites. Fishing, flowers, and lots of ani Al’s (both domestic and wild!). Downside: 22 mile dirt road in and another out. The camping is free but your vehicle will need a car wash.

Reviewed Jun. 20, 2019

Words can’t describe

This trip was amazing!!! Loved camping here. SUP and kayak rentals right there at the lake front so no hauling yourself, affordable rentals . And the most friendly people. We went to a rugged side of the reservoir, having a Jeep equipped to handle the rough terrain was handy. Quiet, peaceful, minimal bugs, warm water, and plenty of room. Little sun showers happened a couple times during our weekend but nothing terrible till the last hour of packing up and heading home. Didn’t catch a single fish but saw lots jumping.

  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Tanya D., June 20, 2019
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Tanya D., June 20, 2019
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Tanya D., June 20, 2019
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2018

Great lakeside camping everywhere!

A great last resort for tent camping and even better option for RV's and trailers. Most people there would pull onto the shoreline on the west side of the reservoir as the slope was very shallow and gentle. There are plenty of spots to fish and the DWR is draining the Reservoir this November and has increased the catch limit from 4-8 trout and have allowed for the use of bait again in preparation of a total fish kill. There are vault toilets at the south end of the lake and west side and there's no fee for camping

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Alan B., October 1, 2018
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Alan B., October 1, 2018
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Alan B., October 1, 2018
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Aug. 10, 2018

Open Spaces by Lakefront and Dirr Road but Quite Accessible for RV’s/Tents

Fishing 🎣 Awesome Starry Nights 🌌 Publuc Restrooms toilets 🚽 only No fire 🔥 pits just rocks for makeshift fire but Bring firewood. Love the Deer 🦌 Eagles 🦅 and Ducks 🦆 on Lake. Small boats 🚣‍♀️ only but quite because of it. Love ❤️ this Area to get outdoors with Nature and enjoy the Cool Air since we are local from Hurricane Utah where it is 107 degrees during the day.

SiteMeadow next to Lake
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Pamela V., August 10, 2018
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Pamela V., August 10, 2018
  • Review photo of Kolob Resevoir by Pamela V., August 10, 2018
  • (16) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Are fires allowed at Kolob Resevoir?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Kolob Resevoir, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.