Top 10+ Dog-Friendly Campgrounds near Central, UT

Located right off the highway, this a great place to stay for one night or for longer periods. There seemed to be several full-timers living in the campground. You can hear the highway when you sleep, so try to request a site furthest from the road. The bathrooms were clean and the staff was welcoming and accommodating. There was not a dog park or any grassy areas that allowed pets which was a challenge.

This is a wonderful campground. The sites are well designed and some are really special. The reason I gave it only three stars has to do with pets. Dogs are not allowed on any hiking trails. They are allowed, however, on the paved bicycle trail which felt dangerous for both dogs and bicyclists. My 17 year old cat is a well seasoned camper. He free ranges around where he feels comfortable and always knows where home lies. The Camp Ranger ordered my cat to be leashed. That was a first in four months of camping and I knew it would not go well. We were going to stay for one week but left after only one night. Disappointed.

We booked Cedar City KOA as our first trip to a KOA. The park is on the edge of town but close to anything you might want or need. Our site was directly across from the playground and 50 steps from the off-leash dog park. Both the kids and the dog greatly appreciated both. Unfortunately, some campers struggle with quiet hours and allowed their kids to scream and play in the playground until as late as 1am. The second night of our stay the kids were back after 1ppm, but the staff swooped in and gently moved them along. Speaking of the staff, they were friendly, attentive, and professional 100% of the time. The grounds were well maintained and clean and the campground full of friendly faces.

The park itself is nice. Full hook ups, heated pool and hot tub. Restrooms and laundry on site. Propane also on site. There are also a series of fenced in dog parks (3). So if you have dogs that don’t get along with other dogs that’s a plus because you can just go in a different one. The wifi is kind of hit or miss sometimes though. When the park is full at peak times good luck streaming anything. Staff is very friendly and helpful. I wouldn’t spring for the back in river spots unless you just want privacy behind you. The view for us isn’t that great as there is a rock wall behind you so your view is actually of that unless you have a very big rig. It is very close to Springdale and Zion National Park which is very convenient and why we chose it so four stars.

Clean showers and toilets. Trees for shade. Pet area with dog bags. Conveniently located off the highway but the downside is you can hear the highway. Sites are pretty close to each other. Good for a stopover

This KOA is located about ten minutes outside of St George and right off the I-15 freeway. It was all the amenities that your typical KOA has; dog park, hookups, cabins, and store. The best part of this KOA is its proximity to Red Cliffs National Conservation Area which is about a mile away. This National Conservation Area is surrounded by towering red cliffs that have miles of hiking trails through them. It's a great place to spend the day exploring. 

The only downside is the traffic noise on the I-15 at night. But if you are in your RV or van you will hardly notice it. This is a good campground for any trip to Zion or the surrounding area. 

Cell Service: Good

Loved this campground. Lucked out with a last minute reservation and got a fantastic spot right below a trail that leads to dinosaur footprints in the sandstone. The entire campground was clean and well maintained and spaces were far enough apart to not feel cramped even the campground was full. If you camp with pets, especially dogs, I recommend protective booties because there are goatheads everywhere in the grass and bushes.

Friendly staff and clean facilities with great shade trees in many of the spots. We enjoy walking around the drive for our daily exercise. Very accommodating of pets. Highly recommend.

This is a practical review for the "RV livability" of the site not necessarily the majestic views surrounding it. Albeit a gorgeous site in the midst of Zion National Park, the lack of sewer and water at each site complicates prolonged stays for RVs. If you don't want to move your rig, bring a Honey wagon. If you are coming in June or July, be prepared to get cooked and ensure you have air conditioning that can keep up with the heat. Although pets are allowed, they are not welcome on any trail except one so think twice about bringing Fido. There are definitely some dog friendly place to eat but unless s/he's a service animal, they'll have to remain outside and you with them as unattended animals are forbidden. The site itself is clean and quiet, daresay serene. A river and beach access allows for cooling off during the 115° days. Site cools off a bit by 9:00 p.m. and trees provide some shade on most sites. Store and pub are within walking distance. Load max water and dump tanks before settling in.

We went here to escape the Las Vegas heat, 10 degrees makes a huge difference.

We're business owners that have 3 kids (5,3,3), three dogs, a grandma, and a cat.  We run our business from the road and having wifi connectivity is import for us digital nomads.  We're road schooling our children and running our company.  Feel free to join us on the journey Empowering Humans Adventures.

Things we loved:

• The Internet was sufficient to work, but not great.  No streaming but they did have cable.
• Extremely clean
• Staff was 5 Star, helpful, kind and accommodating.
• The pool was fun and clean.
• Very quiet and everyone was very friendly.
• Dog area was well kept

Not so much:

• No mention of algae on the website, so no river fishing or letting the kids play in the water.  Disappointing.
• Playground was closed
• Many things to do nearby in Zion.

We camped at Watchman for three nights June 19-22,2020. Shuttles are not running and the scenic drive going to the lodge was closed due to COVID-19. We camped in the B loop, site # 51. This was a back-in space complete with a picnic table, fire ring (which we could not use due to fire season) and electrical hook-up. Portable water to fill tanks was available at the dump station just as you enter the campground. Our site was well shaded and very close to the Virgin River. Although available, we didn’t use the bath house.

The campground was full to capacity the whole time we were there. It is important to reserve your site at least 6 Months in advance at this campground!!

The Visitor’s Center and Park Store are within walking distance from the campground. Lots of swimming and tubing going on at the River. Tubes can be rented in Springdale. If you wanted to hike the Narrows or other trails along the scenic drive you had to either hire a shuttle ($30 round trip), bike or walk in. The paid shuttle pick up and return was in Springdale just outside the Park.

Dogs were allowed in the campground on leash and also on ONE trail. All other trails were off limits to pets.

Beautiful location! All camp sites overlook the lake. There are flush toilets and outdoor coin showers. If the camp ground fills, they allow primitive camping in the parking lot for a minimal fee. They have tent camping on the beach. All spots are pretty flat and very easy to access, this was a well planned out camp ground.

Pets are welcome in a leash.

The dock for non-motorized water craft is easy to access from the parking lot next to the camp ground. If you do not have gear with you, there is a rental shop in site

There is a motorized vehicle dock, but it isn’t near the campground, I didn’t see it coming in or going out. But, I did see a couple of motorized boats on the water.

The stars were pretty and I didn’t hear it see a single bug while walking outside at night.

This is a hidden gem just outside of Hurricane, Utah. I was there during Spring Break, the weather was mild, but very few people were on the lake or dock. I will be coming back soon.

We stayed at this KOA in our motor home over a Memorial day weekend in 2019.  We had 50A power, city water and sewer.  Power stayed on even during a windy down pour one night.   We arrived at about 9PM and a very friendly man guided us to our site pull-through site and helped us set up.  I appreciated the help.

A lady at the front desk told me that this campsite had become pretty beat up a few years ago and she and her husband were investing a lot of time to improve it.  Even if it is a work in progress, the campsite was well maintained.  Wide roads, gravel pull-through RV spots, picnic tables, grassy areas for kids and pets, a new playground, and a serviceable pool (clean but smallish - good for kids) and lots of bathrooms and showers (all private stalls).

There's a great-room down by the entrance (it has additional bathrooms btw) that is very spacious.  There are 8 or so dinging tables (with chairs) and an area with a TV and couch (I don't think it had a DVD/Blu-Ray player so bring your own).  Mini-golf was a fun activity for my kids one evening even though it was pretty worn.

This site is about 5 minutes from Quail lake and about 20 minutes from Sand Hollow.

Overall, great place to stay for 3 nights with kids.  We would stay again without hesitation.

We had a great time at site 2! The creek was wonderful to be next to and was so peaceful at night! Initially we had issues finding the site, for those looking for more info via reviews, do not follow your gps! It will take you off roading on private property! Instead call and get directions from a site manager and that will get you there :)! TB (the little orange cat) was super hospitable and sweet. Hung by us all night and even slept on top of our tent in between the screen and rain fly. All of the site animals were kind and made us feel much safer. We met with Travis who was super nice and friendly! He told us about the wildlife and gave us advice about places to visit. We were recommended taking Kolob terrace all the way up during sun set & it was beyond beautiful!! Our only regret was not doing it until the last night. A tip for future campers is to make sure you bring organic chemical free soaps because if you plan on taking a shower, the water comes and goes from the creek. Also, the bathrooms have locks on them which isn’t a big issue, but make sure to ask in advance. We made the mistake of not using the bathrooms until late at night & it was too late to get in contact with a site manager. The sites are a little hard to find because their camp maps don’t match their recent reorganization, but it’s not too hard to figure out. All around a great site with lovely people and animals!

Temperatures were a little bit hot, but that’s to be expected this time of year at this elevation in Utah. Very few people were here, and I stayed on the Fourth of July.

There were quite a few gunshots happening nearby, so I wonder if there is a range that is close? That’s something to consider if you have a dog with gunshot or firework sensitivity.

Overall I really recommend this campsite because it’s cheap and close to the interstate

Had a fabulous trip to Zion with out 6 month old and 2 dogs. Cap sites had plenty of room. there were clean restrooms and plenty of space to wash dishes. Dogs loved it! there is only one trail that allows dogs, but it runs along the river and is a beautiful trail for jogging with the dogs and our little one. Took a while to get out of the park due to traffic from all the campers leaving in the morning. but allowed us to take in the sights a little more than on the way in.