Best Dog-Friendly Camping near St. George, UT

My second visit to Snow Canyon was just as rewarding as the first one. Gorgeous red rock scenery and impeccable maintenance for this lovely box canyon named after a pair of brothers with a last name of Snow. 

During the second visit in May the weather was perfect for sleeping without the tent fly--- stars overhead.

Showers and bathrooms are first class.

Great tent section but strange RV section though--- looks like urban parking lot. 

Excellent staff.

Tent sites are lovely except for site # 28 which is in a "hole". 

Campground is 25 minutes from St. George.

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

I typically rate campgrounds as they fit into 1 of 5 categories. This campground will be rated as an “along the way” stay — grounds that you seek out for a night or two as a place to simply stay the night along your journey to regroup and get some sleep. Ratings for this category are based on: Cost: 3 Overall grounds: 3 Utility of sites (hookups, level ground, accessibility): 3 Noise: 4 Reservation Process/Ease of Getting a Site: 4 Layout: 4 Customer Service: 5

Mesquite, NV might not be an obvious destination for adventurers but it’s got a bit of a strategic location for those “passing through” as it’s right in the border of AZ & NV. About an hour from St George, Utah, 50 min from Valley of Fire State Park & the Overton Arm of Lake Mead... the location isn’t perfect, but it ain’t bad. There’s also golf nearby if that’s your thing.

The cost for a pull-thru site was $10 more than a back in and had no picnic table, and no personal “hang out” space. It had some mature trees which was nice, but that was it. You go there to park and sleep.

It’s directly next to a strip mall with a big Smith’s grocery store (with a special access door from the side of the park) which is both a pro and a con, depending on how you like your night sky to look. It’s totally safe and secure and the hookups worked fine. Upon check in I was warned the the wifi was terrible... they delivered on that promise.

There is laundry which was open, but the bathrooms were COVID closed. A small communal area with grill and covered seating was available.

The layout was straightforward and the sites were a bit unlevel (at least ours was).

The woman at the front desk was very sweet both over the phone to make the reservation and upon check in. You must call to make a reservation, doing it online only submits a request. As the weather starts to cool, this is definitely a spot for snowbirds. We liked it because it was a convenient enough place to stop for our purposes and wasn’t a total dump like some of the surrounding spots. We would seek something more convenient to explore the surrounding areas but for passing through, this place is fine, if not a little expensive for what it offers.

This location takes you to the beginning of the road into this area. Right off, there are large pull-through campsites with fire pits. As these were all taken, I pushed further in. Along the way, there are small pull offs that I considered but it was early in the day so I kept going. I’m glad I did. Lots of great spaces further up and it is 2wd friendly. Tip: get there earlier in the day, like 3-4pm to get a good spot. After I’d settled in and started exploring the area, a couple from British Columbia joined my campsite which was fun. Later, a truck with a 28’ camper drove past and then two other trucks with over landing setups also drove past. They didn’t stay with us but if you do choose to go solo at a site that can hold 5-6 vehicles, be prepared to share!

Camping If you keep going a few miles past the pull-through sites, there are several amazing sites further up. Large enough for 6 vehicles (as is the case with my chosen location) and/or large campers. Most have fire pits. There are cows about when you get further in and they do walk through the campsite. At mine, there were cow pies; however, the cows just watched from the perimeter as they past. Chewing their cuds and gossiping I have no doubt. No facilities or water but lots of space around so that if nature calls, you can get away from camp and have epic views to answer its call in private. Sans cows. There is a section of I-15 visible but I didn’t hear it despite being only 25 min from St. George.

The Approach and Ace Test Definitely Ace friendly (Ace was my 2016 VW Jetta that I often took on roads like this and use it as a sort of standard). That said, it is pretty washboarded so watch out if you’re bringing the fine China with you. Once you’re further in (wilderness) there are free range cows so keep an eye out for them and mind the signs that say no camping.

Activities Good hiking nearby. All trails has some listed but some are cow paths and lead down into the canyon. There is one across the “street” from my site that goes all the way to the top of the ridge. I won’t have time to hike it but it looks like a good one. My site has epic 360 views that make you feel like you’re in the Grand Canyon. Bring your camera, take photos in the morning or in the evening, the sun will give great light regardless of which “golden hour” you take advantage of. Fire pit looking out over the canyon for a good evening of relaxing. If you absolutely need, St. George is 25 min away.

Weather Mid-April when I was there gave me a high of 89 and a low of 58. Honestly a bit hot for me but very desirable for most. It was windy at my spot during the day but it calmed by evening. I did not bring firewood and I will regret that forever. It was a beautiful calm, clear evening in the 60’s.

Cell Service Verizon gave me 3 bars at 5G and I was able to do some remote work while I was there as well as send videos in iMessage and things of that nature

Nicely kept state park, safe, on outskirts of St. George UT. RV spaces are CLOSE together. Tent sites are better, spacious. Showers in tent area have a pull-chain. From their website: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily Phone: 435-628-2255 Fax: 435-628-9321 Management: Kristen Comella, Park Manager Jesse Henderson, Assistant Manager.  Great red rock/lava flow hiking trail options, most are easy/moderate, nice loop through Snow Canyon and around on mesa and back for road cycling. Great mtn biking in St. George area (including a roller coaster ride on hard packed single track: Bear Claw Poppy and Snake Pit Loop trails. Many other trails in area). Huntsman World Senior Games held 2 to 3 weeks in Oct. in St. George. Traffic in St. George can be heavy at times particularly during typical rush hour times.