South Campground — Zion National Park

Zion’s beauty is unmatched. It is too busy but has great facilities. Most of the campers and hikers are inexperienced and not prepared. But damn is it beautiful

How lucky we got to arrive here with no reservation and actually land a spot from a cancellation! It must of been Gods will or shall I say Gods blessing! What a beautiful spot!!!! Access to the river, bike trail/river walk, Enough space between sites, a wonderful host, and can’t leave out the beauty of nature surrounding us!

We got arrived two days earlier than planned and got lucky with one spot open in the south campground to stay in until our spot at watchman opened up. It was just as nice and provided great views all the same.

People were loud and annoying, sites are close together, and the amenities are there but not nice. Sites are not level.

This campground is my first one. It is very peaceful, the view is amazing close to the hikes and the visitors center. Bathroom are clean.

Planned to stay outside of the park on some BLM Land. Once inside learned of availability for $20 a night. Saves time getting into the park, and the views are worth it. Campsites were well maintained and relatively spaced out. Not enough trees for privacy. Restrooms are a wreck. Not clean at all and bugs everywhere.

The bathrooms were disgusting, with things either out of order or stalls missing locks no matter which building I tried. Not to mention - there was no trash inside the bathrooms, and no way to dry your hands. The campsites themselves all have minimal to no shade, and are pretty close to each other with pretty much no privacy. We could only find one drinking water spigot that worked, and the no showers in such a hot, sandy area was a serious bummer. If you just need somewhere to sleep inside the park and aren’t worried about the amenities provided, this is the place for you.

Booked a campsite a week ago for a Friday night on recreation.gov.  $20 and close to the river (away from the main road).  What a spectacular place; surrounded by majestic peaks.  It's mid-August and the temperature was in the low seventies in the day and retreated to the cozy mid-sixties during the night - and quiet.  Internet was great and the park was very clean.  The Ranger was very polite and well informed.  A half dozen deer strolled through our site at dusk.

Awesome surroundings, clean and large spots.

The campground is nice. The toilet buildings are outdated.

It is a great way to explore Zion. The visitor center is at waking distance. Shuttles into the park starts there.

There are a few trails that start at the campground. But the views from the campsites are already great.
There are nice bike lanes, and that is a great way to explore the park without using the shuttle.

Internet. The signal here is super great because Springdale is right on the other side of the park entrance. I didn’t do a speed test but I did work and use internet like normal with Verizon.

The campground is clean, the bathrooms are clean. The campground has a water fill and dump station. The Riverwalk Trail runs beside the campground. The South Campground is all dry camping.

It meets all the basic necessities. It is also the best way to experience Zion. We went on a Sunday where they were were running the shuttles on the scenic road weekends only. The next day, Monday, cars would be allowed to drive on the scenic road but only until they reached car capacity. The park ranger told us they reach car capacity at about 7:30am. If you stay at the campground then you can get over to the scenic road before they turn away new cars. Also, during peak season when the shuttles run all the time, you can get in line early so you don’t have to wait 45 minutes to get on the first shuttle like we did at 9am.

Aside from being in close proximity to the scenic road, you can have a quieter experience at the riverside away from the throngs of people that made the park feel like a theme park. The experience of the park was redeemed by staying at the campground.

You can't beat the views in this campground. The proximity to trails and the shuttle were also a big bonus. Though, if you want a place that is quiet, I would suggest elsewhere as you can hear the steady stream shuttle busses throughout the day.

It was also super hot during our stay, around 105 during the days, but we found ways to stay cool. Luckily our site had shade, but some others did not.

Perfect location just a short walk away from the visitors center where you catch the shuttle into the park, or exit to catch the shuttle to Springdale. Clean bathrooms. No shade at site 125.

This campground is located a short walk from the Zion shuttle buses that will take you into the canyon. We spent 2 nights here and it was very convenient for Zion access. Made it out on the first shuttle bus out, and was one of the first 20 people to reach angels landing for spectacular views with hardly anyone around.

Awesome base camp for valley activities. Sites are spaced out into natural outcroppings. Lots of wildlife. 

BRING BIKES!

You still need a reservation even in August because it’s still very busy and full! I was at a walk up site, there are 4. Website says it’s 180 to 360 feet from where you park your car. Very little shade but my site was right next to the Virgin River so was able to listen to the soothingwater all night long!

Even in August you must have reservations because it’s still busy and full! I was at a walk in sight, of which there are four. The website says these sites are 180 to 360‘ from where you can park your car. Not much shade, but this camp site is right next to the Virgin River so I was able to listen to it’s wonderful soothing sounds all night long.

I had a great time at Zion. The camping was a little crowded for my taste. The campsite was noisy into the late hours (1 am.) The facilities were dirty, not well maintained. They could use a facelift for sure. The site I had was level, graded and had a great view!!!

If you like to get in touch with nature while camping this is not it. However, if you’re looking for the ‘Zion experience’ it’s here. Nuts and bolts- location is prime! There are flush toilets, drinking water, and few minute walk to the visitor center, shuttle, town, and a couple trails. However, campground is crowded, kind of loud, and almost no privacy/shade depending where you’re at. With adjusted expectations, I’d definitely stay again.

Right inside the gates shortly after the visitor center. This was a nice campground along the Virgin river but like the rest of Zion it is packed full of people. Sites are pretty close together and you really don’t have privacy. From the shuttles you could look into the tents of some of the campers. Our site was close to the road and was pretty loud with people constantly walking through it. It was nice to be in the park and near the river but just a little too busy for my taste. Had pretty nice bathrooms though and a community water pump.

We were thrilled that we managed to get a spot here. You’re surrounded by the park and are in walking distance of the visitors center, watchman campground, a bunch of hikes, the shuttle and Springdale. Highly recommend it if you can get a spot.

The campground is right inside Zion entrance which is very convenient for parking purpose. You can walk to the shuttle to catch it into the park. The ground is rocky and hard so make sure to pack lots of mats or sleeping pads for the ground. Also, it was super windy which made the tent bang back and forth in the wind keeping us up. We put rocks inside the corners since we could not get the stakes into the rocky hard ground. We also were in a no burn time so we couldn’t make a fire.

Last summer, during the pandemic I ventured out to Utah and camped at Zion NP in the South Campground. This is one of the largest and busiest park campgrounds that I've stayed at. Even with this, it felt wild and comfortable. Like all NP's there are bathhouse facilities, but no shower areas. See below for informative on this.

My site was directly on the Pa'rus Bike Trail, which was perfect for my riding through the park. The trail runs along the river and eventually up into the scenic drive into the actual park.

The views are spectacular during the day, and even better at night. I had a fantastic view over the bluffs of the stars and was able to get some great Milky Way shots. There are tons of night hikers that you can watch going along the Watchman Trail on the eastern side of the river...little dots of light dancing along the bluffs and ridges.

It is a 7 mile cycle ride up the drive to the entrance to the Riverside Trailhead and The Narrows. The bike ride has a long steady climb of 500 feet. This sounds daunting, but I made the ride on 3 occasions in 2 days. Early morning is best when it's hot out. You have to follow the posted cycle rules when riding up. Coming down can be exciting as you don't have to pedal for almost the full 7 miles. Stop along the way to see some of the Vistas you will not see if you are on the shuttle.

There is no recreational driving on the drive once you are past the Zion Lodge. You do have to watch for the busses and shuttles. And take plenty water and snacks if you plan on exploring the trails.

The campground is also located very near the town of Springdale. This is the location for Zion Outfitters, which is also where you can do the pay showers and laundry. The showers are located in the basement of the store and are controlled by tokens that can be purchased from the store, or at a kiosk at the entrance to the shower area.

There are several grocery stores as well as gift shops located in town. Bicycles are the main mode of transport for many people camping around the area. Eating out is quite easy as there are dozens of very delicious restaurants. My personal favorite is Sol Foods, a local grocery and deli. Their sandwiches are fantastic and the beer and wine selection is quite large and unique. I purchased several small meals from them to take on rides around town. There is always somewhere to stop and enjoy the view.

Check out the NPS.gov site for information on the shuttles into the park as well as the campground information. The area is very heavily traveled and there are tons of visitors, both camping and staying in the nearby hotels and lodges. Be prepared for slow travel by car through the town itself.

For drawbacks, I would suggest making sure your are prepared for the weather. I was there in mid September and the daytime temps were 95°-102°, with nights not going below 85°. There are few bugs in the majority of the park, however my site was in very close proximity to the Virgin River and did have the occasional small swarm of tiny flies.

Zion is one of the most beautiful parks I've been to. I would definitely recommend camping in the area, with the South Campground as my pick for where to stay. Reservations are required and you will need to book well in advance to make sure of a site as well as shuttle passes.

Campground are great

Right inside the park. A quick walk to trailheads, the shuttle stop, the visitor center, or charming Springdale.

Great place to stay while in Zion. Very limited parking for RV’s so it was nice to pay $10 (annual pass holder) to camp for a night right inside the park. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended so plan accordingly. Very close to visitor center and buses to take you thru the park. Beautiful trails are within the campground that have all kinds of wildlife and a large creek running past. Beautiful area, would stay again!

Lots of wildlife but pretty crowded campground. Very nice scenery and close walk to the Zion shuttle.

This campground is notoriously hard to book. Booking here opens two weeks in advance and I just happened to grab the last site available in our timeframe as well as the best campsite in the entire campground (in my opinion, 102). We had the most unobstructed spectacular view of the towering red-rock cliffs across the river. Campground was very clean. No showers, clean flush toilets. Nice dump station and fresh water available. Before Covid, shuttle bus into and around the park was free and available about every 15 minutes. Since Covid, booking the shuttle bus is extremely hard; you can either book your tickets two weeks or one day in advance for $1 at a set 1 hour block of time and then freely use the shuttles once within the park. Hard part is booking the tickets, they sell out within minutes of opening so make sure you have your ducks in a row!! Zion was amazing. I would recommend at least 4 days in the park to experience all the best hikes and if traveling with kids I would wait until the youngest is 10 years old to be able to handle the scarier hikes like Angels Landing. Make sure to explore the town of Springdale for great food and shopping.

Such a beautiful campground right inside of Zion NP! You can walk right over to the shuttle to catch it first thing in the morning. You have access to water and bathrooms. And not to mention the beautiful views of the red rocks and a the river coming right through camp. Hard campsite to beat.

Great site, very close to the bus line to take you further into the park!