## Overview

 Reservations for South Campground are available up to 14 days before your arrival and may extend up to two days beyond this 14-day booking window.\_\_ For visitors to Zion National Park, South Campground is an ideal place to stay. Located near the park\'s south entrance, the campground is just a short walk from the main visitor center, the Zion Canyon Shuttle System and the adjacent town of Springdale. The canyon and most of the park\'s trails are only accessible by shuttle bus from approximately the end of February until the end of November each year. Season Dates: South Campground is open from early March to the end of October. Reservations are available up to 14 days before your arrival. For example, if you want to make a reservation for March 14 to 16, you may book this reservation beginning on March 1. Reservations that extend beyond the 14 day booking window cannot be altered. For reservations more than 14 days ahead of arrival, please check [Watchman Campground][1] which offers reservations six months in advance of arrival. 
## Recreation

 Hikers can access three trails directly from the facility: the Watchman Trail, a moderate trail that ascends the peak behind the campground; the Archeology Trail, which offers a light hike to an archeological site; and the Pa\'rus Trail, a paved walking and biking trail that runs alongside the river, and the only trail in the park that allows dogs. The Zion visitor center and the park shuttles are a short walk from the campground. Many popular rock climbing routes are within a short shuttle bus ride into the main canyon. Use of OHVs and ATVs is prohibited in Zion National Park. 
## Facilities

 Flush toilets, drinking water, picnic tables, firepits and a dump station are provided at this facility. Four group sites are available that can accommodate RVs and tents. There are no hook-ups in this campground. Generators can be used during specific hours.
## Natural Features

 Zion is known for its dynamic geologic history. The South Campground and Amphitheater were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the early 1930s. The project was completed and opened to the public in the spring of 1935. The Virgin River, a narrow but powerful river that has carved out the canyon over time, runs adjacent to the site. Cottonwood trees surrounding the campsite turn golden in the fall. Although the campground is moderately forested, most of the campsites are in partial to full sun but visitors can cool off in the cold river when temperatures peak during summer. Be Advised: The months of April and May bring an unusual infestation of Tent Caterpillars, which fall from trees onto tents, tables, and unsuspecting campers and can make it quite uncomfortable to sit outside. The months of July and August in particular bring a higher concentration of ants in the campsites, which seem to come out especially after the monsoons, but are present all summer long. August and September bring yellowjackets. Insecticidal treatment by visitors is not permitted. 
## Nearby Attractions

 The town of Springdale has shopping, art galleries, shower facilities, restaurants. equipment rental businesses, gas stations, markets, bike rentals, library and health clinic.
## Charges &amp; Cancellations

 Individual Site: A $10.00 service fee will apply if you modify your reservation or change your stay dates. Cancelling your reservation prior to 11:59 pm Eastern Time two nights before your stay will incur a $10 cancellation fee. Camping reservations cancelled the day before and day of arrival incur a $10 cancellation fee and forfeit the first night\'s use fee. If you need to cancel or modify your reservation after 12:00 am Eastern Time the day of your arrival you must contact campground staff at zion\_south\_campground@nps.gov.\_\_ Group campsite: Customers who cancel a group site reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night\'s use fee. 

[1]: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232445

South Campground — Zion National Park

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.

Perfect Location

I only spent one night here but I still prefer it to Watchman. The sites are spaced out more and it's a little further from the noise of the road and town. Keep in mind that the park service does not allow gathering of firewood so you are forced to buy it by the bundle in town for $7-$8 each. The wood sucks, we burned through at least 2 bundles in one night. 

Better than Watchman

My husband and I stayed 2 nights in the campground this April and it was perfect! We arrived around 10am on a Sunday and were able to get a spot next to the river without any difficulty. The views from our spot were fantastic! The sites are a little close to one another, but I've see worse. There is a nice paved running/biking/walking trail located right next to the river that makes for a lovely walk and I believe can be used to access the tour buses. Be mindful that Zion campgrounds don't have showers so be prepared to make other arrangements if you are staying for awhile. The first day it was in the mid 70's and was perfect. The second day, it poured and was 50 degrees and windy. Luckily, it began to rain after we packed up our stuff :) I read a lot of bad reviews about this campground, mainly the fact that there are no showers, however I thought that our site was well worth the $20 especially for it being a National Park! Most of our campgrounds here in WA cost that much and are worse!

Zion- straight up land

You're in walking distance of the shuttle station where shuttles take you into the canyon to enjoy hikes all day. You're also in walking distance of a trail that goes along side the river and if you walk South on that trail there's a deep enough spot where you can swim. And there's sand banks where you can lay out under the sun. There's also a rock you can jump off of into the river. As far as the campground goes it has everything you need. It has shade to keep you cool during the summer, and enough trees for a hammock. It has good views, through the trees, it has water, it has a camp host in case you need anything or if a neighbor is blasting music, which happened to me and the comhost just ask them to turn it off. Overall it's a great campsite.

Perfect 

In a park like Zion that's so incredibly popular, I was pleasantly surprised by how perfect this campground is. 

The location could not be better. You can easily walk to the visitor center for water, food, and shuttles. Heck, you can walk all the way into town it's so close! 

The campsites generally have good shade. Sunrise and sunset in the canyon are both spectacular and well worth seeing. Once it's dark, you can see a band of the milky way over the canyon and thousands of stars. 

NOTE: pretty high winds at night (hence the canyon). You MUST stake your tent. Maybe bring extra blankets.

Also, since this one's first come first served, get there early or expect to be dispersed camping outside of the canyon.

Gorgeous sun rise and set, decent shade, decent crowd

Great campground, but I could do without all the people. It's accessible to the park (obviously) so that is a definite perk! Just might go off season next time (if that even exists!)

Crowded.

The key to an enjoyable stay at this campground is to get here VERY EARLY.  The campsite fills up before noon, and they don't start letting people in until 9am.  However, you can start lining up (in your car) for a site as early as 7am, and I highly recommend getting here at 7am.  Whenever a campsite is cleared, they let someone else in.  A person with a clipboard will check you in and take payment, and they will send you to the newly open site.  The campground is beautiful!!  It is surrounded by giant rocky cliffs that glow in the sunlight, and you truly know you are somewhere spectacular.  There are few trees in the campground, so it can get quite hot.  However, there is a stream nearby that some people were swimming in.  The tent sites are a decent size, though there isn't much space between campsites.  We even had friendly deer visitors!  There are also flush toilets, sinks, and water faucets available, but no showers.  One of the best parts about this campground is its close proximity to the Visitor Center and park trams.  We could walk from our tent to the Center in about five minutes, which made going in and out of the park so easy and stress-free!  All in all, even though it's a crowded campground, it's views and convenience are unbeatable.

Breathtaking views and convenient to Visitor Center trams

Sites are first come first serve and assigned randomly. Some of the sites looked amazing! We were able to fit all 3 tents with plenty of room. Plenty of overflow parking for extra cars. Our camp wad right next to everyone but there was shade and the other campers were either very friendly or kept to themselves. Bathrooms were clean. Walking distance to the first shuttle and a store to rent gear for the narrows! 

Get there early!

The National Park is amazing. Its like the scene in the Land Before Time where Littlefoot makes it to the Great Valley. It has Epic views in 360 degress and bre a taking hike like Angels Landing and the Grotto. The campground its very nice and we are planning another trip out there just so that we can experience the Lowers. Everything about this Park screams the power of nature and its beauty. If you've never been plan a trip asap. You won't regret it.

My Favorite National Park!!

The National Park is amazing. It's like the scene in the Land Before Time where Littlefoot makes it to the Great Valley. It has epic views in 360 degrees and breathtaking hikes like Angels Landing and the Grotto. The campground is very nice. We are planning another trip out there just so that we can experience the Lowers. Everything about this park screams the power of nature and its beauty. If you've never been, plan a trip asap. You won't regret it.

We lucked out on a Friday morning. By getting to the campground by 8am, we ended up only 21st in line for a site (rumor had it that the first person in line showed up at 5am). This is a very popular campground inside the park boundaries, so unless you show up early, have some backup plans in place. That being said, it is a decent campground. Tents were kept separate from RVs and campers, and we were lucky enough to score a site right on the Virgin River with views of Watchman Mountain right across the river. There was a fence keeping us from accessing the river from our site, but there were multiple river access points throughout the campground. One drawback to getting a site on the river is that the Pa'Rus walking trail goes right through the site, separating your from your vehicle, bathrooms, and water. While the campsite was well maintained, the bathrooms were a disaster. Dirty, stopped up toilets, and ripped bug screens. If you need a shower you can walk a short distance to Zion Outfitter for super clean and modern pay showers. Be sure to bring your park pass/receipt so you can get back in the park as you have to leave the park for this convenience. The campground is a short walk to the shuttle at the visitors center and there is a nice shuttle in the town of Springdale if you want to go "on the town". This campground is so popular that in the morning we felt a bit rushed to break camp and get out as the volunteer rangers and campground hosts came by several times to see that we were packing up. They actually assigned someone to our site prior to us leaving and the new campers showed up before we were completely done. All that notwithstanding, you can't beat the location.

Great location in Zion

Can't beat the location and the view but if you're after solitude, this is not the place. Very busy, even over the Thanksgiving weekend, and sites are close together. The busyness that time of year may have been amplfied by the fact that Watchman Campground was closed. Clean restrooms and easy walking distance to the visitors center, the shuttle station, and town. Temps in November were pleasnt during the day and chilly at night.

Beautiful but industrial camping

It's a first-come, first-serve, so plan to arrive early (before 8am). It's a busy campground, but the convenience of the location cannot be ignored. I will be staying here again.

Great experience

Zion is seriously one of the most beautiful parks on earth. The camping is packed and noisy like the rest of zion. It must have been amazing years and years ago when zion wasn't overcrowded. Would love to do some back country camping instead of these noisy cramped camp grounds.

First come first serve so if you plan on arriving on the weekend you better get there early. Honestly as far as the park goes i don't think its ever slow so good luck.

I love zion..but i don't love paying top dollar for camping

You come to take water for granted until you dont have any. This campground was simple but perfect! There were real toilets and actual faucets. Showers are a short walk outside the park in Springdale. There is also great cell service if youre not ready to fully disconnect from the outside world! And plenty of wild life roaming through.

Real toilets, real faucets!

Spacious sites ... didn't feel crowded at all. Quiet hours were honored ... which was nice.

We picked a site close to the restrooms; but that one was closed (not noted on the website). So, we had to walk a little bit to the other restrooms; and I think the ladies restroom was a bit small (knees VERY close to the door, and only 2 sinks). Upside: the deer were right next to the restroom building in the morning (about 8 of them), as well as by the visitor's center (only 1 deer). Even though the visit was in April, it was still plenty warm. Went "to town" (across the bridge by the visitor's center) for pay showers.

Fun, spacious & busy!  

This was an amazing campsite! Not very much shade but amazing views!! We enjoyed this campsite while we were visiting Zion National Park!!

Stunning Views!

Zion National Park is a wonderful park for everyone to visit. South campground is $20 a night all dry camping, flush toilets. Virgin River runs along the campground. No showers.

Zion 

Cars start lining up at 5:00 a.m. in hopes to snag a first come, first served site... but it's worth it. You join the line in your car, shut it off, and watch the early morning stars while you wait a few hours for the ranger to let you know when a site is available. Once you're in, you'll notice the Virgin River runs through the campground (and there's easy access to it) and the river is lined with large (for the desert) Cottonwood Trees. These trees allow for some shade, but expect your site to be in full sun for most of the day. Do your hikes early in the morning to avoid crowds and the heat... then wade in the shallow river in the afternoons. It's an easy walk across the bridge to the store (firewood, food, beer, etc.), but bring your park pass with you, as the store is right outside the entrance and to you will need it to come back in.

Good times. Hot sun.

Who should stay here?

- Tent campers: Sites were a good size, even for multiple tents people pitched. My favorites are 68, 71, 72 and 74, walk to sites along the Virgin River that are a very short distance from parking. Full shade sites 68 and 74 are fantastic sites as long as you don't mind the Pa'rus Trail traffic. See photos. Hammock users, there are rules emphasized by the host when you check in; see photo.

- Small units such as truck campers, popups, campervans and small Class C campers. Our teardrop trailer fit well.

Best feature: You don't need your vehicle after you arrive. Walk to shuttle bus stop 5 to 10 minutes away at the Visitor Center where you have to take a shuttle to get to the hikes and views north of the VC. From the VC, walk into Springdale where there are restaurants, one craft brewery/restaurant, a couple grocery stores, showers and laundry. There is also a free bus system in Springdale that runs to/from the park entrance near the VC.

Our sites (73 and 70) had a 19 foot maximum vehicle length listed on recreation.gov. We could tell from the online photos that our teardrop would fit just fine even without turning it sideways. Pay attention to online photos and specs if you want shade. Many sites are in full sun, but we had partial shade at #70.

Reservation policy: Reservations can be made two weeks before your stay, and you can only reserve three nights. We reserved a site for three nights and then waited three days to reserve a site for two more nights. Not all reservable sites will be available when you log on recreation.gov two weeks ahead of time because people have already made reservations for multiple nights. If you're a planner and electricity is important, you can make a reservation 6 months ahead of your stay at Watchman Campground across the river from South.

Walkup: about 30 sites are not in the reservation pool. As we left at 7 am on a Friday morning, 10 vehicles were waiting to grab a spot.

Amenities: Flush toilets, running water in the bathrooms and potable water. Only 2 of the 3 bathrooms were open, and they were never very clean a few hours after the morning cleaning. You can walk less than 10 minutes to Zion Outfitters and shower for $4 for 5 minutes.

Don't miss:

- The Narrows: In the summer, catch a shuttle as early as 6 am so you can hike in without a lot of company and beat the heat.  Shuttle line is long (think Disney) by 8 am but short in the early afternoon when it's hot. You can rent equipment (boots, neoprene socks and a hiking stick) in town. IMO the stick is a necessity even if you have good balance. I wore my hiking boots and socks and used my trekking poles. I had no rubbing/blister problems with wet socks on an 8.5 mile hike.

- Watchman 8 am hike with a ranger was easy but informative. We learned about the recent storm (7/11/18) that caused quite a bit of damage and closed several trails.

- Observation Point from Weeping Rock shuttle stop is an 8 mile roundtrip and has 2100+ feet of elevation change but is worth the effort, especially if Angel's Landing is closed as it was in late July 2018.

Great location for touring Zion; privacy is not what you come for

When I called in advance to get a l little info about Zion this was the first campsite they mentioned. Located right inside of the National Park area just a few hundred yards from the visitor center this place is the hardest reservation to get at Zion because it is always filling up. It was suggested at the time I called to make a reservation well in advance of my travel otherwise I better be ready to find another campsite.

My first trip out was a day trip only, but I immediately saw why they had mentioned this because there wasn't a single site open when I did a walk around. It was very crowded, maybe that is why mote people haven't reviewed it because a lot of campers don't like to find the most commercially trafficked areas. But this one has access to everything in the town as well as the park within just a few short steps.

Campsites are $20, well worth it if you can get in! There are 3 trails which are right next to the campground. The shuttle to other trails is literally a football field away so you can stay here and easily have access to everything. So what is the downside though? No hook ups!

For someone like myself, this is not a biggie at all but for people who need to be able to charge devices or have a RV and don't like being off grid this can be a little taxing. With that being said though they do have potable water and a dump station, so it ain't that bad right?

So from where I see it all upside!!

TIPS:

* Check out Angel's Landing, my absolute favorite hike out here because of its unique climb to the top using chains. If you have't seen it, google it! (I am also including a few photos of that trail which is a major draw of people to the park along with the Narrows, which are to cold during spring when I was there)

* Reserve, I CANNOT say that enough!!

* Check out the cute little artsy community around you. It is all within walking distance and super cute so check it out!

Hottest Ticket In Town - RESERVE AHEAD

Great location but tiny camping spots, we had to put our tents in the parking spot. Bathrooms are relatively close, and super nice showers but not a lot of shade. Make sure to request a spot with trees for summer months.

Great Location

Great campground right outside the park. Showers and laundry available. Ice available across the street.

Big spots with lots of tree coverage!

LOVE Zion 

Book in advance. These sites can fill up fast especially in prime season. They can also flood in monsoon season. The virgin river runs through camp. No showers, but there are bathrooms and water. Sites are a tad on the smaller side but doable. There are trailers right from camp or you can walk across the street and take the tram up further into the canyon for more trails. You can also take the Springdale tram through Town to eat or check out the location shops. There are some really neat places to see in town. Hikes are hands down unbelievably amazing. The narrows are a must and angels landing. The day we left Zion they had a horrible flash flood that took out a lot and I heard angles landing was closed. I was there the second week of July. Just pay attention the the weather. Days are hot, bring cooling towels, nights are nice but still warm . Most of all, sit back and take in all your surroundings.

Great  accessible location to everything 

The Narrows are gorgeous, and if you are ever in Utah I would highly recommend hiking here. It is a hike like no other. One of my favorite hikes I have ever done, and I have done a lot of hiking. We stayed at the Lower Narrows Camground, got up early in the morning and hiked the Narrows, and then came back to the campground and had some fun making smores and dinner. The campground is great, the spaces are a little small and it was pretty overcrowded. We knew going into it that it was going to be busy because it was next to the hike, so we werent surprised when we got there. We reserved our campsite 6 months in advanced. I would recommend this because when we got there all the spaces were filled. Very clean, and bathrooms on site. Loved being here, and cant wait to come back someday!

MY FAVORITE

Zion National Park is a very busy NP with limited campsites within the canyon proper, so scoring a campsite inside the park is tricky and fairly difficult to plan for. The first time we visited Zion we stayed in the South Campground, back when it was a first-come first-served campground. I heard you can now make reservations for South two weeks ahead of time, but I imagine the spots fill up as quickly as ever.

If South campground still offers sites on a first-come first-served basis like its neighboring campground, Watchman, arrive in the park **EARLY!** Like 5-6am early! Lines for the campgrounds begin forming around 5 or 6am, and grow quickly. When we first stayed in Zion at the South campground, we timed the road trip so that we drove to Zion in the middle of the night in order to arrive early enough to get in line for South or Watchman campground. Both South and Watchman has had lines 20 cars deep by 6:30 am whenever we have camped inside Zion National Park, so be prepared to get up early to wait in line - I would also suggest having a back-up plan just in case you do not get a campsite in the canyon.

Anyhow…South Campground is inside Zion National Park, adjacent to the visitors center (towards the entrance to the park). The campsites are small, crowded, and very open to neighboring sites - but with that being said, they are still very nice sites, and you can’t beat the backdrop of Zion canyon. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table, and plumbed bathrooms and water spigots are available throughout the campground.

There are no showers in South campground - there are showers (for a RIDICULOUS amount of money) are located a short walk away in the “village” area, where there are also shops, restaurants, rentals, etc. The Virgin River runs adjacent to the campground - it is lovely to swim in when you are visiting Zion in the hot summer months. There is little to no cell reception in the campground - I use Verizon, and could occasionally get a signal in the campground. The signal was a little better in parts of the village.

There are no bins for food storage in the campground - I do not know what kind of animals frequent the campgrounds in Zion Canyon, but I would still suggest locking all of your food inside your car at night.

The visitors center and shuttle station are only a couple minutes away by foot - literally. Much of Zion is inaccessible by personal vehicles, so one must take the shuttle service to get around. The shuttle services are fast and efficient, but there still might be some wait time due to the popularity of the park. The shuttle announces what hikes and sites are accessible at each stop, but it’s good to look at a map and plan where you want to go ahead of time - the different hikes throughout the canyon are pretty spaced out, you don’t want to get off at the wrong shuttle stop.

Zion Canyon can get VERY windy at night - every time I have camped in Zion National Park the winds have howled all night long, from around midnight well into the morning. If you have the option of bringing a tent with a low, sleek profile, I would highly suggest it. The first time we camped in ZNP we brought our large tent, and the wind really whipped it around all night. We used a small backpacking tent for our next trip, and the lower profile tent made less noise in the wind.

The backdrop to South Campground is simply gorgeous! It is in the middle of the canyon, so you are surrounded on either side by tall red cliffs that glow like embers in the morning and at sunset! Surreal!

On this trip we hiked to the lower and upper Emerald Pools. The Emerald Pools hikes are fairly easy hikes, one mile for the lower pool, than an additional mile to the upper pool. The hikes are easy and moderate, respectively.

On this trip we also went tubing down the Virgin River - SO MUCH FUN! We rented the tubes for $20 at Zion Outfitters, a rental shop right outside the entrance to ZNP. The trip down the river took about two hours, and was a very unique and relaxing way to experience Zion canyon! I will admit, even though it was really hot when we went, I was freezing for the last half hour or so of the float - the Virgin River is always cold. Besides that, I would highly recommend tubing down the river!

TIP: If you have a pair of water shoes/sandals, I would recommend wearing them while tubing!

**CAMPSITE SPECS**

**Fees:** $20/night

**Plumbed Toilets**: Yes

**Water**: Yes

**Showers**: NO

**Picnic Table**: Yes

**Firepit**: Yes

**Cooking Grate**: Yes

**Shade**: Limited

**Cell Service**: Limited/NO

**Animal Bins/Food Lockers**: NO

**Trash**: Yes

Zion National Park - South Campground

Sites available online 2 weeks before the date of your trip. Can reserve 3 nights at a time, max. $20/night for basic tent set up. Plumbed/flush toilets, accessible water spigots, clean facilities. No showersI had decent cell signal with Verizon, my friend struggled a little with T-Mobile but still had some. So close to the first shuttle stop, visitor center, and virgin river. Gorgeous view of the Watchman as you wake up. Walk-up sites have reserved parking spots. High was 105 during the day, didn't seem to cool off til about 2am each night, but was nice and windy at night. Also pretty close to the nearest town (Springdale)--maybe a five minute drive from the campground?

We hiked the subway, the narrows (top down, one day), lower emerald pools, canyon overlook, observation point, and hidden canyon. Everything was beautiful! The rangers were so lovely and helpful as we made our hiking plans. Angels Landing is closed indefinitely due to a storm earlier this summer but that's just an excuse for us to come back next year!

P.S. Campsites sell out FAST online. Set an alarm for 14 days before your trip and book first thing in the morning!

Beautiful & Convenient Location

The camp grounds were adequate with picnic tables, electricity, cell reception, toilets, water and fire rings. The park provided buses that shuttle you all over the park and start at 6:30 am so you can get an early start hiking the narrows. It was beautiful and exhausting... my ankle still aches a bit but it was the most amazing and everyone is so into it. I will return

Come hike the Narrows

To enter the South-Zion National Park camp grounds you have to go through the park entrance and the camp grounds are just behind the parks entrance. There is drinking water, flush-able toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, flat places for a tent, dump stations. There is not however, showers, shade which can get hot on 100 degree days, there is no power, the ground is too hard to stake down tents, no trees for hammocks, the bathroom have huge spiders and filthy, there are plenty of rocks to sleep on!

This is not the best camp site on the planet it is ok. It currently costs $35 to get into the Zion National Park and then it costs to camp at this site. With the amount of traffic this area gets and the amount of money flowing in they could put in a decent bathroom, one without bugs.

I have good news there are lots of trails for backpacking and biking. If you'd like to go for a stroll to shower there are showers a little less than a mile away that cost $15 for 12 minutes. They aren't wonderful but they get the job done. They are however also filthy! Thank goodness I had my Oofos Oolala flip flops on hand to save my feet from whatever nasty germs were living in the shower floor that was covered in hair. There are some great places to eat close by to this camp grounds and great coffee! If you need any souvenirs there are plenty of places to shop!

The South-Zion National Park campgrounds have a shuttle close by that drives guests to the trail for the well known, "Narrows". The shuttle comes with your park pass and is a hop on hop off transit. It is the easiest way to see some of Zions most precious wonders!

Pros:

Close to popular trails

River runs next to camp

Close shopping and food

Potable water

Places to throw away trash

Cons:

Bad bathrooms (rather go outside) + small stalls

No showers

Rough grounds

Rough camping 

This is by far on of my favorite National Parks. The campground is fairly large (100 + spots) but very hard to secure a spot, make sure to book ahead of time! Zion has some rules about booking ahead so check the website to know when to make a booking. We managed to get a spot last minute but it was a walk in spot. These are a problem if you have a lot of stuff but you can avoid some crowds with them. The views right from the campground are incredible and the rest of the park is overwhelmingly fun.

The campground has plenty of vault toilets, picnic tables, water and trash bins. There are other campgrounds in the park as well as outside if this is full. Caution that the grounds outside the park can be pricey and are nothing special.

Book ahead of time!

Went to Zion for the weekend to hike the narrows and hidden canyon. This time around, we decided to camp at one of the established campgrounds.

Pros: located near the entrance, therefore convenient.

Cons: have to book weeks ahead of time, there’s a $20 a night fee, and a sea of people, therefore no privacy.

To avoid the crowds, I would suggest camping on Kolob road (see my previous post). Even though it’s 30 minutes from Zion and considerate a primitive campground, it is free, next to a stream, and with not crowded

Zero to no privacy 

The South Campground in Zion is less popular than the Watchman Campground. There seemed to be less RV's in South, which for me is always a plus. I visited at the very beginning of October and if was still very warm, the temperature never seemed to drop at night. All I needed to sleep was a blanket, and not even my sleeping bag.

Upon arrival, the campground hosts chose a spot for me based on the current availability. The challenge with camping in the park is that as soon as spots are empty they are taken so there is a constant turn over and you just take what you can get. 

The sites themselves are not all the private but a conveniently located to bathrooms, water, and trash. Unfortunately I was placed right behind one of the bathrooms and the sites are such that people were walking through on their way to and from the bathrooms. 

There is a river that runs along one side of the campground and if you're really lucky, you may get one of those sites. There are a few spots where you can access the river to relax or for a quick dip. 

The Pa'rus trail runs through the campground which makes is easy to get to the Visitors Center and shuttle stop (roughly a 5 minute walk). The town of Springdale is not far away and easy to get to through the southern pedestrian entrance.

If you're looking for a hike and want to forego the shuttle lines and/or the crowds of Angles Landing (or maybe it just isn't your thing) I suggest the Watchman Trail that leaves from the Visitors Center.

Great Location in Zion

Beautiful new campsites with partial shelter. Newer part of the campground features group sites. Great access to the park and shuttles!

Great spot

South Campground is gorgeous. It is great if you are willing to take the risk for the first come first served. I am traveling from too far away to take that risk so I always stay in Watchman. If I lived closer I would take a shot at staying in South Campground. My advice, get there early because it fills up fast!

I used my Sony Camera rather than my Iphone for these pics. I think they turned out much better than my Watchman pics.

South Camp Ground is amazing, but it doesn't take long term reservations

You can check out my other reviews for Zion National Park. Make sure you don't get confused, there is only one south campground at Zion National Park. If you are looking for long term reservations then you need to camp at Watchman. if you can take the risk of a first come first serve campsite and you have missed your window for getting a site at Watchman, then take your chances, it is worth it. But get there early, before 7:00 a.m. The campground fills up quickly.

Zion is becoming more poular every year. Expect big crowds.

There is only one South Campground at Zion NP

Stayed here in the winter and had a lovely time. The park was pretty empty, and this gave me a chance to explore so many great areas, including The Narrows, with limited interruption. Highly recommend Zion in the winter!

Awesome in the winter

This campground was great for us! Large campsites, ours held our car and an 8 person tent with plenty of room to cook, hang out, and kick a soccer ball around. Bathrooms are clean and drinking water is cold! It's also GORGEOUS with amazing views of The Watchman from the site and two hiking trails next to the campground. Be sure to book online ASAP (2 weeks in advance is the earliest allowed) because these sites fill up super fast.

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! 

Seems like a crazy title BUT have you ever sat around the campfire and had it raining caterpillars? Literally? There is apparently an invasion of caterpillars in Zion right now(end of April), millions of caterpillars everywhere.. Beyond the take-over this is a beautiful campground with the Virgin River at its side. Our Family enjoyed this campground tremendously, our 5 year old loved the caterpillars even more! Speaking of tiny humans be sure to pick up their Junior Ranger Program either at the Visitor Center(off season) or the Nature center(peak season) and they too can Earn a nifty Junior Ranger Badge! With plenty to do for all ages in the nearby museum there are also 2 trails that are accessible from the campground, the watchman trail (moderate 3.3) and the Pa’rus trail that is paved for handicap and cyclists with gorgeous views of the swift Virgin River. I would advise everyone to make your reservations 2 weeks in advance! We got lucky but spent half the day just waiting to know IF we could get a site. The town of Springdale just on the outside of the park is accessible from the campgrounds with a Market and several gear outfitters. Not to mention the Zion Brewery which was fantastic too! Overall great experience even with all the creepy caterpillars! 

Crazy Caterpillar Camping

This campground is great for exploring Zion National Park. Each campsite has a fire pit and picnic table. There are restrooms with running water and electricity. Only a short walk from a shuttle station and Visitor’s Center. We also had deer around our campsite every morning and evening.

Great campground

Great location, river front, come early if you don’t have reservations. Stayed in a number of sites including the group site. No showers so bring your own, or you can pay for a shower in town. 

My happy place

Plenty of hikes and places to just go visit. We of course had to do angels landing. The campsites are really nice and kept up. However if you want to camp in the actual park you have to reserve your spot months in advance for peak season. To any one that asks, we recommend this place. 

Perfect way to spend the day

**Campground Review**

South campground is located within Zion National Park.  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.

  

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.

  

The campground has bathrooms (reasonably clean), drinking water, and dumpsters for trash.  Each site has a picnic table and fire ring.  Some sites are tent only, and you have to walk your tent and gear into the site.  I highly recommend checking out the campsite photos online to see which sites would work best for your equipment, especially if you have a camper or van.  Not all of the parking pads for the sites are level.   

  

We stayed at site 13 on our first night (close to the road) and site 82 for two nights.  Site 82 is a great site, level parking area and right off the Pa'rus trail (paved walking trail that leads to a shuttle stop and the visitor's center).  If you don't like the thought of people walking or biking by your site frequently, sites along the path might not be for you - it didn't bother us at all.  There was a path to the river right across from our site as well, which was a nice place to relax.   The views were outstanding!  We walked to Zion Brewery for a beer and to Zion Outfitters for a shower before flying home.  Showers were $4 for 5 minutes and were pretty nice.  It is a decent walk over there (past the visitor center and over the bridge into Springdale - I think it was close to a mile from our site).   

  

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**Product Review**

As a ranger for the Dyrt, I am lucky to get to test products from time to time.  At this campground I tested the [Trekz Air Headphones by Aftershokz](https://aftershokz.com/products/trekz-air).  

  

I LOVE these headphones.  I had been in the market for a wireless pair after upgrading my phone and gps watch.  I rarely use headphones, mostly because in-ear headphones tend to irritate my ears, and I find them distracting when I'm running, etc.  I had been looking at these when I was offered the chance to test them out, what great luck!

  

These headphones work by using bone conduction technology.  Instead of ear buds obstructing your ear canal, the headphones rest in front of your ears and the sound is conducted through the bone.  The result is good sound quality without losing sense of your surroundings.   There is a pair of soft earplugs included;  using these eliminates the ambient surrounding noise and makes the headphone sound louder and more isolated.

  

The headphones are very lightweight and fit comfortably.  I didn't feel them at all when running, and was able to wear them with a hat and sunglasses.  I have long hair, and I was able to loop the back both over and under my braid/ponytail and it stayed put securely both ways.   I used them for some running and hiking;  the sound quality was excellent and I could easily hear and interact with people when I ran on the busy Pa'rus path in Zion;  no getting startled by cyclists or faking a weird smile when someone says something to me as I run by... I could hear everything!    I have not yet tested the limits of the battery life, but they stayed charged through a few hours of use on the trip and during a 2 hour movie on the flight home.   The pairing instructions were easy to follow and I had them paired to my phone and my garmin in seconds.  I can't recommend these enough!!

Ranger Review:  Aftershokz Trekz Air Headphones at South Campground Zion 

Very cool canyon and river. Even though it may be hot outside it will always be cold in the shade. 

Very beautiful 

Beautiful campground in Zion. Within walking distance of the visitor center and shuttle into Zion canyon. The campsites are up against the river which is a great place to cool off. 

Amazing experience 

This campsite is conveniently located inside Zion Park. It is nice because unlike the other campground it is on a two week rolling reservation so you don’t have to plan 6 months out—downside is it fills up quickly. We camped in a tent spot right by the trail and a short walk to the virgin river. Pros: decent shade (for Zion) and easy access to the water. Cons: ridiculous amounts of ants (from what I could tell most of the spots near the trail/river have that problem). I was stoked to wake up under the red cliffs and be able to relax in the river for sunset. Ants were definitely a headache but considering the views we made the most of it. Also plenty of deer roam through the campground adding to its beauty. 

Zion in a Tent

Decently spaced out sites (though it varies) with good trees for shade but no privacy. Sites near river are optimal for views and night time privacy and the sound of the stream, but during the day expect to have a lot of trail walkers go by.

Chances are high you will see loads of Mule deer at camp. Views of the canyon at sunset are outstanding.

Convenient, majestic views

Zion National Park lives up to its rating.  This has to be one of the beautiful places in Western United States.  The drive in from the Eastern entrance is simply incredible and full of epic photo ops.   Zion reminds me of Yosemite Valley in some ways.  The park is located near some large population areas in Southwest Utah and Nevada.  So it can get very crowded at times, especially give the limited capacity of the roadways and parking.  So you will need to plan your visit carefully.   

The campground is easily accessible and located along the shuttle routes.  The campground views are some of the best we have seen during our travels.  The facilities are very good and hiking trails runs through the camp.  Like many National Parks, you will not have much privacy at your site but the views and the hikes more than make up for it.  The focus here is tent camping but you can park a small van or camper in many of the sites.  The visitor center and park staff were outstanding.   We also enjoyed the diversity of visitors from around the world.  It’s clear Zion and Southern Utah is on a lot of bucket lists.  This camp is very popular and full most of the year.  So you will need reservations and a plan to beat the traffic coming into the park.   We are planning to come back and spend more time in this beautiful place.  

Incredible Site 

In my opinion, this campground is a means to an end... It's simply the most convenient place to camp if you want to take advantage of Zion and all the amazing hikes.  We arrived super late because of traffic and the entrance to the park was closed so we couldn't get in to camp - we had to (illegally) sleep in our car until morning.  The campground is right at the entrance and is nicely spaced out.  In all honesty, we didn't spend much time at the site because we were out hiking the Narrows, Angels Landing, and anywhere else we could possibly wander.  There's a great restaurant nearby inside the park, with a big grassy area out front.  Mule deer everywhere!

Do yourself a favor and take the free shuttle to the Narrows, even if you only hike in a quarter mile (which most people do).

Solid campground

I have been at this campground twice and both times have been fun. The camp comes well equipped with bathrooms and water pumps to put out campfires. The sites are evenly spaced out and they are clean. The mornings are usually fresh due to the amount of shade the canyon receives and you most likely will see deer roaming around looking for food. I will be camping here in the near future!

Beautiful. Fresh. Full of Life

Best campground in zion!! Right next to the virgin river, and beautiful views of the whole landscape and the amazing ridges of Zion. Site Includes potable water, flush toilets, picnic table, and fire pit. This is the first campground you’ll see going into Zion. Visitor center is only a 5 minute walk. 

Beautiful beautiful beautiful 

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. 

We Got Lucky

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!

Great value

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.

Great Campground

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. 

Inside Zion

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.

So wonderful

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. 

Nice campground full of people

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. 

Location!! 

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!!! 

Great views but crowded. 

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 soothing￼water all night long!

It’s still hot!

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

  

BRING BIKES!

Excellent facilities and great camp sites!!

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. 

Zion early birds

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. 


Great Location!

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.

Gorgeous and Convenient 

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. 

Best way to see Zion

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. 

Nice campground,  convenient location to explore Zion

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.

Wow!!

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.

Bang for your buck - NO SHOWERS

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.

Peaceful and clean

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.

Very clean and well laid out 

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!

A Gem

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