Zion Canyon Campground and RV Park Review: Perfect Springdale Home Base
Zion Canyon Campground and RV Park is the perfect Springdale, Utah, home base to explore Zion National Park and beyond! In the review below, you’ll find everything you need to know about this campground from site photos to an overview of the property’s amenities.
While on our epic, month long journey through Utah’s Mighty 5, we stopped for a week at this campground, which proved to be one of our favorites on the entire trip.
Located about a quarter-mile from Zion National Park’s main entrance, this campground is the closest private campground to the park, and it is in the heart of Springdale.
If you’re looking for a kid-friendly campground in Springdale with plenty of ways to relax, you won’t do better than this one.
The gorgeous view from our site inside Zion Canyon Campground and RV Park, Springdale, Utah
Camping in Springdale, Utah: What to Consider
When I was planning our Mighty 5 road trip (which was, in actuality, a chunk of a much longer road trip from Colorado to Montana), I struggled so much with choosing a campground for our time near Zion National Park.
I realized quickly that Springdale is expensive, and that I’d be paying a premium for everything from gas to lodging to groceries while in this part of Utah.
We were here to see Zion National Park, mostly, but to also do other fun day trips to nearby spots like Grafton Ghost Town and Kanab. However, the closer you get to the entrance of Zion, the more expensive the camping and lodging gets.
On the flip side, the further you are from the national park entrance, the more you have to worry about the Springdale shuttle and parking.
I ultimately settled on Zion Canyon Campground and RV Park because it is right next to the park. From the entrance to the campground to the pedestrian entrance in Zion Canyon Village is less than a quarter mile, making it easy for us to come and go throughout the day without worrying about parking. (We ended up biking in Zion National Park, which was so much easier than worrying about the shuttles. There is a bike lane on both sides of the road throughout Springdale.)
The park is so close that you are only separated from the actual park—and one of its campgrounds—by the Virgin River, which is shallow enough here that you can walk into the national park that way.
The entrance sign to the Zion Canyon Campground
Zion Canyon Campground is the most expensive campground in Springdale due to this location, but I would still pick this place all over again. Springdale and Zion National Park have limited parking that stays full during peak season, so being within easy walking distance or a short shuttle ride to everything in town is invaluable.
My dad, who was with us for this portion of our road trip, remarked multiple times to me about how the campground was worth the price, thanks to its proximity to the national park, the Springdale shuttle and restaurants, but also because of the cleanliness of the place and amenities. I agree 100%.
Other Camping Options Nearby
Given that Zion National Park is Utah’s most visited national park, there are plenty of camping options here.
Inside the national park in the Zion Canyon section are 2 campgrounds. (The other portion of Zion National Park is Kolob Canyon, and it’s about an hour’s drive from Springdale with no connecting road through Zion Canyon.)
The Watchman Campground is the one that backs up to the Virgin River, and the one that you can see from Zion Canyon Campground and RV Park. While it has incredible access to the national park, it also doesn’t have many of the amenities that were non-negotiables for us on this very long road trip, like a pool or playground for my kids.
PIN ME!
The other campground inside Zion National Park is the South Campground, which is undergoing major renovations and won’t be open anytime soon. During our summer 2024 visit, the campground had been taken down to the dirt with no discernible sites remaining, so they still have significant work ahead before it will be reopened.
I also don’t love that the in-park campgrounds didn’t have showers, which meant that I would be hauling myself and both kids to a paid shower in Zion Canyon Village multiple times during our stay. Getting the kids to a regular bath house was annoying enough, so I decided that paying for a campsite with easier shower access was worth my money.
Those in-park campgrounds do not have electrical hookups, which meant no air conditioning for us. We do have solar panels on our camper, and, therefore, could boondock during the cooler months since we have propane and solar to turn on the lights, but we can’t run the A/C on our solar panels.
Given that we were visiting in June when the temperatures can climb into the upper 90s, I was also willing to pay more to keep my kids and I cool.
If those aren’t considerations for you—or if you’re not visiting in the warmer months—then the national parks campgrounds might be great! (They’re certainly cheaper.)
Outside of the park are many private campgrounds, but none are as close to the national park entrance as the Zion Canyon Campground and RV Park.
We also seriously considered the Zion River Resort RV Park and Campground, which is similar in size and amenities. However, I ultimately decided to not book there because it is about 20 minutes away from the national park entrance in Virgin, which is 2 small towns away from Springdale.
Because of this distance, we wouldn’t have direct access to the Springdale shuttle, and would have to fight for parking in town and in the park.
Zion Canyon Campground Review
With its incredible location in Springdale, easy shuttle access, the Virgin River to play in, and some of the nicest bathrooms we’ve seen in an RV park, we really, really enjoyed our stay at Zion Canyon Campground.
(And, no, I am not an affiliate, nor was any part of my stay covered by the campground. We’re just happy customers!)
Because of all of the amenities, you could easy use this as your home base for an entire vacation, hanging out in Zion and hiking around Springdale, and then relaxing by the pool or firepit at night.
We stayed here for 6 nights on our 8-week road trip that took us through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota. We’d come from Torrey, Utah, where we’d had a better than average stay at Thousand Lakes RV Park, so our expectations were high.
Thankfully, Zion Canyon Campground exceeded even those expectations, and we had a memorable stay in our 22’ Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800 travel trailer.
Check-in Process
Our camper parked in the large check-in parking area
When you turn into the campground, there are clearly labeled areas to park for check-in, since you need to get out of your vehicle and go into the convenience store to register.
The check in parking was large and could’ve easily accommodated several Class A campers at one time.
The employees here know what they are doing, since check-in can get very busy during peak times. Still, everyone we met during check-in was prompt, friendly, and helpful, which made for a great first impression.
We did have to wait for a few minutes at the check-in desk—which is near the register for the convenience store—as the employees finished up registration for another camper.
The campground check-in was easy, though I did forget my trailer’s license plate number and had to go back outside to write it down for the employees.
They provided a packet of information for us at registration that included a map of the park, suggestions on where to eat, and other details to help us get acquainted with the property and Springdale.
We also received our first 4 shower coins, which are the only way to access the on-site shower rooms. (But more on that below!)
It was one of the easier in-person check-ins we’ve done, thanks to the speed of the employees and their overall preparedness for that day’s guests.
Individual Campsite Review
We stayed in campsite G7, which was just down from one of the bath houses, and butted up to a fence. Because of the fence on the left and back of our site, we only had 1 neighbor to the right, which was great.
There are cabins on the other side of the fence, but we couldn’t see or hear them, making this a private-feeling spot in the middle of an otherwise busy campground.
Site G7 is about 40 feet long, which was more than enough room for our 22’ trailer. The depth of the site also meant that we had plenty of room to hook and unhook the trailer without blocking traffic as we did so.
This site had incredible views of the soaring red rocks that Zion is so famous for, and the cliffs we could see from our trailer door were actually inside the park—we were that close to the national park here.
The only thing I didn’t love about our site was that it was only slightly sloped and completely dirt, both of which combined into a muddy slushy mess when it poured one afternoon. Because there wasn’t much of a slope, the water pooled near the fence, and then the non-paved lot got muddier and muddier the longer it rained.
Thankfully, you are in the desert here, so it doesn’t rain very often and what moisture is around is absorbed quickly into the landscape.
Campground Layout
The entrance to the cabins at Zion Canyon Campground
The campground entrance is directly off of Zion Park Boulevard. There is a convenience store and small gift shop at that corner, and that same building also houses the laundry, showers, and restrooms.
As you move further into the park, you’ll pass the pool and recreation lawn, as well as the cute cabins on property.
The road then forks as you get into the RV section of the park, and you’ll be off to find your site.
The layout of the campground can be a little difficult to decipher when you’re first there as it isn’t laid out in a checkerboard style.
Instead, 8 different roads fork and then rejoin through the RV park.
Roughly, though, think of the RV section as a large loop with wobbly vertical roads connecting the top and bottom of the loop in several places.
The Virgin River borders the park to the right and bottom, and there are 35 sites that back up to the river. 15 of these are for tents, while the remaining sites can be used for RVs in a variety of sizes.
When selecting a site here, but sure to pay close attention to each site’s stats as each one has a different length, width, and hook-up options.
Campground Amenities
Paved roads
While this isn’t a deal breaker, I do like it when campgrounds have paved roads. It just makes the experience of getting into and out of the campsites so much easier, especially when it is raining.
While the lots aren’t paved, all of the roads and parking areas throughout the campground are paved.
Bath houses
Let’s talk about these bath houses.
There are 2 free standing bath houses, and then one attached to the main building for check-in.
The interior of the shower stalls
The sinks, toilets, and showers are all separated in each bath house, with the sinks and toilets in one section and the shower stalls in another.
The sink and toilet area was clean but nothing special, but the showers were beautiful. First of all, the shower stalls had full length doors with an actual lock, which seems to be a rarity.
Inside, the ceiling was paneled in honey wood, while the walls and floor had large grey and beige tiles. The entire effect was very modern and spa-like, and unlike any shower stall we’ve encountered so far.
As I mentioned above, the showers can only be turned on by inserting the coins you get from the check-in desk.
Each guest gets one coin per day, and you have to go back to the check-in desk daily to get the day’s coins. (That was annoying, I admit.)
Each coin grants 8 minutes of hot water, so you have to be really time conscious.
The reason they do this is to keep people from the national parks campgrounds from getting a free shower since those campgrounds don’t have bath houses.
Virgin River access
Before we arrived, I didn’t realize that we could actually get into the Virgin River from the campground, but there is a small private access point near the tent site R28.
You do swim at your own risk, though, as there aren’t any lifeguards to help out. Keep in mind that the Virgin River does have regular blooms of cyanobacteria, which can be toxic and cause stomach issues, headaches, rashes, and more. Generally, if you’re not submerging your head, you’ll be okay.
The river can move swiftly in places, and there are small rapids as the river curves around the perimeter of the campground. I made the mistake of letting my kids go down a section on their pool tubes, and the water was swift enough to flip my 8 year old and nearly trap him under the bank.
I was a lifeguard for 6 years and generally paranoid about water safely, so take it from me that the water here can move faster than it looks.
For younger kids or less experienced swimmers, the river to the left of the access point near R28 is much calmer and barely knee deep. I even set up a camp chair in the shallow water to watch my kids one hot afternoon, and it was wonderful!
At the section of river where it is very shallow, you are within walking distance of the Watchman campground and can see the campsites in the national park. We met several families who were playing on the national parks side of the river on a sandbank.
Playing in the Virgin River is one of our favorite things to do in Zion National Park besides hiking!
Playground
Traveling with kids comes with a different set of requirements than when I travel with other adults.
My kids aren’t content to hang around the campsite and read after a long day of hiking—they want to be running, biking, and doing stuff.
That’s why we love it when we find a playground at one of the campgrounds we’re visiting. They’re easy ways for my kids to burn off more energy, and they’re great for making travel friends.
The Zion Canyon Campground has a playground that’s fenced in, and it’s located by the second bath house near the tents area.
It’s small, but still great for playing into the late summer evenings.
Pool
There is a pool onsite near the main building, so it can be a bit of hike there from the parts of the RV park near the river.
It’s a standard rectangular pool, so nothing spectacular there, but the pool deck and water was immaculate the entire time we stayed there.
You can’t do much better than that view from the pool!
There’s also more than enough deck seating; the chairs are sturdy and a step above many of the flimsy plastic lounge chairs we usually find at campground pools.
There are a couple of negatives that we found here.
First, the pool doesn’t have any shade, so if you’re there just to watch kids, bring plenty of sunscreen and a hat.
Secondly, the pool desk was oddly slippery. There was a different covering in the three feet or so surrounding the pool, and, when it got wet, the kids would start slipping. My 8 year was throwing a beach ball with some of the other kids there, and, when the ball went out of the pool, he tried to retrieve it.
However, he hit a wet spot on the deck, which was slippery because of the water, and smashed his chin in. Luckily, he didn’t have any lasting damage, but do keep that issue in mind while visiting.
Laundry Room
The laundry room looking back towards the cabins
The laundry room is always a must have for us on our camping trips, but we really needed it on this trip. Since we were gone for 2 months exploring the west, and we only had room in our camper for a handful of outfits, having consistent access to a reliable laundry room was essential.
Unlike the laundry room disappointment at the R Journey Bryce Canyon in Cannonville, Utah, the laundry here was well stocked and clean with plenty of washers and dryers.
The laundry room is set up galley style with the door at one end, and washers and dryers running along each wall.
Even though the campground is large and it was close to full during our entire stay, I never had any issue nabbing a washer and dryer when I went up there.
Bring your coins because the machines do use quarters.
Convenience store
The entrance ramp and stairs to the convenience store and check in desk
One thing my kids loved about this campground was the little convenience store at the entrance.
Since we had to go everyday to get our new shower coins, we ended up getting to know the staff—and the contents of the store—well.
There is a small selections of t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts here for a quick souvenir, but you’ll also find a self-serve coffee station, slushy machines, chips and candy bars, and a wall of refrigerated food items.
If you’ve forgotten something for your RV, you can check here to save yourself from driving into La Verkin or Hurricane. They have everything from s’mores sticks to trailer chocks.
The author’s daughter on the free Springdale shuttle
Springdale shuttle access
Springdale has a free shuttle that runs from Zion Canyon Village (directly outside of the pedestrian entrance to the national park) to the Hotel de Novo on the very edge of Springdale near Rockville.
There are nine stops, with Zion Canyon Village being 1 and Hotel de Novo being 9.
The Zion Canyon Campground is at stop 3, and you can pick up the buses going towards the park on the same side of the road as the campground entrance. The buses going into Springdale are across the road outside the Spotted Dog restaurant and Flanagan’s Inn.
There is a protected pedestrian crossing from the campground entrance to the bus stop on the opposite side of Zion Park Boulevard. You push a button that activates flashing lights and there are orange safety flags you can carry to additionally warn cars.
The buses come reliably throughout the day and were an excellent way to explore the town without wearing my kids out.
Final Thoughts on Zion Canyon Campground
Whenever we find ourselves back in Springdale, I will absolutely be back to the Zion Canyon Campground and RV Park.
Even if I don’t haul my camper all the way there from our home in South Carolina, I’d still stay in the little cabins here, which are so cute and convenient to the park.
Plus, staying here meant that I didn’t need to move my truck for the entire week’s stay since I could easily walk to nearby stores or catch the free shuttle near the convenience store.
From making new friends at the playground to roasting s’mores in the communal firepits, this campground feels like a summer camp for the entire family—and it would be hard not to have fun here.
Even though it’s more expensive than other camping options in this part of Utah, you can’t beat the combination of amenities and park access.
