Camping and Boondocking near Zion National Park

A Full Guide to the Most Unique & Beautiful Camping Options in & around the Park in 2021

What is Dispersed Camping?

Dispersed camping (aka boondocking) is essentially free camping on open land…

…and it comes with its own set of pros and cons. Boondocking is most commonly available on publicly-owned U.S. taxpayer land, also referred to as BLM land (Bureau of Land Management). However you can find primitive camping in other areas as well (not always exclusively BLM).

You won’t find dispersed camping areas anywhere within national parks, city areas, private property, protected wilderness, etc. Camping at a designated campground, for example, is not dispersed camping. The links below (as well as Google) can tell you where to find said land around each U.S. city area and how to best preserve the land you’re staying on.

What are the advantages?

No crowds, no costs, no formal campgrounds, no reservations. Since they are (by definition) located outside populated city limits, dispersed camping areas are almost always exponentially more beautiful, remote and exciting to stay at—you’re actually having the authentic outdoor experience that you came for (imagine that). Talk to any experienced outdoorsman, and they’ll tell you that dispersed camping is the only option they look for on an adventure.

And now, the drawbacks

It’s real outdoor camping. That means zero amenities whatsoever. Restrooms, running water, picnic tables, grills for barbecuing food—you have to bring all of that swag yourself. Yes, you’ll be digging holes in the ground to poop (or finding restrooms in town). You’ll be responsible for your own fire safety and packing out your own trash. Because you’re staying in remote territory, roads in & out aren’t always paved or accessible for low-clearance vehicles. It means that people might not be around in case of emergency, and in the same context, it also often means no cell phone service.

Pick your campsite wisely

Know your comfort level in the wilderness and choose wisely. The best campsites I’ve ever stayed at have ALL been on primitive/BLM land. At the same time, for brand new outdoorsmen and women with families, this may not be the best option. If you decide to go and you’re new to this, read and have a copy of the instructions below.

Remember to LEAVE NO TRACE—be respectful of the land, and only bring in what you’re able to pack out.

Dispersed camping resources

Bureau of Land Management - Maps for Every BLM Territory in the US
Gear Junkie - Camp for Free on Public Land: Dispersed Camping 101
Ramos Law - BLM Camping Rules 101
Bureau of Land Management - Laws & Regulations (complete 120 pg handbook)

Best Dispersed Camping Options near Zion National Park

Check out this map of BLM land/boondocking campsites near Zion

You'll find plenty of BLM land bordering both east and west ends of Zion National Park, but distinguishing this land from private land can be tricky.

Check out this National Park Service map below outlining BLM camping boundaries. The yellow area represents open BLM land that you can camp on. There’s plenty of it available, although you’ll find that it’s best to have a 4WD vehicle (or at least a high-clearance SUV) to access a lot of it safely.

We've also outlined a few of our favorite areas in the sections below for some additional inspiration.

Gooseberry Mesa

Pros - Jaw dropping views in the morning if you find a campsite along the canyon rim. Due to its location 1 hr. southwest of Zion's main entrance, Gooseberry Mesa is a great night 1 campsite to rendezvous if you're coming from the west to help cut the drive short. It's also a popular mountain biking area if you can bring a bike.

Cons - A little off the beaten path--roughly a 30-40 min. detour from Hurricane (but totally worth it).

Directions - A little tricky without help, since there's not a ton of info online about this place. Type "Gooseberry Mesa" into Google Maps--it will take you to the entrance. For additional reference: from Hwy 9 in Hurricane, turn onto Hwy 59 and follow it up the hill. You will end up turning left (North) off the highway onto an unpaved road called Main St., which you will follow for about 20 min. Keep following the signs to Gooseberry Mesa, and eventually you'll get to a fork in the road. We took the left road first, drove all the way to the White Trailhead, and found it was nowhere near the canyon rim. Any further and you'll find the rocky terrain to be impassable for a regular high-clearance vehicle (in our case, a 2WD Jeep). Instead, take a right at the fork, and you can follow an easy dirt road all the way to the canyon rim.

Resources

Youtube - Arial View of Campsite at Gooseberry Mesa, UT
Gooseberry Mesa Yurts - Just in case you want to give this a try
MTBProject - Gooseberry Mesa - South Rim and Hidden Canyon Loop (Mountain Biking)

Kolob Terrace Road BLM camping

Summary - Creekside camping under the trees located in one of two dirt road pullouts, located less than 2 miles up Kolob Terrace Rd. Natural well-shaded BLM camping within a half hour of Zion’s main entrance.

Pros - Beautiful area, plenty of tree-cover, even a natural stream passing by. No reservations needed. High convenience factor as well! It’s tough to get a such a quality campsite within close proximity to the park; this is one of your best options.

Cons - No bathrooms or typical campground amenities. Also, this area has become quite popular in recent years, so space will probably be limited if you’re arriving during rush hour on a busy weekend. Finally, we had lots of ants during the day and unfortunately cockroaches at night (they weren’t a nuisance as long as we kept food stored properly).

Directions - On Hwy 9 heading North toward Zion's main entrance, turn left onto Kolob Terrace Rd., located barely east of the town of Virgin, UT. The open camping areas are found along dirt roads on the right hand side of the road for the first mile-and-a-half up the road.

Hint: if these areas are filled up, you can also find more randomly scattered BLM land further up the hill, either on land that isn’t private property (which there’s quite a bit of), or up toward Lamb’s Knoll along a brief section of road where you exit national park boundaries before re-entering again. Lamb’s Knoll, I believe, is also considered open BLM land (and that area is exceptionally beautiful).

Site #1

Site #2

Kolob Reservoir Dispersed Camping

Summary - BLM lakeside camping, roughly 20 minutes further up the road from Lava Point.

Pros - Beautiful area with TONS of privacy. You’ll find beautiful aspen tree groves surrounding the far end of the lake, making this area exceptionally beautiful during a lush, green spring or early summer season. No reservations are ever needed, and there’s literally no limit to where you can set up a tent, so it’s a great backup option for a beautiful, open campsite if your other options fall through.

Cons - No bathrooms or facilities whatsoever. Being quite a bit higher in elevation than the Zion valley floor, nights will be noticeably colder. It’s also nearly a 45 min. drive each way from Hwy 9, adding quite a bit of extra time if you're trying to access Zion National Park early the next day. You wont’ find a single gas station along the way, so fill up in town before you make the trek.

Directions - Continued from our last example, if you continue following Kolob Terrace Rd. all the way up (nearly a 45 min. drive), you’ll eventually run into Kolob Reservoir, where you can camp anywhere there’s a dirt pull-out.

Resources

CampgroundViews - 360 Video Tour - Kolob Reservoir Dispersed Camping

Unnamed Historical Marker in Virgin, UT

Summary - One of the closest BLM camping areas to Zion's main entrance (if not the closest). Purely a functional campsite, not an especially interesting one. The next best alternative to Coal Pits Wash if that campground is still closed.

Pros - Location. It's right off Hwy 9 and a 20-30 min. drive to the Zion National Park Visitor's Center. This is a good option if you have to wake up early in the morning to catch a shuttle and don't care about how cool your campsite is, or if you've been driving all night and you're simply looking for a place to set up a tent.

Cons - You’re essentially camping in an exposed open field near the highway. Aside from the views of the Virgin canyon walls in the distance, there's nothing special about this place. It ranks high for convenience, but low for shade or natural beauty compared to your other options.

Directions - On Hwy 9 heading North toward Zion's main entrance, this campground is roughly a half mile south of a cartoonish looking pioneer town called Fort Zion (if you hit the town, you’ve gone too far). The turnoff for the campground is on the right-hand side of the road and is unmarked, except for a road sign that says "Historical Marker 800ft.," pointing toward an old wooden corral. Follow the dirt road through a large field and pick your favorite campsite.

Coal Pits Wash

Pros - Gorgeous riverside scenery within a half hour of the Zion Visitor's Center

Cons - Everything online says this place is now closed to camping (unfortunately due to campers polluting the land), but I swear I saw the gate open and tents set up last time. Check in-person and see if they're letting people in now.

Resources

CampgroundViews - 360 Video Tour - Coal Pits Wash

Up to Camping Page Index ^

Developed Campgrounds Inside the Park

Zion National Park - Campground Map

Here's a great resource to check out before making any campsite reservations--a park map of every designated campsite within the Zion National Park boundary.

Note: The two main designated campgrounds in Zion are Watchman and South, near the Visitor’s Center. Most of the remaining campgrounds are either along a backcountry trail or located outside a convenient proximity of the main park entrance, making camping in Zion especially tricky without a plan ahead of time.

NPS.gov - Wilderness Map of Reservable Campsites (go to page 4)

Watchman and South

Summary - The two most popular campgrounds in Zion are Watchman (reservations) and South (walk-in only), located adjacent to each other next to the Zion Visitor's Center.

Pros - Located on the banks of Virgin River in Zion Canyon itself, both campgrounds offer gorgeous scenery, have nice bathrooms, and are within walking distance of the visitor's center and shuttle buses.

Cons - The downside is that they're both extremely crammed--essentially parking lot camping surrounded by noisy families.

Recommendation - Only camp here if you need it for its proximity to the Visitor's Center in the morning (i.e. if you need to catch an 8am shuttle for a canyoneering adventure). If you're looking for a unique outdoor experience or some privacy, this is not the place for you.

Reservations

Watchman - Spaces are available through reservation only and must be made months in advance.
South - A first-come-first-serve only campground. To beat other campers, people arrive as early as 5:30am to wait in line. Rangers start assigning newly opened campsites around 7:30-8am. Predictably, chances are best during the week.

Directions - The entrance to both campgrounds is on the east end of the Zion Visitor's Center

Lava Point Campground

Summary - Beautiful walk-in only campground available year-around. I usually don't see this place full, but in the worst case, BLM camping is available at Kolob Reservoir just a few minutes up the road (see below).

Pros - Gorgeous campsite with grand views looking down into Zion Canyon.

Cons - It's roughly an hour drive from the Zion visitor's center; significantly higher in elevation than the valley floor, so often around 10 degrees colder at night (an obvious plus during summer months).

Reservations - First-come, first-serve

Resources

CampgroundViews - 360º video tour: Lava Point

Up to Camping Page Index ^

Developed Campgrounds Outside the Park

Hi-Road Campground

Summary - A lesser known walk-in only campground just outside the East entrance of the park that rarely fills up.

Pros - Offers many of the scenic canyon wall views as Watchman/South, but it has A LOT more privacy; great amenities--a community building with showers/bathrooms/laundry room and free wifi, great general store, etc.; located just 1.5 hours from Bryce Canyon.

Cons - From the east entrance, it's roughly a 40 min. drive through the park to access the Zion Visitor's Center (although a beautiful drive); if you're being picky, many of the campsites are walled in by dead shrubs between late fall and mid spring.

Recommendation - The best time to stay here is during the summer and fall when leaves on the trees are in bloom. Supposedly the best campsites are up on a ridge overlooking the valley, but you'll need a high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicle to reach it. The next best sites are located down a discrete dirt road that veers to the RIGHT of the bathrooms. It's hidden, so keep a close eye out.

Reservations - Call (435) 648-3302

Directions - 12120 West Hwy 9, Mount Carmel, UT 84755|

Within a mile of the East entrance on Hwy 9, look for a trading post on the left side of the road when the red colored road turns back into black asphalt. The campground is across the street from the trading post.

Te-Ah Campground

Summary - Located 1.5 hours NE of Zion, so if you're coming from SoCal, this will lengthen an already long road trip. From what I've heard, completely worth the trip. Located on the banks of Navajo Lake and tucked in a forest full of aspen trees, this campground ranks high in natural beauty.

Resources

Recreation.gov - Te-Ah Campground Info + Photos

Up to Camping Page Index ^

Glamping

Under Canvas - Zion National Park

Summary - Under Canvas, Zion National Park - Stumbled upon this impressive glamping haven a few miles SW of Zion’s main entrance along Kolob Terrace Rd.

Pros - Beautiful location and scenery; a very stunning half hour drive from Zion’s main entrance.

Cons - In line with most glamping experiences, the accommodations are awesome, but expensive.

Recommendation - If money isn’t a thing, pull the trigger—it’s cool.

Reservations - Available here | (435) 359-2911 | reservations@undercanvas.com

Directions - 3955 Kolob Terrace Road, Virgin, UT 84779 | See: Google Maps