South Campground

Super busy but nice to be right there in the park for sunrise. The town is small but really cool and full of granola loving, wholesome locals. This might be one campground where heading to the local bar for a beer and some trail tips from the experts might be better than hanging around the campfire.
Also, don’t forget to get a few bouldering directions from someone, there are great spots all over Zion.

We went in late January early February and, since most campgrounds are closed due to snow and ice you need to book a reservation well in advance. Bring plenty of firewood and a great camera for capturing the beautiful starscapes at night with the contrasting canyon walls. Most bathrooms are closed at this time too so be sure and go before you go to bed at night to prevent a late-night, cold walk to the restrooms. The scenery was amazing and we were by a partially frozen stream that would be babbling in the background.

This campground was totally worth the hour an a half wait to get our spot. We stayed at the end of September and totally underestimated the amount of people who be in the park at this time. We would recommend getting in line before 8 am to secure a spot. (We stayed Friday - Saturday) The morning while new guests are coming in and old guests are leaving is a bit hectic but after about 2 pm things calmed down and it made for a really enjoyable stay. The campground was at capacity but did not feel over filled at all. The camp hosts did a great job managing the chaos.

Pros: Beautiful! Great access to the bus and very large sites.

Cons: Hard to get into.

Head here later in the day to avoid the crowds and actually get a chance to pull over to the side of the road for photo ops to be able to find a parking spot.

INCREDIBLE!

Zion has become super popular and the South Campgrounds are the best way to go - it makes Zion so easy! We watched everyone else who was coming in for the day struggle finding parking. Not so when camping. The visitor center is close by with access to the shuttle that can get you anywhere you need to go in the park. The visitor center also has a grocery store and showers available. The campground has restrooms and clean water pumps. The cherry on top staying here - one evening as we were preparing dinner, half a dozen deer walked into our campsite, started grazing on grass, and then laid down in the grass. They hung out with us for several hours. It was amazing. According to the park ranger, this is common.

bring layers

Get there early to snag a spot, and grab one with shade on the river.

Full campsite but easy enough to get a site if you go in the morning and wait in line. We were there during high season in April and loved staying here. Great location - near shuttle buses and visitor's center. The camp hosts were incredibly nice and thoughtful.