It's nature! Not really. It was my first camping this weekend. We were 15 people and it was awesome. For first time camper I'd recommend this place. I actually thought camping is really into the wild like in movies where you build your tent, shower in river, poop in bushes and take out your cookware and cook on the fire you just started with rubbing two wood pieces. Well, well sadly it wasn't as wild as I thought. But still it was very nice. The campsite is separated in many small sections for all campers. Each camp group will get their own spot with table, seats and a fire place. Besides there is space for your vehicle and up to 3 tents are allowed. You can either let the park rip you off and pay $5 for 5 min shower or so or you can just not shower at all, hop inside the river or squat and use the blue big faucets in front of the available restrooms. It was very convenient from here to Angels Landing and The Narrows by taking the shuttle bus. The visitors center is close by as well. Just have a great time while camping and try not to use plastic and keep this place clean. Plastic is a bitch and nature our friend. read more

When a small group of old friends decided to invite me on their wild-hare trip to Zion, how could I refuse? And how could we not go camping in such a beautiful place? Some of the group wanted a more posh experience, so we split the trip: two nights camping; two nights in a motel. For the camping portion, we needn't have worried about the posh aspect. Watchman campground was one of the best I've ever been to: clean, beautiful, tidy. The campsites were well-organized, with a fire pit, new picnic table, level gravel area for tents, and spotless bathrooms. Even the other campground inhabitants were well-behaved and quiet. (Us?..maybe not so much on the second night). The major shortcoming was the lack of showers, as many others have pointed out. But I think this was by design - that way, people only stay a few nights max, making room for others. The other, minor shortcoming was that some of the sites were a little too close together for my taste. Privacy was a bit hard to come by. But the location could not have been better. A five-minute walk from the Zion main shuttle stop and visitor center. A minute further to a local grocery (http://www.yelp.com/biz/canyon-market-springdale?hrid=OgAu76fYdF0iWW7gJRyyAA) and a brewpub (http://www.yelp.com/biz/zion-canyon-brewpub-springdale?hrid=M37zu0aoEC-8zysMeebibw). There was even a movie theater nearby, though we didn't partake with such beautiful views. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/watchman-campground-springdale#-FWOTLe2o9F368yy1FxWjQ) Our trip was off to a very good start. read more

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Great campground located right at the entrance of the national park. Each site is very clean and well kept. Also included is the standard picnic table and fireplace. Our spot did not have a ton of shade, but we only came back to the site mainly to sleep at night. I wouldn't call the campsite itself very pretty, but you get GORGEOUS views of Watchman tower. That is totally worth it!! When I made the reservation, I was worried because the site looked so close to a bathroom. But it actually was a good distance away. Close enough for convenience, but far enough away for privacy. There are no showers at this campground. But there are a few outdoor companies that offer pay-showers a 5-10 minute drive away so it was not a major issue. The bathrooms were also very clean. There's also a utility sink and water refill area. You definitely should make reservations!!! We had to make ours almost 6 months in advance to secure one of the last few sites. There are other first-come-first-serve campsites throughout the park. But if you want a reserved spot, plan ahead!!!! read more

Watchman Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Springdale, Utah

This site is beautiful and the facilities available (enclosed real toilets, dish washing sink, shuttle within walking distance) are great, so that earned it three stars. We went Thanksgiving weekend 2016 and I would not recommend coming here on a holiday weekend. The sites are very close together. I don't know if Rangers generally require people to be more quiet, or not? But my neighbors were drunk, yelling until late into the morning and I got maybe an hour of sleep between them and the cold wind whipping through my tent. So- light to moderate sleepers, beware! Deep sleepers, go do your thing. If you're anywhere near my husband's level of deep-sleep ability, you'll not notice any of the above and maybe deny it was freezing until you find your water bottle frozen solid. Hoping for your sake that the latter of the two applies!! read more

Watchman Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Springdale, Utah

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Amazing Campground for our trip to Zion!!!! Campsite were well spaced out and in a beautiful setting. Walking distance to the visitor center and the Zion Park shuttles which take you to all the spots in Zion. Hiking trails start from the campsite as well. You can also walk out of the park into the town of Springdale if you want to in for dinner or drinks. We will definitely be going back! read more

Watchman Campground - Breakfast in Watchman - Campgrounds Near Me - Springdale, Utah

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My number one piece of advice is book really far in advance! Like months! Silly me thinking I could book a spot at such a popular location a week in advance! Yikes. We were initially planning on going to the other campground that was first come first serve, but so very luckily my boyfriend checked the night before and someone had made a last minute cancellation and we were able to get two nights! I'm telling you, save yourself the stress and book as soon as you plan your dates for Zion. The campground the first night was pretty quiet but the second one ( a Thursday night) felt like a night at Coachella. Lots of screaming kids and loud music coming from cars. We heard a lot of people yelling "chug chug chug!" For about an hour. Hey I'm 24 and can appreciate a good party, but a lot of us are here to hike 8 hours the next day starting at 7am. Why the hell are you chugging anything? Thankfully we had a few flash floods that forced most partiers into their tent. Bring earplugs! And don't leave your tent open for fresh air in the morning. We were woken up by some hungry squirrels who did not care that there were people in the way. Also be prepared for any kinds of weather. We got pretty heavily rained on in the middle of July throughout the day. Honestly though, it's one of the most beautiful campsites you'll ever stay at. Enjoy! read more

Watchman Campground - Loop c spot 20! - Campgrounds Near Me - Springdale, Utah

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The watchman campground makes camping a lot easier (especially for first time campers like my sister and me). They have clean bathrooms and a dish washing station and clean drinking water! Each site has it's own table and fire pits which make it convenient to cook for yourself. No showers so bring baby wipes! The location of the campground is great! It's right by both the Springdale shuttle and the Zion park shuttles so you have direct access to the city and the park, they come every 15 minutes or less. read more

Watchman Campground - Deer!! - Campgrounds Near Me - Springdale, Utah

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Watchman Campground is an excellent base to explore Zion National Park. It is walking distance to the Zion Visitor center and best of all you don't have to worry about parking. I stayed here for 3 nights and loved every moment. The site is well maintained and on gravel, so you don't have to worry too much about rain collecting underneath your tent. The facilities are clean, but unfortunately there is no shower on site. However there is a shower in the shopping plaza nearby. I stayed in Loop D, which was tents only and it was fairly quiet. read more

The reason for 4/5 stars is because, I would have liked my dog to be allowed on more trails. Watchman Campground is nice! On Labor Day weekend 2018 we stayed in a group site; area E7. The campsite had 6 benches, a fire pit, and was located near the restrooms. It was really hot during the day, in the 90's, and the night was in the high 50's. My dog had fun near the water and on one of the trails. read more

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Absolutely perfect campground. Well maintained despite the near constant full capacity of the summer crowds although the restrooms did need a little more attention. Perfect location next to the visitor center which has easy access to the shuttles or Springdale. And you have views of the canyon and Watchman. Make sure you check out campsite photos when picking a spot since some spots have better shade then others. read more

Watchman Campground - View from the campsite! - Campgrounds Near Me - Springdale, Utah

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Great campground at a great price. Only $18 for an RV spot with electricity. There is a dumping station that also has water. Campsites are nice. Picnic tables are clean and in good shape. Sites are reasonably private but some more than others. All have fire rings (can we get rid of these please - I'm so done with fires smelling up the entire campground! Location is just inside the park. Close enough to town that you could just walk over. Lots of restaurants and bars there to entertain you all night. Even a big theater. Bathrooms are bare bones though. Toilets but no showers. Make reservations summer through end of November. read more

Watchman Campground - Watching the sunset. - Campgrounds Near Me - Springdale, Utah

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Watchman campground is nice. Clean bathrooms, easy walk to shuttles.recycling bins. We booked 3 months in advance but also added a night just by checking cancellations. Campsite D12 and F5 are nice. Many of the walk to sites in Loop F dont offer firepits per site but they have a group fire pit. F5 has a firepit. Zion is crowded. We visited early May and shuttles were crowded. Campgrounds full. It definitely detracts from nature. Campsites are very close to one another so respect quiet hours for others. If you camp and want to stay in park past site check out time then you need to park in visitor parking ASAP. No leisure breakfast at campsite. Visitor parking gets filled by 9am. read more

Stayed 4 nights over Thanksgiving weekend 2017. There's not a whole lot more I could want in a campground besides maybe showers and hammock-able trees. Clean bathrooms, potable water, a utility sink for washing dishes, fire pits at each site and gorgeous views of the impressive rock formations surround this campground. Some may find the sites too close together but that's never really an issue for me and all of our constantly changing neighbors were quiet and respectful. There's an allowance of 6 people and 2 cars per campsite (different rules for RV sites) for $20 per night. The campground is located within the park, a short 5 minute walk to the Visitor Center and shuttles and a 10-15 minute walk to town depending on where you're going. No messing around with the long queues to get in and out of the park at popular hours. It is extremely windy here at night so you'll need weights to tie down your tent, canopy, etc. Tent stakes were pretty useless in some parts of our site as the site floors were concrete with a light layer of dirt to make them look more natural. We were able to find rocks without much of a search. You will probably also need more firewood than usual due to the wind. There are a few deer families that call this campground home and are not remotely scared of humans so keeping food and trash locked away is imperative. I plan on making many more trips to Zion over the next few years I'll remain in Utah and I have no reason to look anywhere else for campgrounds. read more

Poorly maintained RV Park. The location and spots are big and pretty good. However, it's all on dirt and there is no water hookup, only electricity. All water comes from a few shared water taps at the bathrooms. The bathrooms were dirty National Park bathrooms as well. read more

Pros: 3G/4G connection available at campsite Clean bathroom Walking distance to visitor centre, nearby Springdale town, zion shuttles Next to river Awesome view Cons: Noisy even after quiet hours since it is a popular campsite with lots of campers No showering facilities read more

One of the best campgrounds I been to and it's so fun! Nice views good people and there even a ranger show always at 9pm and the hikes are amazing and beautiful MUST GO read more

We lucked out at the first come first serve campground. It was an incredible view and felt very safe, clean, and overall atmosphere was incredible. No WIFI was the best if it, no interruptions. kids enjoyed the trip and had fun fishing and just spending time over the campfire. Bathrooms were extremely clean and were cleaned at least twice a day that I experienced. read more

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The location alone makes this campground worth it. We stayed in early May and it was so convenient for us to get around. The campground is located within the national park and the first bus stop to all the sites is a short walk away. It would be inconvenient to have to shuttle or drive into the park in the mornings as the shuttles are crowded and parking is scarce. The site itself was a good size for six of us and was enough room for three tents and two cars. It is very windy, especially at night, in the park so make sure your campsite is secure. The worst part of this campground is the bugs. Although the bathrooms and campgrounds seem clean at night there are huge roaches in the bathroom, the adjacent sinks, and in the grounds. It really freaked me out and we went to bed fairly early to avoid them. read more

Fantastic location just inside the front entrance. Beautiful Mountain View's surround you. Plenty of space between sites so never felt crowded. Bathrooms are kept clean. Close to the temporary shuttle stop so it is noisy starting at 6:30 am. Came here with a large scout group and were treated well and allowed to have fun. Deer come right into the sites. USE the provided animal boxes or the squirrels will eat your stuff. read more

This is our third time staying at the Watchman Campground and we could not be happier. We are currently staying here during Easter Weakend and everything is great. I expected crowds and craziness but it has been pretty calm. The views from the campsites are amazing, especially when the sun is rising or setting. In can be a challenge getting a reservation but thankfully a ranger gave me a pointer awhile back that has worked at this park and others. We can't wait to come back again! read more

Almost everything was amazing! The campsite was 5 stars, friendliness of grounds staff was 5 stars, cleanliness of bathrooms was 5 stars... The complete jerk- power tripping park ranger- ZERO STARS. We didn't get his name but he was about 5' tall, Asian and was wearing safety goggles and a bulletproof vest. We were cooking dinner around our campfire at 7:30pm (10ish people from 2 sites total), he pulls up to warn us about noise.. demands that we remove our hands from our pockets and announces that if he has to come back he's "hauling people off to jail"... WHAT IN THE ACTUAL F*CK. We were talking... around a campfire... at SEVEN THIRTY PM. We weren't playing music, we weren't playing any rowdy games. We had a 3 year old and a teenager with us. Every one of us was in utter disbelief at this guy. When asked what the "arrest-able offense" would be we were told to read the penal code. He threatened us with jail multiple times before leaving. This clown must have been picked on A LOT as a kid to have this warped of an attitude and approach to law enforcement. Zion.. this guy is killing your vibe. read more

ill rough it as much as any wilderness junkie...but give me newly remodeled bathroom with fully flushing toilets, seat covers, dual sinks/mirrors with a nice modern countertop in a HEATED bathroom, and you turned up my camping experience tenfold. there is just something about these modern technological luxuries that really improves camping. because i will make it known: I HATE PORT-O-POTTIES. i will actually pee behind a bush over using them, to be honest :) and as a contact wearer, these lovely bathrooms at watchman just make my life sooo much easier. there is no hot water, nor showers, however. but give me a flushing toilet and thats all i need. i can "rough" the lack of the rest. really loved this campground. open year-round, it was our only option for winter camping within zion. during the high season it is by-reservation, but low season it is first-come. in the winter it is also only 1/2 open with loop A & B...C-D april-oct. doing my research, i found out the B loop sites are next to the river, so if you enjoy the lovely sound and view of flowing water while you live in a tent for a few days i highly recommend staying there if you can. look on the map to see the best real estate: http://www.recreation.gov/camping/map_of_Watchman_Campground/r/campgroundMap.do?page=map&search=site&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70923&topTabIndex=CampingSpot but avoid the few sites that are directly next to the public river access pathways, if you can. it wasnt an issue camping in the winter ( feb 16-18), but I read other reviews stating you will deal with tons of strangers walking right by your tent during the high season. we stayed at B47 which was a lovely spot directly across from the river path access and a few sites down from the restroom...perfect for being close but far enough away. really didnt have any choice, as arriving around 9pm Sat it was the LAST spot available in the B loop. really lucked out, and ended up with a great spot so I feel very fortunate. all of these spots are electric, but we paid the camping non-electic rate of $16 in the spot. if you want to use the electric ($18/night), they will activate it for you if you pay that rate. again, this is all based on camping in the low-season, so i dont know if you HAVE to pay the electric rate if you stay here in high-season. we never even saw the camp ranger during our stay and didn't have any issues. everything was very pleasant and all the other campers kept to themselves and were quiet. probably again the benefit of camping in "the cold" as there werent many families with children. sorry parents - your children like to scream and whine sometimes, and i like camping in peace :) speaking on the weather: it was great overall. the first night we arrived there were brutal chilly winds, but the 2nd night was fine. it definitely was cold after sunset and before the sun came overhead in late morning. get a nice fire going though, and it was fine. for the hot months, most of the B loop sites have plenty of tree shade. if you need things for camping: should you not be fully prepared the Sol Foods market is available to you...at a not surprisingly inflated price. here you can get "decent" bundles of wood for $7 and all groceries items. AVOID BUYING BEER THERE. insane mark-ups and more typical beer prices can be found at the chevron down the way. that chevron seems to have better quality firewood, too (but smaller bundles). oh, and dont buy into the "Utah alcohol %" being a ton lower, the difference is minimal. some things are a total ripoff (like cereal boxes being over $6) but we got stew beef and veggies to make campfire beef stew for around $6 total. the store is literally around the corner from the site so its very convenient. overall, i found this to be a great campsite with a good balance of being in nature but having access to "civilization." there are a good mix of single, group and RV sites and most all were "good spots." if you are needing a meal or coffee, Cafe Soleil is a great option. and if you are camping more than a few days and need a shower, you can head down the road and pay $5 for public showers. read more

Watchman Campground - Loop b near the river...great spot! Close enough to bathroom but not near, directly across from river access path - Campgrounds Near Me - Springdale, Utah

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I don't think I've been to a more scenic campground than this one. It's literally surrounded by the huge towering red rock walls that Zion is famous for, including The Watchman, the famous Zion landmark that seems to glow at sunset. Each site is equipped with the standards-- a parking space, picnic table, fire pit. It was very clean and spaced well enough to still feel like being among nature, not just in a tent city. I woke up one morning and saw 4 deer grazing in a neighboring site. The visitor center is a short walk away, so you get easy access to the convenient shuttle system. I really liked how I could spend the day seeing the park and not have to worry about driving around and parking. Showers and supplies are also available nearby at Zion Outfitter. The only downside was that the restroom close to our site was closed for the season, so it was a 600-foot walk to the next closest one. The restroom fortunately was in really good condition. Overall I can't ask for anything more from a campground. read more

I was a little disappointed with Watchman. The site I had looked brand new. While this meant a nicely groomed camp site, it also meant no tree cover. Fortunately, it wasn't the time of year that this was a problem. But where oh where am I supposed to hang my hammock? The one thing I really enjoyed about my one night stay at Watchman? I walked down to the amphitheater for the nightly ranger-led talk. This one happened to be on black birds. It was quite educational. You can really tell when a ranger is passionate about what they do. This is something I appreciate. read more

I've camped in Watchman on a few trips and each time it seems different. This trip was nice (quiet, lots of wildlife roaming around, nice quiet neighbors) but in past trips it has been bad (lots of litter, late night noise, dirty bathrooms). Sadly there are people who barely stray from the campground during their visit. We saw a group of 10 occupying one camp spot (6 is the max per spot) and they were loud and fairly rude. The campground ranger never addressed the issue despite it being brought to their attention by our camping neighbors and us. One of the best parts of Watchman is the proximity to the visitors center and town. It is just a short 10 min walk to the restaurants. read more

I really liked this campground. I managed to book the only available spot on labor day weekend pretty much at the last minute. So lucky!! :D I was in loop B spot 12. It had plenty of shade which is great if you're in a tent. It's located by 2 or 3 restrooms which were all well stocked and clean. They don't have showers on site though. If you really need to their free shuttle can take you in to town where they have shower facilities. Our spot had an electrical outlet which was neat. However we had issues because our plug was bulky and hit one if the other outlets. It still worked but if you're not willing to bend your plug then take an extension cord. We had very strong winds at night. I don't know if it was just because of the light rain the following day or if it's just a windy area. So plan on taking stakes or weights just in case. If you're staying past your check out time park by the amphitheater which isn't timed parking. Oh and remember to take your entrance receipt with you if you go to town or they'll yell at you :( read more

Camped in Loop D site 21. Great view and ample shade; although your tent will be in the mid-day sun. Site had a tent pad large enough for two 12x17 tents and a driveway large enough for two full size trucks. Great place to camp. Lots of deer sightings from this site as well. read more

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My first adult foray into camping the first weekend of May... and Watchman was an excellent start into it! You can't complain when you've got the stunning views of Zion poking through the cottonwood trees all around you. We had a tent spot with our car right next to us, which was nice for keeping everything locked up when we were off hiking. We were in Loop D Spot 13 and were close to the bathrooms - so nice when you're 4-months pregnant! The bathrooms were lighted at night and heated, so it made a nice reprieve from the drizzly weather while I took out my contacts and brushed my teeth at the sink. Love that I didn't have to venture behind a bush or in a portapotty too; gotta have flush toilets! Each spot had a little fire pit with a grate, though I have to admit that my camping culinary skills need a little improvement. :) Great for s'mores though! What's camping without s'mores?! (Note: no gathering wood in the park, so you have to buy firewood and such in Springdale. Best to come prepared for that and bring a little starter newspaper or something with you.) The bugs weren't nearly as bad as some reviews stated. And trust me, with my healthy fear of creepy crawlies, I'd be the first to let you know!! It could have been because of the rainy weather, but ants were what you'd expect, only a couple dozen caterpillar sightings during our 36 hours or whatnot, and a sole yellow jacket that flew away before he bothered anything. Had so much fun, and didn't really feel all that "on top" of other campers. We were nearby, for sure, but still felt like we had our space. Also a super close walk to the visitor's center to grab the shuttle for the hikes! Next step in acclimating to the camping world: bringing along two tiny tikes! Wish us luck... :) read more

Very very convenient to the park -- within walking distance to the visitor center. Not very private, but the views are outstanding! The campground books up way in advance - but keep checking if it looks booked as we lucked out for a spot. The campground is very large - but has clean facilities (no showers). We hiked the Watchman Trail (near the campsite) which was less crowded than some of the other trails and gave great views. Arrive early (or late) the day to avoid waiting in line at the entrance. read more

Went here in the middle of August and felt that there was no shady area to set up our tents. We had sites 16-18. There was a community fire pit that was in the center of the campground. No showers here as the nearest showers are at Zion Outfittters, a 2 minute walk across the bridge from the Visitor's Center. The showers are 4$ for 5 minutes, with multiple stalls on each side per gender. The machine takes card only (no cash) where you'd get tokens to pay for the showers. It was pretty windy and hot to actually get a good sleep in, but occasionally you will see deer roaming around. read more

The layout of the campground is nice. The sites are nice (and flat). The river is a short walking distance away. The views are phenomenal! So why not five stars? I've camped here five times over the past nine years, and ever time I've visited the roach infestation is worse than the time before. And they are those GIANT breed of roaches. The place is absolutely swarming with them at night! It's disgusting. There's too many @$$hole campers that blatantly ignore the signs that say "DON'T dump your food down the drains" and who throw trash (food) into the bins that say "Recyclables ONLY". And the NPS doesn't seem to empty the campground dumpsters and recycle bins nearly as often as they should anyway, so they are always overflowing. They don't keep the bathrooms as clean as they should either. This used to be a five-star place, and it could be once again, IF the people that camp there would bother to practice basic campground etiquette, and IF the NPS would do a better job of keeping the place clean, and IF they'd nuke the bathrooms and dumpsters with bug spray (granted, part of their problem probably boils down to the fact that the morons in Washington chronically under-fund our national parks...but that's a whole other conversation.). Anyway, Zion National Park is still a five-star (heck, it's a ten-star) park, and totally worth visiting. But if you want to car camp in the valley there, then this place or South Campground (which is 100 yards away from Watchman and suffers from the same issues) is your only ticket. read more

My boyfriend and I came here a few months back. I am not the biggest fan of camping, but I can tolerate it. The biggest think I dont like about camping is old nasty bathrooms. Let me say, my experience was much different. The campsite is really nice. A place to park your car a fire ring, and a picnic table. There is also an area with pebbles to put your tent. The grounds are clean and well kept and the roads are paved. The bathrooms are new and CLEAN. That was a big plus for me and the grounds were quiet at night. there is enough space between sites, so you dont feel like youre too close to others. The only negative part of this campground is the shade. Some campsites dont have much shade from the trees and when it is 98 degrees outside and your campsite is getting direct sun.. it is unbearable! Luckily the Virgin River is a short walk from the campsite and thank God for it. We spent a few hours sitting in the river until we were prunes! read more

The campground is really dusty and lacks shadow. The temperatures during the summer are really high and there is not a lot of space to hide from the sun and heat. There is no showers which makes things worst. The heat goes away only around 7 PM., so you need to plan your day ahead not to sit in a steamy tent. I guess this campground is perfect for RVs, but not that great for tents. read more

No warning that ALL of the bathrooms in the entire campground are CLOSED! They supplied Port o potty's but it's 112 degrees! Use your imagination! They're also right by our camp. I get that you have to do what you need during these times. But that's no excuse for not warning your campers ahead of time. read more

We were on the group campsites, E loop. I think I am officially spoiled now, because this is my new level of expectation for a campground. Newly renovated, friends booked this 6 months ago, because it's hard to get. The campground is beautiful; surrounded by canyons and red rocks. Parking spots are nicely marked and we had ample room for our food and drinks around the fire pit and grill. There are trees all over so you can get shade when it's sunny. Above all, the bathrooms are stellar. They are clean, new and have very comfortable stalls. There is a nice family bathroom if you want more privacy. Only thing that would make it better would be a shower. This area also had the recycling, trash and dish washing station. We saw a ton of deer hanging around each day and they were not scared by us. The grounds can be a little loud depending on the groups staying there (one group didn't understand that others were sleeping at 6am and were screaming to each other about packing up). The grounds were a bit of a walk to the shuttles and bridge to the tram, but easy walk to the creek to dip feet into. One cool thing while we were there: a flutist named Red Heart was playing his music in the hill side. It was nice background music to the majesty of Zion. read more

Well run, clean campground. Walked up late in the day ~3:30 and they had a site that seemed to normally be part of a group site. Had a shared firepit for multiple tent site. Campground is extremely quite, seemed everyone was asleep by 9pm (probably after long day at Zion) and no one built a fire in the shared firepit and didnt seem like anyone had fires at other tent sites either. Very quite, good place to relax. The south campground seemed to have more shade though, there was almost no shade at Watchman read more

Well maintained campsite just inside the gates at Zion. Some sites have electrical and there is a dump station at the entrance. Pros: Clean bathrooms (no showers), utility sinks, drinking water and easy walking distance to town of springdale and Zion shuttles. Cons: its a big campground in a popular park. Expect some noise and lots of other people. read more

I'll keep this one brief as most people have hit the major cons (no shade being the primary gripe and I'll concur with that. No showers, meh, I'm ok with roughing it for a little while.) and the major pros (the views. holy crow batman, for a scared little chickie from jersey who usually sees 4 stars...ok 2, 2 are usually satellites, it was amazing!) Anyway, what I wanted to hit mostly was checking in late (post-11 PM) and the Loop C of Watchman experience. To the first: bf and I rolled into Watchman after almost 24 hrs of hellish travel (screw you Hertz and your crappy exhaust spewing Aveo!) and it was goddamned dark. We had never been here before, so we had no idea where to check in, I couldn't remember our site number (go me), which naturally led to cool heads and even tempers. Luckily, the ranger we found was super chill and super nice and assisted us in locating our name on the board and directing us toward our loop. Which brings us to the Loop C experience. Oh, Loop C. You give such grand views of Watchman and the stars, but you're hot enough to boil water left out in a gallon container. From what I was able to view of A&B, Loop C wins for best sky seeing and loses miserably for what little shade is to be had. Luckily we were pretty close to the bathrooms and even luckier, the bathroom didn't get a ton of traffic while we were trying to sleep. Overall, for 18 bucks a night this is a steal. Loop C is probably pretty awesome in earlier summer (May,maybe?) or late summer/early fall (September, maybe?) All in all, I'd go back and stay here again in a heartbeat. Take advantage of the shuttle system, it's a great way to get around both the park and Springdale. And the drivers are the nicest, sweetest people ever! read more

Decent campground at Zion National Park, and the one where you can reserve ahead of time online instead of doing first come. Given that most, if not all, of the local hotels in Springdale are $100 plus, this is the only economical option in Zion, unless you want to stay in Hurricane and make the 30-45 minute drive into the park every day (which isn't bad either). The Watchman campground has all the usual facilities of a National Park campground with running water, picnic tables, firepits. The plus is that there are flushing toilets. One of the biggest downsides is that based on the location, the wind really picks up at night and can make it a rough night noise-wise. Maybe it's just my bad luck, but I always seem to stay when brisk winds are shooting through the canyon at night. But hey, you are out in nature enjoying it all in a beautiful national park, so it's not that bad. Enjoy the natural beauty! read more

This placer was really nice because it had bathrooms! With running water! OMG OMG OMG WHY didn't my group decide to stay here the whole time. It was great you could use the restroom and it had T.P. and a sink with mirrors... oh the things you take for granted in life! Once you are deprived from them and you come to a place that even has some of those things.... AMEN! Everyone surrounding us was really nice, spoke, etc. People even invited us to partake in their Korean BBQ! It is a very friendly campground with grills, pits, etc. This was a new experience for me so I really enjoyed making smores for the first time, telling spooky stories, playing games like Mafia around the campfire, etc. I wish we had stayed here the whole 6 days... The sunsets and sunrises were great. And it was not that far to walk to a short hike. I forget the name of the trail but it is right there, at the camp, near where the buses and shuttles are parked...We did a small group night hike. Once you get up there you can see all of the stars all of the lights everything!!! It's awesome, and a bit rigorous but fun still. Don't go by yourself and make sure to have plenty of light (duh). But seriously, you can "fall off" at some points. Even though the leader said we were not very high up... I opted to do this hike instead of Observation Point at 6am,,, it was worth it. It was nice meeting fellow Californians, as well as people from out of the country!!! I would stay here again. :) read more