camping near Zion

Per the MP description for Zion ( mountainproject.com/v/zion-…), there is free camping near Rockville and Springdale. However, a little searching through the forums has led me to believe that these locations are now closed...? So, does anyone have beta on legal BLM/USFS camping near the road near Zion?

The dirt road up to Gooseberry Mesa (high clearance required, maybe 4X4 required, too) has some of the best BLM camping I've ever seen. It's not RIGHT next to Zion, but pretty close. Google it and you'll figure it out. Ask the guys at the awesome bike shop in Springdale, and they can tell you, too. (Great place to rent mountain bikes, btw.)

You can camp on the BLM land in Rockville (I think it is off bridge Rd.) Once on the BLM land you are required to camp half a mile away from the backcountry (dirt) road. If you drive along the backcountry road there will be sites right along side the road. People camp in these but it is not legal. If a ranger comes by you will be asked to move. If you continue driving along the backcountry road for less than 10 min. you will eventually go up a steep and rocky section (high clearance needed). Once passed this section there is a secondary dirt road on the right. You can drive down this and gain the required half mile of distance needed to camp. Hope this makes sense.

There is also BLM land along Kolob Terrace Road; starts in Virgin,UT and heads north. Maybe 2 or so miles up the road from Virgin. There's more BLM on the left hand side I believe. I was there last weekend, but we didn't stay along Kolob Terrace Road because it was so windy. If you continue driving up Kolob Terrace Road, you will enter Zion, then leave Zion, then enter again. There is a big flat area of BLM land (Grapevine Wash I believe) on the left. It's kinda like a pasture. The Zion National Park website had downloadable pdf maps showing the BLM land in the area.

We got a ticket for camping too close to the road off of the bridge rd this past January. It was the most expensive ($120 to be exact) free camping. It's too bad that it seems that the park is making it really hard for people to camp outside the park when it can't contain all the users within the park during the peak season. Gooseberry campsites are great only for those with high clearance vehicle.

Kolob terrace is about 45 minutes away from the main entrance.

There are paid sites just outside of the east side entrance.

Kolob Terrace Road runs from Virgin,UT, which is about 20min from the main entrance. Kolob Canyon Rd starts at I-15 and is about 45min from the main entrance.

Thanks for the beta. As we lack significant ground clearance, we'll probably try our luck on Kolob Terrace Road. If that doesn't work, I suppose we'll pony up the dough for Watchman.

Hey man there's really good camping on Dalton wash in virgin and it's 20 minutes away. You could also stay with me for a minute if it works out.

The Rockville/Springdale/Virgin areas are closed to all 'stop and set up wherever you want camping'. There is Commercial camping in Virgin and Springdale and Zion Park camping, but reservations are recommended on the day they open 6 months before. All of this information can be verified on maps and through web searches according to the jurisdiction where you want to be NPS, BLM or Commercial or simply to stay off of Private. Be sure your URL address is THE jurisdiction where you want to be. You cannot expect the Park to have up-to-date information on the BLM any more than you can expect sites that act as guides to be accurate. You must refer to the 'primary' source.

Rangers, County Sheriff's and Local Police are all ticketing when they are in their jurisdiction. ALL law enforcement is kicking folks out everywhere that is closed. As they tell people, the cost of the ticket would cover a room at the bottom of the hill in La Verkin for 2 nights. If you want to keep your money, it is safest to assume that nowhere within the Towns' limits and a generous perimeter beyond is open to camping.

If you go past or can see houses or signs of private properties within miles or see ACTUAL road signs directing traffic, there is no camping. I love your site's one and only guideline--but I'll add a please...please, 'don't be a jerk'. Think of this as your yard..do you want to wake up to campers, cactus and blackbrush covered in toilet paper, smoldering fires, garbage (feces and trash)? Do you want car lights in your windows at night?

Many places that were convenient to visitors were closed in February 2014: National Park Service's: Coal Pits Wash; BLM's: Mosquito Cove and 1/2 a mile on both sides along the State's Scenic byway to Smithsonian Butte/Gooseberry Mesa's Open Camping. But going through Rockville for that camping means you have to go UP 'Crybaby Hill'!

If you want to backpack to camp, again refer to the maps for areas open to backpacking, park your car off of private, commercial and wilderness properties and backpack to camp places like the base of Kinesava. You can safely assume that any open lot near anything residential is NOT OPEN to any Parking.

Essentially then, one of the best ways to camp near the Towns of Rockville/Springdale or Virgin is to take the Twist (SR59)out of Hurricane. Head to the Gooseberry Mesa and Smithsonian sign and go to the Open Camping from Hurricane. THAT way 'Cry-Baby Hill' is at least DOWNhill for your vehicle.

There are a number of reasons these closures occurred. Easiest to explain in this venue is population. When I came as an early gentile to southern Utah decades ago, Utah had half its population; the planet, half as well. More people, more rules and less space. We all feel it, the critter animals more than us, no matter where we live or visit.

The SG BLM office (435.688.3200) will also provide other Open Camping Areas if you call during business hours. Please, let your voice be heard with Park and BLM officials. Write asking them for more inexpensive, local, undeveloped camping...we ALL know we need it.

Thanks for your one and only Guideline #1: don't be a jerk.

Thanks for the thorough info Wii Jee.

I wanted to add a little bit more info about "crybaby hill" and the camping options off the Smithsonian butte road. The hill is about a 1/2 mile long and is rutted and steep with some exposed rock. After its been graded 2wd cars make it easily, most of the time though you need something with clearance and careful driving around the ruts and rocks.

Since this is the closest free camping to Zion, many people will want to use this area. There will likely be evidence of camping or people actually set up camping at the areas on the bottom of crybaby hill but according to BLM rules you must bee 1/2 mile off the road, which means you need to get to the top of the hill and use one of the sites up there. That being said the sites on top are really nice, have great views, and are dispersed enough to get away from other groups. There are many side roads that cut off Smithsonian butte road.

And PLEASE be responsible with campfires and pack out all your trash.

Ooops, please know that the BLM rule is 1/2 mile off the scenic byway...not 1/4 mile...and one is still not allowed to Park along that road to walk to a camping area...the cars are one of the problems. You have to go to the top...and the trip down is one of the MOST beautiful of Zion I think...it is the way Dutton and the early white guys came in...thus, Dutton Pass.

There is also a State-Wide fire restriction in place so NO CAMPFIRES ANYWHERE AT ALL.

Please, everyone, don't depend on any ol' website or word-of-mouth for information. Do the research and find the most up-to-date information for all of these activities. Webpages are dated and the one you chose to believe needs to be a website that matches the jurisdiction...ie BLM land must have the blm.gov address. There you can find the map that marks the BLM 1/2 mile set back and no parking and other BLM camping ethics.

Also things like fire restrictions can change over night. PLEASE, watch the news, the west is burning--NO CAMPFIRES ANYWHERE IN THE STATE. To have a fire you have to stay in a Park or Commercial camping area.

Unfortunately, just like Yosemite, if you want to car camp for free, there really is no way to do it legally around the park. If you want a simple place to car camp easily, you can do it at Wal-Mart in Hurricane. It's certainly the most simple and easy-to-find option. The downside is Wal-Mart parking lots dont tend to be prime places to hang out around a campfire, and cooking in the parking lot is a good way to get us all banned from camping there. But if you have a van that's ready to go, then it's the money.

This sucks