Bryce/ Zion RV camps

[GeldBern]

Looking to explore & enjoy Bruce Canyon & Zion National Park AREA of SW Utah in Sept with our 30ft Airstream. What public or private RV Parks/businesses should we hang out in to see & hike the most??

[Kirk W]

Welcome to the Escapee forums! Happy to have you here.

Those two parks are about 75 miles apart so if you are looking for one place to stay while visiting both of them, I would look for a place as nearly in the center as possible. What I would do in that situation would be to visit Campground Reviews website and look to see what the options are. There may also be some places that you could dry camp if you are prepared to stay without hookups. 

[Rotorhead]

We've been to both of those. Been a long time ago now, but we sure loved visiting them.

[agesilaus]

We were there last late spring, stayed at a commercial park right where the road comes off the road to Zion, the name is in an old logbook not here in the camper. Probably Riverside CG tho there is no near river. Just a parking lot. We drove down to Zion one day and they place was already a madhouse and this was early May IIRC. We moved to a boondocking spot for another 5 days. Spent most of our time at Bryce.

The big CG at Bryce seemed to be first come.

Edited January 26, 2022 by agesilaus

[2gypsies]

I'd highly recommend that you move to each park and enjoy your days fully instead of driving.  The best RV park for Bryce is Ruby's - at the park gate. The free shuttle stops right there. They have fuel, repairs, restaurants, laundry, etc.

For Zion I recommend staying in Springdale and again, the free shuttle stops right there so you wouldn't have to worry about finding a parking space in the park itself - very limited.

You can haul your RV between the two either via Bryce, north on 89, west on 20, south on I-15, east on Hwy 9 to Springdale.   Or.... Bryce, south on 89 just across the border to Fredonia, AZ then 389 (which becomes UT59 to Hwy 9 at Hurricane then east to Springdale).  The latter is a very pretty drive.

If you stay around Mt. Carmel on 89 you'll have to contend with waiting in line at the park entrance and then finding parking places.  The free shuttle doesn't run to Mt. Carmel - just Springdale.

Don't take Hwy 14 between the two.  You won't like it!

Of course, both parks have campgrounds, also.  Watchman is great for RVs and has electric, water fill & a dump station.

Edited January 26, 2022 by 2gypsies

[trailertraveler]

Ruy's Inn is a popular choice for visiting Bryce. Kodachrome Basin and Escalante Petrified Forest state parks are near Bryce. If you can go through the tunnel with your RV (height and length restricts) there are campgrounds on the west side of the park that are popular.

[agesilaus]

Ruby's is handy but boy is it expensive.

[aknavy]

We've boondocked at both, and stayed at WillowWind RV park in La Verkin (Zion).  It's 25 minutes from the Zion entrance and across the road from grocery stores.

If you can boondock, Hurricane Cliffs (Zion) and Toms Best Spring Road (Bryce) are great spots that accommodated our train. Both are 20-25 minutes from the parks, and we think way better than a campground.

Personally, I would stay at each park, to much time lost driving between the two.  Lot's to see and do at both, and between them.

Try to get a permit for Coyote Bluffs while  you're in the area.

[Zulu]

When we visited Bryce in 2017, we stayed at Bryce Canyon Campgrounds on Highway 12.

Our favorite Zion campground is Watchman which is inside the park.