4/17 Watchman Campground, Zion National Park

 Zion National Park has two main campgrounds:  Watchman and South.  South Campground is undergoing some construction and so is closed for a while.  It has mostly smaller non-hookup sites appropriate for tents and smaller RVs.  Watchman is the larger campground and has four main areas.  The loop I am in, Loop A, has paved sites and electric hookups.  Loop B has gravel sites and electric hookups.  Loops C & D have no hookups at all, and Loop E has several group areas with no hookups.   All loops have restrooms, but no showers, and there are drinking water faucets near each restroom.  If you want a shower, you need to go across the river into town.  

One problem even with Loops A and B is that the maximum length of trailers or motorhomes is only 40', and the other Loops have even more restricted lengths.  The other problem is that campgrounds are almost always full, so it is important to get a reservation as soon as sites open, which is 6 months in advance. 

However, there is one commercial campground across the river in Springdale and several campground several miles away on the southern entrance to the park.  I even noticed that there are several fairly new "glamping" campgrounds for people who do not own an RV on the hihway on the way to Hurricane, UT.  One had mini-cabins, tents, and covered wagons, all with real beds, microwaves, mini-refrigerators, and lots of comfort.  Not cheap, but most had bathrooms and even AC and heating.  

Another glamping place farther down the road has tipis, "cliff dwellings," and covered wagons, at equally expensive rates.  I think I'll stick to my $15 per night senior America the Beautiful pass rate!!  (This pass is available to any citizens or permanent residents over the age of 62 and is good for a lifetime of free entrance for the pass holder and anyone in his or her car to any National Park and 50% discounts on campgrounds.)  Check it out here:  https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/senior-pass-changes.htm

Anyway, Zion has some very nice campgrounds, but you do need to make reservations very early.   

 

The next two shots are of my site, repeated from the last post. 

 You certainly can't beat the view from the Watchman Campground!

It is very convenient to get from the campground to the visitor center, shuttles, and even the little town of Springdale. 

  

There is a very convenient raised sidewalk that goes along the Virgin River to the park entrance and the small bridge that crosses the river into town.  On the left of this photo are some of the restaurants and a hotel across the river in Springdale. On the right are a couple of camp sites. 

 

 

As you get closer to the entrance booth, you pass the main Zion visitor parking lot. 

Because of the large amount of snow in the mountains this year, the Virgin River is raging! 

 

It is very close to overflowing its banks and causing damage to the businesses on the other side. 

I took some video of the river and uploaded it to YouTube here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjLv1UPh0mg  It is a bit noisy because of the wind that day.

You can see the pedestrian bridge on the left and the entrance booth on the right at the end of the sidewalk.  

 

You have to show your park pass every time you go into Springdale, which is a bit of a bother, but they have the ropes set up so that you can get into the park from the campground without showing your pass, at least most of the time.  All in all, however, the campground is very convenient to everything.