Campervan Rental Zion National Park

Zion is an excellent destination for a Spring or Fall Trip. There is a number of campgrounds for campervans right near the main entrance that have reserveable sites. Our favorite campground for campervans in the park by far is the Watchman Campground. The special thing about the Watchman Campground is the easy access to the Virgin River, Visitor Center, and the bike path that takes you right into the park.

The bike path known as the Parus Trail is a great way to see the park and will take you from the Watchman Campground up into the park. At the end of the bike path you will come to a paved road that is closed to most vehicle traffic. Continue on a bike and skip the shuttle and you will be treated with some great wildlife. We have seen lots of deer and turkeys missed by the shuttle buses. If you want to skip the biggest hill then just ride the shuttle bus from the end of the bike path to the first stop. There are bike racks on all of the buses if you run out of energy.

While you are in Zion it is worth a side trip to Lake Powell to see Glen Canyon or drive up to Bryce Canyon.

Zion Park Map

Easy Hikes and Family Friendly Hikes:

1) Virgin River Riverside Walk - At the end of Zion Canyon Scenic drive you will find a nice riverside walk along the Virgin River. Round trip from the start is about 2 miles and the path is paved over its entire length so it is easy for families or someone looking for a nice stroll. The views along the way are spectacular and there are plenty of spots along the way to stop and go right down to the river.

2) Weeping Rock Trail - Along the Zion Canyon Scenic drive you will find the Weeping Rock Trail which will take you to the Weeping Rock on a paved path. It is steep in parts, but can be managed by most people. You will find some great views of the weeping rock along with a sweeping vista of the valley below.

3) Emerald Pools - Across from the Zion Lodge along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive you will find a nice easy family friendly hike to the Emerald Pools. At the pools you will see a gorgeous waterfall cascading over rocks down into a glistening pool of water.

4) Canyon Overlook Trail - This trail starts after coming out of the top of the tunnel on the Zion-Mountain Carmel Highway. There is very limited parking for the trail so it is recommend to hike this trail early in the morning to make sure you get a parking spot. The trail does have some dropoffs and hand rails along the way, but it is short and there is minimal elevation gain so if you take your time most people can make it to the overlook.

Intermediate and Advanced Hikes:

1) Angels Landing - This is one of the most popular hikes in Zion National Park and so it is important to start early if you want to beat the crowds. There is some serious exposure on this trail so make sure you are not afraid of heights before setting out. You will also be climbing almost 1500ft in just 2.2 miles so the climb is relentless. The view at the top is amazing and well worth the hard work to get there.

2) Hidden Canyon - While this is only a short hike you will climb close to 1000ft in only 1.6 miles. This hike is very strenuous and has lots of exposure and long cliff sections, you should be comfortable passing someone while holding onto a chain or do this trail early in the morning to escape the crowds. The views along the way and the canyon are simply spectacular you just need to be prepared.

Zion National Park Camping:

Zion National Park has two campgrounds near the entrance for campervan camping. South and Watchman Campground are the two main Campervan campgrounds just inside of the National Park. Both have pluses and minuses, but they are both now reservations only campgrounds so make sure to book your sites far in advance if possible. South Campground provides very easy access to the Parus Paved Trail. Both campgrounds are a short walk to the main bus station to catch the bus for the narrows. If both of these camgrounds are full then you can back outside the park and just a short way out of the park is the Zion Canyon Campground. This campground has smaller less private sites, but does have easy access to showers and usually has spots when the other two campgrounds are full.

If you want free Campervan camping then there is Sheep Bridge Road just after passing through Hurricane. Once you cross over the river there are lots of primitive spots along the dirt road. Be aware that the road can get very muddy during heavy rains and will become impassable.

Best Bet for Showers: Zion Canyon Campground just outside of the park gives campers access to there showers. If you are traveling to Bryce there are showers at Mt Carmel Junction in the East Zion RV Park.