Free Camping Outside Zion National Park

Here's where all the free camping can be found, just outside of the Park's boundaries.

October is a great time of the year to visit Zion National Park, one of Utah’s most popular destinations. With daytime highs in the 70s and 80s, you’ll find ideal camping conditions. But campgrounds inside Zion NP are constantly booked, and so are RV parks in the immediate areas.

Fortunately, there are 100 to 200 free campsites located within a 30-minute drive to the park’s west or east entrance. They are all located on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management…

• They all come with a maximum 14 days of stay.

• There are no reservations, it’s all first-come, first serve, pick out a site, and camp.

• Cellular signal is available in all of these sites, though strength and speeds will vary from fair to good.

Gooseberry Mesa, Utah

Note: there is an interactive map for all of the following locations which you can view at this link, [Dispersed Camping Near Zion National Park]

Poverty Kiosk OHV Staging Area (GPS: 37.23631, -112.81356) – 4.5 miles to Park’s east entrance – This is primarily a staging area for OHV trail riders. However, during the week it’s not that crowded or noisy. The camping area is small, perhaps accommodating a 4-5 large RVs, or 5-10 smaller vehicles. Poverty Kiosk also doubles as the northern gateway into Parunuweap Canyon WSA.

Smithsonian Butte Road (GPS: 37.15154, -113.05902) – 6.2 miles to Park’s west entrance – Very popular camping for folks with SUVs and vans, there is no camping allowed on Smithsonian Butte Road itself. Instead, you are required to camp at least 1/2 mile away from the road. Most people camp on either Wire Mesa and Grafton Mesa, each can accommodate a dozen or more campsites. We recommend entering this area from the south, through the town of Apple Valley, otherwise the northern approach is bumpy, and requires passing along a low clearance bridge (13’4″) over Virgin River.

Zion Scenic Byway Dispersed Area (GPS: 37.25501, -112.76883) – 8.0 miles to Park’s east entrance – This area offers more campsites than Poverty Kiosk while keeping you relatively close to Zion’s east entrance. The scenery offers beautiful landscapes, and the access road is suitable for most RVs and vehicles.

Gooseberry Mesa (GPS: 37.14853, -113.16022) – 14.0 miles to Park’s west entrance – A popular area for mountain bike riders, Gooseberry Mesa offers lots of camping sites with minimal rules on where you can and cannot camp. However, the access road into here is very bumpy and washboarded. It’s better suited for vans and SUVs.

North Creek Dispersed Area (GPS: 37.22033, -113.16166) – 15.1 miles to Park’s west entrance – What makes this camping area popular is that most of it is accessed via paved road (Kolob Terrace Rd) and easily driven by any vehicle. However, the spur roads leading into individual campsites are heavily rutted and dipped. Also, this area can get crowded because the camping area is small, and sites are closer together.

Hurricane Cliffs Recreation Area (GPS: 37.20497, -113.23300) – 16.7 miles to Park’s west entrance – this area includes 56 numbered primitive campsites, managed by Utah BLM, St. George Field Office. You are required to camp in one of the numbered sites. There are no reservations, and no fees. Most sites include a fire ring.

Dalton Wash Road (GPS: 37.22713, -113.11446) – 17.0 miles to Park’s west entrance – This area doubles as the very popular “Guacamole Trailhead”, frequented by mountain bike riders. The downside to camping here is that flying insects are a problem. Just remember to bring your favorite bug repellent.

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Boondocking Sites of the Week

[See our Boondocking Map for more sites]

Table Mesa Road, AZ

Table Mesa Road, BLM, New River, AZ, (GPS: 33.9865, -112.1694) - Only a 35-minute drive away from the greater Phoenix metro, this boondocking area is highly popular with snowbirds settling in for a long winter. There are dozens of campsites found along this road, and dozens more on nearby spur roads. Cellular signal is also excellent here. Read more about this site.

Elmwood Campground, SC

Elmwood Campground, Francis Marion National Forest, SC, (GPS: 33.1986, -79.4716) - Originally a hunter’s camp, this is now a recreation area for all outdoor enthusiasts. Plenty of shade from tall old-growth elms and oaks, this free campsite is about 12 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. You get a 14-day maximum stay. Learn more about this site.

Dude Ranch Lakeside Use Area, SD

Dude Ranch Lakeside Use Area, Army Corps of Engineers, Oacoma, SD, (GPS: 43.7812, -99.4256) - This wide camping area doubles as a parking lot and boat ramp for Lake Francis Case along the Missouri River. The campground is only 10 minutes away from Interstate 90 and the City of Chamberlain. This area is under joint management by the Army Corps of Engineers and the South Dakota Department of Fish & Game. It’s a free campsite, but there is a donation box to help with the upkeep. Read more about this site.

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How Do Most Boondocker’s Keep Warm in the Winter?

The vast majority of full time boondockers rely on propane heating to stay warm in their RVs, vans, or SUVs during the coldest parts of the year.

These are small, portable heaters that accept a standard propane bottle (1-gallon size) and can run for as long as seven hours and are powerful enough to keep a van or SUV warm. There are larger propane heaters for larger rigs designed to accept larger propane tanks. Most RVs, of course, have built-in furnaces that run on propane.

Is propane safe for inside use? Yes, it’s very safe. There are risks of carbon-monoxide poisoning, but these heaters have been refined over the decades to reduce emissions. We still recommend buying a carbon-monoxide detector for your vehicle.

Mr. Heater Buddy keeping a VW van warm. Note the black propane hose behind it, running outside to a 5-gallon tank.

Here’s a look at what veteran boondockers do to keep warm…

Mr. Heater Little Buddy, (see it on Amazon) - The most popular mini-propane heater on the market, it will last seven hours on a single propane bottle and can heat up an entire van or SUV. It will automatically shut off when tipped over.

Mr. Heater Buddy, (see it on Amazon) - This is probably the next bestselling mini-propane heater on the market. It’s larger in size for larger vans and small RVs. It will last about three hours on a propane bottle, but better used with a five-gallon propane tank. It also has automatic shut off when tipped over.

Lasko Ceramic Electric Heater, (see it on Amazon) - If you have a generator of at least 2,000 watts in size, you can run this for about eight hours on a single gallon of gas. It won’t produce as much heat as the Buddy heaters mentioned above but are much easier to turn on/off and will automatically shut off when tipped over.

Insulate with Reflectix, (see it on Amazon) - Reflectix is that silvery bubble-wrap sheet. It’s highly effective at reflecting heat. Thus, it either keeps heat inside, or prevents outside heat from entering. Block off windows with Reflectix. Lay it under the plywood of your floor, or behind the paneling of your walls. Here’s a pretty good video to watch.

Hot Hands, (see it on Amazon) - These small packets get instantly warm when you shake them and break the inner seal, and they stay warm for hours. People put them in their socks because keeping your feet warm is the key to keeping your blood warm throughout the rest of your body.

Buy a Down Comforter! - A real down comforter is worth paying the extra money for. If you’re going to spring for something expensive, this is it! Otherwise, standard bed comforters and other types of blankets are just not that effective at holding heat in freezing temperatures. Look for real down of at least 700-fill power, and thread counts of at least 600 (to stop down quills from poking through). Also look for down sourced in Canada (where birds have the best down). Never buy a real down comforter below $200.00 for a queen-size; it’s going to fail, period.

Thick Socks - Just as with the Hot Hands above, it’s always your feet where blood cools the most, and that’s what causes the rest of your body to get cold. Just keeping your feet toasty will go a long distance towards staying warm.

Wear a Beanie - A beanie that covers your head and ears will help you feel comfortable in freezing weather. Don’t get suckered into a $50.00 Patagonia at REI. A $7.00 beanie from Walmart still works just as well.

Drink Hot Tea or Coffee - Keep a kettle of water boiling and drink hot liquids throughout the evening. It definitely makes a difference in keeping your core body temperature up. Also, just burning a propane stove to boil water adds to the warmth of your living space.