Watchman campground, Zion NP

Can't be beat for location... during peak time the shuttle bus is right there too.

A large portion was closed on my last visit with lots of heavy equipment driving around working on something.

I found the other campers there, mainly tents and car campers from LA, to be a very fickle bunch. In and out of their cars well into the wee hours (beep, beep beep beep, beep beep, lots of flashing headlights with the keyless entry nonsense)

Lots of access to drinking water, and large public sinks for washing dishes.

Pretty nice campground with electric an water. Reservations are always necessary during the summer, but maybe not in October. At least one of the campgrounds in the park closes during the off season or winter. You should check the park web site to insure when this campground is open.

We really enjoyed our time there. Very convenient to everything we wanted to see and do in Zion. I would recommend it.

Here are photos of every site if you're thinking of reserving:

http://www.campsitephotos.com/campground/Watchman

It's the very best place to stay for touring Zion... very convenient to the Visitor Center and the free park shuttle. Electric sites with water/dump station.

Just to clarify, there are electric hookups at the sites and there is water available ...but not at the individual sites. We filled our tank before arriving. The rest rooms are flush toilets but have no showers.

We stayed a few years ago in the B loop, site 44 which was a very large pull-through across from the bathroom. It was right by the river (marked by split rail fence in photos), and it was fun to pull our camp chairs over and put our feet up on the rail to watch the rushing water. 46 was also a river site. In the other direction, Watchman peak looms over the campground. Very scenic... Enjoyed it a lot.

In Zion you are in the bottom of the canyon, looking up...Bryce is the reverse where you are on top looking down into the canyon.

Here's my blog post on Best Site in Watchman Campground

Not sure about October. Our experience this fall (Sept 7 to today, Oct 2) is that Nat'l Park campsites are often FULL and not available without prior reservations... much to most of the Rangers (and our) surprise. We've been shut out of Badlands, Glacier & Yellowstone due to full campgrounds - even 1st come, 1st serve with a phone call to a Ranger mid-day to be told - wide open, no problem. Arrive at 4 PM ... FULL.

If you know you're going, best to make a reservation - although we are extremely reservation adverse. :(

Must be the 100th Anniversary marketing campaign worked too well... :( I need to get to know BLM/Nat'l Forest and other campground opportunities.

I believe I was in B57 this July, right at the south end of B loop. I sat in my site and enjoyed this view to the south.

Will be in B006 from Nov 13-18 at Watchman. When I made the reservation back in early August, there were very few sites available.

We were there in mid-Nov a couple of years ago. Wonderful! Dress warmly.