Pets are accepted at all of the following campgrounds, but they must be leashed.
Inside the Park
The two campgrounds at Bryce are typical of campgrounds in the West's national parks, offering plenty of trees for a genuine "forest camping" experience. On the other hand, facilities are limited. North Campground has 101 sites and Sunset Campground has 102 sites. Both are open to tent and RV campers. Sunset Campground is open late spring through early fall only, while a section of North Campground is open year-round. Although we would happily camp at either campground, we prefer North Campground because it's closer to the Rim Trail, making it easier to rush over to catch those amazing sunrise and sunset colors. Get to the park early to claim a site (usually by 2pm in the summer). Reservations are available from early May through late September for North Campground (tel. 877/444-6777; www.recreation.gov) and for 20 tent-only sites in Sunset Campground, for an additional nonrefundable booking fee of $10.
Showers ($2) and a coin-operated laundry, open from 7am to 8pm, are located at the General Store (for information, contact the Lodge at Bryce Canyon; tel. 435/834-5361), which is a healthy walk from either campground. The park service operates an RV dump station ($2 fee) in the summer.
Outside the Park
Just north of the entrance to the park is Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground, 300 S. Main St., Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764 (tel. 866/878-9373 or 435/834-5301; www.rubysinn.com), which is situated just outside the park, along the shuttle bus route. The RV and tent sites are mostly shady and attractive. The campground contains an outdoor heated swimming pool, hot tub, barbecue grills, coin-operated laundry, and a store with groceries, RV supplies, and propane. A lake and a horse pasture are nearby. Also on the grounds are several camping cabins ($56 double) and teepees ($34 double), which share the campground's bathhouse and other facilities.
Bryce Pioneer Village, 80 S. Main St. (Utah 12; P.O. Box 119), Tropic, UT 84776 (tel. 866/657-8414 or 435/679-8546; fax 435/679-8607; www.brycepioneervillage.com), is a small motel/cabins/campground combination in nearby Tropic, with easy access to several restaurants.
Bryce Canyon Pines, milepost 10, Utah 12 (P.O. Box 640043), Bryce, UT 84764 (tel. 800/892-7923 or 435/834-5441; fax 435/834-5330; www.brycecanyonmotel.com), is part of a motel/restaurant/store/campground complex, about 3 miles west of the park entrance road. The campsites, set back from the highway, behind a gas station and store, are interspersed among ponderosa pines and junipers, with wildflowers and grasses. All RV sites have full hookups. Campers have access to the motel swimming pool across the street.
King Creek Campground, in the Dixie National Forest, above Tropic Reservoir, offers a quiet, peaceful forest camping experience relatively close to the national park. For information, stop at or contact the Red Canyon Visitor Center (tel. 435/676-2676), along Utah 12, about 10 1/2 miles west of the Bryce Canyon National Park entrance road (usually open daily from early May to early October), or contact the Dixie National Forest Information Center, 345 E. Riverside Dr., St. George, UT 84790 (tel. 435/688-3246; www.fs.fed.us/dxnf). The campground has graded gravel roads and tent and RV sites nestled among tall ponderosa pines, and the nearby reservoir has a boat ramp. To get to the campground from the park, head north 3 miles on Utah 63, then west on Utah 12 about 2 1/2 miles to the access road, turn south (left) and follow signs to Tropic Reservoir for about 7 miles to the campground. There is a $5 fee for use of the dump station.
About 9 1/2 miles west of the park is another Dixie National Forest campground, Red Canyon Campground (same contact as King Creek Campground). Nestled among the trees along the south side of Utah 12, the tent and RV sites offer terrific views of the red rock formations across the highway, although there is a bit of road noise. There are a number of scenic trails close by. Showers cost $2 and use of the dump station costs $5, whether you're staying in the campground or not.
Kodachrome Basin State Park, about 22 miles southeast of the park, has an attractive tent and RV campground with sites scattered among unusual rock chimneys and piñon and juniper trees.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
