Bryce Canyon National Park   |  Angie Payne

Bryce Canyon National Park Camping

Over millions of years, water and wind carved Bryce Canyon into one of the country’s most unforgettable destinations. You’ll marvel at its signature red rock pillars — called hoodoos — in addition to extraordinary vistas, one-of-a-kind slot canyons, unique wildlife and a starry night sky that you have to see to believe. Any amount of time spent at Bryce Canyon is a treat, but camping allows visitors to get the most out of any visit to this amazing part of Utah.

Whether you prefer a tent, RV, van or cabin, camping in Bryce Canyon National Park provides easy access to a theatrical amphitheater of hoodoos, plus front-row seats to stargazing at a Dark Sky Park certified by the International Dark Sky Association. 

Bryce Canyon National Park Stargazing in Bryce

Bryce Canyon Campgrounds

Bryce Canyon Shuttle For Campers

Campgrounds within the park provide easy access to the shuttle system, so you can leave a vehicle at your site. Sunset Campground has a shuttle stop at its entrance. North Campground guests catch the shuttle at the Visitor Center.

"Over millions of years, water and wind carved Bryce Canyon into one of the country’s most unforgettable destinations."

Beginning and ending at Sunset Point, the Navajo Loop Trail winds between narrow walls of limestone.

Photo: Andrew Smith

The Milky Way over Bryce Amphitheater — Bryce Canyon is a certified International Dark Sky Park.

Photo: Marcin Zając

Bryce Canyon is an alpine forest with as many red rock hoodoos as trees.

Photo: Alison Vagnini

Backcountry and BLM Camping 

Campers looking for a backcountry experience can find it on two of Bryce Canyon's signature trails and in several areas just outside the park.

Under the Rim Trail & Riggs Spring Loop Trail Campsites

The 22.9-mile Under the Rim Trail features seven backcountry sites along the route, while the 8.8-mile Riggs Spring Loop Trail offers three camping spots. A permit is required for any backcountry camping in the park, and you must obtain it at the visitor center before any overnight trips. The fee is $5 per person and must be paid in cash.

Kodachrome Basin State Park Campsites 

Kodachrome Basin State Park, about a 30-minute drive from Bryce Canyon National Park (and a beautiful destination of its own), features 52 camping spots. 

Red Canyon Campsites

Red Canyon, just off The All-American Road: Scenic Byway 12, features a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) campground that offers 37 campsites and day-use area. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are $15 per night. 

Dixie National Forest Campsites

In the nearby Dixie National Forest, the King Creek Campground features 37 campsites amid the ponderosa pine forest, about nine miles from Bryce Canyon. The cost is $12 per night. During the summer, drinking water and flush and vault toilets are available, but the water is turned off in the winter. 

RV Camping and Indoor Lodging

There are options for those who like a roughing-it, so-close-to-the-park experience, but prefer the creature comforts of electricity, restrooms and bedding.

Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground

Ruby’s Inn RV Park and Campground is a mile from the park's entrance. It features 250 pull-through sites with electrical and water hookups. 

Bryce Canyon Pines Campground

Bryce Canyon Pines Campground is eight miles from the park and features more than two dozen RV sites with full hookups. (Read: “Wheeling It: An RV Primer for Utah Family Trips”)

Bryce Canyon Lodging

Those who don’t want to rough it can consider staying at the Bryce Canyon Lodge, the only lodging within the national park. And, of course, you have lots of options for accommodations outside the park in Bryce Canyon City, Tropic, Cannonville and Henrieville. 

Camping Responsibly

Forever Mighty

While venturing beyond the more predictable and sometimes crowded, public campgrounds to camp in the backcountry can be a thrilling adventure — remember to travel responsibly, a shared ethic we call "Forever Mighty."

Learn more

Leave No Trace

No matter what Utah activities you take on, remember to follow the seven principles of Leave No Trace:

  • Plan and prepare.
  • Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
  • Dispose of waste properly.
  • Leave what you find.
  • Minimize campfire impacts (be careful with fire).
  • Respect wildlife.
  • Be considerate of other visitors.

Things To Know: Pets, Weather, Elevation, Campfires

Here are a few more tips for anyone planning a camping trip to Bryce Canyon:

  • You may not attach any lines to vegetation or trees in the park, so hammocks are only permitted if they use free-standing supports. 
  • Pets are allowed in campgrounds, parking lots and paved trails (including the Rim Trail between Sunset Point and Sunrise Point and on the paved Shared Use Path between the park entrance and Inspiration Point.) They must be on a leash and under control at all times.  
  • You may not gather firewood, pine cones or pine needles from the park (wood is available in the general store), and all fires must be contained in the fire grates at each campsite. 
  • While Bryce Canyon may look like a desert environment, its high altitude keeps temperatures cooler than you’d expect. Check current conditions before you arrive, but be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. Snow can arrive as early as October, and thunderstorms are frequent in July and August.

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