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Watchman Campground

Partial Shade

Zion National Park · Utah, USA · 1200 m elevation · Check-in 12:00 PM · Check-out 11:00 AM

Steps from Zion's south entrance and the visitor center, beneath the Watchman formation.

Shade reality: Cottonwoods shade some loops; many RV sites are fully exposed. Canyon walls give welcome late-afternoon shade.

Season: Open year-round. Loops D, E and F may close seasonally. Official page ↗

Deciding between site numbers? Which Watchman sites actually have afternoon shade — Loop D holds both the shadiest site here and one of the sunniest.

Sun direction
Shadows fall this way
Sun path today
Sites at this time (zoom in for numbers)
In direct sun
In shade
Electric hookup

Individual sites · 184 mapped

Full shade: 6Partial: 64Electric: 92Walk-in: 18

Shade ratings come from Recreation.gov site records. Click any dot on the map for site details; zoom in to see site numbers.

Shadiest sites on 2026-11-01 (least direct sun)

D17 · Loop D4.5 h sun
D18 · Loop D4.5 h sun
D15 · Loop D4.8 h sun
D16HC · Loop D5.0 h sun
D19 · Loop D5.0 h sun
E1 · Loop Zion Group Sites5.0 h sun
E3 · Loop Zion Group Sites5.0 h sun
B29 · Loop B ⚡5.2 h sun

Precomputed estimate for the 15th of this month — all 184 sites, terrain + tree canopy (ETH 10 m, 2020) included.

Find a site

184 sites
Check availability & book ↗Found your site? Reservations happen on Recreation.gov — ShadeDial is an independent planning tool.Check-in 12:00 PM · Check-out 11:00 AMWhen to book: Recreation.gov 6-month rolling window — each arrival date opens exactly 6 months ahead (morning release). Popular sites go in minutes.

Remind me when booking opens

Shortlist your sites now, get an email before the window opens for Watchman Campground. No account needed.

Arrival date is optional — it’s what tells us your exact opening moment at parks that release dates on a rolling window.

Official campground map190 sites

Cross-check site numbers against the park's own map before you book.

Loop A (A1–A31, 30-amp electric), Loop B (B1–B61 + riverside 18a–c/53a–c, 30-amp with a few 50-amp), Loops C (C1–C29) and D (D1–D40) non-electric for vehicles under 19 ft, Loop E group tent sites E1–E7, Loop F walk-in tent sites F1–F18 under pergolas.

Your browser can't display the PDF inline. Open the official campground map (PDF) ↗

Source: official park map · open PDF in a new tab ↗. Compare the loop layout with the satellite view above — north on the official map may not point up.

›Every site, one page each (184)sun by month, rig size, hookups

Hours are direct sun in mid-July.

Camped at Watchman? If the sun and shade didn’t match what we said, tell me the site number and I’ll look at it — that feedback is the only way this gets more accurate.
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