Zion National Park, UT - Mar 2009

WOW! What a spectacular setting -- Watchman Campground at Zion National Park is nestled in a lovely valley floor surrounded by soaring, sculpted, red cliffs. The Virgin River borders one side of the campground and cottonwood trees shade many of the sites. There are 162 sites and about half of them have electric hookups.

When we arrived, we drove around and looked at all the sites and finally opted for one that is out in the open (many are tucked under the trees.) We were thrilled to find a roomy site that offered us magnificent views from every window. This section has good-sized shrubs surrounding each site, so some privacy is offered from our neighbors. The plants and trees are just beginning to emerge from their winter slumber and things should be greening up soon. We're already seeing green grass in the meadows and buds on the trees.

Staying here during this non-peak season has several advantages. The crowds are relatively small, so the campground is only about half-full and all the sites are on a first-come-first-served basis (until the end of March, then they go to a reservation system.) Camping is allowed for up to 30 days (instead of the 14 day limit during peak season.) The shuttle bus service is not running yet, so we are able to drive into the canyon. During the peak season, the only way to get back into the canyon and to all of the various trails is by using the shuttle bus service. Lastly, the weather is delightful -- warm, sunny days (no scorching heat of summer) and cool nights. We may have to endure a rainy day or two since this is the "wettest" month, but that doesn't bother us. We plan to stay here until the end of the month.