Wire Mesa

Wire Mesa off the Smithsonian Butte Backcountry Byway is a fantastic place to camp in southeastern Utah even if you do not plan on visiting Zion, just a few miles to the north. There several backcountry campsites on the Mesa, with the northwestern-most site giving the best views overlooking the Virgin River Valley and the Grafton Ghost Town. To get there, take the Byway south off of Grafton Roa...

Smithsonian Butte Backcountry Byway is gorgeous 9.5 mile road that runs between Rockville near the entrance to Zion National Park and Apple Valley UT, and affords excellent places to camp & boondock *as long* as it is 0.5 miles from the road itself (and there are numerous turn offs). To get there take Utah Highway 9 and a left (if you're coming from the east) or a right (if you're coming f...

Grafton Ghost Town is an abandoned small town 7 miles outside Zion National Park and the modern towns of Rockville and Springdale, Utah.  To get there from Highway 9, get off on Bridge Lane residential road and cross the Virgin River on a historic single track iron bridge- then  head west. At the point where Bridge Lane bends south, a lesser, unpaved road continues roughly parallel with the ri...

Windmill trail and trailhead sits just down the road from Gooseberry Mesa Trailhead in Apple Valley, Utah. Head out on this figure-8 loop for as long as you want. If you're smart, you'll bring your MTB, and you can ride the singletrack once you're done getting your run in.This is also a great spot to set up camp and get great starlit skies.

Watchman Campground is one of the most popular campgrounds at Zion National Park. With a prime location only a ¼ mile away from the South entrance and gorgeous scenery right outside of your tent, including the tall sandstone cliffs that surround it, it’s easy to see why this campground is everyone’s first choice. Watchman Campground is also open year-round so you can enjoy the park any time of ...

The Watchman is one of the last parts of Zion to be illuminated in sunlight at the end of the day. If you're finishing up your adventure filled day with a sunset hike or if you're looking for a warm-up hike which also happens to be a Zion classic, then The Watchman Trail is perfect. With only about 500ft elevation gain and a well maintained dirt trail that amounts to about a 2 hour hike with al...