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I went van camping on the lake at Quail Creek State Park. This is a nice, tranquil place to stay near Zion National Park.
For a decent price, you can get a spacious site at the campground. And I can’t begin to tell you enough about the beautiful views!
I’ll share what to know when visiting, what to see and expect, and tips.
Getting to Quail Creek State Park
My travels on the I-15 South took me to UT-9 to SR-318.
There was a fierce windstorm driving through Hurricane, Utah. What are the odds, right?
The high wind gusts ripped a solar panel right off the camper van! Luckily, it didn’t hit anyone and landed in the ditch.
But I spotted this beautiful campground and ended up staying there.
Camping at Quail Creek State Park
The state park is open year-round from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. This is a popular place for boating and fishing.
Pulling into the park, the boating area was off to the left. The camping area is to the right.
Reservations
At the gate, the young man at the booth asked for a reservation. With none, he said it’d be a small camping fee.
There was barely anyone there… probably because of the broiling summer heat.
In the fall and spring, I’m sure this place has more people. I’ve visited Zion National Park during this time, and all the places in the area were booked out.
So, you might want to make a reservation to make sure you’ll have a spot.
Campground Amenities
The camping spot had a shaded picnic table, a fire ring, and an electric and water hookup.
By the way, the facilities were well-maintained. Some of the cleanest campground bathrooms I’ve ever seen!
You’ll find an outdoor shower near the beach area. They do not have private showers at the campground.
Luckily, there was one in the camper van, so I used that.
Beautiful Views
I walked around and explored the area. What a beautiful campground!
Utah’s red landscape glowed in the background as the sun dipped in the sky. The golden hour captured pretty tones in the rocks.
A small lake sat beside the campground, nestled between distant mountains. I savored moments of solitude here.
Other people were camping in vans and RVs close to the water. On the other side of the campground, people set up tents.
Then I checked out the rest of the park and found some hiking trails, but it was too hot to hike.
Water Sports Pavilion
One of the main reasons people come here is for the water. And the campground is conveniently located in a great area.
At the pavilion, you can enjoy water sports, fishing, and boating. A few people hung out at the beach.
A man drifted out in an inner tube with side arms flopped over the sides. He looked totally relaxed!
The lake water looked clear and clean. I didn’t take a dip, but next time I’ll bring my swimsuit.
Another man fished off the pier while we admired the plants growing out of the water. I dipped my hand in, and it was a perfect warm temperature.
Cooking in the Park
After sunset, I ate dinner. Although there was a fire ring, it was too hot for a fire and smoke. So the propane came in handy.
The sun had gone down, and at the picnic table a strange bird fluttered around.
Okay… that wasn’t a bird. It was a bat! I wasn’t expecting to see that over there.
Sunsets and Sunrises
At night, it cooled down just a little bit, and there wasn’t much of a breeze. With no air conditioning in the van, it was hot.
And as soon as the sun went down, the cicadas started singing in the evening. The sounds came on like a firestorm, but I got used to it.
It was difficult to sleep in the heat. And because of this, I got up early.
It was absolutely dark outside. In the morning, I watched the sun peek through the clouds.
The singing cicadas stopped suddenly in the early morning, and then it was quiet.
I was so lucky to see both a sunset and sunrise over the pretty landscape in Utah. It was a picture-perfect backdrop.
Travel Notes
Coming from a road trip through the Midwest, there were bugs galore. The windshield was a splattered mess after driving through several states.
Other than the cicadas, it was a relief not to have to deal with any at the campground. No bugs, and especially mosquitoes! Ugh!
Thank goodness. So that was the great thing about staying here at this time.
Now, about the heat, you might want to stay when it’s not so hot. There were a few RVs, but I’m going to bet they had the air conditioning going all night.
And that’s exactly what I would have done too.
Overall
I enjoyed my stay at Quail Creek State Park and want to return. It’s a wonderful place to camp outside of Zion.
Although I didn’t go hiking, I’d like to return to explore without the extreme heat. The views were really pretty!
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