itOpened Guides · Zion National Park
How to actually get a site at Lava Point Campground — the verified facts, the release reality, and the cancellation route in.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Lava Point CampgroundFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Overview Lava Point is a primitive campground, typically open May through September, as weather allows. Situated at 7890 feet (2405 m) above sea level, it is off the Kolob Terrace Road, 25 miles (40 km) or 45 minutes north of the town of Virgin. It takes approximately 1 hour 20 minutes to drive to the campground from the South Entrance of Zion Canyon. Recreation Barney's Trail leaves from the campground and provides access to Lava Point Overlook and the West Rim Trail. The campground is also excellent for wildlife watching and stargazing. Facilities Lava Point is a primitive and dry campground.
| Total sites | 6 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Standard |
| Site mix (directory count) | Standard 6 |
| Area | Zion National Park |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| Nearest community | Springdale, UT |
| Directory phone | (435) 772-3256 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Lava Point Campground is reserved through Recreation.gov, on the release pattern stated in its official listing. In demand, reservable sites are claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the campground reads as sold out for most of the year, and why the realistic route in is rarely the release itself.
Sites booked months ahead get cancelled as trips fall through, and each cancellation returns its nights to the official calendar instantly — first-come, no waitlist, no announcement. itOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Lava Point Campground around the clock; when a site matching your dates and vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link, and you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell. The mechanics are the same ones documented in how campsite cancellations actually work.
Watch more than one calendar. These nearby or same-area campgrounds take the same trip — and their cancellations are independent chances:
| Watchman Campground | 190 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| South Campground (Ut) | 128 sites · same area |
| Deer Haven | 18 sites · nearby alternative |
| Pyramid Ridge Campground | 26 sites · nearby alternative |
| Cedar Canyon | 19 sites · nearby alternative |
| Te-Ah | 42 sites · nearby alternative |
Full directory facts and sibling campgrounds: Lava Point Campground campground page · Zion National Park park page.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Lava Point CampgroundFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Every figure in this article traces to one of the sources above. If a number isn't sourced, we don't print it.
Last updated 2026-10-30.