While looking for a place to stay outside of Bryce Canyon National Park, we found the Dixie National Forest Dispersed Camping Area. This popular boondocking area can be a bit of a challenge for larger rigs but is still convenient enough to the park and amenities to make it worth the effort.
The dispersed camping area of Dixie National Forest is laid out north of UT-12 starting at Tom’s Best Spring Road and branching from there. South of the dispersed camping area is a parking lot for equestrian trails which is perfect for leaving your rig while you scout out a spot in your toad. While scouting, we found a place that was almost perfect. Most of the spots were not very level, so will be sure to test your leveler game. Either way, we managed to get decent solar and good cell reception while there.
Attractions Near Dixie National Forest Dispersed Camping
Besides the obvious, Bryce Canyon National Park, we found a surprising amount to do and see around our campsite.
Bryce Wildlife Adventure
Bryce Wildlife Adventure was quite a unique experience. Inside the building was one of the most expansive collections of taxidermied animals we’ve ever come across. They had different dioramas set up with animals from nearly every biome in Utah. In addition to these dioramas, they had representatives from Africa, insects from all over, and even fish! Outside the museum, and the feature that piqued our interest the most, was a collection of hand-raised European Fallow Deer that guests could feed.
Ruby’s Inn Rodeo
While living in our sticks and bricks home in rural Western Washington, our kids had never seen a rodeo. To our delight, the town of Bryce Canyon City hosted a weekend rodeo at the Ruby’s Inn Rodeo Grounds. While this wasn’t a professional show, it was a great taste of rodeo and the kids both got a kick out of it.
Red Canyon Visitors Center
Between Hatch and Bryce Canyon, visitors pass through the Red Canyon, another national rorest site. The visitors center, while small, was still very educational about the area, its history, and hiking trails in the area.
Amenities Near Dixie National Forest
On our way to our campsite, we were able to get water from a Sinclair gas station in Hatch, Utah; however, the experience wasn’t smooth. The station was unmanned, but the water was locked out and you needed to contact the owner to unlock it.
When we left the Dixie National Forest and were looking for a place to dump our waste tanks, we discovered the Red Canyon Campground. Not only did we empty our waste tanks at the honor box dump station, but there was potable water there as well. Considering the distance between Hatch and Bryce Canyon, coupled with the convenience, the Red Canyon Campground is a much better alternative.
Unfortunately, there are not great grocery options in the area, mostly confined to two small grocers with high prices.
As long as you stock up beforehand, the Dixie National Forest can be a great place to stay while exploring the area.
