Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area is a Bureau of Land Management campground and day-use area along Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge in Arizona, reached from the Cedar Pocket exit (milepost 18); the BLM places it approximately 20 miles southwest of St. George, Utah, and approximately 20 miles northeast of Mesquite, Nevada. A 0.1-mile River Trail leads down to the Virgin River, and a paved, ADA-accessible 0.4-mile Canyon Overlook Trail begins at the fee kiosk; the BLM notes that the river drops an average of 70 feet per mile here. Day use is $2* per vehicle (free with any America the Beautiful pass displayed in the vehicle) and overnight use is $8* per site per night; 25 campsites are bookable solely through Recreation.gov reservations, and the other 83 are walk-up sites paid onsite through the Recreation.gov app. The site is unstaffed.
*Fees subject to change, please check blm.gov for updated information.
Nearest Airports
Straight-line distance from Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area, not drive time.
- St George Regional (SGU) — 17 miles
- Mesquite (MFH) — 17 miles
- Cedar City Regional (CDC) — 64 miles
Live Conditions
Wildlife Spotted Nearby
We checked fees, reservations and operating status on 2026-10-14. These change without notice — confirm with blm.gov the week you travel.
Sources — 4 claims, 4 checked against the source
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Day use is $2 per vehicle and is free when an America the Beautiful pass is displayed in the vehicle; overnight use is $8 per site per night (checked 2026-10-14) | Bureau of Land Management: Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| 25 sites are available only through Recreation.gov reservations; the remaining 83 sites are first come, first served, payable onsite with the Recreation.gov app (checked 2026-10-14) | Bureau of Land Management: Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| This location is unstaffed (checked 2026-10-14) | Bureau of Land Management: Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area | Checked monitored · 2026-10-14 |
| Located along I-15 approximately 20 miles southwest of St. George, Utah and approximately 20 miles northeast of Mesquite, Nevada; accessed from the Cedar Pocket exit (mile post 18); the River Trail is 0.1 mile; the Canyon Overlook Trail is 0.4 mile, paved and ADA; the Virgin River drops an average of 70 feet per mile (checked 2026-10-14) | Bureau of Land Management: Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area | Checked |