Sheep Bridge Road is part of the greater Hurricane Cliffs Recreation Area run by the Bureau of Land Management, located between State Highways 9 & 59, just south Virgin, UT.
It offers perhaps the best free RV camping just outside of Zion National Park. There are officially 48 designated campsites along Sheep Bridge Road, most large enough for 40+ foot RVs, or trailers with tow vehicles.
What makes Sheep Bridge Road such a popular place for RVers and full time boondockers is the gorgeous views of red rock mountains and mesas. The Virgin River runs through this area, and you’ll find lots of trails that lead you towards the river.
Even though the BLM has carved out 48 official campsites along this road, it’s common to see RVers setting up in other areas. The BLM has actually put up signs in some of these areas warning people not to camp there, however BLM officials don’t seem to make a habit of patrolling Sheep Bridge Road.
Part of the road wanders into private property, owned by a rock quarry. In this area, there are several areas where people have previously camped. While technically, you’re camping on private property, there is no fencing to keep you out, and it doesn’t appear the land owner bothers to kick anyone out.
Sheep Bridge Road is also frequently used by joggers, bicyclists, and off road vehicle enthusiasts. There’s a fair amount of foot, bicycle, and vehicle traffic throughout the day.
If you choose to camp your RV here, it’s highly recommended to arrive between 10:00am and 12:00pm. By that time, other campers will have left, but within hours dozens of more RVers will pour in looking for sites. By late afternoon, you will not find any available sites.
At both ends of Sheep Bridge Road, you will find a kiosk that maps out each official campsite.
There is a 14-day limit on camping along Sheep Bridge Road. However, because BLM officials don’t seem to patrol this area, you could easily stay longer. Sash and I stayed here from April 7 to April 24, 2019, a total of 17 days.
Otherwise, Sash and I found the area to be largely peaceful despite the traffic along Sheep Bridge Road. It’s very quiet at night. The red dirt on the ground can get dusty when the wind picks up, and it’ll get quite muddy under significant rains.
The only amenities along Sheep Bridge Road is a single trash dumpster located half-way down the road. Otherwise, the closest propane tank fill is at the Chevron Station in Hurricane, at Highway 9 (State Street) and 4400 W). The closest RV dump is at the Maverik Station in La Verkin, at the corner of Highway 9 (State St) and W 500 N. They have potable water, though it is not officially marked as potable.
Omg. The road is BRUTAL. I can’t believe the article doesn’t mention how bumpy and terrible it is to drive an RV on this road. We turned around about 1/8 of a mile after getting on the road.