Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officials recently announced that the Virgin River Canyon Campground, located south of the Utah-Arizona border, will have an online reservation system starting on Saturday for sites that are available on June 1 or later.
The plan is in light of popularity issues similar to other outdoor spaces in Utah and the west.
The campground is located not far from the nearly 30-mile stretch of I-15 in Arizona, about 20 miles southwest of St. George. It has grown in popularity for its picnic areas, hiking, nature viewing, and camping.
The recent uptick in visitors to public lands has made obtaining a campsite at popular recreation areas like these more challenging,” said Lorraine Christian, the bureau’s Arizona Strip field manager, in a statement. “We are excited to provide the public with this benefit, as having the option of advanced reservations will give visitors peace of mind knowing their vacation plans are in place ahead of time.”
Eighteen multi-day campsites in the upper loop that allows for stays of up to 14 days will be included in the new reservation process. In addition, all 37 campgrounds located in the lower loop will also be available online.
Over 50 campsites in the upper loop remain on a first-come, first-serve system for stays from June 1 onwards.
The campground includes paved access, drinking water, flush toilets, and vehicle parking. Some campgrounds include pull-through RV sites, grills, picnic tables, and shade structures.
The campground offers $8 per night for overnight camping for up to two vehicles and a $2 per vehicle fee for day-use visitors. With the new reservation system, guests can pay via mobile device, debit, or credit using a new scanning device in the recreation.gov mobile app.
They can also pay through cash envelope if they prefer that mode of payment.
The announcement was made after the campground made recent renovations before it reopened earlier this month. The project included restroom renovations, water and electric system upgrades, road resurfacing, and sites more conducive for people with disabilities.
The National Park Service also announced earlier this year that a record 297.1 million visitors came to outdoor sites in the lands they managed in 2021, a 60-million increase from 2020. The BLM hasn’t released its 2021 land statistics but reported over 73 million visitors on its land during 2020.
This article originally appeared on KSL.com. Featured image from AZ Camp Guide.