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LITTLEFIELD, Ariz. — A popular campground off I-15 just south of the Utah-Arizona border is going completely cashless.
Those seeking to use the large campground at the Virgin River Canyon Recreation Area, located about 20 miles southwest of St. George and 20 miles northeast of Mesquite, Nevada, will longer be able to pay for their site with printed bills, Bureau of Land Management officials said Wednesday. Instead, visitors will be required to pay through Recreation.gov.
The agency had opened the option to use Recreation.gov in 2022, but now it will be the sole option. Randy Beckstrand, the bureau's Arizona Strip assistant field manager, said the measure falls in line with recent efforts across the bureau and National Park Service to move to the online tool. He said the move is mainly for visitor convenience; however, it can also "eliminate security issues related to handling and counting cash."
Campers can reserve one of the campground's 18 multiday Upper Loop campsites in advance, as well as seven of its Lower Loop sites. The remaining campsites — 54 around the Upper Loop and 30 around the Lower Loop — will remain on a first-come, first-served basis through a scan and pay feature on the website's mobile app.
The Virgin River Canyon campground features paved access, drinking water, flush toilets and vehicle parking. Some of its sites also have pull-through RV sites, grills, picnic tables and shade structures. All of the sites are $8 per night, according to the website. A person and group have a maximum stay of 14 days at one campsite.
Bureau officials said the use of any site is available during the daytime as long as a person or group has an activity pass and the site hasn't been reserved first. The pass allows for people to picnic, hike or simply view the area's scenic landscape. There's a $2 fee per vehicle day-use fee.
