Introduction:
While this place is very convenient and offers everything you need to see Bryce Canyon National Park, there was something very corporate about it that was a bit of a turn off.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 4/5
Price per night / Discounts: $59.63 / None
Campground website: Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground
Our Site #: 226
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
4/5: We were in the new section in the back which is basically made up of several rows of enormous pull through sites with tons of space between them. The sites are huge and the spacing is great, but it feels very open. They've planted trees and I assume several years from now, it will be fantastic, but right now, it feels like a giant parking lot. All things considered though, at least we weren't sitting on top of our neighbors.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
4/5: Ruby's location is fantastic - the shuttle bus that goes into Bryce Canyon National Park stops right in front of the campground, so we took the shuttle into the park several times. There's also a walk/bike path that you can take from Ruby's into the park. It's a long walk, but we did it several times. There are shops and stores in the town (which is in the opposite direction from the national park), but we never explored them. As we understand it, Ruby's owns everything there and they price things accordingly. We were told to stock up on groceries before coming in, which is what we did. We also skipped out on the restaurants because they seemed like tourist traps.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
5/5: These were some of the biggest sites we have ever seen and they were perfectly level and nicely laid out, utilities-wise. The older section up front had much more in the way of trees and the sites were more typical of the campgrounds we've stayed at - some more level and spacious than others. My preference from a camping perspective would be to stay in the older section, but from a convenience and privacy standpoint, the new section is fantastic.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, and staff):
2/5: Customer service was pretty lacking here. This is where the whole corporate thing comes in. I am sure they see hundreds of guests each week and most only stay for a couple days, but that doesn't mean customer service shouldn't be a priority. They just were not warm nor friendly at the office. Additionally, I booked our stay at least 6 months before our visit and requested any one of 6 or 7 specific site numbers, but they completely blew it off and gave us a site in the area we didn't want to be it. It wasn't a huge deal, but if someone is staying an entire week and paying $60 per night to do so, it would be nice if the company would at least attempt to accommodate a site request.
Internet Availability Rating (Verizon coverage or campground wifi):
5/5: The campground's wifi worked well during our stay as did our AT&T hotspot.
Summary:
The overall sense we had with this place was that Ruby's owns everything in town and they really don't have to care too much about their customers. It's always busy, turnover is always high, and most people aren't going to come back anyway, so they don't really care. It all makes sense. It just didn't leave us with a great feeling. In contrast, we found Zion Canyon Campground to be just as convenient to Zion National Park as Ruby's was to Bryce, yet it cost $10 less per night, the people were friendlier, and we could go grocery shopping in the town without being gouged. Ruby's was "fine." It's just nowhere we have any grand desire to return to.
