Zion National Park is the jewel in the crown of Utah’s mighty five national parks. With iconic hikes such as Angel’s Landing and The Narrows, tens of thousands of people flock to the National Park every single day. While the recent boom in popularity has also come with plenty of construction around the park meaning no shortage of places to stay near Zion National Park, there are several Zion National Park Hotels, but in my opinion, glamping in Zion National Park at Under Canvas Zion is by far the best place to stay when visiting the national park.
Where is Zion National Park?
Zion National Park is located in Southern Utah just 2 hours and 30 minutes from Las Vegas or 4 hours and 30 minutes from Salt Lake City making it a very easy weekend (or even day) trip if you are in the Las Vegas area. There is a lot to do and see in Zion, but the two most iconic hikes are Angel’s Landing and The Narrows. Angel’s landing is a beyond strenuous 5-mile bucket list hike. The last half mile is almost straight up and you’ll be holding on to chains for dear life, but once you make it to the top you realize everything you’ve just gone through was a cheap price to pay for the incredible view below. As for The Narrows, there are two ways to complete it one way is with a permit and a guide from the top which requires repels and some deep water swims, or the way we chose to do it, a nice easy stroll from the bottom as far upriver as you choose to go. Whichever way you choose the views along the way are unlike any place I had been on Earth and so beautiful once the light begins to shine down into the canyon. You can see footage of both these hikes in my Glamping in Zion National Park Vlog!
Zion National Park Lodging
Like I said above there is no shortage of Zion National Park lodging options especially in Springdale right near the main park gate. Many of the Zion National Park hotel options right outside the park are budget chain hotels like Holiday Inn and La Quinta, but if you’re willing to drive about twenty minutes from the main gate, you’ll find Under Canvas Zion.
Deciding where to stay in Zion National Park
Under Canvas gives you the views and feelings you’d expect staying at a national park because it is just outside one of the northwestern gates into the park. You’ll pay roughly the same price to stay at Under Canvas as you would one of the budget Zion National Park hotels in Springdale, so I’d say the choice is easy. I’d choose Zion glamping over a Holiday Inn 100% of the time, but if you read my last posts about glamping and my stay at Under Canvas Mt. Rushmore, I may be a little biased. If you’re doing a road trip and visiting all of the mighty 5 parks, there is also an Under Canvas in Moab so you can get your Utah glamping fix!
Glamping in Zion National Park at Under Canvas
Unlike the Zion National Park Hotels in Springdale, Under Canvas Zion is only opened from Mid-March to Mid-November. The property at Under Canvas Zion is set up pretty much the same as Under Canvas Mt. Rushmore. There is a large communal tent in the middle of the camp where you check-in and where the restaurant is located and about 50 tents set up around the property. We chose one of their deluxe tents so that we could enjoy the privacy of having a private shower and toilet in our tent. The largest tents have a king-sized bed, queen-sized pull out as well as a private shower and toilet, while the smallest and most affordable tents have four twin beds or a queen bed. An important thing to note if you’re visiting in one of the cooler months is that each tent has a wood-burning stove that keeps your tent plenty warm as long as there is wood burning inside it. To stay warm on the three nights we visited I woke up two to three times per night to throw a few more logs in the stove because it was in the upper 20s at night.
Eating at Under Canvas Zion
I didn’t get a photo of any of my food, so I thought I’d share a shot from The Narrows Hike
If you remember my post about Under Canvas Mount Rushmore, you know that the food there was fantastic. I’m happy to report that it is also fantastic at Under Canvas Zion. We only made it to breakfast our last day before we left since we got up before the sun to get to our hikes before the crowds, but we ate dinner at Embers, the Under Canvas restaurant each night and thanks to the huge portions and yummy food we went to bed with full happy stomachs. One thing that was different than Under Canvas Mt. Rushmore is that due to Utah law, you cannot buy alcohol without also buying food. So when we wanted a beer with our picnic lunch we couldn’t get one unless you thought ahead and ordered it the night before.
Activities while Glamping in Zion National Park
Unlike those budget Zion National Park hotels you’ll find in Springdale or St. George, Under Canvas Zion has a full-time activities director. Aside from the normal hiking activities and advice, the activities director at Under Canvas Zion can arrange any number of amazing activities for you and your family while glamping near Zion National Park. From rock climbing lessons to canyoneering trips to a helicopter tour that picks you up from the private helipad right behind the main tent, the list of activities near Zion is nearly endless. We took advantage of this by scheduling a 1 hour horseback riding tour with Blue Sage Adventures. We had so much fun on our ride that after about a half-hour we decided to extend our ride to two hours. It was easily the best (and by far most comfortable) ride I’ve done. Another reason to skip the in-town hotels is up in the sky. I couldn’t believe how dark it got at our campsite. The stars and the milky way put on a show for us, so if you enjoy stargazing, then you’ll enjoy glamping in Zion National Park at Under Canvas Zion.
Where to Stay Near Zion National Park
Whether you’re a seasoned glamper, or you are wanting to try a new experience, Utah glamping is at its finest at Under Canvas Zion. At this time there is no other options for glamping in Zion National Park, and based off my two stays at different Under Canvas properties, Under Canvas has it really dialed in. There is no question in my mind that we had a better experience at Under Canvas Zion than we would have had at one of the Zion National Park Hotels. The food was delicious, the view was incredible, and like I’ve said before combining the luxuries of a nice hotel with the wilderness side of camping creates an amazing experience. I hope this post encourages you to check out Under Canvas Zion and give Utah glamping a try. You can book your stay using the search box right below. Make sure you’re following us on Instagram and YouTube so you don’t miss any of our adventures!
