Glamping at Zion Wildflower Resort was the perfect way to commune with nature without actually having to camp and bring a ton of supplies. Zion was our first night in our road trip from Park City to Texas. I was so excited to discover Zion Wildflower Resort because it cost less than half of other nearby options (looking at you Under Canvas Zion). Not only that, but it had a better location to Springdale and the park entrance AND it just opened in July. So, we were one of the first people to stay there when we visited in August.
Zion Wildflower Resort Property
Zion Wildflower Resort is located in Virgin, Utah less than 20 minutes from Springdale and the Zion National Park entrance. It has a collection of glamping tents, covered wagons, and mini modern bungalows. Upon check-in we were given a cute s’mores kit that we could enjoy by the fire pits that are lit each evening at sunset. Zion Wildflower Resort had a big lawn with a fountain and communal living space with grills and lounge chairs. At night little lanterns light up the gravel walkways to help you navigate between your tent and the bathrooms without disrupting from the starry skies.
Click here to go glamping at Zion Wildflower Resort! I make a small commission off this, so much appreciated!
Our Glamping Tent
We booked two nights in the Watchman Canvas Tent and stayed in #57. The canvas was suspended by poles and had zip mesh doors to let in airflow during the night. It was plenty tall and we could stand and walk around easily. The glamping tent contained a king bed, two twin beds, some small wooden nightstands, two chairs, rugs and an AC unit. In the back, we had a private deck with rocking chairs where we watched the sunset each night.
The AC unit kept the glamping tent at a manageable temperature during the day when it was 100+ outside. We kept it set to its lowest setting with fan on high to get the tent cool at night. The only issue with the AC unit is there is a tube that vents the air outside and the tent doesn’t have a great seal around it. We left some food in our tent on our second night and woke up to see a mouse and droppings all over the place. Zion Wildflower Resort gracefully refunded us $50 a night for the inconvenience. It was pretty gross, but that comes with the territory for camping.
I did really love our tent though. It was beautifully decorated and watching the sun rise over the mountains was absolutely stunning. It was the perfect way to have a glamping experience at Zion.
The Bathrooms
Glamping at Zion Wildflower Resort means that we didn’t have a private bathroom. Four communal bathhouses were located down the slope from our tent. They were cute wooden cabins with great AC, white bathtub showers, and sinks. We were provided lots of towels in our tent. Everything was very clean and maintained throughout the day. I never had any issues waiting for a bathroom.
GET THE LOOK
Exploring Zion National Park
Driving through Zion National Park is such a treat. The main driving route contains all sorts of scenic turn-offs, viewpoints and several tunnels carved through the mountains. We drove through early in the day around 7am to get to our trailhead and didn’t encounter any traffic. On our way back to Zion Wildflower, we took our time and stopped off at Many Pools Trail to hike around. It was wildly hot though, so we didn’t go much farther than a mile from the road at 2pm. Also, there were no pools! Must have evaporated in the heat.
Hiking Zion’s Observation Point
To get to many of the famous parts of Zion National Park like Angel’s Landing or the Narrows, you need a reservation on the Zion Shuttle. Typically, those reservations are free if you make them ahead of time, or you can pay upwards of $75 for a tour the day-of.
With so many different trails to choose from, we elected to hike to Observation Point which looks down upon Angel’s Landing. We woke up early and drove through the canyon beating many of the crowds. After passing through Zion Ponderosa, we started an 11-mile round-trip hike at the Stave Spring Trailhead. We had the whole trail to ourselves as we hiked down one side of the canyon, walked across boulders on the canyon floor, and then climbed the opposite side.
Zion National Park is 30 miles in length and 15 miles across at its widest point, and Observation Point, at an elevation of 6,521′, is likely the best place to capture the grandeur of this vast expanse.
Although I’ve never hiked Angel’s Landing, I think Observation Point is even cooler because you’re up so much higher and get to look down upon the famous perilous hike that Zion is so well known for.
MY go-to HIKING GEAR
Where to Eat in Zion
Since we didn’t have a kitchen, we ate a few meals out during our time in Zion. The nearby towns have a pretty solid food scene and we left fat and happy after every meal. Here’s where we ate:
Breakfast:
- Perks at Zion Coffee— good breakfast sandwich options
- River Rock Roasting Co.
Snacks
- Sol Foods Supermarket – picked up Utah’s Squatter’s Ale to watch the sunset
- Zion Park Gift & Deli – loved all the mountain themed ice cream flavors like huckleberry, moose tracks and bear claw ice cream
Dinner
- Oscar’s Cafe – be careful, the plates are HUGE. Great New Mex food but plan to share
- Spotted Dog Cafe– elegant pasta and burger and squatters ale
COVID Considerations in Zion National Park
Since we went to Utah to hike, it was pretty easy to socially distance when in Zion.
- We wore our masks any time we entered an establishment (coffee shop, restaurant) and brought them on our hikes. Tourists were hit or miss on whether they were wearing their masks properly in stores and restaurants. The staff at Zion Wildflower were not wearing masks when we checked-in. All restaurant workers were wearing masks and had spaced out tables.
- We didn’t pass any people on the Observation Hike trail until we got to the lookout.
- We rarely asked anyone to take our picture. I balanced my phone on rocks and took many self-timer photos. I brought hand sanitizer with me everywhere in my fanny pack and would wipe down my phone afterwards if I did hand it to someone.
- We packed a cooler wherever we went so we had cold water and snacks on after hikes, so there was no need to go into gas stations unnecessarily.
- The Zion visitor center was pretty packed, so I wouldn’t recommend going inside unless you really had to.
Always check the latest recommendations from the local and state government before you visit to understand how best to prepare for your trip to Zion National Park.
