Glamping at Zion: A evaluation of Below Canvas and AutoCamp

There are dozens of lodging choices in and round Zion Nationwide Park, together with accommodations, cabins, tents and RVs. In fact, tenting retains you closest to Zion’s towering crimson rocks and otherworldly starry nights, however you do not have to surrender creature comforts to commune with nature once you go to Utah’s oldest nationwide park.

Staying at one in all Zion’s glamping resorts provides the most effective of each worlds — and they are often booked utilizing factors. I not too long ago visited the realm with my household to take a look at two of the park’s outdoorsiest points-friendly choices, Below Canvas Zion and AutoCamp Zion. This is what it is advisable learn about every resort earlier than your southern Utah journey.

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Below Canvas Zion

Below Canvas Zion opened in 2017 close to the nationwide park’s extra distant westerly edge in Virgin, Utah, and the Mr & Mrs Smith property joined World of Hyatt in 2024. The 196-acre, DarkSky-certified resort is surrounded solely by red-rock desert and infinite skies for so far as the attention can see. Due to its outdoorsy nature, the resort closes annually between early November and mid-March.

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How far is Below Canvas from Zion?

Below Canvas Zion is a few 30-minute drive from the principle entrance to Zion Nationwide Park in Springdale, Utah. Its distant location means its environment are simply as lovely as what you may discover contained in the park, but it surely additionally means you must convey all of the provides you want to your stick with you, or decide issues up once you cross by Springdale in your technique to Zion. Word that there’s a restaurant on-site, and the resort does have some provides obtainable for buy — extra on that beneath.

Below Canvas nightly charges

Below Canvas Zion is house to 66 safari-style tents, together with 15 suites and 4 two-tent suites. Most World of Hyatt properties function utilizing a set award chart — outlined by Class 1 by 8 — that reveals what number of factors per night time rooms will price. Below Canvas, alternatively, makes use of dynamic money and award pricing that fluctuates based mostly on availability and seasonality.

Pricing begins at round $362 or 28,250 World of Hyatt factors per night time for a Deluxe Tent that sleeps as much as two visitors, and $472 or 38,000 factors per night time for a Suite Tent that sleeps as much as 4. You may as well go for a Stargazer Tent with a viewing window above the mattress for $439 or 35,250 factors per night time.

Deluxe and Stargazer tents can be found with an adjoining children tent, beginning at round $967 or 88,250 factors per night time.

For bigger events like my household of 5, go for an Angels Touchdown Suite that sleeps as much as six visitors throughout two giant tents linked by a furnished deck. Nightly charges begin at round $967 or 88,250 World of Hyatt factors.

Below Canvas lodging

Every tent at Below Canvas Zion is outfitted with luxurious bedding, a non-public split-layout lavatory, snug indoor and outside seating areas, and a wood-burning range. I’ve completed plenty of tenting, however I virtually forgot I used to be in a tent when my head hit these plush pillows and the comfortable bedding felt like a heat embrace shielding me from the cool nighttime desert air.

Although the evenings have been chilly, the daytime temperatures have been nonetheless within the excessive 80s. The tents are geared up with misters, which emit moisture into the air, simply inside and outside the door to assist cool them down.

I used to be additionally equal components shocked and impressed to seek out the marketed “sizzling water” within the bathe was certainly fairly heat. The sink temperature various based mostly on the surface temperature, but it surely was secure to drink, making it simple to refill our bottles with out driving right down to the resort foyer tent.

To completely show you how to join with nature (and untether your self out of your routine), there isn’t any electrical energy or Wi-Fi within the tents. Our tent had one fan, giant lanterns on both sides of the mattress and a smaller lantern hanging above the lavatory mirror. All have been transportable, must you enterprise out after sundown. Every tent has two energy banks with USB-A and USB-C shops that energy the fan, lanterns and any of your private gadgets.

The tent additionally had loads of cupboard space. Our suitcases slid comfortably beneath the mattress, and there was a storage ottoman, baggage rack, coat rack and occasional desk for belongings we wanted simpler entry to.

The tents are unfold out and secluded, giving every visitor uninterrupted desert views and the quiet seclusion you’re seemingly craving once you go to a distant resort akin to this.

Below Canvas facilities and actions

The foyer tent is the guts of Below Canvas Zion. Inside, you may discover the check-in desk, a bar and restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner, a grab-and-go foods and drinks space, a small reward store, and an actions concierge desk the place you may e-book native excursions. Outdoors, there are a number of tables, garden video games and somewhat library.

There was additionally all-day tea, espresso, sizzling cocoa and water; a guitar; a number of board and card video games you may play on the foyer or take to your tent; strolling sticks you may use throughout your keep; and a cooler with limitless s’mores provides. You might even ship a postcard to pals or household again house, and Below Canvas would care for postage.

Once we weren’t climbing or sleeping, we spent most of our time on the foyer tent’s outside space. The children performed cornhole whereas we listened to reside music and sipped native brews within the evenings, after taking part in Slapjack or Scrabble whereas eating alfresco.

We had breakfast and dinner at Embers, the resort’s on-site restaurant. The menu included a number of hand-held and fork-and-knife choices, shareables, and a children menu. Within the morning, Embers additionally served a full espresso, tea and espresso menu.

As soon as the solar set, we roasted (too many) s’mores, chatted with different visitors across the fireplace pit and stared up at an evening sky crammed with extra stars than I’ve ever seen in my life. It was so lovely that I struggled to peel myself away and go to mattress at night time.

Below Canvas ideas

• Below Canvas has a strict “no meals in tents” coverage, which implies no cooking or snacking in your tent. We stored nonperishable snacks in our automotive, and complimentary ice and coolers have been obtainable on the foyer tent if we had objects we wanted to maintain chilly.
• Pack layers. It may be chilly within the morning and at night time, even when it nonetheless feels heat through the daytime.
• There are not any TVs within the tents and no Wi-Fi wherever on the resort. Cell service was spotty, so be ready to go off-grid throughout your keep. Your coronary heart price and stress ranges will thanks.
• Below Canvas places, together with Zion, have wheelchair-accessible tents with ramps and roll-in showers.
• The resort is in a distant, secluded space. It is a few 30-minute round-trip drive into Virgin for provisions, so make sure you are absolutely stocked, when you do not need to depend on the restaurant, earlier than you head as much as the resort.

AutoCamp Zion

If you happen to suppose, “I want I had an Airstream!” each time you cross one on the freeway, your subsequent glamping keep must be with AutoCamp. AutoCamp provides a wide range of lodging varieties, however probably the most iconic are the Airstream Suites, climate-controlled journey trailers outfitted with a midcentury design and trendy facilities.

How far is AutoCamp from Zion?

AutoCamp Zion is in Virgin, Utah, solely a few 15-minute drive from Zion Nationwide Park. The resort is on the principle stretch of highway that runs by Virgin and on to Springdale, so it is a straight shot between AutoCamp and Zion.

AutoCamp nightly charges

AutoCamp Zion’s Airstream Suites sleep as much as 4 visitors and begin at $165 or 61,000 Hilton Honors factors per night time. For a Premium Airstream Suite that is extra secluded close to the again of the property, the nightly price begins at $199 or 95,000 factors per night time.

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Bigger teams can e-book a Basecamp Suite that sleeps as much as six visitors — as much as three within the Airstream and as much as three in an adjoining tent — beginning at $375 or 197,000 factors per night time.

Cabins, together with some which are wheelchair accessible, begin at $165 or 61,000 factors per night time.

AutoCamp lodging

My household has outgrown something resembling a normal resort room, so we stayed in a Basecamp Suite. The children slept on the queen mattress and couch mattress within the AirStream, whereas my husband and I opted for the queen mattress within the giant canvas tent.

The Airstream was separated into three sections: the bed room, the residing and eating space, and the lavatory. The bed room’s giant window let in ample mild and the beautiful views. There was additionally a TV, bedside tables with commonplace and USB shops and storage, and two further storage drawers.

Outdoors the bed room was a galley kitchen with a small sink and all of the dishes and cooking utensils we wanted throughout our keep. There was additionally immediate espresso and tea, which I made within the supplied electrical kettle. Reverse the sink, white cupboards hid the microwave and minifridge. There was additionally a settee mattress, a small desk and a conveyable USB-powered lantern.

The lavatory was trendy and practical, with a big sink and a tiled bathe with citrus-scented tub merchandise from Ursa Main.

Our Airstream had an adjoining tent with one other queen mattress and a settee mattress. There was a medium-size fridge, a fan and several other lamps, however solely the Airstream had a TV, lavatory and kitchen space.

Between the Airstream and the tent was an outside seating space with a eating desk, chairs and a fireplace pit. We spent plenty of our day trip right here cooking dinner and stargazing by the fireplace.

AutoCamp facilities and actions

The resort had a big heated pool surrounded by loungers and umbrellas close to the principle foyer. There was additionally a basket crammed with balls and pool toys. (We spent a lot time taking part in volleyball within the pool that my forearms have been sore by the point we checked out.) The big garden exterior the foyer had a fireplace pit surrounded by chairs and garden video games like cornhole and ladder ball.

The Virgin River, which solid Zion’s fiery-red canyons, runs alongside the resort’s again edge and is accessible through a brief strolling path. We have been fortunate sufficient to be proper subsequent to the trail and visited the river’s sandy shores many occasions throughout our keep.

Most of these visits have been to seek for treasure. The children have been so excited when the workers member who checked us in gave us a treasure map with two spots marked by an “X.” Our treasure hunt took somewhat time, however we have been rewarded with a hidden geode pile and a treasure chest crammed with toys.

AutoCamp had different kid-friendly actions, too, together with a playground and board video games obtainable to borrow within the foyer.

Different AutoCamp actions ranged from outside yoga to reside music and household sport nights.

The foyer additionally housed grab-and-go snacks and drinks, complimentary granola, milk, espresso, tea and sizzling cocoa every morning and an all-day restaurant.

Fairly than order off the menu, we bought one of many grill kits ($60). It got here with two steaks, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, asparagus and cornbread. Together with it, they gave us a cast-iron pan, grilling utensils and full directions. We cooked and ate exterior of our Airstream with the sounds of the Virgin River babbling alongside within the background.

Every night after dinner, we headed for the foyer. One night time, an area band was taking part in inside, so we listened alongside and performed video games like chess, tic-tac-toe and Sorry. The subsequent night time, a guitarist was taking part in exterior, however the children selected to take a seat inside once more and play extra video games.

Between the pool and the actions, I used to be impressed by how a lot AutoCamp catered to children and households.

AutoCamp ideas

• AutoCamp is a “car-free zone.” When you park your automotive within the car parking zone, you should use a wagon or golf cart to move your belongings forwards and backwards to your Airstream or cabin.
• The placement and inclusion of Wi-Fi and televisions imply you’re extra linked to the surface world. It is also simple to pop right into a retailer or gasoline station for something you forgot to convey with you.
• AutoCamp’s cabins have wheelchair-accessible ramps for visitors needing that choice.
• The resort does sometimes host weddings and occasions that will make a number of the public areas unavailable to common visitors (although when this occurs, it does supply different actions like indoor music and video games).

Backside line

You actually cannot go improper with any Zion resort when you think about the view exterior your window, however these two are among the many better of the most effective, particularly since you may earn and burn factors. Each supply upscale lodging and facilities, enjoyable actions impressed by nature, and top-notch service, and so they take part in main resort loyalty packages.

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