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Top 5 Favorite Things About Zion Lodge
Why Zion Lodge in Zion National Park is a gem you want to visit
Have you ever stayed in a National Park Lodge?
This year was my first time staying in park lodges vs. camping or finding a hotel nearby.
On our recent trip to Utah, our family stayed at both Bryce Canyon Lodge and Zion Lodge. Zion Lodge, hands down, was my favorite.
Don’t expect newer rooms, bath oils, and bright spaces.
Quite the opposite in fact.
But Zion Lodge did have its own charm and historical appeal.
If you are thinking of staying overnight in the park one day, here are five of my top reasons to consider a Zion Lodge stay.
Dreamy mountain views from the balcony.
It was the best feature of our lodge stay.
Our room was on the second floor. There was no elevator, so if lifting your luggage up the stairs is an issue perhaps you might want to consider ground level. You could still see beautiful views.
From the moment we opened our door and ventured to the balcony, we were instantly impressed with the mountains, trees, and colors surrounding us.
Beauty is everywhere you look.
The picture above was only one shot of the mountains looking out.
You could sit down, have a cup of coffee or cold drink, and get lost in nature staring back at you.
The location couldn’t have been more ideal for enjoying what the park had to offer.
Parking was pleasantly less congested with a private access code.
In a couple of days leading up to your stay, you are emailed an access code that allows you to enter the gated road that leads to the lodge.
Not everyone can drive to the lodge in their vehicle.
This immediately cut down on the amount of traffic and made the experience feel more private.
Upon checking in, we were given a parking pass so that we could park right there at the lodge.
Others could see the lodge if they utilized one of the park’s shuttles.
Having fewer vehicles trying to find parking alleviated added stresses of unloading and finding a parking space.
The visitor center; however, was extremely crowded with limited parking. Get there early if you intend on parking there to get close to some of the trails.
In the evening mule deer would hang out on the front lawn.
The deer are not inhibited by tourists at all.
As the day would approach dusk, they would slowly congregate on the front lawn to enjoy the green grass.
One mule deer even had some type of tracker around its neck. It was being monitored for some kind of purpose we never did find out.
Our kids found them amusing. We sat on nearby benches and watched.
Of course, you had your handful of visitors that had to get extremely close for a picture.
Enjoying them from a safe distance was enough. It was also a good learning opportunity for our kids to talk about why it’s important not to approach the wildlife.
Luckily, nothing happened to anyone during our particular stay.
We enjoyed affordable and delicious food in the restaurant.
I point out the fact that it was affordable.
With two small kids, this was an important feature for our family, especially when there were so few options in the park.
Zion Lodge was affordable offering reasonable prices for hamburger and chicken strip meals. I had a wonderful pecan-crusted trout entree for dinner one night.
Their breakfast buffet was delicious. The prices were better for kids, and they had a wide variety of items.
You could enjoy pancakes, french toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, and pastries.
We let the kids splurge and enjoy the cereal with the tiny marshmallows in it.
Definitely not my choice, but they thought it was great. We were on vacation after all.
You could enjoy the shade and your food on the lawn under this beautiful tree.
As you can imagine, hiking in August temperatures can get pretty hot and uncomfortable.
After the one long hike we did with the kids, this tree was a welcome site to sit under.
Our daughter even insisted on having a picnic one afternoon.
We grabbed some chips and hot dogs and camped out under the shade looking at the mountains.
It was a popular spot for many of the visitors as well.
The tree was a unique natural wonder among all the rocky landscape at the park.
Deciding to stay at Zion Lodge was a great decision.
The room was comfortable, and the scenery couldn’t have been better.
Next time you are planning a trip to a national park, check to see if they have a lodge to book a room overnight. A lot of parks have camping spots available as well.
Staying overnight in the park is an experience you don’t want to miss.
Zion Lodge was great for our family of four.
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