My Honest Thoughts on Glamping at Under Canvas Zion...
You’re probably here because you, like I, have always wanted to stay at an Under Canvas. Back in 2017, Under Canvas opened their Zion National Park location which, in the 6 years its been open, has won numerous awards (one of the ‘Best Resort Hotels in Utah’ by Travel + Leisure, a 2022 ‘Top 20 Resort in the Mountain West’ by Condé Nast Traveler, and a ‘Top Resort in the US – Pacific Northwest & West’ by Condé Nast Traveler to name a few…).
I won’t bore you with all the details about what the property offers or how many tents there are, you can find that on their website. But I will tell you about my experience and some of the things that stood out to me.
I booked my May stay in December. I was getting promo emails telling me rates were the cheapest they were going to be for the 2023 season and I KNEW I wanted to visit here in 2023. It's not cheap. And you certainly aren’t getting your money’s worth in the “tent”. Heck, you could stay at a 4 or 5 star hotel with all the bells and whistles for the nightly price. BUT you are getting a once in a lifetime, really unique experience. And the views ~almost~ pay for themselves.
Accommodation: Let’s talk about the tent first. I booked the Deluxe tent (this is their cheapest tier). Many people recommend the Stargazers but I knew I could pop outside my tent for that. The tent had wooden floorboards, a king sized bed, 2 chairs, a stove for heat and toilet/shower/sink. The bed was pretty comfortable! After a long day of hiking, anything can feel comfortable, but the linens were clean and soft so no complaints there. The toilet flushed like a normal toilet. The shower had a handle you pulled - so water only came out when the handle was down. They are big on sustainability and conserving water. Water had a water heater so no cold showers! Pretty luxe I thought.
One thing I didn’t expect: The tent creaks when it’s windy. Also, since it is canvas, you can hear everything outside. So if your neighbors are rowdy at night or if you want to sleep in…forget about it. I actually heard someone else’s alarm going off one morning at 5:30AM. They give you ear plugs but I brought my own (I also use these for flights). If you’re a light sleeper (I am) - be warned.
Food & Beverage: They have a restaurant on site that serves breakfast from 6AM-10AM and dinner from 5PM-10PM. The food isn’t too bad! Don’t expect Michelan star but I’ve definitely had worse National Park food. And yes, expect it to be overpriced for what it is. They also had a few vegetarian/vegan options. There are free and endless s’mores around their fire pits every night which is my childhood dream come true. Free coffee and tea all day long as well!
Fun fact I learned about Utah: you have to buy food if purchasing alcohol. Under Canvas sells beer & wine (wine by the bottle only) but you will need to purchase some type of food to go with it. Also, if you bring your own alcohol (which you can do but there is no refrigerator - they do have ice though), you aren’t allowed to drink that in their “common area”. You have to drink it at your tent.
Activities: They do not fall short of activities and things to do around the camp (something I really loved about it). There are board games, a guitar, cornhole, horseshoes, they lead guided sunset walks almost every night, yoga classes, tie dye making, etc. Every day they offer 2 guided activities. *Keep in mind there is no pool here!
Timing: I stayed 3 nights - it was wonderful but in hindsight I’d probably do 2. It felt that most people were coming in for 1-2 nights. I went in mid-May and it was HOT. 85 and sunny kind of hot. Too hot to be sitting in a tent with no AC. The nights cooled down to 55-60 which was comfortable, but I would recommend the end of April for the perfect time to go.
Crowd: It was truly a mixed bag. There were a lot of couples (all ages), quite a few younger small friend groups as well (3-4 people). Not a lot of kids (but perhaps because school is still in session for most?). I’m not sure if I would wholly recommend this as a great option for families with kids under 8. The family tents have a separate teepee tent next to the main tent (meaning your children are not in the same tent as you). You can get a cot for the room I believe though. There is also no pool - so for hot days when your kids need something to do…
Another thing I did not expect: I had cell service (GOOD cell service) the whole weekend. Which…was disappointing for me because I had planned to go “off the grid” and go phoneless for the weekend. Forced phoneless-ness. Of course I could’ve still gone phoneless on my own for the weekend BUT it is harder to do when you know you have access to it.
Overall, I loved my stay at Under Canvas Zion. Stargazing outside of my tent and waking up to that view every day was magical. But set your expectations before going. You are still camping. There are bugs. There is no air conditioning or refrigerator.
Revel in the beauty of nature and connect with fellow travelers.
And if you’d like to book your stay at Under Canvas or have any questions about it, send us an email at theitinerarygirls@gmail.com.
Until next time,
Julia