Five Star Stays – Glamping Under Canvas at Zion National Park

Zion National Park

The last time I slept in a tent I was ten years old and in the Girl Scouts.  Let’s be honest … sleeping on the ground without a bathroom loses its appeal a little more each year.  Enter the “glamping” trend and it definitely got my attention.  Sleeping in a tent with a bed and running water… now you are talking my language!  With much more favorable odds this was added to our list of “infinite possibilities.”

Under Canvas at the National Parks

When our niece told us that she and her fiancé had chosen an elopement wedding in Zion National Park in November and that we would all be staying in tents at “Under Canvas Zion” the night before the wedding we were excited about the adventure and had a ton of questions!

1) What is the weather average in Zion the second week of November?  Days average in the low 60 degrees and nights average in the mid-thirty degrees.

2) Is there a way to heat the tents?  Yes, all of the tents have wood burning stoves with a generous supply of complimentary firewood.

3) Do the tents have private bathrooms? Yes, the Deluxe Tents and above have their own bathroom and shower facitilities.  (Note to self… be sure to get a deluxe tent.)

4) Is there a way to charge phones, etc.?  (After all, if you can’t take pictures did it really happen?)  Yes, there are USB battery packs and charging ports in the base of the lanterns.  (The lanterns also come in handy for lighting your path at night.)

Now that the essentials were covered I started exploring the Under Canvas website.  They have camps in seven locations… the Grand Canyon, Moab, Yellowstone, Glacier, the Great Smoky Mountains, Mount Rushmore and Zion.  They are also adding locations soon in Acadia, Yosemite, Sonoma, Catalina Island and Joshua Tree… more fuel for the list of infinite possibilities!  Their corporate “leave no trace” commitment to protect the environment is seen in practice through their water conservation practices, the use of solar energy, their zero-waste goals and intentionally not offering wifi at their sites.

Under Canvas Zion

Under Canvas Zion covers 196 acres just outside Zion National Park on the west side.  It has access to numerous trail heads on that side of the park, including the Subway Trail Head.  We drove in from the town of Springdale, which is located at the Main Entrance of the Park.  The drive was about twenty miles of stunning scenery.  As we approached on Kolob Terrace Drive we could see all of the tents across the canyon and soon turned in at the well-marked “Under Canvas” sign.

The first stop was to check in at the Main Tent.  A helpful staff checked us in efficiently with a brief orientation to the property, instructions for our tent and took our order for the complimentary coffee service they provide to be delivered to our tent at our chosen time in the morning.  The Main Tent also had a walk up restaurant “Embers”, an indoor fire pit, items for sale, complimentary coffee, tea and a water fill up station and was stocked with games for the guests to enjoy. 

The Tents at Under Canvas Zion

We then drove around to our tent to unload and relax before the pre-wedding dinner being hosted at the outdoor fire pit area.  The views were breathtaking in every direction and the camp sites blended seamlessly with their surroundings.  It was a perfect day with the highs reaching above 70 degrees.  The tent itself had a porch with high backed wooden chairs to enjoy the views day and night and an ample supply of fire wood stacked neatly at one end.  The opening had two zippered layers, one which was a screen material and the other that provided a full canvas closure.  The king bed was amazingly comfortable, the wood burning stove was ready to go and at the opposite end were the toilet and sink/shower facilities with their own curtained closures.

Starry Nights at Under Canvas Zion

Helicopters would land occasionally on the helipad behind the Main Tent, transporting passengers to and from Under Canvas.  The pre-wedding dinner for our group outdoors could not have been more perfect as the sun set on the red rocks and the temperatures dropped.  The sparkling night skies, the flickering flames of the fire and the camaraderie of celebrating the union of these two beautiful souls made a truly magical evening under the stars.  As the night continued, Under Canvas also had live music and s’mores for everyone.   We returned to our tent and enjoyed a little star-gazing.  In no time the wood stove had our tent toasty warm.  Cuddled up, cozy bedding … a perfect end to an amazing night!

Sunrise Yoga at Under Canvas Zion

Our complimentary coffee service arrived as scheduled at 6:30 am, in advance of the group gathering at 6:45.  Despite not being a fan of either early mornings or being cold, I bundled up and made my way down to the helipad for the first wedding day festivity… sunrise yoga!  It felt great to move through the poses as the rocks lit up with the sun.  A delicious breakfast and coffee at Embers followed around the indoor fire pit.

Under Canvas Zion En Suite Showers

The Under Canvas conservation philosophy was designed into the private bathrooms. They have low flow toilets, sink faucets in which the water cuts off after a few moments and then the unique shower operation.  To shower you pull down on the chain for hot water and when you release the chain the water stops.  If you hold the chain down continuously the water will cool down after a few moments so you release the chain and pull again to get the hot water back.  Quite simple… and an effective reminder as to how much water we really need in a shower.

Glamping at Under Canvas Zion

Staying at Under Canvas while exploring the park was the perfect complement to nature’s amazing masterpiece.  Add the pure joy of this wedding celebration and it was beyond magical. Thank you Under Canvas Zion for creating such a fabulous and comfortable stay and thank you Kate and Tyler for including us in your breathtaking celebration and beautiful beginning. We love you!

We can’t wait to try more Under Canvas locations! For more information on Under Canvas click here on glamping .