Where to stay in and near Zion National Park
A handpicked selection of the best places to stay for visiting Zion National Park, whatever your budget and travel style.
Zion National Park is one of the most beautiful and most visited National Parks in the US and this has one important consequence for the eager visitor: accommodation options sell out fast!
As I discovered when we planned our very own trip to Zion, lodging options in Zion National Park are sold out as early as 6 months in advance and nearby options are very much the same and with prices to match
However, the good news is that there are plenty of places to stay near Zion National Park and if you book early or are willing to stay a little farther away, you don’t need to break the bank.
This is my handpicked selection of the best places to stay in and near Zion National Park, based on my own travel and travel research.
Top tip: booking accommodation 6 more or more can be daunting. However, most of the options in this post are available on booking.com which offers free cancellation options. I use this option extensively as it allows me to budget for my trip and secure accommodation without tying me to anything.
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Where to stay to visit Zion National Park: is staying inside the park worth it?
This might be an obvious statement but the best place to stay in Zion National Park is the park itself.
Staying inside the park is the best way to maximize your time there, it allows you to see the park before and after the day-trippers have gone and makes it easy to partake of one of the most fabulous activities in Zion: stargazing!
There are two ways to stay inside Zion NP: staying at the Zion Lodge and Cabins or staying in one of the Zion Campgrounds.
Staying in Zion NP: Zion Lodge and Cabins
If you are looking for a wonderful location, comfort and easy access to food and shops, then the best place to stay in Zion National Park is Zion Lodge and Cabin.
Located along the Zion Scenic road, in the Zion Canyon, this is where we stayed and I can tell you: the place is wonderful!
The Lodge and Cabins are nestled between Zion’s red peaks, they have a lovely lawn and big tree just in front and they blend in perfectly with the rest of the park, thanks to their dark wood exteriors and rustic decor.
The lodge and cabin create a small village/resort with your room/cabin, restaurant, fast food/cafe and souvenir/essentials shops.
Each cabin has a private bathroom, air conditioning/heating, ceiling fan and have lovely views over the valley.
On top of this, the Lodge is sustainable!
Xanterra, the park concession running it, is one of the greenest national park concessions – you can read about it here
How to book Zion Lodge
You can only book Zion Lodge via the official Xanterra website which you can find here.
Unless you are booking very early, chances are you will not find a room available but don’t despair just yet!
Cancellations are frequent and you may get a spot: make sure you check often!
A cancellation is just what we got: I had booked a backup option in Springdale on bookin.com (with free cancellation) and kept checking the zion Lodge website.
When a room became available, I booked it, canceled the other one and I was done, not a cent lost!
Our stay in Zion Lodge was the highlight of our Utah trip so I highly recommend this approach!
Need to know: once your booking is confirmed and paid, zion lodge will send you a driving permit by post. Keep this permit and carry it with you! This is what will allow you to drive to the Lodge, which is in an area of the park closed to normal traffic. Please note that the driving permit it so reaches the lodge only and does not allow you freely drive in the park.
Zion Campgrounds
Another way to stay inside Zion National park is to go camping.
There are three campgrounds in Zion:
- Watchman Campground, near the South entrance in Springdale
- South Campground, also close to the Southern entrance
- Lava Pont campgrounds, which is about 1 hour away from Zion Canyon
Like the lodge, the campgrounds tend to fill out fast in spring and summer so you will need to book in advance.
You can find all the info on the official Zion Camping site
Need to know: in summer, Zion gets really hot and it is not easy to find relief from the heat in the campgrounds as there is limited shade and the landscape is mostly desert. Please do take this into account when planning where to stay in Zion.
Best place to stay close to Zion National Park: Springdale, UT
Another excellent place to stay for visiting Zion National Park is the town of Springdale, at the park Southern entrance.
Springdale develops outside of the park and it is the next best lodging choice if you cannot stay inside the park
Springdale has a plethora of Zion accommodation options to suit most budgets and it has shops, restaurants and equipment rental options.
Something that makes Springdale and an excellent base for visiting zion in also that it is served by the Zion shuttle.
This means that, depending on where in Springdale you are staying, you may not need to get the car at all on the day of your visit!
Springdale hotels and motels close to Zion National Park to consider
These are some lodging options close to Zion National Park which offer free cancellation options on booking.com (selected rooms and dates only, check individual offers)
La Quinta by Wyndham at Zion Park has clean, modern rooms with wifi and a much needed outdoor pool for the summer months in a beautiful location
Zion Park Motel: just outside the park, this hotel has clean rooms with rustic decor, free wifi and seasonal outdoor pool
Zion Canyon Lodge: not to be confused with Zion Lodge (above) this is a clean and well-kept hotel in Springdale with modern rooms, some with cooking facilities
Springhill Suites by Marriot at Zion National Park: offering stunning views, lovely balconies, seasonal pool, gym and rooms for up to 5 people (great for bigger families!), this is a beautiful address in Springdale
Hampton Inn and Suites at Springdale/Zion National Park: another clean and convenient address close to zion national park, this hotel has a seasonal pool, free parking and is pet-friendly
Flanigan’s Inn: Located close to the park entrance, this is a great lodging option especially for bigger families: their rooms take up to 6 people. Rooms and houses available.
Where to stay for visiting Zion: St George, UT
Another very popular place to stay for visiting Zion National Park is the town of St George.
St George is farther away from Zion and it takes a little over an hour to drive from the to the park entrance.
This makes it less convenient than Springdale but it also means you get accommodation at a fraction of the price.
We stayed in St George and found it pleasant and convenient especially if you are going or coming from Las vega, LA and the West.
Places to stay in St George Utah
St George Inn and Suites: clean, functional and in a super handy location to get onto the highway and Zion / Las Vegas. Small yet nice pool and play frames on-site, several restaurants in the same lot – excellent budget choice.
Staybridge Suites St George: a clean, modern hotel with a swimming pool, fitness center, free wifi and parking. Handy also for larger families as their suites can host up to 7 people.
Castaway Cove at Estancia: excellent especially for prolonged stays, this is a spacious house with lovely balconies and views, swimming pool, cooking facilities and all you need to fa family vacation in st George, Zion and nearby area
Best places to stay between Zion and Bryce Canyon
If, like us, you are planning on visiting both Zion and Bryce Canyon, you may be looking at accommodation between the two parks.
This can be a good option if you want to stay in one place for a few days and explore both parks and the places to stay are Glendale, Mt Carmel Junction and Kanab.
Need to know: Staying along the Mt Carmel Highway means you will enter Zion from the East entrance. This is a wonderful entrance with as super scenic drive with switchbacks meandering down to the Canyon. This is my favorite drive into Zion but it is long and not ideal to do up and down every day and is also not accessible to larger vehicles. Do check regulations here.
Personally, however, I would recommend to separate your stays and find lodging near Bryce and a different one in Zion (find our guide to Bryce Canyon and recommended lodging).
The following addresses are all well located for a visit to Zion.
Arrowhead Country Inn and Cabins, Mt Carmel Jt: Lovely inn in pleasant green surroundings and with lovely views. Their swimming pool, farm setting and space rooms make it very appealing especially for families (although it looks pretty romantic too!)
Grand Circle Bed and Breakfast, Kanab: very pretty and welcoming bed and breakfast with free wifi, free parking and a breakfast guest rave about. Pet-friendly.
Canyons Boutique Hotel, Kanab: in a convenient location in Kanab, handy to drive into Zion, this hotel has clean rooms (suite accommodates up to 7 people) pool and handy restaurants onsite
I hope this selection of hotels helped you picked the best place to stay in or near Zion National Park for you and your group.
Safe travel planning!
Additional resources for your trip to Zion NP:
