Stay in Springdale

The Convenience and Bonuses of Staying in Springdale

As dangerous as it is to start with a cliche, here it goes: A picture is worth a 1,000 words. We’ve all heard the saying, but it has never rung more true than in this situation.

When you plan a trip to Zion National Park, you have to make a couple hard decisions. One of those is where to stay. Obviously there is no one right answer for everyone. Each of us has our own specific priorities. However, Springdale is a great choice for where to stay on your trip. Just look at the pictures.

Entrance Sign to Springdale

Travel Time

You’ll spend less travel time staying in Springdale than any other option. That means you can do more in the park, spend more time relaxing at the hotel pool, and just plain maximizing the minutes you have here. Less time driving is always a good thing.

If you stay in Springdale, you can even bring a bike and not even use a car. Everything is super close, and all the shuttles have bike racks that allow you to bring your bike into the park itself if you want. Many people even bike up the main canyon.

Don’t have or want to bring your own bike? Not a problem! There are many places to rent a bike, including the Zion Lodge.

Taking in a View

We often get the same question over and over when people are looking to visit Zion: “How long should I stay to see the Park?”

To make a blanket statement for everyone of varying degrees of interests, let’s say 3 days. If you’re more than a sightseer and want to really experience the park, that’s a realistic time frame. Whether you’re planning to camp or go the hotel route, no other location other than Springdale offers views this good. It’s hands down the prettiest spot and offers an amazing view in any direction. This is in large part due to the small town of Springdale actually bordering Zion.

Aerial view of the town of Springdale, Utah

What to Eat

You most likely want to eat better on vacation than you do in your day-to-day life. Food is what brings people together, and good food all but guarantees you’ll have a good time.

There are honestly too many amazing restaurants to name in Springdale. It’s unbelievable how many unique, quality places there are to eat at in such a small town. Almost nothing competes when it comes to close proximity dining to a world-class national park. Some local favorites are Oscars and The Switchback Grill.  

French Cuisine

A Few Drawbacks

Let’s quickly knock off the obvious reasons people choose somewhere else to stay when visiting Zion. Prices for hotels and food will be a little cheaper in other areas further away from the park. You may also want to be closer to other activities while on your trip, like shopping, Tuacahn or other national parks. However, you’ll see more of the park, you’ll eat as good or better than you could hope for, you’ll have incredible views the whole time all because you stayed in Springdale. So do yourself a favor and start planning your next trip to Zion!