Does your idea of a dream national park vacation include unpacking in an overpriced hotel in a small, rich, crowded tourist town?  

Not ours.

I would rather chew off my own foot than stay in a crowded town with streets over-flowing with pedestrians, higher prices, little parking and lines of tourists to almost everything.  It’s hard enough driving through those types of places just to be able to get to the pristine, nature filled national parks, which are my actual destination.

I don’t hate people, actually quite the contrary.  I just don’t like them in massive groups all bunched together.  Not my cup of tea. Nor could I care less about fancy high-dollar shopping, gourmet foods nor foreign made souvenirs often found near National Parks in America.  Not at all how I’m ready to spend my hard earned money.

Luckily for me and people suffering from the same phobias as I have, there is a solution when it comes to visiting Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and the Grand Canyon North Rim; East Zion.

East Zion

East Zion is central to all three parks.  The area is rural (my personal ideal situation!).  It is a gorgeous area, filled with open spaces, mountains, Juniper trees, lots of wildlife and an awesome lack of masses of human presence.  

Every time I stay in East Zion I have an incredible feeling of being closer to nature and an incredible sense of peace.  Which is one of the main reasons I travelled to the National Parks in the first place.

When I go to a National Park I go to:

• take in the awesome views
• see the wildlife
• spend time away from the city
• get time away from people in general
• refresh and calm down from my everyday life
• learn about the history of the area
• spend quality time with my family and friends
• enjoy nature   

One of the best places to stay in the East Zion area is Mount Carmel, Utah.  I prefer a cabin. I am there for an experience with nature and to get a feel for the history of the area after all.  Cabins are definitely part of the history.

World Famous Western Artist Maynard Dixon lived in a cabin right across the street from my favorite place to stay in the area:  Arrowhead Country Inn and Cabins.  

About Arrowhead Country Inn & Cabins

The place offers individual cabins or rooms in the lodge, a big country buffet breakfast, pool and hot tub, BBQs, orchards, gardens, farm animals, a creek walk, on property trail, unbelievable back drop views of the glowing Elkhart Mountains and more.  It’s a small business (less people- yay) on 14 acres or so with easy access to Highway 89 so there aren’t a bunch of windy backroads to get to it, yet even with it’s easy to get to central location it definitely offers a way less busy feeling than the crowded tourist towns.

Be forewarned: this place is a get some groceries and plan to stay for a while kind of place.  You won’t want to leave and you could stay in one spot to see all three parks.