Ron Bexel
Dog Friendly Lodging Zion National Park – Warm weather is upon us, and you know what that means…road trips! If you’re like us, you like to take your pooch for a ride. Last August, we took one of the most amazing drives to beautiful Utah with our two pups, Newton + Maya. I thought I would do a small blog series (this is part I of II) on the trip and hopefully give some useful tips if you are going there with your dog.
Well, there are two main things to consider about Utah: (1) the weather + (2) the crowds. As a major tourist destination, it gets busy in the warmer months, so keep that in mind. Also, Utah got HAWT in the summer. For you and your child, this may not be good. We decided to go in the middle of September, and it was good for us. The crowds are still there, but not as much as say in June, July or August. Although it is still hot and sometimes hot, it is not as hot as summer. Can we do October? It may be so. But we don’t want to be cold, so we can do this trip in late September, early October is a good compromise.
Dog Friendly Lodging Zion National Park
So are you ready to take a road trip with your dog?! Maybe you’ve done this before (KUDOS to you!) But maybe it’s your first, driving again, road-trip and you’re a little nervous. Here is some information that will help you prepare. First, make a list of the things your dog needs every day….
A Guide On Where To Stay When Visiting Zion National Park In 2023
And anything else that they can use on a daily basis or that will make them feel comfortable away from home.
Next, distribute food and treats to the child each day, double the number of days you leave and put everything in a container or plastic bag for easy portability. Calculate the number of tablets/supplements required per day and multiply by the number of days and keep in a bag/container for easy transport. Then, just pack the water bowl, toys, dog bed or blanket and anything your dog needs and pack the car!
Now, let’s get to the good stuff… Where should you go in Utah? Well, for us, it’s really hard to choose just one place. If you’ve ever explored Utah, you know that there are amazing parks and attractions throughout the state. You want to see the Arches and Canyonlands in Moab in the east, but you also want to do Zion National Park and look at all the amazing slot canyons in the Utah desert in the southwest / south of the center. Utah has a lot to offer, and if you’re traveling from the other side of the country, you’re far away, so you can also hunker down and take it all in at once! [PS: We didn’t even manage to fit in Arizona’s epic Monument Valley, which isn’t too far away and could easily add a day or two, but oh well…next time!]
We decided on a week long trip (5 nights and 6 days to be exact) to see as much as possible. Planning such an elaborate trip may seem daunting, but with a little (actually, a lot) research, planning, diligence, and motivation you can do it! And I hope this blog will help you plan. So here’s how we broke it down.
Where To Stay In & Near Zion National Park 2024 (+ Best Springdale Hotels)
Starting at home, Denver, CO is the starting point. We decided that we wanted to include Moab and Zion on our trip, even though they are 4+ hours away and on different sides of the world. Why did Zion make sense first, because it is the farthest (9.5+ hours from DEN) and some amazing slot canyons on the way from Zion to Moab, which we also wanted to see, so, that’s the idea. We started our week long trip in Hurricane, UT, 35 minutes from Zion. We spent 2 nights there and then we started driving to Moab. On the way to Moab, we stopped in the desert of Kanab, Utah where you can find amazing, dog-friendly, slot canyons. The drive also took us through parts of Arizona including Lake Powell (which looks amazing and is on our list for our next visit). We finally arrived in Moab where we stayed the whole trip and three nights. The drive home at the end of the vacation was an easy + scenic 5-hour drive. Overall, I really think the way we planned it made the most sense for what we were doing. You may want to edit, add, remove, and organize based on where you’re from, how much time you have, and what you’re most interested in seeing. (If you have a short time, I recommend doing Moab for the entire stay). Here’s a little about the first two legs of our trip: Zion and Slot Canyon in the Utah desert. [We will do a separate blog on Moab soon!]
After 9.5 hours from Denver to Hurricane (with lots of food and potty-breaks), we arrived at a unique A-frame cabin in Hurricane, UT, about an hour from Zion National Park. Just look at the view from this place! Day 1 was a shower, as we were tired and just wanted to chill and enjoy the amazing view from our Airbnb. Hurricane is a small town, but for some great grub, check out Main Street Cafe.
Hurricane is also only 50 minutes away from unexpected surprises and (for us)… Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park! We didn’t know about this park until we were in Hurricane, and since it was so close, we ended up driving there. Boy oh boy is it worth it… I’ve never seen pink sand before, and this place is amazing! Plus, as a national park, it’s dog-friendly, which is the best part for us! Also, since it’s not popular, you don’t have to fight the whole crowd. Coral Pink Sand Dunes are located south and west of US Highway 89 in Kane County between Mount Carmel Junction and Kanab.
For Day 2, we drove about 35 minutes to Zion National Park. Gion, like all national parks, prohibits dogs in the park. However, unlike other national parks, the park has 1 dog-friendly hike, the Paras Trail. Pars is mostly flat, 3.4 miles (in and out) of paved trail with scenic views all around and dogs allowed on leashes. This is an animal-friendly trail throughout the park. Along the Pass Trail, you can also enjoy the park by driving along Route 9 (Zion-Mt. Carmel Hwy) with your dog in the car and stopping at various pullouts with great views. Unfortunately, during the tourist season, private vehicles are not allowed on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, which is closed-only. You can also do Bryce Canyon in the same day, just an hour from Zion. For lunch we stopped outside of Zion in the beautiful little town of Springdale, which seems to be the most touristy place to visit Zion and then took a ride to the park. We ate at Cafe Soleil, which has dog-friendly outdoor seating and delicious sandwiches. In retrospect, Springdale was a great choice for us to stay after walking the dogs, because you can leave your pup at the hotel/AirBnB on the day you want to do some dog-friendly activities in Zion’s famous Angel’s Landing! Outside of Springdale Park minutes away are many great restaurants.
How To Spend An Unforgettable 2 Days In Zion National Park
On Day 3, we said goodbye to Hurricane and headed to Kanab, UT and finally Slot Canyon in Moab. The specific slot canyon hike we chose (after much research) was the Wire Pass Trail in Buckskin Gulch. This hike was perfect for us, because (1) it’s dog-friendly and (2) it’s less crowded than other popular slot canyons, like the famous Wave in Arizona (it also gives you a chance to enter the lottery). in motion). Be warned, driving to the Wire Pass trail is not easy. It is medium in size, has many rough spots and requires 4-wheel drive. You should also make sure that there is no water in the projection. This is not a joke – this area is prone to dangerous floods and you don’t want to be stuck in that area if it floods. So make sure you plan a hard day.  However, the payment is worth it! Trail for beginners
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