Zion Lodge - A Hotel Rebuilt in 100 Days
Photo: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
A stop on Zion Canyon, a free self-guided tour.
Zion Lodge is the only hotel inside the park. The original, designed by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood for the Utah Parks Company, a branch of the Union Pacific Railroad, opened in 1925, when visitors arrived by train and tour bus. Underwood also designed lodges at Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon's North Rim.
In January 1966 a fire destroyed the main lodge. Determined not to lose the summer season, the company put up a prefabricated replacement in roughly 100 days. It worked, but it looked nothing like the old rustic lodge. In 1990 the building was remodeled to bring back some of Underwood's original style, including the stone piers on the front porch. Some of his small cabins survived the fire and still stand nearby.
Relax on the big lawn under the cottonwood trees and look for mule deer and wild turkeys, but keep your distance and never feed wildlife, including the bold squirrels.
Getting here: Ride the shuttle one stop up canyon to Zion Lodge.
Did you know?: After the 1966 fire, the replacement lodge was up and operating just 108 days later, according to the Park Service.
Photo op: Stand at the far edge of the lawn and frame the lodge porch with the red cliffs towering behind it.
Nearby: Restrooms, water, a cafe and a restaurant at the lodge; check current hours.
More on Wikipedia: Zion Lodge · Gilbert Stanley Underwood · Utah Parks Company
Stops on this tour
- Zion Canyon Visitor Center - Gateway to the Canyon
- Pa'rus Trail - Walking with the Watchman
- Zion Human History Museum - People of the Canyon
- Canyon Junction - Where the River Meets the Road
- Court of the Patriarchs - Three Stone Fathers
- Zion Lodge - A Hotel Rebuilt in 100 Days
- Emerald Pools - Waterfalls in the Desert
- The Grotto - Base Camp for Angels Landing
- Weeping Rock - The Cliff That Cries
- Big Bend - Giants All Around
- Temple of Sinawava - Where the Canyon Narrows