Family reunion enjoy spending time together on our Sunset Jeep Tour

Family reunions that come to Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort always have a blast at our regular amenities; from the two-tiered pool to magnificent hikes, from the ping-pong and pool tables to the volleyball and basketball courts, each family makes their own fun.  However, there’s much more to do! The best days were when one small child was too scared to take the leap and shoot down the zipline and the parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and grandparents shouted words of encouragement from below – with enough support the child always jumped and raced back to go down again. These moments brought the families closer together and made memories that last forever.

Family reunions thoroughly enjoy themselves at Zion Ponderosa!

Besides the zipline, family reunion participants enjoyed horseback riding, ATV excursions, several types of jeep tours, mini-golfing, canyoneering, and the best – paintball games! All of these excellent recreation activities were perfect for families to spend time together and even battle each other! At the end of each long, exciting day many families piled into our large, white-canvas tent to enjoy a special meal prepared for just their family. Then, each member could mix and mingle while enjoying a savory meal.

We’re located next to Zion National Park and one of our best activities that let family reunions spend more time together and experience something new were our Dutch Oven Dinners + Wagon Rides. After an authentic Western wagon ride, families were met with the barbeque aroma and got to eat next to a beautiful ravine. So many enjoyed the slow-cooked meal they came back for seconds or even thirds. After their bellies were full and a good time was had by everyone, our General Manager, Michael Kane, would tell his thrilling story of seeing a mountain lion and our Customer Service Intern, Clarissa Thatcher, would tell exciting stories about Butch Cassidy. Each person left satisfied and in high spirits.

Family reunions love to bond at the Dutch Oven Dinner + Wagon Ride!

Many family reunions enjoyed our evening activities, planned by our Event Planning Intern, Megan Bird. With activities ranging from bonfires to barn dances, from night games to stargazing parties, and from rodeos to night hikes, there was always and activity that added a little extra adventure to the family reunion.  Adventure awaited each family reunion and each group made their own memories – we were glad to be there to help make them!

If you’d like to know more call us toll free at (800) 293-5444 or visit our website Zion Ponderosa.

ATV Tour - click for larger image

Here at Zion Ponderosa, we take pride in the wide variety of interests and needs we cater to. One often overlooked option is corporate retreats or training camps. Our resort is an excellent location for employees to escape from the daily grind and reset their focus for the work ahead.

Corporate guests can stay in any of our accommodations  On-site, our many facilities are available for your use. The conference room can be rented for group meetings. If your party is too large for the conference room – which seats about 80 – the white tent can be rented for meals and more. Projectors, screens, speakers, and mics can also be rented.

Between training and team building, employees can relax by the pool, go on a horseback ride, or hike into Zion National Park. Our spa offers a wide variety of massages and treatments should even more relaxation be desired. Our staff are friendly and supportive: just what is needed to make a perfect change of pace.

All in all, Zion Ponderosa is an ideal place to refresh the minds and hearts of work teams.

In 2004, Tom and his family came to Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort for a family reunion.  This past Tuesday he brought his family back here after spending a few nights in the Grand Canyon.  They’ve rented one of our vacation homes through Saturday morning, when they return to their home in Corpus Christi, Texas.

After watching Tom with his family, especially his sons, I realized that Father’s Day is being spent here at Zion Ponderosa, just a week earlier than what’s on the calendar.   Not only was it wonderful to see them participate in the various adventure activities here, but it’s been a privilege to tag along on a couple of their excursions.  I was never without a photo opportunity that included smiles, laughter, and pride of a father for a son.

Instead of tagging along one of our horseback trail rides yesterday, Kourtney, one of our Adventure Activities Guides suggested I go to the rifle range with a small group.  We piled in one of the shuttle vans and Colton, another guide and avid hunter from Mesa, Arizona, drove us to the shooting range located on one of the mountains here.  I got to meet and get to know Tom and his 13 year old son, Jacob on the ride there.  Tom cracked a joke about Jacob barely being out of diapers the last time they were here.

The session began with a short, detailed lesson with safety instructions before Colton set them up at the range with shotguns.  I’ve been to a few trap shoots in my life, but none with such a beautiful view, silence, and a valley that the “pigeons” are thrown across.  I was in awe.  The interaction between the two men with Jacob kept my camera’s eye on them.  Not once did it wander to the vista behind us without someone in the photo.

Colton led the two in a couple competitions – both shooting at the same pigeon, throwing out two pigeons at once, and an overall best shot.  Before the last round of five shots, Tom and Jacob were tied at eight each.  The end result was Tom winning by one.  Maybe Jacob let him win as a Father’s Day gift.

First thing this morning I signed up to tag along on a guided ATV ride.  To my surprise, it was Tom again.  This time he was with his 17 year old son, Zachary.  After getting permission to ride along with my camera, our guide took us through some instructions and safety guidelines before assigning us each to an ATV.

Kourtney led our private group with Zach directly behind her.  She guided us on the Checkerboard Mesa ATV trail which takes us to the Zion National Park property line with a spectacular view of the east entrance to the park.  She recognized Zach’s ability to handle the ATV, so she kicked it up a notch and pushed us to the next level.  Tom drives a motorcycle and Zach is, well, a 17 year old young man, so no complaints or fear from either of them.

On the final part of the ride, Tom and Kourtney discussed a photo opportunity.  He and Zach switched places before our “final descent” where Tom was able to get some take-home shots of Zach riding down and up through the trail.  What a great memory to have and to keep – for all of us.  I thank Tom and his sons for making memories with us and for letting me witness it.  It makes me wish that my dad were here at Zion Ponderosa to spend Father’s Day with me!

The canyons in the Zion National Park area are screaming to for some rappelling action, and Isaac is ready to take you on an adventure you’ll never forget!  This is his third season with us as our guide.  Not only is he a T.A. for the canyoneering class at Brigham Young University, but he recently returned from New Zealand where he spent time canyoning there.

Saturday the weather was hot, the sky clear, and our group was ready by 8 a.m. for a canyoneering trip in a slot canyon  on the east rim of Zion National Park.  A contributary to the Orderville Canyon, it feeds into the Narrows in Zion, another spot famous for canyoneering.  The far left photo is an impressive shot of  the black choke stone.

Over 85% of our clients started here as beginners in the sport, with an age range of 11 – 65 years.  Whether beginner or intermediate, you’ll want to book an adventure at Zion Ponderosa Resort and let Isaac and his team guide, teach, and impress you!

Getting harnessed for the bungee trampoline

Preparing for the rock climbing wall

It’s Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff to summer vacation, and things are in full-swing at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.  Early arrivals for this sold-out weekend include a KIPP – AMP (Knowledge is Power – Always Mentally Prepared) school group from Brooklyn, New York and some families from California and Florida.

Although Ziplining and Paintball games were the favorite activities yesterday, everything was going on this afternoon, from the Bungee Trampoline to the ATV rides to the Zip Line.  Giovanna, a mighty 5 year old was the star of the Zip Line as she pushed her way through the line to ride the line without fear.  Her mother, camera in hand and smile on her face, watched and laughed as her daughter zoomed down the line, dismounted with help, and announced that she was ready to go again.

Enjoying the ATV track

With over 500 guests staying at the Zion Ponderosa each night, the fact that the weather is forecasted to be sunny, clear, and in the 70’s, will make it for a memorable Memorial Day weekend!

Zooming on the Zip Line

Dual Waterfalls in Zion National Park

Zion National Park has been eroded and shaped by the constant effects of water moving over the soft sandstone formations.   Melting snow or rain storms are most prominent in the spring-time and this leads to opportunities to view some magnificent waterfalls within the park.   Zion National Park is actually a large plateau where deep canyons have been carved into the plateau.   The plateau gathers snow and rain and then funnels the resulting water flow down, sometimes into narrow canyons commonly referred to as slot canyons.  As water gathers from multiple points on the plateau, it gathers force and often jettisons itself out over the edge of the plateau before gravity grabs hold and curls the force of water downward.

With so many gathering points along the top of Zion, waterfalls may often be seen at nearly every turn.   This only occurs during days of strong snow-melt or during a heavy rain-storm.   So count yourself lucky if you are in Zion National Park when these events occur.    The water from these falls funnel down to gathering points on the valley floor where they flow eventually into the Virgin River.  The Virgin River is the main water flow through the Narrows of Zion and this river continues through the park, out past the towns of Springdale, Rockville, Virgin and on to Hurricane, St. George and eventually to the Colorado River.

Waterfall from a slot canyon at Zion National Park

Flash Floods: With so many narrow slot canyons in Zion National Park, the fast gathering water has no outlet and walls of water will come raging down a slot canyon at a rapid rate and at heights that can exceed 40 feet.   This is a rare occurrence but one that you do not want to witness from the bottom of a slot canyon.   So on rainy days, be sure to stay out of slot canyons.   Also be wary of strong increases in temperatures on spring days when melting snow can quickly gather water in large amounts.

Guided slot canyon trips: Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort offers guided canyoneering adventures into area slot canyons.   Click here for more details.

Bring your camera: The waterfalls in Zion National Park are a spectacular sight and you’ll want to shoot plenty of photographs.   You’ll find that spring-time is remarkably scenic with the blooming flowers and budding trees.   Combine this with the waterfalls, and occasional views of wildlife and you’ve got some great compositions and colors for beautiful photographs.

Canyoneering in Zion National Park

Canyoneering:

Most people have never heard the term canyoneering.    In fact the dictionary doesn’t even recognize the name.   So what does it mean?   Essentially canyoneering is the art or experience of exploring and traveling through canyons.   The similar term of canyoning is used outside the United States to describe this experience.

Wading through pools of water in slot canyon

Canyoneering participants are most often walking, down-climbing (sometimes with ropes) and negotiating technical obstacles in canyons that often contain flowing water or in some cases, remnant pools of rainwater.    With these pools and/or waterfalls, there is often also the need to swim.

There are few places in the world that offer a more magnificent canyoneering opportunity than Zion National Park.  If fact, look-up canyoneering in Wikipedia and the first photo you’ll see (10-16-09) is one of Mystery Canyon in Zion National Park.

Why is canyoneering in Zion National Park so unique? The answer is that the canyons in Zion are comprised of sandstone that has been stained by oxidizing iron.   The many hues of white, ochre and red sandstone provide a colorful experience not found, in such abundance, anywhere else in the world.   Mix in the pine trees, scrub-oak and cottonwood trees that cling to the rock crevices and line the canyons, the blue-sky far overhead, and you have an remarkable color palette.

Some canyoneering experiences require many rappels (with ropes), and therefore also necessitate that at least one or two people in the group have strong skills with rappelling.   The good news is that Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort offers skilled guides to take you on a canyoneering adventure, so that you won’t need to acquire rappelling knowledge.    There are canyons to explore that require just the ability to scramble over or down obstacles or rocks that are 10 to 20 feet high.   In these cases, a simple strong rope and some basic skills and agility will suffice.

Gazing up at the sot canyon walls that rise vertically to great heights

Zion National Park offers some of the world’s best slot canyons for canyoneering exploration.   Places such as The Narrows, The Subway, Orderville Canyon, Mystery Canyon, Englestead Canyon and others offer various levels of adventure and challenge.

In Zion National Park it is often best to start at the top of the canyon and hike down.   Zion Ponderosa offers shuttles to pick you up at the end of your canyoneering adventure.   You may also choose to enter the Narrows from the bottom and walk up-river as far as you choose and then turn around and come back down.   With this method you can leave a car outside the park and return via Zion National Park shuttle (during main season).

- – - – - – - -

Visit our canyoneering page by clicking here to learn more about the special slot canyon adventures that we offer.

Zion National Park lodging choice over a hotel or motel

This post is an explanation of why selecting Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort as your Zion National Park lodging experience is the right decision.   First let’s review the lodging options at Zion Ponderosa.

1- Camping / RV Park. We have many guests who would rather bring their RV or tent and stay with us because of the full package of dining and activities we also provide.

2- Cowboy Cabins. These inexpensive cabins will sleep up to six and are the equivalent of staying in a Zion National Park motel except that the bathrooms and showers are in nearby facilities, but all cabins have a front porch for enjoying our beautiful mornings and evenings.

3- Cabin Suites. These nicer cabins will also sleep 6 and are the equivalent of staying in a Zion National Park hotel, but you have your own place with with full bathrooms, air conditioning and a great view from your own front porch.

View from the porch of a cabin suite near Zion National Park

4- Vacation Homes. We have 20 different vacation home rentals (cabin style) which are generally the equivalent of staying in a deluxe Zion National Park hotel suite.   There are many sizes, and varying degrees of amenities.  Just pick the one that suits your needs.   These are great for groups of friends or families who want to be together.   These can be quite economical when spreading the cost over a larger group.

So there a simple overview of why Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort is the choice when selecting your place to stay for Zion National Park lodging, hotels, motels and resorts.

What other reasons can we offer for choosing us as your Zion National Park hotel, motel or lodging option?

a- Dining. During the main season we offer excellent fine dining at the Blue Belly Grill.   Our guest rave about this fine dining experience.   It makes their choice for Zion National Park lodging even easier.    Through all the months we are open, we all offer buffet and À la Carte dining at Gus & Rosey’s Buffet.   The quality of this option is also excellent.

Two-tierred swimming pool - gravity edge at Zion Ponderosa

b- Activities. When you’re choosing your Zion National Park hotel or lodging, you really want to have options for things to do.  Consider, as compelling evidence, our large two-tierred gravity edge swimming pool and a host of other activities such as horseback riding, ATV tours, climbing wall, zip-line, paintball, rifle range, and more.    At Zion Ponderosa we offer more on-property activities than any place in Utah.   We even offer some excellent packages that make these activities quite inexpensive.

c- Proximity. Our location on the border of Zion National Park and just 75 minutes from Bryce Canyon National Park, makes us a convenient place to unpack once and spend many days.   The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument begins just 25 minutes away.  We are situated on the upper side of Zion National Park among the Ponderosa Pines at 6,000 feet and just minutes from the official east gate of Zion National Park.

So this provides just a few clear reasons why choosing Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort as your Zion National Park lodging is the right choice.   We invite you to call and ask questions about availability and the many reasons whey you’ll enjoy staying with us.   800-293-5444