Elevated glamping - Zion White Bison

Elevated Glamping

ZION WHITE BISON

The location of Zion White Bison Resort is nothing short of incredible – as it is situated just 15 miles from the Southern entrance to Zion National Park, making the park’s magnificent trails, breath-taking hikes, and stunning views all easily accessible. As soon as Jared, one of the resort’s owners found the land, he recognised the historic value and the opportunity to created what he and his business partner Duan dubbed ‘elevated glamping’.

Zion White Bison offers Tipis, Covered Wagons and Cliff Dwellings (patterned after ancient Anasazi kivas). It also offers guests the opportunity to see real bison grazing the 200-acre pastures.

The resort has been open almost a year and

McKell Davis heads up the marketing team at the resort alongside her husband. “Duan was initially inspired to build Zion White Bison Resort because he is a farmer from Washington and loves history, so when he was visiting Utah a couple of years back, he came across a piece of land that had a rich amount of history. He knew that he had to create something that was going to offer an unforgettable experience for people traveling through the area. He then brought in Jared who is from Southern Utah to help bring his vision to this piece of land, which is now called Zion White Bison,” says McKell.

The name of the site is extremely significant and it stems from an ancient Native American legend. “The white bison is an extremely rare and sacred animal and just a generation ago only one out of 10 million bison was born white. Currently, the figure is ten times greater and the return of the white bison represents the beginning states of the fulfilment of the legend,” says McKell.

Zion White Bison’s sactuary is blessed and privileged to now have three white bison, two female and one bull. The team at the resort worked closely with the Native American people in their region and when they were made aware of the White Bison legend, they changed the name from the original Zion Weeping Buffalo Resort to Zion White Bison Glamping and RV Resort in respect for their support and to honor the history of the place.

The ’elevated’ glamping experience refers to the private en-suite bathrooms enjoyed by guests as well as the high-end facilities, which include heat and air conditioning, kitchens, hot tubs, fire pits, smart TVs.... all of the modern amenities that

you can think of to have a comfortable stay. The resort will also be home to over 100+ RV sites this coming year with plans to bring in glamping tents, a commercial store and hotel.

The accommodation was built mindful of the environment and to protect against high temperatures and the risk of flooding. They were all designed with historical structures in mind but updated to withstand today’s environment and guests expectations.

“We wanted to keep everything in the resort authentic to how the pioneers and Indians used to live in the local area,” adds McKell. “That’s why we have brought in real bison to graze in their 200-acre pasture here on the property. Every detail and design has been authentically crafted and brought to life with modern-day comforts for a unique experience. Our guests love all of our accommodations but our most popular has been our tipis and we just opened our Cliff Dwellings (kivas) a couple of weeks ago, which are also very popular.”

McKell does not believe the pandemic has made a difference to guest booking behavior. “We haven’t noticed any issues. The business has been going great! We have been booked every weekend over the summer,” she says.

Zion White Bison is a close drive to Bryce Canyon, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, St. George and lots of other local outdoor adventures. “As well as meeting the bison during their stay, guests can enjoy the site’s unique water feature, or play one of the many outdoor games. They can bike ride, roast S’mores, listen to the croaking frogs in the pond, enjoy the beautiful sunrises or sunsets and star gaze,” adds McKell.

The site doesn’t currently offer food on site but has partnered with a local business, Balcony One for food service and delivery and also with its local grocery store for delivery or pick up.

As for marketing the resort, McKell says that she has been hitting social media hard. “It’s very important! We’ve gained over 10,000 followers in less than a year on Instagram alone,” she says. “SEO, Facebook advertising and Google advertising are also vital. We just partnered with a channel manager as well.”

The team has plenty of exciting plans for 2024. “Our RV sites are coming in the next year, along with glamping tents, an on-site convenience store, restaurant and hotel,” says McKell. “Our glamping accommodations are in the front of our property and our RV sites are going to be towards the back of our property. They are in two separate areas with different elevations, so no view is obstructed. We are looking forward to building on the success of the past 12 months.”

Double Queen Kiva

King room