Top 10+ Glamping near Panguitch, UT

Did you know that a lot of Airbnb listings have their own websites OFF of airbnb where you can book them for much cheaper since you aren’t charged an Airbnb service fee? I did, but totally forgot to check for this yurt. Shoot! 

We checked in to the yurt on our way to Bryce canyon which is half an hour away. The location was tough for us to find, especially considering that we had some traffic behind us so we couldn’t slow down too much as we looked for the driveway. The sign that they have does not have great visibility so we definitely missed the driveway going past it both directions. It definitely helps to familiarize yourself with the buildings on the other side of the road as landmarks if you are going to be coming and going frequently from here. We used a“no passing zone” triangular sign that was kind of by the driveway as our more immediate landmark. 

Jeannie and her husband live in the center yurt and are friendly, but they give you your space. Of all of my airbnb experiences where the hosts were on-site they were by far my favorite. It is really hard to find hosts that strike the perfect balance of friendliness. Apparently the 3 yurts on the property used to be an art studio and they have converted the two side yurts into liveable spaces. We stayed in the studio yurt which was cheaper, the deluxe yurt is more spacious and includes a couch and its slightly more removed from Jeannie’s yurt so your deck is more private.  A mini-fridge, microwave, and other kitchen small appliances that we didn't use were available.  

The BEST part of this yurt was the view from the deck. We passed up a sunset in Bryce so that we could hang out here instead. My husband spent a significant amount of time taking slow-mos of their hummingbird visitors- there were A TON of them. The other great thing is that there is a washer and dryer. It took me a while to figure the washer out since water would not run unless the lid was closed. It was great to be able to get laundry done in the middle of our trip while we could lounge on the bed watching tv instead of having to go to a laundromat- there is also wifi available! We would definitely stay here again, and if you look at their website you can see some other nearby cabins/tipis that are available to rent.

This is one of the best RV parks in Southern Utah. It is about 10 minutes from Panguitch, They have a gas station with a snack store plus miscellaneous items, a game room, LOTS of washers and dryers and much more. If you are a person who hates crappy bathrooms, I have stayed here every summer for the past 3 years and I have not found not 1 bug or critter and they don’t smell either. The lot sizes are HUGE! You can stream videos on low quality with the WiFi. There is a playground, and the Staff is the nicest I’ve ever met. Please stay here, they deserve it!

So, take Ruby's with a grain of salt. It's historic, big, and tourist-y. We camped in the tipi (most tipis are ON the highway, so request tipi 10) that was by the lake. The tipi is probably the only secluded camping available. It was fun and pretty comfortable. It was cool at night in June, unlike all the other places we have camped in Utah. Sadly, there are so many lights at Ruby's, you can't see the stars. But, the atmosphere at Ruby's is more like being at an attraction than being outside in nature. Bathrooms are too small and there aren't enough of them to support the campground. There are shuttles to Bryce Canyon park available from Ruby's. There are shops, groceries, and anything you need at Ruby's. If you're used to nice mountain bikes, do t get your hopes up with the rentals. They are in bad shape. Also, there really are not mountain bike trails in the area. Even mountain trails that allow bikes are really horse trails and terrible to ride.

We choose duck creek due to the proximity to Zion and Bryce Canyon and it was an hour or so from each. This was a nice quite spot, but at the end of June it was freezing! In the mornings it was around 37 degrees, I had to jump in the truck to warm up! No showers or cell service, the bathrooms had running water and were clean. We never found any showers or laundry in duck creek village as the site suggested and there was no one to ask. We found a nice RV park in hatch where we had showers for 5.00 each, laundry was also reasonable there. They had picnic tables and a fire pit which was nice.

It's easy to over look the gem of an area as it sits between the mega attractions of Bryce Canyon and Arches National Parks, but if you do you are depriving yourself of a real treat. This campsite nestles on the side of an inviting reservoir forming an oasis in the dry Escalante Staircase. The lake side pitches are cool and airy, the facilities are clean and modern (free wifi) and the camping fee entitles you to climb the hill behind the camp site and stumble into a jewel like land scape of a petrified forest where it is impossible to take a step without treading on what looks like rubies and sapphires. There's even a full sizes petrified tree laid out in the car park! Nearby there are waterfalls and petrographs and beavers' dams and fossil beds. It's just magic!

We were just looking for a place to sleep, checked out the first camping outside of Zion east entrance and decided to check out the next closest one according to info from the Zion ranger. Info said 2 miles, but more like 7-8. Upon arrival my kids eyes lit up and we booked 3 mid week nights. Free, private hot showers. Dish was station. Free pool and hot tub, ball sports, playground and fitness trail. Pay for stuff like bungie trampoline and rock wall and put put. 2 camp stores recently equipped, even individual beers(4%). Our site was a little small, tent was to close to the fire ring to feel comfortable with a fire. We peaked at the glamping tents and were jealous, maybe next time. Great spot at $30 a night plus taxes etc.

We finished out our Spring Break Outdoor recreation trip by clamping in one of the canvas tents at Ponderosa. I'd never been so excited to sleep in a bed. We slept with 5 people in each tent. The tents were accommodated with 4 beds (2 twin, 1 Queen, and 1 pull-out couch). We were provided with a power strip for phone charging as well as electricity, extra blankets, and towels.

While we were too tired to take advantage of all the activities offered at the resort, we spent a good amount of time in the hot tub and pool which we had all to ourselves. We then finished out the evening by cooking burgers over the fire and taking showers.

We woke up the next morning to a light dusting of snow, but were not cold during the night. We then enjoyed the all you can eat breakfast which was very nice, especially after having to wake early and make our own food over a temperamental stove each morning.

All in all, Ponderosa was a fabulous experience and I would highly recommend it (Plus it's located literally just outside of the Zion Park border).