Best Glamping near Parowan, 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.

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.

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.

The park itself is nice. Full hook ups, heated pool and hot tub. Restrooms and laundry on site. Propane also on site. There are also a series of fenced in dog parks (3). So if you have dogs that don’t get along with other dogs that’s a plus because you can just go in a different one. The wifi is kind of hit or miss sometimes though. When the park is full at peak times good luck streaming anything. Staff is very friendly and helpful. I wouldn’t spring for the back in river spots unless you just want privacy behind you. The view for us isn’t that great as there is a rock wall behind you so your view is actually of that unless you have a very big rig. It is very close to Springdale and Zion National Park which is very convenient and why we chose it so four stars.