Glamping near Zion National Park: Zion Wildflower vs. Autocamp Zion

Zion National Park is known for its towering sandstone cliffs, breathtaking canyons, and unique rock formations. More and more people are discovering its beauty and the park’s popularity has surged in recent years.

For visitors seeking a luxurious way to immerse themselves in nature, glamping in Greater Zion is the perfect solution. There are several incredible options for glamping near Zion National Park. We had the opportunity to stay at Zion Wildflower and Autocamp Zion.

In this post, we’ll discuss the nuances of these two glamping resorts to help you decide where to stay based on your taste and preferences.

Location

Zion Wildflower and Autocamp Zion are located in Virgin, only a 20-minute drive from the Springdale entrance to Zion National Park. Not only are they close to the park, but the location is central to many nearby adventures outside of the park.

Both are located about 45 minutes from the St. George Airport, 10 minutes from La Verkin, and about 40 minutes to Hildale.

Lodging

Zion Wildflower and Autocamp Zion both offer several different accommodation options for glamping near Zion National Park.

Zion Wildflower accommodation options:

• Grand Mesa tents: insulted tents handcrafted from South Africa complete with a large couch, air conditioning, feathertop beds, large in-suite bathrooms, and a gorgeous private deck with a table and chairs. Double queen, king, king + pullout bed, and king + bunk rooms available.
• Watchman tent: single pole canvas tent with king + two twin beds complete with a private deck, outlet ports, lanterns, rocking chairs, heated blankets, cooling units, and string lights that drape across the beams of the tent.
• Covered Wagons: a smaller, but more unique option; king bed + one or two sets of bunk beds in an authentic covered wagon complete with indoor lighting and charging ports, a seating area, and cooling/heating.
• Bungalows: Options for king bed + full bunk bedroom and two queen bedrooms. Bungalows are intended for groups and have a large private shower and bathroom, mini fridge, microwave, Keurig Coffee maker, and private deck with rocking chairs.

Autocamp Zion accommodation options:

• Classic airstreams: insulated airstream that can sleep 1-3 adults or two adults and two kids; complete with a flat-screen television with cable channels and audio system with Bluetooth, heating and air conditioning, Keurig machine, kitchen area with mini fridge, microwave, dishware, and glassware, and a bathroom with walk-in shower.
• Premium airstream suites: all of the amenities of the classic airstream plus a private covered patio and premium view.
• Classic cabins: sleep 1-3 adults or two adults and two kids; private bedroom with queen bed, bathroom, kitchen, and living space with a couch that transforms to a pull-out bed; the kitchen is complete with electric stovetop, microwave, mini fridge, and all tableware and BBQ utensils; also has an outdoor fire pit and dining area.
• Basecamp Suites: airstream + canvas tent combination perfect for families that sleep up to 6. Features a king bed in the tent and a queen bed in the airstream. The sofa converts to a bed as well. The Airstream suite features a sitting room, kitchenette, and walk-in rain shower. Includes access to Signature Clubhouse bathrooms as the tents do not have adjoining bathrooms. All of the amenities of a classic airstream including heating and cooling, flat-screen TV. Of note, these are available from April to October only.

Amenities

Both properties offer pools as well as lounging areas by the pool.

Autocamp Zion has a large common space with floor to ceiling windows and gorgeous views. The space includes a check in area, 24 hour convenience store, restaurant, and cozy lounge area.

There’s also a fun swing near the common space and free bikes to rent to ride around the property. Autocamp Zion offers coffee, tea, and granola in the mornings.

Zion Wildflower has a few communal firepits, swings, hammocks, outdoor games, and a convenience store with snacks, drinks, and souvenirs.

Dining

Although Zion Wildflower does not offer on-site dining, both glamping resorts are located close to a grocery store and several restaurant options in Springdale, Virgin, and La Verkin.

Autocamp Zion offers an on-site restaurant called The Kitchen. It also has a 24-hour convenience store with lots of snacks, food options, beer, and wine. We grabbed pizza to enjoy around the fire next to our Airstream.

Both offer a smores kit which is a very important necessity. The smores at Autocamp were the best smores we’ve ever had! Cinnamon graham crackers, decadent milk chocolate, and rectangular marshmallows, which we learned is a shape that results in a perfectly roasted marshmallow.

One night, we visited another glamping resort, Open Sky, for dinner at their restaurant, Black Sage. It ended up being our favorite dinner of the trip.

From the cozy atmosphere of a transformed shipping container to the mouth-watering food, we’d highly recommend dinner at Black Sage. It’s located less than 15 minutes from both Zion Wildflower and Autocamp Zion.

Overall Ambiance

Autocamp Zion felt more like a community. When we were there, they had live music as well as a yoga class the following morning.

Zion Wildflower felt more private and Zion Autocamp felt more communal. Zion Wildflower felt more luxurious; however, both were romantic and cozy.

It was nice to have a firepit at Autocamp so we could hang out outside our Airstream at night, despite the chilly weather.

The beautiful private deck at Zion Wildflower was perfect for hanging out outside during the day, but if you want to relax outside at night, you’ll have to walk over to the communal firepit.

Summary

Zion Wildflower and Autocamp Zion are both worthy options for glamping near Zion National Park. However, it’s hard to choose between them as they both offer unique amenities and atmospheres.

We hope this guide can help you narrow down where to stay! Our recommendation is to stay two nights at each property if you have the time. If you’re looking for ideas for your trip to Zion National Park, check out our guide for what to see in Zion in one day or our guide to the Narrows.