The Springdale Three-Day Weekend

The town of Springdale, UT is extraordinary for a lot of reasons, beyond the obvious backdrop of the breathtaking scenery of Zion National Park. For those who’ve been here, most of these reasons are going to be pretty obvious. But for those who haven’t, one of these reasons, in particular, may surprise you. Did you know that you can EASILY spend 3 or more days here without even coming close to running out of fabulous things to do? What’s that you say? You want us to prove it? Well, we thought you’d never ask. Ladies and gentlemen: The Springdale Three-Day Weekend. (We’re going to focus and expound on Day 3’s activities in order to further illustrate the vitality of a longer trip, as well as to keep the article’s length to a minimum.)

Day 1

Before you make your way up to Springdale and Zion Canyon, making a stop off to Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane is an absolutely great adventure destination. Highlights include a reservoir with all the water activities you could want including boating, jet skiing, kayaking, fishing, or just lounging on the soft sandy beach. Additionally, the park is home to some amazing sand dunes. You can experience this amazing area on your own or with professional guidance from one of the area’s premier guiding and rental services Rent Utah Toys. After your Sand Hollow adventure, make your way to Highway 9 towards Springdale but make sure to refuel with a stop at the Stage Coach Grille in LaVerkin with a hearty steak, gourmet burger, or refreshing salad. Next, it’s back on the road to check-in to your luxurious Springdale hotel just steps away from Zion National Park, The Cable Mountain Lodge! After a warm welcome and an easy check-in, it’s time to relax and finalize your adventure plans for the next two days.

Recap:

Itinerary Item #1: Sand Hollow State Park and Rent Utah Toys.com

Itinerary Item #2: Dinner at Stage Coach Grille in LaVerkin

Itinerary Item #3: Check in to your room at Cable Mountain Lodge in Springdale

Itinerary Item #4: Relax and plan your next two days

Day 2

How does a half day of mountain biking on the epic slickrock trails of nearby Gooseberry Mesa or the fun and exciting single track of the Jem Trail sound? Oh yeah, and throw in some unbelievable panoramic views of Zion National Park along with Pine Valley Mountain and the beautiful Virgin River. Whether you’re a seasoned and experienced rider or new to the sport and ready for a beginner trail experience, the guides at Zion Mountaineering School offer a full-service experience you won’t soon forget. You’re bound to have worked up an appetite after your day of riding and we recommend a stop into the Switchback Grille to enjoy a world-class meal along with the convenience of selecting a nice bottle of wine from their Trading Company store afterward to take back to your room.

Recap:

Itinerary Item #1: Book an excursion with Zion Mountaineering School

Itinerary Item #2: Dinner at Switchback Grille

Itinerary Item #3: Visit the Switchback Trading Co., buy a bottle of wine, take it back
to your room, and enjoy the views.

Day 3

After you’ve experienced two full days of high adventure, high-class accommodations, and high-quality food, let this third day be your well-deserved, sublime conclusion while you bask in the magic of Springdale just a little bit longer.

Itinerary Item #1:

Take a stroll down the Riverside Walk also known as the Gateway to the Narrows, the Riverside Walk capitalizes more on the experience of getting to the destination as opposed to the destination itself. A mostly level and paved trail allows you to focus more on the beauty that’s immediately around you. Constant up-close views of the flowing Virgin River will catch your eye, as well as glimpses of lush, damp vegetation complements of the “weeping” water traveling down the rock face. You can even step down into the river itself using one of the many river access points. The hike is about two miles long round trip and lasts around one to two hours. Riverside Walk is known as one of the across-the-board favorite spots in the Park. We’re sure it will be for you as well. Note: it’s also wheelchair accessible.

For further trail specifics and expert insight, including other trails it feeds into, check out Joe’s Guide to Zion National Park by Joe Braun Photography at “The Riverside Walk”

Itinerary Item #2: Grab lunch at Café Soleil

Just remember these three words when you get here: pepperoni chicken panini. It is ridiculously good! Their full menu includes many more paninis as well as a full gourmet coffee bar, pizza, smoothies, wraps, salads, soups, beer, and other drinks. They also specialize in vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free items. Before you leave, if you feel so inclined, give chef and owner Tamera Burton a handshake or high-five for whipping up some stellar food. Check out their menu online: http://cafesoleilzionpark.com/

Itinerary Item #3: Stop at LaFave Gallery on your way out of town

LaFave Gallery is a fantastic local art gallery open from 9am-9pm. Currently, they are featuring work from over forty artists in categories ranging from photography and painting to ceramics, glass, sculpture, and jewelry; phenomenal work. In fact, for our artists out there, later this month they are holding a special workshop featuring professional oil painter Kate Starling focusing on on-location landscape oil painting. More information on Kate and the Gallery can be found at www.lafavegallery.com as well as www.kstarling.com.

And there you have it – The Springdale Three-Day Weekend. Though it’s definitely not a secret to many, there are still some who are unaware that Springdale is a vacation destination. We’re pleased we were able to enlighten those who didn’t know to that fact this week! We’ll see you when you get here!