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It's possible that someone with picturesque land near Zion unable to monetise it just isn't very imaginative. Springdale is expensive and I feel like people wou

by prawn 8y ago

It's possible that someone with picturesque land near Zion unable to monetise it just isn't very imaginative. Springdale is expensive and I feel like people would stay further out (say, if accessing the Kolob Canyons side of Zion) if presented with an interesting experience and decent price. I'm from Australia but have visited Utah a number of times and shuttled up near Smith Mesa to start a Trans-Zion hike. I begrudgingly pay Springdale prices when in the area. Last month in Australia, I hiked in an event on a sheep station where there were shearer's quarters rented to families in non-shearing seasons, and around 10 campsites set up. Each campsite had very basic facilities but enough to beat simple camping. I intend to return. The views up there are nowhere near what you get near Zion.

dahart 8y ago
Sure but Springdale’s a purely tourist town, since it’s practically in the park. And there’s no ranchable land right in Springdale. It’s cute and there’s more options there for tourists, but you can usually find cheaper quarters only minutes away in the other towns. FWIW, when my family stays near Zion to shuttle & hike, we usually rent a house out by Hurricane.
- prawn 8y ago
  But Hurricane is pretty unremarkable. I'm suggesting that an imaginative rancher could create something interesting enough that people stay there despite fewer services and despite being further from the park entrance. I'm not talking about a farmstay but the sort of thing that people will travel from abroad to stay in because it looks incredible on their Instagram feed. There's nothing comparable in the area. And it need not be expensive to create like a desert resort. There's a kinda-yurtish tent in the countryside near me that's styled up for photos and it rents for $140/night. It's much more basic than the yurts you see renting in the States. But still, $140/n and they have 60+ reviews already. Loads of people will pay a premium on a motel or pick an alternative to a nice but plain hotel because it creates a better memory or looks more amazing. I'd be going after that market.

by prawn 8y ago

dahart 8y ago

Sure but Springdale’s a purely tourist town, since it’s practically in the park. And there’s no ranchable land right in Springdale. It’s cute and there’s more options there for tourists, but you can usually find cheaper quarters only minutes away in the other towns. FWIW, when my family stays near Zion to shuttle & hike, we usually rent a house out by Hurricane.

prawn 8y ago
But Hurricane is pretty unremarkable. I'm suggesting that an imaginative rancher could create something interesting enough that people stay there despite fewer services and despite being further from the park entrance. I'm not talking about a farmstay but the sort of thing that people will travel from abroad to stay in because it looks incredible on their Instagram feed. There's nothing comparable in the area. And it need not be expensive to create like a desert resort. There's a kinda-yurtish tent in the countryside near me that's styled up for photos and it rents for $140/night. It's much more basic than the yurts you see renting in the States. But still, $140/n and they have 60+ reviews already. Loads of people will pay a premium on a motel or pick an alternative to a nice but plain hotel because it creates a better memory or looks more amazing. I'd be going after that market.