Open Sky Zion sits in Hildale, the small town on the Utah-Arizona border at the south edge of the Vermilion Cliffs and the head of Apple Valley. The property is a luxury yurt operation — round canvas-and-wood structures fitted with king beds, full bathrooms, and panoramic windows facing the surrounding canyon country. The location is the operator's defining differentiator: significantly farther from Zion's south entrance than the Virgin-based glampers, in exchange for more remote siting, more direct dark-sky observation, and proximity to a different set of regional destinations.
The Hildale Position
Hildale's history makes it an unusual choice for a luxury glamping operator — the town is best known as the longtime FLDS community at the edge of Short Creek, with a complicated post-2010 transition. The Open Sky property sits on land at the edge of town, oriented away from the residential reach. For travelers, the Hildale location offers different proximity than Virgin: closer to Coral Pink Sand Dunes, closer to the Wave lottery (Coyote Buttes North) at the BLM Kanab office, closer to Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass, and farther from Zion proper.
The drive to Zion's south entrance is roughly 45 minutes via Highway 59 east to La Verkin, then Highway 9 east to Springdale. For a Zion-only trip, this distance is a real constraint. For a Zion-plus-Kanab-and-Sand-Dunes trip, the Hildale base works well.
The Yurt Aesthetic
Open Sky's luxury yurts are circular canvas-and-wood structures on prepared platforms. Each is fitted with a king bed (some have additional bunk or guest beds), a full bathroom with hot shower, climate control, and floor-to-ceiling windows facing the surrounding country. The aesthetic is more architectural than Under Canvas's safari tents — more wood, more glass, more design intention. The trade-off is fewer accommodations (the property is smaller than the Virgin glampers) and a more remote location.
What's Included
In-unit power, water, climate control, and bathrooms. The property has common-area amenities (fire pits, communal hot tub) and on-site activities. Cell signal in Hildale varies by carrier; AT&T tends to work, others come and go. The on-site experience emphasizes the dark-sky observation and the Vermilion Cliffs siting — the property is genuinely good for stargazing.
Reservation Pattern
Direct booking via the Open Sky website. The peak seasons match the broader Zion-and-Kanab pattern. Some accommodations are seasonal; the property generally operates March through November. Off-season rates and minimum-night requirements should be verified at booking. Cancellation policy is restrictive.
What's at Hand
Hildale itself has limited services — a small grocery, a few restaurants, gas. Colorado City (the Arizona half of the twin cities) is across the line with similar limited services. For full grocery and conventional shopping, La Verkin is forty-five minutes northwest, Hurricane is an hour. Kanab is forty-five minutes east via Highway 89A.
The proximate recreation is more Kane County / Vermilion Cliffs than Zion: Coral Pink Sand Dunes (forty-five minutes east), the Wave permit-only lottery (Kanab BLM office), Buckskin Gulch and Wire Pass (an hour east), and the Apple Valley / Smithsonian-Bureau back roads. For Zion access, you commit to the drive.
Comparison
Versus Under Canvas Zion and Zion Wildflower (Virgin): Open Sky is more remote, smaller-scale, more architectural in unit aesthetic, similar price tier. The Virgin operators are closer to Zion; Open Sky is closer to Kanab and the dunes.
Versus Kanab-area lodging: Open Sky is the upmarket alternative to Kanab's hotel cluster, with the glamping aesthetic and the more remote siting.
If Open Sky is full, the Virgin glampers are the closest direct alternatives, Kanab has multiple hotels and RV parks, and Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is the closest developed campground.