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Mount Carmel Junction, Utah Center for Near-by Attractions

By Bobbie Green

Mount Carmel Junction is proving to be the perfect base location for near-by attractions. Located 12 miles from the east entrance to Zion National Park and from the west and I-15 one drives through the beautiful park to reach the less crowded Mount Carmel Junction and begin your fun get-a-way.

Coming from I-15 Hwy 9 goes through the quaint little town of Springdale, the western gateway to Zion National Park where one may want to stop and shop in the many gift and art shops. I can recommend Oscars Deli for lunch. However they were so busy I could not find out why their huge delicious hamburgers were called Bill’s Burgers instead of Oscar Burgers. Majestic View Lodge offers very nice luxury rooms all with balconies and they have an on-site brewery in the basement. The Zion Canyon Brewing Company offering Springdale brewed beer, as well as a North American Wildlife Museum located just off the lobby featuring 3000 square feet of displays delighting kids and cameras. Admission is free.

Best Western Zion Inn is a great place to stay with kids. Their property behind the Motel has paths down to the Virgin River and a small pond.

Along the trail there are volley ball and basket ball courts.

The shuttle service in town is free stopping at most all of the hotels and restaurants. They also take you into the park and run daily from 5:30AM to 11:00pm. The shuttle running through Zion drops off and picks up at all major sites and trailheads. If you are not stopping to hike I recommend taking the shuttle for the 90 minute tour after 5PM. There are less people on the bus and the setting sun does wonderful special effects off the mountain cliffs.

The Tanner Amphitheater seating 2000 people sits amid the stunning cliffs of Zion National Park in Springdale. As part of Dixie State College they present a Summer Concert Series held each Saturday evening. Schedule is on their website and tickets can be purchased at the gate or Flanigan’s Inn in Springdale. The Zion Canyon Giant Screen Theatre is located at the entrance to the park featuring “Treasure of the Gods” and it is a defiantly not to be missed, thrill and learning experience for all ages. Each evening at 8:00 the 6 story high by 80 foot wide screen theatre shows a Hollywood film. Truly one can’t beat that in your home theater.

On the way to or from Mount Carmel Hwy 9 passes by Zion Mountain Resort where one can stop and watch the buffalo grazing, there is a small restaurant there with all buffalo meat choices on the menu.

Mount Carmel Junction sits at an elevation of 5200 feet, at the junction of scenic Hwy 9 and Hwy 89. This little town is easily overlooked by tourist; many drive right through to Zion, Lake Powel, Moab, etc. without realizing what this little gem, Mount Carmel Junction, has to offer the tourist. Besides being the eastern gateway to Zion National Park it is conveniently located to many other tourist attractions, only 17 miles from Kanab, 59 miles from great fishing in Panguitch Lake, only 12 miles from the Pink Coral Sand Dunes, 60 miles to Bryce, and 9 miles to the Grand Staircase. There are unlimited activities and attractions one can see and do from Mount Carmel Junction including the attractions in Zion National Park.

The history of Mount Carmel Junction goes back as far as Zion Park itself. The very first settlers were the prehistoric Virgin Anasazi who camped along the Virgin River. Then in 1919 a congressional bill was signed designating Zion National Park.

In 1923 the eastern entrance road to the park was being considered. About that time the tenacious Jack Morrison an ex army engineer came along and began quietly observing the building of the 1.1 mile long Zion tunnel through 2,000 foot thick sandstone and making his own engineering recordings. Jack drove his Model-T up and down the mountain doing his surveying dragging a cedar tree stump tied to the back for control, on the downhill runs, when he decided he knew the course the new road would have to take he promptly homesteaded the rough land covered with gullies and quicksand. Jack had married a feisty hard working girl he met in Soldier Summit Utah, Fern Hanson. Together they worked building small strategic dams to stop flooding and produce land fill. The golf course built in 1966 sits on the land fill. All together they had four children. But two drowned at a young age in the flood prone Virgin River. Fern built a lean-to and began selling her home made pies to the road travelers. Then a gas station with pies and in 1940 the original Thunderbird restaurant. Though the years they added land to their acreage and in order to retain their full share of Utah water rights they built a golf course. Jack died in 1961 and Fern continued on with their visions. The first set of motel rooms were completed in 1969. They were designed by a handpicked student of Frank Lloyd Wright. These unique rooms sit right on the golf course. Later she would add 38 additional rooms. By now Fern’s delicious Pies were famous and advertised as Jack had done. “Home of the ho– made pies.” Of course ho did not have the same meaning then as now. Fern died at age 90 in 1998. Fern and Jacks traditions have been kept alive and the Best Western Thunderbird Lodge, RV Park and Golf Course are still family owned and operated by Fern’s Grandchildren. The same yummy ho- made pies are being sold, including strawberry-rhubarb, the laid back atmosphere and friendliness of owner and staff are still present. This is evidenced by the in room guest directory. It not only gives explicit property information but goes on to list all the near by attraction with hiking or AVT trail information written by someone who has been there, done that. Zion trails, Bryce trails. They even have a 5 day stay itinerary laid out in detail. East Zion is home to the incredible winding tunnels of Red Cave where scenes from Zion’s Treasurer of the Gods were filmed and other slot canyons like Peek-a-Boo and Red Hollow. Owner Ed has maps for those interested in local canyon trails, just ask for them. He knows the area and is willing to share his knowledge with his guests. If you own a jeep or off road vehicle bring it.

Today the Thunderbird Lodge restaurant has a varied menu and the beautiful modern southwestern style building is built around the old original building Jack and Fern first built. They have quite a large gift shop, but if you are looking for turquoise the Trading Post across the street has an extensive selection of Hopi, Zuni and Navajo jewelry.

For the golfer this is the place. Mount Carmel Junction stays under 100 degrees all summer. This 9-hole par 3 and 4 course delivers un-crowded heat relief for desert dwellers. The higher elevation allows for cooler mornings and evenings. Great golf packages are offered by the hotel, they also offer group packages for 10 or more. The course is surrounded by the mountains and wildlife is frequently seen in the evenings. The well kept but laid-back course puts one in mind of the old Beaver Dam Course we all enjoyed. Golf prices, they make you an offer you just can’t refuse. See prices below. If you have an RV there is even a better deal. The Lodge also has a small RV park with full hook-ups but there is no restroom or bath house. Golfing is free to RV’ers

Just 4 miles up Hwy 89 from Mount Carmel Junction is the town of Mount Carmel with a population of 200. There one can see the old stone church that was part of the area history, the wood school and church that the children from Orderville attended by way of covered wagon burnt down in 1919 and a stone building replaced it. It is the only public building left standing in Mount Carmel.

Mount Carmel was also the summer home and studio of renowned artist Maynard Dixon, who painted modern compositions of the American West. Tours are open April 1, through October 31 at the Bingham Gallery on Hwy 89.

The Pink Coral Sand Dunes sound hot but they sit at an elevation of 6000 feet and only 12 miles from Mount Carmel Junction. Off- road enthusiasts love this play area. This State park is open year round and has 22 RV sites and modern restrooms.

Hwy 9 offers tourist many interesting stops. In the town of Virgin one cannot miss seeing Fort Zion sitting boldly on the Highway with its old town façade. It is worth a stop. Inside is a huge trading post/gift shop featuring authentic Indian jewelry. The owner operator makes her own sweet rolls and homemade ice cream, with flavors like cactus pear and huckleberry. Outside is a small petting zoo, all ages seemed to be having fun at the zoo and taking pictures with the old style buildings with the gorgeous vista background. They are open during the summer season only.

Visitors to the area like to stop at the ghost town of Grafton. The turn off is in Rockville and Grafton is about 4 miles down the road. Grafton was one of the first towns settled in the area by the Mormons but they kept getting flooded out so most of them moved to Rockville. Visitors can see the old Cemetery and some of the homes and church left standing there.

With the lower elevation in Mount Carmel Junction one can enjoy golf year round. Zion Park offers breathtaking winter scenery as well as summer.

IF YOU GO

Zion National Park

Campground into

877-444-6777

www.recreation.gov

Fee $25.00 per vehicle

Individual $12.00

Free to Interagency senior pass holders

And Interagency Annual Pass holders

Tanner Amphitheater

435-652-7994

www.dixie.edu/tanner

Ticket $10.00 Youth $5.00

Majestic View Lodge

Springdale

866-772-0665

www.MajesticViewLodge.com

Summer price range

$139.00 standard to $249.00 for Suites

Best Western Zion Inn

Springdale

800-934-7275

www.zionparkinn.com

Summer Price Range

$105.00 -$119

Best Western Thunderbird Inn

Mount Carmel Junction

888-848-6358

www.zionnational-park.com

Summer price range

$92.00-$102.00

Golf

Golf Package $ 130.00 per night & 18 holes of golf with cart

AARP package $109.00 per night 9 holes of golf with cart.

RV’s Golf free $15.00 per night- no pull through sites

Golf Course Utah PGA rated

9-holes $10.00, Cart $5.00 per person

18- $18.00 Cart $5.00 per person

16 and under $12.00- 18-holes

Club rental $5.00

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Campground Reservations

800-322-3770

$14.00 per site

Kane County Tourist office

435-644- 5033

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