About Xanterra Parks & Resorts

DENVER - Millions of travelers will visit national parks this summer. Many of the larger parks are considered stand-alone destinations and visitors tend to stock up memories over a several-day period. But for visitors with a good road map and a good sense of adventure, taking the "road less traveled" through Utah and northern Arizona results in just as many memories at three different national parks: Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

These three destinations are all within a few hours drive. From Bryce to Zion is a 73-mile drive and Zion to the North Rim is roughly 124 miles. Adding to the appeal of a three-park vacation is one-stop shopping. Xanterra Parks & Resorts® manages lodges at all three parks, and a single phone call is all that is needed to get information and line up lodging.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon, Utah
A sea of red-rock spires, pillars and temples, Bryce Canyon is a slow-motion drama featuring the awesome interaction of earth and elements. Congress designated this 36,000-acre land in Southern Utah as a national park in 1928.

The Bryce Canyon Visitor Center features exhibits and an orientation explaining the history of the park's geology, flora and fauna as well as early explorers and pioneers. The National Park Service offers a variety of interpretive programs from May to September.

Lodging is available at the Bryce Canyon Lodge. Renovated to its rustic 1920s elegance - right down to replicas of the lodge's original hickory furniture - Bryce Canyon Lodge is now a National Historic Landmark. The lodge features 70 guest rooms, three deluxe suites and 40 log cabins. A campground also is available within the park.

Most agree that the best way to see the park is on foot, but a scenic two-mile drive does offer great views of Powell Point - named for John Wesley Powell, who first charted the Colorado River - and beyond. The 5 ½-mile Rim Trail, which connects to several other trails, starts at the end of this drive.

Other favorite hikes include the Peekaboo Loop Trail - the only park trail open to horseback riders - and Bristlecone Loop Trail, which is accented by gnarled pine trees that are thought to be among the oldest living things on earth.

Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah
The name "Zion" means a place of peace and refuge. As a sanctuary with more than 146,000 acres of cliffs, canyons, diverse plant and animal life and uninterrupted beauty, Zion is well-named. Its massive sandstone walls - some as high as 3,800 feet - and striking cliffs and rocks that form Zion Canyon and the box-shaped Kolob Canyons, with sheer, 1,500-foot walls offer the perfect opportunity for serenity and reflection.

Zion Lodge, designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood in the 1920s, features 81 guest rooms. After a fire in 1966, the lodge was rebuilt in 100 days with the top priority being to restore guest services. The lodge's original rustic design was sacrificed at the time but was restored to its original classic appearance in 1990. In 1998, restoration of Zion's 40 Western-style cabins was completed.

Again, the best way to see the park is on foot. A scenic six-mile drive, however, can provide just-arrived visitors with a quick orientation to the park.

One of the most popular hiking trails is the multi-day, 13-mile West Rim Trail. Another favorite activity for those seeking something less strenuous is to hike the "Narrows." Zion Lodge provides a shuttle to a drop-off point at Chamberlain Ranch, and guests can hike through the some of the narrowest parts of the canyon. This hike is only advisable in the summer and in dry weather. At some points along the way, hikers can stand only three or four abreast in the canyon.

Stargazing is another popular activity, and guests gather on the huge front lawn of the Zion Lodge - accented by a 100-foot-high cottonwood - and simply enjoy the stars and tranquility.

Grand Canyon National Park (North Rims), Grand Canyon, Ariz.
The drive to the North Rim is beautiful in its own right and is comprised of many miles of forests and meadows of the Kaibab Plateau, or "mountain lying down." Visitors enjoy the incredible flora or the rare Kaibab squirrel, found only on the plateau.

The North Rim - 1,000 feet higher than the South Rim - is visited by only 10 percent of all Grand Canyon visitors, but those who make the drive are rarely disappointed. To experience the wonders of the North Rim, many visitors start at Bright Angel Point where they can see and hear Roaring Springs more than 3,000 feet below. There are exquisite views of the North Rim's four plateaus as well as Mount Hayden, the Painted Desert and Saddle Mountain. Seasonal activities include hiking, camping, cross-country skiing and backpacking.

The Grand Canyon Lodge with 40 rooms and 161 cabins offers peace and comfort to North Rim visitors. The rustic lodge was built in the 1920s by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood and is constructed of limestone walls and timbered ceilings that complement the North Rim's lush beauty.

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Xanterra Parks & Resorts® (consisting of Xanterra Parks & Resorts®, Inc. and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts® is the country’s largest national park concessioner. Xanterra Parks & Resorts® operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone National Park, the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Crater Lake National Park, Death Valley National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Everglades National Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate Xanterra South Rim, L.L. C. operates concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra Parks & Resorts'® environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra Parks & Resorts® was selected as a member of the EPA “Environmental Performance Track” program in 2003. Also in 2003, Xanterra Parks & Resorts'® Grand Canyon operations received the Arizona Tourism Award for Preservation and its operations at Mount Rushmore received the prestigious ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard Certification. Xanterra Parks & Resorts® was the recipient of Environmental Achievement Awards from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2002 and from the Department of Interior in 2001 and 2002. Xanterra Parks & Resorts® also received the Travel Industry Association’s Odyssey Award for its environmental initiatives in 2001.

For more information about Xanterra and links to individual properties, visit: www.xanterra.com. For reservations and more information about Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion or Death Valley, call (1) 303-297-2757 or toll-free at (1) 888-297-2757. For reservations and more information about Yellowstone, call (1) 307-344-7311. For reservations and more information about Flamingo Lodge in Everglades National Park, call (1) 800-600-3813 or (1) 239-695-3101. For reservations at Crater Lake Lodge, call (1) 541-830-8700. For reservations and more information about Ohio State Park Resorts, call (1) 800-282-7275.

Media Contact:

Mona Mesereau
Post Office Box 2431
Parker, Colorado 80134
Phone: 720.842.5271
Fax: 720.842.5273

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