Zion is the second most visited national park in the United States, with more cool sites and attractions popping up in the surrounding area every year. One of these destinations is Zion Canyon Hot Springs, a commercial hot springs resort that opened in 2025 that offers over 50 bodies of water for guests to relax in, plus barrel saunas, firepits, and snack bars. But what’s it actually like to visit while you’re exploring the Zion area—and is it worth it?
After visiting with my husband, Justin, here’s our honest and unbiased review of Zion Canyon Hot Springs and whether it’s worth including in your Zion itinerary.
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What is Zion Canyon Hot Springs?
Zion Canyon Hot Springs is a relatively new upscale hot springs resort near Zion National Park that sprawls an impressive 20 acres.
Justin and I have been to a LOT of hot springs in our day, both natural and manmade. Zion Canyon is one of the most unique properties we’ve been to, thanks, in part, to the sheer volume of pools here—48 geothermally heated pools (which range in temperature from 93 to 106 degrees), three cold plunges, and a freshwater swimming pool.
Many of these are “WorldSprings pools”, where the property has modeled their temperature and mineral composition after famous bodies of water around the world, like Iceland’s Blue Lagoon or the Dead Sea.
Another unique aspect of the property is that it’s divided into two sections that are physically separated by a gated wall—a family-friendly side and an adults area.
The family section has the aforementioned swimming pool, plus 14 geothermal tubs, a barrel sauna, a cold plunge, and a snack bar (with no alcohol available).
On the other hand, the 21+ section has 16 WorldSprings pools,18 geothermally heated hot springs, two barrel saunas, two cold plunges, and a snack bar, with a full bar.
All of the hot springs here are fed by natural hot springs (called the Dixie or Pah Tempe Hot Springs) in the Virgin River. People, ranging from Indigenous tribes to early pioneers, have been flocking to these springs for relaxation for hundreds of years. They’re actually considered to be the most mineral-rich hot springs in the United States!
Where is Zion Canyon Hot Springs?
Zion Canyon Hot Springs is located here, in the town of La Verkin, Utah, right along the Virgin River, with stunning views of the surrounding canyon and the Virgin River.
It’s located about half an hour from Zion’s South Entrance in Springdale. It’s actually located RIGHT along the way if you’re doing a road trip to Utah’s national parks, driving from Las Vegas to Zion. It’s also located 30 minutes from St. George, the biggest city in the area and a mecca for golf lovers.
Cost of visiting Zion Canyon Hot Springs
The cost of entry depends on a few different factors, including whether you want to just access the family area or the 21+ area (which is more expensive) and whether you’re visiting during an off-peak or peak (like, a weekend) timeframe.
For entry into the family area, here’s what pricing starts at for adults:
- $46 per person for off-peak
- $60 per person for peak
For entry into the 21+ side (which also includes access to the family area), here’s what pricing starts at for adults:
- $57 per person for off-peak
- $72 per person for peak
These rates are good for three hours at the property. There is also an option to purchase an all-day pass, which starts at $76 per person and allows you to freely come and go throughout the day.
There are a variety of different ways that you can save money on tickets, like saving 20% if you purchase tickets for four or more people or taking a slot later in the evening. There is also a 20% discount available for Washington County residents and a 15% discount for military, teachers, first responders, and law enforcement through WorldSprings, Zion Canyon’s parent company (you can learn more about these discount programs here).
In my opinion, this is on the steeper end for most of the hot springs property we’ve visited, but appears to be aligned with WorldSprings’ other properties, like Iron Mountain in Colorado, and even some less luxurious hot springs in the United States, like Wilbur Hot Springs in Williams, California .
Given how many different pools there are and how premium the property generally feels, I think the price is mostly justified.
However, I do wish the entry fee covered more than just three hours on the property. We’ve been to tons of properties, including some of the most popular hot springs in Iceland, like the Blue Lagoon or Hvammsvik, and have NEVER visited a property with a timed entrance before. On the bright side, I do think this policy keeps the property relatively uncrowded and therefore, more relaxed throughout the day.
Overall review of our experience at Zion Canyon Hot Springs
We visited Zion Canyon Hot Springs during a weekday morning, arriving as soon as they opened at 10 AM.
Once you purchase your tickets, you’ll get a wristband that will act as the key to a locker. You can also link your credit card to your wristband if you plan on buying food or drinks, so you can leave your credit card in your locker.
The color of this wristband also corresponds with what time your entry is good until.
During our check in, the staff were INCREDIBLY nice and helpful at explaining the different aspects of the property.
The locker rooms were squeaky clean and absolutely HUGE, with an almost comical amount of lockers and showers, that come stocked with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. There are also some thoughtful amenities, like a swimsuit dryer and tampons.
We had “Premier Access” tickets (i.e., which includes entry to both the 21+ and family-friendly sides). We wandered around both sections, before choosing to spend most of our time on the 21+ side, due, in part, to the larger number of hot springs, the better views of the surrounding sandstone canyon walls (which are GORGEOUS!), and the more relaxed vibes.
We spent a few hours trying out the cold plunges, barrel saunas, and, of course, a ton of the different geothermal pools. I wound up REALLY liking the WorldSprings pools—I didn’t totally *get* the concept before we visited, but it was pretty neat hopping from a pool that was inspired by Indonesia into another based around a hot spring in Mexico!
I also liked that each of the pool’s signs had information about the temperature, mineral content, and related health benefits of soaking in that particular one.
Speaking of mineral contents, we did notice lots of white “floaties” in the water that originally gave us the heebie jeebies. However, each of the hot springs have signs that indicate that these floaties are undissolved mineral deposits and not any kind of contaminants. In fact, one of the staff members told us that the water in each pool is fully replaced every two hours, which we love to hear!
One of my favorite aspects of Zion Canyon Hot Springs is that, due to the sheer number of pools, we mostly had whatever pool we were enjoying totally to ourselves. Most other properties that we’ve visited have only one or, at best, a handful of pools, meaning you’re pretty much sharing a body of water with every other visitor. Conversely, Zion Canyon Hot Springs had a more relaxed and romantic feel to it.
We noticed that lots of people also seemed to be hanging out in some of the lounge areas, more so than we’ve seen at other hot springs properties. There are lots of little sitting areas, clustered around fire pits—I bet visiting at night and cozying up around a roaring fire would be such a fun date night!
That being said, something I think that Zion Canyon could improve upon is having more shade. There are lattices above most of the hot spring pools, but they don’t do a great job of offering shade and the lounge areas are completely uncovered.
While I understand that the property likely wants to encourage visitors to rent cabanas during their visit, it would be nice to have more built-in shade for guests, especially given southern Utah’s hot and sunny climate for most of the year.
When we popped over to the family side, it was a LOT more crowded and had a more lively, water park-like vibe than the 21+ side. That being said, I’ve read reviews from others that have indicated that, during their visit, the adults-only area was significantly more crowded than the other side—so I’d suggest hopping around and finding the area that fits whatever energy you’re looking for.
Overall, we had a really lovely experience at the hot springs and I’d definitely recommend adding it to your Zion itinerary while you’re exploring the area, especially to kick back and relax after a few days of hiking and adventuring around the national park!
Pros of Zion Canyon Hot Springs
- 48 hot springs, three cold plunges, three barrel saunas, and a freshwater pool to choose from, which allows for a more private and intimate experience than most other properties
- Manicured and upscale facility that feel premium and well-maintained
- 21+ and family-friendly sections, letting you pick which particular side matches the vibe you’re looking for
- Beautiful views of the Virgin River and the surrounding red rock canyon and excellent stargazing opportunities at night
- We didn’t purchase any food or drink, but there was a decent menu of food and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), which seemed to be reasonably priced.
Cons of Zion Canyon Hot Springs
- The entrance fee is on the pricier side, especially for the three hour limit.
- Lack of shade throughout the property, other than the cabanas that are available to rent
- I’ve read some complaints from locals that there is a junkyard that’s visible from the 21+ area. We truthfully didn’t notice this at all (and we had flown a drone all around the property and pretty much exclusively hung out in the 21+ side, so, if it was super noticeable, I would have thought we’d see it), but I can see how this can detract from the experience if you happen to notice it.
- There are no spa services and no attached hotel (although there are lots of hotels in La Verkin, like La Quinta or the Holiday Inn)
What kind of traveler should visit Zion Canyon Hot Springs?
I think you’ll dig Zion Canyon Hot Springs if:
- You’re looking for a relaxing experience after adventuring around Zion National Park for a few days
- You enjoy Instagrammable hot springs (the property, from the pools themselves to the surrounding canyon, is absolutely gorgeous!)
- You’re a couple who is looking for a romantic or relaxed date night in the Zion area
- You’re a family, looking for a unique activity to enjoy together
The property might not be right for you if you’re on a super tight budget or if you’re visiting during a particularly hot period.
Tips for visiting Zion Canyon Hot Springs
Buying alcoholic drinks requires jumping through hoops
We didn’t purchase any drinks here, but from looking through others’ reviews, purchasing alcohol is definitely a pain point. To be fair, I largely think this is a Utah thing, where alcohol is generally frowned upon, and not really specific to the property itself.
Still, here are some things to keep in mind:
- You need to show your ID every time you purchase an alcoholic drink, even though you’re also required to show your ID when you purchase entry to the 21 and over side.
- You are not allowed to buy drinks for other patrons, only yourself.
- Many people have reported bar service ends well before the property actually closes, so double check when they stop serving alcohol and plan purchasing your drinks accordingly.
Pick up towels on the family-friendly side
Another common complaint amongst reviewers is that there is only one towel station on the family-friendly side of the property.
This issue is pretty easy to avoid—you have to walk through the family-friendly side to get to the 21+ area, so I’d suggest picking up a towel when you walk past it!
Bring your own water bottle
There are thoughtful water refill stations sprinkled throughout the property, but they just have those small disposable cups available. We take our comically enormous Nalgene bottles with us everywhere, from long hikes to soaking in these hot springs, and they work out great!
There you have it—everything you need to know about visiting Zion Canyon Hot Springs. Do you have any questions about visiting this unique place? Let us know in the comments below!
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