Zion Guru’s new Springdale location coaching national park visitors to care

SPRINGDALE — A new building for a Springdale business symbolizes its philosophy of connecting with nature and leaving a visited place better than when found.

The new location of Zion Guru provides canyoneering, e-bike, yoga and rock climbing products and tours, Springdale, Utah, date not specified } Photo courtesy of Zion Guru, St. George News

Zion Guru, a top-rated outfitting and guide service for Zion National Park, opened its new location on March 9 and 10. They offer canyoneering, e-bike, yoga, and rock climbing products and tours.

Kody Smith, operations manager of Zion Guru, told St. George News that when one is in nature, it’s best to slow down and connect with the local community. He advises figuring out what you’d like to get from your Springdale and Zion National Park visit.

“People are ready to tackle this park and do all these things. We try our best to help them slow down a little bit, think about what you want to get out of your trip,” Smith said. “The other advice I would give them is that in order for this place to remain magical and have this peaceful, amazing landscape, we have to take care of it.”

The new building for Zion Guru is on the corner of State Road 9 and Big Springs Road in Springdale. Smith said the business owners, Jonathan and Catrin Zambella, designed the building to have minimal environmental impact. He noted a basement was added so that the building didn’t have a tall profile and interfere with area views.

The new location of Zion Guru provides canyoneering, e-bike, yoga and rock climbing products and tours, Springdale, Utah, date not specified } Photo courtesy of Zion Guru, St. George News

The company’s mission of helping people connect with nature is critical today, he said.

“There’s a lot of things that don’t feel as real out there. And you’re just doing the next thing or jumping through the hoops, going through the motions,” Smith said.

Smith said to ask one’s self, “How do I really connect with this place in an intentional way?”

Employees and the owners of Zion Guru hope to educate the public on how to take care of natural resources and helpful tips, such as picking up trash and not leaving human waste in the environment.

“Leave it in a condition that, if my kids or the next visitor comes, am I leaving it so they can have that same experience?” Smith said. “When we’re outfitting and talking to people about what to do with their trash or how to treat the Zion Canyon Narrows as a whole, it’s sad, but we have to teach people not to carve their name in the sandstone.”

Another perk of the business is how the owner prioritizes employees and guests. Smith said the owners purchased some housing in Rockville to assist employees with the high housing costs during the recent coronavirus pandemic. The store also has a large kitchen and employee break room.

Zion Guru is an outfitting and guide service for Zion National Park celebrates its new location in March, Springdale, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Zion Guru, St. George News

Smith added that guests can enjoy the new location’s design details, such as tongue-and-groove cedar wood ceilings and rusty steel accents, representing the natural surroundings. The owner also had the contractors grind down the cement pour on the floors to make the rocks visible.

The Zambellas came to Springdale in the late 1990s and originally had partnered with another company. In 2015, they went into business, formed Zion Guru and opened a lodging property called NamaStay.

Smith, originally from Washington State, moved to Springdale four years ago after completing backcountry training in Alaska to work at Zion Guru. He added that he loves his job and met his wife in Springdale.

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