Author
Megan Michelson
When you picture the landscape of the West—dramatic, wide-open, nothing but wild earth for an eternity—you might be envisioning Utah. In the wintertime, this is the state that’s home to towering, snow-drenched peaks in the Wasatch Mountains, in the northern part of the state, and some of the country’s most legendary powder skiing.
Southern Utah feels like an entirely different planet. You’ll get southwestern vibes with desert vistas dotted with red rock sandstone cliffs and sunsets that drip shades of orange and red. This is your launch pad for Zion National Park, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and the Dixie National Forest.
No matter your preference—mountains or desert—one of these cabin rentals in Utah will make the perfect home base for an adventurous outdoor vacation. Our top picks are places where the welcome mat is rolled out for you and adventure lies just outside the door. And if you’re looking for more of a rustic or unique lodging experience, be sure to also check out our suggestions for the best glampingsites in Utah, too.
11 Best Cabin Retnals in Utah
Creekside Mountain Home — Alta
Vibe: Snowbound Chalet
This spacious five-bedroom VRBO mountain cabin is all about the location: It’s on the banks of Little Cottonwood Canyon Creek, just near the bottom of Alta ski resort’s Westward Ho run. This luxury cabin was one of the Alta's original homes, built by a director of the Alta Ski School. Not a skier? Enjoy the slopeside hot tub and views of Mount Superior or come in the summer for hiking and mountain biking. The cabin is as far up the canyon as you can go, but it's still just 40 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport.
Rate: $433/night
Huntsville Cider House — Huntsville
Vibe: Alpine Hut
This newly-built A-frame in the Ogden Valley only allows longer-term stays—it has a minimum booking of 30 days, per town ordinance. But if you’re looking for a proper getaway in the Utah mountains or want to work remote for a month or longer, this one-bedroom (plus a ladder to a loft) cabin is a beauty, and is just a few minutes from skiing at Snowbasin or Powder Mountain. The family who built it lives next door, where they press hard cider from locally-foraged apples.
Rate: $4,500/month
Nordic Haus — Brighton
Vibe: Ultimate Ski Lodge
Formerly known as Bear Trap Lodge, this immense 5,000-square-foot home on Airbnb sleeps a whopping 24 people and has a cedar sauna and private hot tub jacuzzi plus a truly dreamy living room. It’s located a few minutes from skiing at Brighton and Solitude and next to a popular winter backcountry skiing access zone and summertime hiking trail. You’ll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get here in the snowy months, but don't worry, it's not so remote that it lacks amenities like self check-in, Wi-fi, and a washer and dryer.
Rate: $894/night
The Manley Cabin — Alta
Vibe: Classic Log Cabin
The traffic up Little Cottonwood Canyon—home to Alta and Snowbird ski areas—can be bumper to bumper on busy days, so staying close to the slopes means first chair and less hassle. Post up at this cozy cabin and you’re just a short walk to Alta Ski Area’s base area (and you can ski home at the end of the day). Or, hop the shuttle to neighboring Snowbird. Mountain views abound
Rate: From $507/night
Cottonwood Chalet — Solitude
Vibe: Flannel and Firewood
Featured amongst our best A-frame rental cabins across America, this sweet two-bedroom A-frame vacation home on VRBO has everything you need—cabin books on the coffee table, cozy throw blankets on the coach, a Smeg fridge you can stock with supplies—and nothing you don’t. It’s minutes from skiing at Solitude and Brighton in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Rate: $309/night
The Hideaway — Park City
Vibe: Modern in the Mountains
This two-bedroom, thousand-square-foot Utah cabin rental on Airbnb is on a remote two-acre property, at a lung-busting elevation of 8,000 feet, just outside the posh ski town of Park City, home of the famous Sundance Film Festival. It’s got historic bones—the cabin was built in 1976—and a fresh design, thanks to a 2021 remodel. Surrounded by aspen groves and with views of the Uinta range, you could go skiing at Park City Mountain Resort from here, book a snowmobile for a day, or just curl up with a mug of tea and a good book and enjoy the mountain views. Fast Wi-fi and an office space make it a good choice for a remote work stay, too.
Rate: $226/night
Yonder Escalante — Escalante
Vibe: Desert Oasis
Formerly an RV park with a drive-in movie theater, this high-desert property near Bryce Canyon National Park and within Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was recently rebuilt into a chic cabin resort, with 22 cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows and access to communal, spa-like bathhouses. The property also has RV sites and 10 restored vintage Airstream trailers, and yes, you can still watch a drive-in movie from the seat of a vintage car.
Rate: $249/night
Zion EcoCabin — Hildale
Vibe: Bed with a View
Five simple A-frame cabins, all rented via Airbnb, surround this spectacular two-acre property on the southern edge of the Zion Mountains, 45 minutes to the entrance to Zion National Park. This cabin, a studio that sleeps two, has a smart convertible door to let the outside in, a well-stocked cooking area, private hot tub, and fire pit and grill. It was also featured amongst our best places to go glamping in Utah and is a little less than an hour from the St. George airport.
Rate: $645/night
Moenkopi Yurt — Dead Horse Point State Park
Vibe: Campy Cool
You could camp at Dead Horse Point State Park, 40 minutes from Moab, but why pitch a tent when you can sleep in a yurt instead? These five rustic and pet-friendly yurts in the La Sal Mountains sleep up to six people and have easy access to the state park’s extensive trail system. Plus, you’re just a short drive from the rest of the Moab area’s legendary trails for ATVing, mountain biking and hiking and Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
Rate: $150/night
Abode³ at East Zion — Orderville
Vibe: Sleek Industrial
A modular shipping container home, created by Utah-based MOD³ Design, serves as a perfect studio-sized base camp for exploring Zion National Park, which is just 20 minutes away from this vacation rental. Other day trip options: You’re 25 minutes from Coral Pine Sand Dunes State Park or an hour from Bryce Canyon National Park. An Airstream for rent, also on Airbnb, is on the same one-acre property.
Rate: $297/night
East Zion Resort — Orderville
Vibe: Bird’s Nest
This property is packed with different styles of lodging—tiny homes, glamping tents, yurts, a farmhouse. But it’s the 10 hillside treehouses that have us hooked. These two-bedroom pads offer an aerial view of the white cliffs and caves in the distance and are just 20 minutes from Zion National Park, making them the ideal base for a southern Utah vacation. Like treehouse-style accommodations? Us, too. Check out our top 20 treehouse picks from around the country.
Rate: $129/night
Published 05-23-2022
