The Virgin River flows through Zion and across the Trees Ranch property / Bernard Spragg photo
Just beyond Zion National Park’s southern boundary, near the Springdale, Utah entrance, and next to the Canaan Mountain Wilderness Area, lies the historic Trees Ranch property. It’s a bit more than 2,000 acres of open space bordering Zion on two sides. Bighorn sheep, mountain lions, peregrine falcons, and California condors, among other species, call the area home. Though it’s generally been managed as open space with a working ranch on the property, the Washington County Planning Commission recently approved a zoning change to allow the construction of a resort on Trees Ranch.
Trees Ranch was purchased for $21 million in 2021 by Ryan Lee, a Salt Lake City-based entrepreneur with a hospitality background. He also owns a property a few miles from Trees Ranch called LaFave, a luxury resort with 31 villas that can accomodate more than 200 guests, that bills itself as a luxe lodging option for Zion visitors. Lee is also the founder of a hospitality brand called Stone + Water that specializes in landscape hotels.
According to Stone + Water’s LinkedIn description:
“Stone + Water is a new outdoor hospitality brand. The first Stone + Water location will be a landscape hotel in the American southwest.
Landscape hotels are a fairly new concept in the U.S., but are more established in Europe. Landscape hotels are characterized by stunning natural locations built in concert with the land. They feature minimal grading and landscaping to avoid interference with the natural landscape.
Landscape hotels are known for an open, undisturbed viewshed and feature awe-inspiring panoramas. Using design-forward modern architecture featuring minimalism, these hotels are designed to bring nature in and to blend with the surrounding landscape.”
Lee bought the Trees Ranch property from the estate of Microsoft’s co-founder Paul Allen, who died in 2018. Allen bought the ranch in 2013 — the asking price at the time was $25 million.
The Trees Ranch property has a long, interesting history. It’s named after Jim Trees, a faculty member of Harvard Business School, who helped found the Grand Canyon Trust. Trees established the ranch in 1982. Under Trees’ ownership, the ranch began growing organic fruit, including Utah’s first organic apple orchard.
Long before Trees owned the property, there was a small Mormon town called Shunesburg clinging on to life in the red rock soils there. Shunesburg was founded in 1861 after Brigham Young dispatched a group to settle in Southern Utah where they bought a piece of property from a Paiute chief, according to the Washington County Historical Society. The population was never more than about 80 people. It was briefly abandoned through the years after raids from neighboring tribes, then completely abandoned by 1900.
The property has been managed largely as agricultural land since. It was zoned as such until Lee’s Parunuweap Canyon LLC filed their proposal for a zoning change with the county.
Owner Ryan Lee, left, and actor Kevin Costner pose for a photo on the Trees Ranch property. Some scenes of Costner’s film “Horizon” were shot on the ranch. / LinkedIn photo
It’s unclear what, exactly, Lee’s plans for the land will be. It’s been reported a resort will be constructed around luxury tents, though how many and how large is unknown. The Traveler contacted Lee for this article, but he declined to discuss the project.
According to plans filed with the Washington County Planning Commission, “the proposed resort project will encompass 1960.67 acres.”
Conservation groups associated with Zion are closely watching the development.
“Zion and its surrounding lands provide important homes for wildlife, including desert bighorn sheep, mountain lions and mule deer, which all require room to roam,” Cory MacNulty, the National Parks Conservation Association’s Southwest Region campaign director, told the Traveler. “These animals don’t recognize park boundaries and often travel within and outside of the park seasonally or even daily, looking for food and shelter.”
“While the current plans intend to concentrate most development away from the park and maintain open space, long-term preservation will require enduring protections, like conservation easements, and committed collaboration with the National Park Service and local stakeholders to minimize development impacts to Zion,” said MacNulty.
The National Park Service has no formal authority over Trees Ranch, though the park staff is certainly aware of the plans. Matthew Fink, Zion’s public affairs specialist, told the Traveler the Park Service would work with Lee and the county on how best to minimize impacts on both park resources and the open space itself.
“Zion National Park maintains communications with nearby landowners and seeks opportunities to achieve resource protection collaboratively,” Fink said. “The park remains committed to collaborating with local land use authorities, project planners and local partners to share our expertise and encourage sustainable practices that help minimize potential impacts on park resources. We are always willing to share our expertise with nearby landowners on potential impacts from development to ecosystem values that reach beyond park boundaries.”
There is yet to be a finalized timeline for construction to begin.
Environmental groups are concerned about the potential impact of the resort on the delicate ecosystem surrounding the park. They worry that increased development could lead to habitat destruction, water pollution, and disruption of wildlife migration patterns.
Opponents of the project are calling for a thorough environmental impact assessment before any construction begins. They argue that preserving the natural beauty of Zion National Park should take precedence over commercial interests.
Proponents of the resort argue that it will bring much-needed tourism revenue to the area and create jobs for local residents. They believe that responsible development can coexist with conservation efforts.
The debate over Zion Ridge Resort is likely to continue as stakeholders on both sides work to find a balance between economic growth and environmental protection. Conservationists will be closely monitoring the situation to ensure that the unique landscape of Zion National Park is preserved for future generations.
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