Want to Drive a Landspeeder Near Zion?

Yes, you can. You don’t have to go to Disney to have an immersive Star Wars experience. I never thought one of my son’s favorite YouTubers would inspire an amazing national park trip, but it did.

Did anyone else’s kids get into Ryan Trahan’s 50 States in 50 Days series last summer as much as mine did? I have to admit, even as an adult, I really enjoyed it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Ryan Trahan and his wife, Haley, road-tripped to all 50 states in 50 days, raising money for St. Jude’s, and were on a quest to find the coolest Airbnb in America. There were “Wheel of Doom” challenges and other shenanigans, but it was entertaining, and they raised over 11 million dollars.

OutpostX in Utah

When we saw Ryan and Haley driving landspeeders across a playa that looked exactly like Tatooine in a Star Wars-themed glamping place in Utah, we had to look it up. OutpostX looked soooo cool. And it’s only an hour and a half from Zion National Park (less from the underrated and awesome Kolob Canyon section of Zion). Zion is one of my all-time favorite parks, but my son had never been. And I always wanted to do the full “Mighty 5” National Parks of Utah (Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands).

We had our spring break destination. I’m not nearly the Star Wars nerd that my son describes himself as, but I had to admit, I was super excited about this. And OutpostX didn’t disappoint.

The OutpostX Experience

OutpostX is literally in the middle of nowhere, Utah. It’s definitely one of those hidden gems someone had to tell you about, or you saw on social media. Fortunately, they know that, and I was really impressed with the communication before our arrival. They told us exactly what to put into Google Maps (and not to use Apple Maps), so it was surprisingly easy to find. They even have a podcast to get you in the Star Wars mood as you are driving there.

As we approached from a distance, we were impressed with how much the buildings looked like Star Wars. When we wandered around the property, I couldn’t even count how many times the words, “This is so cool,” came out of my teenager’s mouth (and a few times from me). During our initial wide-eyed stroll, Katrina, one of the several extremely helpful staff members onsite, showed us around.

There’s a lounge with arts and crafts, games, and musical instruments. A cantina for cooking with a mocktail bar (they sell drinks for $2, and you can add flavors). A wardrobe costume (additional charge). A hot tub, cold plunge, and sauna area with lounge chairs. Some really fun photo op places. And of course, the landspeeders.

We couldn’t wait to take the landspeeders out. They were easy to drive, and it was just so cool (so cool seemed to be the theme of our stay at OutpostX) to drive around the desert. And you never knew what you would find in the playa. There’s a bed in the middle of a playa. A piano that actually works (Katrina called it “art”). A random staircase to nowhere. A swing. Hammocks. And plenty of space to just stop and have a light saber battle, because why wouldn’t you?

I think my favorite moment of the trip was taking the landspeeder out at sunrise. We got up early with jet lag, so as soon as it started to get light, we grabbed the very warm sleeping bag they provided, and headed out in a landspeeder to the hammocks to watch the sunrise over the desert Tatooine landscape. No 3-hour Disney lines. No crowds. Just us having an epic Star Wars experience.

OutpostX Lodging Options

OutpostX has a range of options from bringing your own RV/tent to really cool-looking caves and ZenDomes. They are building more, but there’s not a ton of these, so they do sell out (and they were sold out the week we went).

We stayed in the more affordable (from $129/night), but still really cool, Viking Tents. I love that you can have this kind of experience at that price point. The Utah desert gets cold at night in the spring, but the tents came with a heater, a heated blanket, a super fluffy down comforter, AND a really warm sleeping bag. We were more than comfortable and didn’t even use all of that. They also have an A/C unit for the summer.

In terms of food, there is no restaurant on-site or anywhere remotely in the vicinity. The caves and domes have full kitchens. The tents have access to a shared kitchen with a mini-fridge per tent, a microwave, and small propane stoves (and again, helpful staff that will show you how to use them if you need help like I did). There’s also a charcoal grill and fire pit for outdoor cooking and s’mores under the stars.

OutpostX Food Options

There is a culinary option where OutpostX will provide pre-packaged ingredients for three meals, including egg, avocado, and pita for breakfast, chicken kabobs for lunch, and steak and salmon with veggies for dinner. You still have to cook it. As a travel planner, OutpostX was kind enough to include this and the wardrobe rental in our comped stay. The food was delicious and easy to prepare, and super convenient.

That said, I saw more people cooking their own food. If it’s in your budget and you don’t feel like food shopping, the culinary experience is a great option, but not necessary to enjoy all that is OutpostX.

If you love Star Wars…

If you have kids (or adults) in your family who love Star Wars, OutpostX is absolutely worth going out of your way for. We only had time for a one-night stay on the way to Zion from Las Vegas, and that felt like enough time to experience it (they also sell day passes).

My 13-year-old son was literally smiling the entire time we were there. I’ll never forget zooming around the desert in a landspeeder, especially at sunrise when we had the playa to ourselves.

My son’s biggest complaint, “If they were really trying to replicate Tatooine, they’d have two suns.” Come on, OutpostX, if you can re-create Tatooine in the middle of nowhere, Utah, why can’t you make a second sun? 😊

Want more ideas for your vacation?

If you want to learn about all the cool things you can do in and near national parks with kids (or without), which parks have some of the coolest non-hiking activities, where to stay, and more, I can help.

And if the hours and hours of research that go into a national park trip stress you out, I can help. I create custom itineraries for busy families and anyone who wants to do really fun things outside without all the planning.