March Valley Lunch at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort

It was a stunning drive to East Zion on Wednesday, March 26th, and the beautiful weather made it even better! As they made their way to the entrance of Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, attendees were greeted with stunning views of the canyon, tall pine trees framing the entryway, immaculate grounds and facilities, welcoming faces, as well as multiple families playing miniature golf, or shooting a few rounds of hoops.

A delicious Mexican buffet was provided by the friendly resort staff. The room was packed with Chamber members who drove all the way from Kanab, among other locations. Some of which drove over an hour to be there!

Businesses in attendance included Burro Flats High Desert Lodge, Sun Moon Healing, Department of Workforce Services, Iron Horse Restaurant, West Winds Ranch, Best Friends Animal Society, Kane County, East Zion Adventures, East Zion Adventures, Zion Mountain Ranch, Kanab Honey, Best Friends Roadhouse, PRMI, Kane County Hospital, Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, ERA Real Estate, and Hampton Inn.

Everyone was warmly welcomed, and new Chamber members as well as renewing members were announced. After everyone made their way through the buffet line, our guest speaker began his presentation. Jake Millard, the General Manager at the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort began with a bit of history of the resort.

He explained that Ray and Ruth Lewis started the ranch in 1962, where Ray dreamed of owning a ranch like the one he was raised in as a child. The Lewis family hoped to find a way to get more people to enjoy what they enjoyed, and often said, “We want people to experience what we experience, and then create their own experiences.” Ray himself envisioned the ranch as a place where people could gather together as friends and family to stay in a mountain cabin, inhale the scent of juniper and ponderosa pine, explore the backcountry, and enjoy wildlife. This dream became a reality when they came to Southern Utah along with Ray’s daughter Rose, and her husband Gary Neeleman, along with their entire family. Today Steve Neeleman owns the property, and it continues to be a family-run business.

Jake went on to explain the East Zion Initiative. This would include a new “discovery center” and parking for East Zion’s entrance. There would also be over 100 miles of new biking and hiking trails in Kane County, road improvements, new utility infrastructure, low impact developments, affordable housing for workers, conservation easements to limit overdevelopment, and park shuttles to alleviate traffic congestion. He also talked briefly about the resort’s other business interests, and explained that, “Our product isn’t a bed to sleep in, or a good meal… it is core memories.”

The first Valley event of 2025 ended with a reminder about upcoming chamber events including the 1st Annual Raising Kane Job Fair on April 1st from 1PM-4PM, lunch at Best Friends Roadhouse and Mercantile on April 10th, breakfast at Parry Lodge on April 15th, and a ribbon cutting for Lake Powell Gateway RV Ribbon Cutting at 1PM on March 29th.

As attendees left, they even encountered a few goats wandering the property. We imagine they were saying ‘goodbye’ in their own, indelible way. “Come baaaaaack soon!”