You are here

Home » Podcasts » National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 293 | POWDR in Zion

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 293 | POWDR in Zion

By Jess Repanshek - September 22nd, 2024
Share
A Winter Sunset In Zion National Park, photo by Rebecca Latson

Concessions are the backbone of the National Park System. True, the National Park Service manages the parks and the wildlife and the visitors, but the concessionaires provide you with a bed, or campsite, to sleep in, restaurants to dine in, and gift shops to browse in.

Xanterra Parks and Resorts is one of the key players in the national park concessions industry. They operate lodges in Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Glacier, Grand Canyon and, until the end of this year, Zion National Park.

A newcomer on the park concessions scene is POWDR Corp., a self-branded adventure company most tied to snow sports. This past January, however, POWDR took over the concessions at Stovepipe Wells Village in Death Valley National Park, and this coming January it’ll be operating concessions at Zion National Park. 

To learn more about POWDR and why it’s seeking opportunities in the National Park System, we’ve invited Justin Sibley, the company’s CEO, to discuss the transition.

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
0:54 Escalante - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus & Canyons
1:20 Friends of Acadia
1:44 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
2:05 Smokies Life
2:28 NPT Promo
2:44 Episode 293 - POWDR in Zion
41:50 Vista Verde - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of Peaks, Plateaus & Canyons
42:25 Episode Closing
42:52 Orange Tree Productions
43:23 Splitbeard Productions
43:34 National Parks Traveler footer

Add comment

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 295 | The Aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene

The flooded Oconaluftee River at Great Smoky Mountains National Park 9-27-24. NPS photo.

Who could have predicted that Hurricane Helene would carry her fury from the Gulf of Mexico and the coast of Florida hundreds of miles north into Appalachia? While there were forecasts calling for the hurricane to be downgraded to a tropical storm and drop quite a bit of rain in the region, the extent of damage in western North Carolina has been breathtaking.

October 6th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 294 | Rodanthe Beach Cleanup

A collapsed house falling into the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by marine debris. NPS Photo on 5-10-2022.

The coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina is just a small spot on the map, but it’s a big place in the hearts of the people who live, own property, and vacation there. Located along Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Rodanthe has been in the national spotlight because of a succession of houses that have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean due to beach erosion. There have been ten houses affected in the past four years, and five this year alone. 

September 29th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 293 | POWDR in Zion

A Winter Sunset In Zion National Park, photo by Rebecca Latson

Concessions are the backbone of the National Park System. True, the National Park Service manages the parks and the wildlife and the visitors, but the concessionaires provide you with a bed, or campsite, to sleep in, restaurants to dine in, and gift shops to browse in.

Xanterra Parks and Resorts is one of the key players in the national park concessions industry. They operate lodges in Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Glacier, Grand Canyon and, until the end of this year, Zion National Park.

September 22nd, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 292 | Voyageurs Wolf Project

An image of the face of a wolf, from Voyageurs Wolf Project. Photo by Thomas Gable.

The National Park System is an incredible reservoir of wildlife, from charismatic animals such as grizzly bears, bison and wolves, to animals such as moose, and pronghorn and sea turtles that, while not usually labeled as charismatic, are indeed just that.

Wolves certainly fall under the charismatic megafauna classification. They're majestic and mystifying, and perhaps even lend some romanticism to your backcountry adventures if you are lucky enough to hear a pack howling in chorus after sundown. 

September 15th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 291 | Campaign for the Parks

An image of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. By Thomas Moran, public domain.

It was back in 1967 when the Congress chartered the National Park Foundation to serve as the official charity of the National Park Service, and over the decades it has raised millions of dollars for the parks.
 
The Foundation is in the midst of its Campaign for National Parks, a billion-dollar campaign that has already raised $815 million. A big chunk of that total came from a recent $100 million grant that greatly moved the foundation closer to its billion-dollar goal.
 

September 8th, 2024 Read More
Explore All Podcasts

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.