The way we know we’re millennials is that in each park we visit, we seek out a coffee shop with a good brew and a solid wi-fi connection as an alternate option to a library. We are here for work after all. In Springdale, the only place that meets our requirements is Deep Creek Coffee.

Here we also stumbled into the adjacent Zion Guide Hub, which Scott Williams owns and operates in the same building as he and his wife’s coffee shop. Curious to know more about canyoneering, we sat down with Scott after he closed the coffee shop for the day. Scott has been serving as a guide for 14 years. He explained that canyoneering is the sport of exploring a canyon by rappelling down into it and hiking out the bottom, and that Zion is one of the premier destinations in the world for this sport. First having learned to canyoneer in the region himself, he now teaches and finds a lot of joy in guiding others in their first canyoneering experiences.

As Zion Guide Hub, Scott guides in Zion Canyon and Washington & Kane counties, but also serves as a liaison for other outfits or small groups, adhering to the principles of preservation and eco-tourism. After he moved here from Colorado, it was the canyon itself that kept him here. He spoke of the sense of shock & awe that one has from seeing this unique place. How it gives you access to something bigger than yourself. And after you understand the history of the river carving this canyon over millions of years, how humbling it is to climb these walls.

Check out Deep Creek Coffee and Zion Guide Hub.