Aman’s Camp Sarika in Utah: Nestled Among 5 National Parks, Favored by Celebrities, and Not Easy to Access

On a bright, breezy morning in the secluded landscapes of Utah, I found myself on an aerial staircase suspended between two sandstone formations, soaring over 400 feet above the ground.

This path is part of the Cave Peak via ferrata (Italian for “iron road”), featuring a network of metal rungs, ladders, and elevated bridges that traverse the mountain, guiding adventurers to the peak. Ahead of me lay about 90 steps—crafted from metal pipes set 18 inches apart—with my safety relying solely on a climbing harness and a steady foot. This thrilling ascent was included in my agenda for a four-day retreat at Aman Camp Sarika, comprised of 10 independent tented pavilions in Canyon Point, Utah, just a stone's throw from the Arizona border. My primary aim during this stay was to discover fresh ways to immerse myself in the natural beauty of the desert, though at that moment, my focus was on ensuring my carabiner was securely attached to the cable acting as a handrail.

“Wasn’t that amazing?” our guide, Christian, inquired moments later, as I took my final unsteady step onto more stable ground. “And look, you can see the hotel from here.”

I followed his gaze, initially seeing only a vast expanse of tan sand and sagebrush against a majestic mesa adorned with rust and rose-colored stripes. Then it came into view: Camp Sarika, a series of low-profile canvas pavilions that blend seamlessly with the landscape. The via ferrata experience truly brought me closer to nature—during much of the climb, I was literally clinging to the mountain’s rocky face—but stepping outside my comfort zone was rewarded with a near aerial perspective of this unique accommodation and the geological wonderland I had come to discover.

Inaugurated during the pandemic in 2020, Camp Sarika serves as the new tented extension of the famed Amangiri, which opened in 2009 to immerse visitors in some of the most surreal landscapes in the United States. Celebrities like Brad Pitt and Tom Hanks have graced its grounds, and its popularity means that high season (April through October) often sees bookings made months in advance. Both Amangiri and Camp Sarika are part of the larger Aman universe, encompassing 34 hotels and resorts across 20 countries—many situated near or within UNESCO World Heritage sites—renowned for their distinctive charm and exceptional service.

While Camp Sarika’s suites may resemble canvas tents from the outside, guests are certainly not roughing it. Each one- or two-bedroom unit (1,882 and 2,825 square feet, respectively) is fully enclosed, featuring a generous lounge, bar, and dining space. The bathrooms boast deep soaking tubs and both indoor and outdoor showers overlooking ancient rock formations estimated to be 164 million years old. I yearned to spend the entire day on my terrace, complete with a plunge pool, a telescope, and a cozy firepit area where every morning I watched the sunrise transform the landscape into hues from indigo to apricot.

Nestled in a secluded canyon next to the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, this property spans 1.87 million acres of protected land in southern Utah. The area showcases a rich geological tapestry, featuring low desert terrain and coniferous forests. Within the 600 acres of the Colorado Plateau where Camp Sarika and Amangiri are located, you'll find flat-topped mesas, mountains, rivers, and arid landscapes. Surrounding the resort are five national parks and the Navajo Nation Reservation, the largest Native American reservation in the U.S.

The via ferratas are operated by Adventure Partners, the in-house guiding service of Amangiri. Besides challenging guests on the iron pathways, the guides also lead excursions into renowned nearby protected areas, including Zion and Bryce National Parks.

Thanks to Amangiri’s strong local ties, its staff can craft personalized itineraries for guests, offering activities from horseback riding in the desert to hot air ballooning over public lands. One morning, I joined another Amangiri adventure-partner, Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tour. Our guide, Joseph Secody, led me through a trio of almost surreal slot canyons within the Navajo Nation. Being Navajo, Secody granted us access to slot canyons that are off-limits to many. As we hiked, he shared that some canyons, like Antelope, are revered as sacred sites. He explained how the canyons were shaped over millennia by wind and water, while traditional stories provide an alternate perspective on the wavy designs of the walls.

“Those waves represent people's struggles,” Secody remarked, noting that as individuals release or conquer their stresses, they manifest as undulating patterns on the walls, ultimately creating “something beautiful.”

My time with Secody was just one of the many ways Camp Sarika and Amangiri enriched my understanding of the region’s ancient cultural traditions. Each day, I had the option to engage in activities like hoop dancing, storytelling, and flute performances, all led by Navajo experts. One afternoon, I joined a dream-catcher workshop hosted by Pearl Seaton. Alongside two other guests, I gathered around a table in Camp Sarika’s spacious restaurant, adorned with floor-to-ceiling windows, where we meticulously threaded a long string around a metal hoop to form a web. Seaton explained that the web of the dream catchers serves to filter out nightmares and that the various stones and seeds woven into the design offer protection during sleep.

Some Navajo traditions are reflected in Amangiri’s spa, a primarily open-air sanctuary where guests can enjoy greenthread leaf–infused Navajo Tea and take in the desert scenery between treatments. Spanning 25,000 square feet, the spa features five treatment rooms, two outdoor terraces, a water pavilion equipped with a sauna, a steam room, and a plunge pool. After a massage that began with a smudging ceremony (inspired by Navajo practices) and included oils made from local wild juniper, I spent much of the afternoon relaxing in the heated step pool. Watching the lines of the nearby butte and swallows darting through stone crevices, I felt a profound sense of calm and presence, unlike anything I had experienced in months.

Each night during the turndown service, Camp Sarika’s staff presents a different keepsake to take home: a sensory reminder, like a sage candle, a visual treasure, such as a photography book of the Southwest, or a cultural memento, like one of Seaton’s dream catchers. One evening, I discovered a linen bag containing four large aquamarine marbles by my bedside. The accompanying note revealed that the number four holds significant meaning in Navajo culture, symbolizing the “four seasons that govern a year, four core values that Navajo people strive for, the four mountains that define Navajo Nation, and the four stages of life.”

Those same marbles once featured in an art installation by Maya Lin in Camp Sarika’s lobby, where clusters of the glass orbs represented the nearby Lake Powell, a vast, winding artificial reservoir in an otherwise arid landscape. They now rest on my desk at home in Colorado, serving as a daily reminder of my extraordinary journey through the American Southwest.