Funky, Homespun, Artsy Feel Fills Bathroom at Remote Burr Trail Grill

Burr Trail Outpost and Grill
HWY 12
PO Box 1515
Boulder, UT USA
www.burrtrailgrill.com

Where is it?

From the main entrance, enter the dining room, head past the modest bar on the left (which, more than anything, is an opening in the wall that lets people sitting in that art of the dining room look into the kitchen -- with a small counter and some stools in front of it), to the small display of T-shirts of other novelties for the place, as well as regional beers and wines for sale.

Turn left at the end of that, passing a small cooler containing various baked goods, go up a lone stair, into the back wing of the dining room, and take a left after the entrance to the kitchen. You'll see a modest-looking door with a Rest Room sticker sign on it, as well as a piece of paper reading, "PLEASE KNOCK! BEFORE ENTERING. gracias."

What's it like?

This small outpost, in the minuscule town of Boulder, UT (which, according to research, has a population of only 225), isn't easy to get to. You have to take Utah's Scenic Byway 12 (or HWY 12) past Bryce Canyon and through the northern end of the spellbinding and vast Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, one of my favorite places in all the American West.

As a result, you will have to travel through some truly breathtaking scenery, as well as some very twisty, remote roads taking you through and over some very steep mountain terrain. (HWY 12 ends on beautiful Torrey, which is next door to Capitol Reed National Park.)

Boulder is in the dead center of the road and gives you access to the nearby Burr Trail, a very rugged road which goes from Boulder back through the Grand Staircase to Lake Powell.

The Burr Trail Grill is quite possibly the only place to eat during the journey from Bryce Canyon to Torrey. Given that, you'd expect the place to be a bit of a hole in the wall. Surprisingly, it isn't.

More than anything, this funky eatery works both as an art gallery displaying works by local artists and a comfortably little diner with some very good food.

Granted, the menu isn't expansive, but for decent sandwiches and burgers (and the meat here has some unique spices mixed into it, giving it a complex flavor you don't expect) to chili con queso dip (highlighted by chipotle pepper sprinkled over the top) to cold draft beer from local breweries, it does a fine job and makes for a welcome stopping place. The service is friendly and down to earth, the dining room clean. It's worth a stop when you're passing through.

The bathroom here is small, a bit makeshift in design (really, just a built-on closet the owners put in here), but it's got an artsy feel to it and some funky decor, which make for an enjoyable visit. More than anything, it reminded me of the bathroom at the Soho South Cafe, only with less wear and tear and a bit less pretension (and without the hordes of people lining up to use it).

This is a one-bagger, of course. The walls here are made of wood and painted in golden browns and matted greens. There are some basic wood shelves put up to house the essentials, like the paper towel holder, some extra rolls of toilet paper and a boot holding some fake flowers (as if it were a vase). The toilet paper roll beside the toilet is fixed to the wall via a horseshoe, which is a nice touch.

The walls have posters and paintings of area sites, like scenery from nearby national parks and such, as well as some locally produced artwork. The floor has some golden patterned linoleum tile on it.

The toilet and sink aren't much -- standard white porcelain, cheap-o models from Home Depot or somewhere similar. But they're clean, as is the entire place. And odor free -- you don't even smell the smells from the kitchen next door, which is impressive.

It is a bit noisy -- you can hear the goings on in the kitchen -- but it's not so much of a distraction that you are bothered extensively by it.

Not a great bathroom, but it's clean, homey, unpretentious-yet-artsy and comfortable, and when you're this far in the middle of nowhere, that counts for a lot. The fact that the designers tried to make it unique, artsy, humorous and comfortable for visitors says a lot, I think.

Marks out of 10:

8.

Comments to the Management:

If you can diminish the kitchen noise some, that would be great. Otherwise, this is a great, fun place, as is the rest of your grill and outpost. A joy to visit, I thought. Hope to be back someday soon.

Go for the Green Bathroom Instead of the Red One at Eddie McStiff's

Eddie McStiff's MicroBrewery
57 S Main St
Moab, UT USA
www.eddiemcstiffs.com

Where is it?

There are two options for bathrooms at this saloon/beer house/entertainment complex.

For the first, head inside the building through the main entrance (which is to the left of the front patio dining area -- there is also a side patio dining area, which begins at the far end of the front patio), past the hostess station, gift shop (which is just past the hostess station on your left, in a little cubby there), and designated "beer drinking area" (which features pub tables and seems to be set up to cater to older clientele who don't have kids with them). At the end of that hallway stretch, you'll see an enclave housing the men's and women's restrooms.

For the second, enter the same way, but just before you reach the "beer drinking area" turn right into the main bar section, walk past the bar (which will be on your left) and booths there (on your right), towards the far right edge of the place. After the booths end, you'll see a hallway open to your right, which takes you to the side patio dining area, as well as the front part of the indoor dining room). Pass that hallway -- the next door on your right will be the men's room, with the women's room being just a little further on that stretch.

Alternately, for the second bathroom, you can cross through the outdoor patio areas and turn inside, turning right at the main drag.

What's it like?

This mammoth bar and beer palace is located in the dead center of majestic Moab. It's an all-encompassing sort of establishment. It's a sports bar housing a festive, somewhat rambunctious attitude and plenty of plasma screens on the TV. It's a microbrewery beer hall that produces its own array of specialty brews which draw inspiration from the rocky, red-sanded landscape around it. It's a two-story saloon containing an assortment of gaming areas (with pool tables and other parlor games). It's an eatery serving up decent pub grub with a regional twist. And, on weekends, it's a venue for local music and other entertainers.

The interior has a bit of a Western feel, mixed with that of a sports bar and a TexMex restaurant. The dining room and bar are dimly lit. The walls and booths are wooden, the highlights TexMex, and the vibe sports bar. Definitely a fun place -- kind of a spin on the wonderful The Flying Saucer in Raleigh, only without the kitschy plates hanging on the walls and the college-aged clientele (or the mammoth beer selection). While here, you instantly know that this is a popular place with both visitors and locals alike, and you can imagine the place gets pretty crazy at times. There's an underbelly here, if you know what I mean, and you admire it for that.

The menu isn't extensive or wildly original, but the food here is tasty and well-priced. The burgers can be all beef or all buffalo (or fish), for example, and can be topped with an array of items that range from traditional Southwestern ingredients (roasted chili, salsa, etc.) to Italian (dressing a sandwich like eggplant Parmesan, for example). There are also an assortment of salads and major entrees (steak, fish, chicken, BBQ, pizza) -- all of which is well-prepared, fresh-tasting and delicious.

The beers are well-crafted and indicative of the regional brew style -- which is that they tend to do in the Western U.S. These are full-bodied brews, usually with a heavy emphasis on hops, that draw on German brewing standards and traditions, but often include original spins on such traditions. As a result, the brews are both very quaffable and complex -- the best of both worlds, really. The establishment is definitely worth a stop or two if you're in Moab -- even if you're just passing through.

The bathrooms here are of the typical saloon style -- reminiscent to the toilet at The Flying Saucer in Raleigh, just smaller and with considerably less sticky floors.

The two bathrooms here are pretty similar in setup here -- essentially over-sized one-baggers that have been designed to accommodate two or three people at a time. Each one has a single stall, one urinal and a sink (the green has two sinks actually). One has a green trim design, the other a red. The green bathroom (the one nearer to the gift shop and "beer drinking area") is roomier than the red one (which is at the far end of the bar booths), but otherwise they are more or less interchangeable in terms of offerings -- though they are not equal in terms of cleanliness and overall experience.

The green bathroom has a linoleum floor with a green and black pattern on it and gray drywall walls. The walls are pretty bare, save or a single picture of some nearby rock formations. The stall (with green divider walls) is very roomy -- a little too much so, like the one seen at the Kolob Canyons Visitors Center -- and so is the urinal area, which could easily fit two more urinals into that big space if someone wanted to put them in there. The fact that the urinal is one of those old single-unit trough-style ones, without divider, makes the room around it appear even larger.

Otherwise, it's a pretty bare bones environment, nothing flashy. Clean, though the air is tinged some with urine (it's a bar after all) and there was some water spillage and paper on the floor, but nothing horrendous.

The red bathroom is smaller and actually feels like a better-spaced version of the bathroom experienced at the Tamarisk Restaurant in Green River, UT. Same offerings here, but it doesn't feel as overstuffed as that one. As with the green bathroom, the floor is covered in linoleum here, this time in a red and black pattern. The divider walls are red here.

The urinal is in the center of the room and has a roomy chamber around it (courtesy of red dividers, part of which is a stall wall and part of which separates the urinal from the sink -- only one here). The walls are the same grey drywall here, and there is no art on the walls, except that there is a chalkboard hanging above the urinal, which lists some upcoming events and general graffiti. The stall is roomy enough but not nearly as large as the one in the green toilet.

Again the air here was tinged with the smell of urine and I found some spilled water and paper bits on the floor, and the grout behind the toilet in the stall looked pretty worn and grimed over -- definitely the less clean of the two bathroom choices available here.

Also, the exhaust fan here was very noisy -- so much so that it became invasive during my visit. The minute I finished my business and went out into the music-filled dining room, I felt like I'd stepped into a sanctuary. Yes, it's that rumbling and noisy.

Though neither option is stellar, if offered a choice, go for the green bathroom here over the red.

Marks out of 10:

6 for the green bathroom. 5 for the red.

Comments to the Management:

As stated, both are pretty bare bones bathrooms, and because of the festive attitude of the rest of the place, it couldn't hurt to add some beer hall decor to the walls, just to make it fun. You don't necessarily have to go overboard, of course, but at least have some fun with it -- like the people at the Pig and Whistle Pub in Sebastian, FL did. Otherwise, please try your best to keep both bathrooms a bit cleaner and odor-free -- and if possible, do something about fan noise in the red restroom.

Outhouse #6: Kolob Canyons Observation Area Toilets Are Filthy and Rust-Filled -- Ick

Kolob Canyons Visitors Center
3752 E Kolob Canyon Rd
New Harmony, UT‎ USA
utah.com/nationalparks/zion.htm

Where is it?

As stated in our Kolob Canyon Visitors Center toilet review, the observation area here requires taking a five-mile drive past the Visitors Center, into the mountain range behind it. (This is a paved road and it's a bit windy, but nothing too terrible.)

Once there, you find a parking area that has trails to various lookout points, as well as a central outhouse building, containing a handful of multi-sex chambers. The outhouse is pretty hard to miss too, considering that the overlook parking area is small and unidirectional -- you'll have to pass the outhouses either on your way in or out, no matter whether you park or just drive through.

What's it like?

On the outside, the outhouses here look a lot like the top-notch outhouses visited at Rainbow Point in Bryce Canyon. They look like a little log cabin -- and because very few people visit this part of the park compared to the lower canyon attractions at the main Zion Park entrance, you expect these to be pretty clean.

Sadly, that isn't the case. This place, while not a total train wreck, was pretty filthy inside. The floor, walls and amenities were covered in rust and what looked -- and smelled -- like urine, as well as some mis-thrown used toilet paper.

The chamber itself isn't much -- about eight feet by eight feet, a standard outhouse in size. It's got a compost toilet in the back corner, a skylight overhead (which actually does a better job of lighting this place than the toilets at the main Zion Park entrance), a couple rolls of toilet paper fixed to the walls, a warning sign asking you not to throw trash into the toilet (though nothing saying you shouldn't throw it on the floor) and that's about it. The floor is concrete, and despite the wood-like exterior, the inside is just sheet metal.

Also, it's a drafty place and you really feel the elements when inside, especially the wind when it blows (and it does often, since you're at about 8,000 feet when you're here).

The views outside are breathtaking, as you can imagine. But inside is a different story. This is definitely a rustic (and rust-filled) spot to relieve yourself -- the woods around you feel much cleaner, believe it or not.

In this case, it may be best to hold it in until you can make it back to the Kolob Canyon Visitors Center. Those aren't great facilities either, but they are much better than what you'll find here.

Marks out of 10:

4. An outhouse, yes, but there are still standards to adhere to.

Comments to the Management:

Clearly, "little used" also means "little cleaned." Enough said.

Toilets Supported By Wooden Blocks at Arches National Park Visitors Center Bathroom -- Why?

Arches National Park
Visitors Center Toilet
2282 Resource Blvd
Moab, UT USA
www.nps.gov/arch/

Where is it?

Drive into the park and after paying admission head to the Visitors Center, about a quarter mile past the entrance gate. Once there, walk through the outdoor exhibits (which include bronze statues of various wildlife that lives in the park, like mountain rams and such) and head towards the front entrance of the Visitors Center building.

Before reaching the entrance doors, look to your right and you'll see a small hallway in the side of the building that's about 15 feet back from the entrance. The bathrooms are down that hallway -- with signs indicating so.

What's it like?

This beautiful but somewhat overcrowded park in eastern central Utah is known mostly for its collection of natural arches, about 2000 or so are said to make their home here -- the largest concentration of natural arches in the world, as I understand.

In addition to the arches, the park also houses some amazing, rugged, hot, desert-red landscapes and rock formations, many of which rival Monument Valley in terms of shapes and grandeur. A true wonder showcasing the work of wind erosion and heat (very hot here, despite the elevation).

The Visitors Center is like any other national park center, with its array of geographic displays and science lessons. It's considerably more humble than some of the other Visitor Centers visited, a bit smaller, with only one gift shop, an information center, a small movie theater showing a looped informational video, the scientific displays and the bathrooms. If you're hungry, you're advised to bring your own food.

The bathrooms are definitely more complexly put together than the ones at Zion and Red Canyon, among others. These, unlike some of the other bathrooms visited at the U.S. national parks, can't really be classified as an outhouse, because they are entirely indoors with no apparent outdoor interference (no windows at all, actually) and don't seem to rely on mother nature at all in terms of ventilation or digestion of waste.

This is a long rectangular room, very simple in design. The back right half of the bathroom is filled with four toilet stalls, the final one in the corner being the handicap. Across from that is a string of five or so urinals -- those new SLOAN models that are of the no-flush, environmentally safe models (like what we saw at IKEA Orlando, Nona Sushi and Whole Foods South Orlando), which is a welcome turn considering that some of the other national park toilets lacked this option (I'm looking at you, Zion Visitors Center).

The front left corner houses the sink stations -- pretty bare bones set up, very Teutonic. About four sinks in all, no vanity, with unframed single-serve mirrors posted behind them and soap dispensers attached to each mirror. Faucets are automatic. Hand driers are to the left of the sink area.

This is a pretty crowded bathroom -- inside the park, there are fewer options, and those are all outhouses, so this is as comfortable as it gets for your stay. The place, because of this popularity, is pretty noisy and bustling as a result -- not a great place to make a quiet stop, that's for sure. But, as stated, it's not as open to the elements as the park's other options.

Because of the crowds, it's also a bit dirty. For example, while the urinals were of the no-flush variety, that didn't prevent each one from having a small pool of urine at their bases. Naturally, that urine lends a certain odor to the air as well.

The same could be said of the stalls, which had some puddling in them too. The walls here, by the way, are beige-painted concrete, and the floors are concrete but with a copper paint on them. That copper paint seems to make the spillage become more apparent, for some reason. I think a light-colored floor might have been a better option here.

Other than that, it's a pretty straight and narrow bathroom, save for one thing: All the toilets have wooden blocks around their piping. Not sure why this is so, to prevent freezing in the winter or whatnot, but it makes it look like all the toilets are held up by wooden blocks and lends a surprisingly primitive aspect to the design. What gives?

Marks out of 10:

6. Dirty and smelly, but considering your other options in the park, these are golden.

Comments to the Management:

You get a lot of traffic here, so it seems that you'd want to have the cleaning crew police the place a little more often, especially to clean up all the spillage. Plus, painting the floor a lighter color might make all that spillage less noticeable. And what's with the wooden blocks?

Outhouse #8: Delicate Arch Viewpoint Toilet Comfortable But Crowded

Arches National Park
Delicate Arch Viewpoint Outhouse
2282 Resource Blvd
Moab, UT USA
www.nps.gov/arch/

Where is it?

Follow the main road through Arches National Park until you get to the Delicate Arch Viewpoint stop. Note: This is not to be confused with the Delicate Arch trail stop, which lets you hike to the arch itself. This is for the viewpoint, which lets you look at the arch from about 500 feet away.

The outhouse itself is located in the parking lot of the viewpoint area. Really, you can't miss it, since it's the only building there (unless you count the many campers you'll come across).

What's it like?

Delicate Arch is the most famous arch in Arches National Park, mostly because it stands alone atop a sandstone ridge as if posing for photographers. It does indeed look very delicate and is quite amazing to marvel at, considering that it's the result of wind erosion. Though, upon closer inspection (and I didn't walk up to it, only looked at it from the viewpoint areas), you can see that it's really quite mammoth in size (compared to the people standing beside it), which in a way makes me think it's a lot sturdier than its name suggests. Regardless, an amazing site.

The viewpoint area isn't much more than that. There are two trails to be taken here -- one that goes about a half mile, and is flat and gravel graded, and lets you look at the arch from a bottom vantage. Not a great view, but not bad and certainly mindful of those who can't make the actual hike to the arch or take the other trail here.

The second trail is about a mile long and starts out easily enough but soon takes an upward turn, with some steep inclines, taking you up to a higher vantage that lets you look at the arch from the top of a ridge that's just across a small valley from the arch itself. This was a pretty hard hike, mostly because you expected it to be easier after tackling the first one. But the inclines are steep and the heat of the park gets to you, making it a much more strenuous walk than you first expected.

Ironically, the views aren't that different from above vs. the one below, which makes me wonder why I just didn't take the plunge and hike to the arch itself. I imagine the hike couldn't have been much more strenuous than what we already did to get to the higher viewpoint.

Anyway, the outhouse in the parking lot here is definitely a step up from some of the other outhouses we've visited. Not quite on par with the one visited at Rainbow Point in Bryce Canyon, which was borderline divine, but not to far off from that level of quality either.

As with the other outhouses we've visited, this one is pretty simplistic in design: Small chamber with a compost toilet, a toilet paper dispenser, some handicap support beams, a vent in the wall and a warning sign, asking you not to throw trash down the toilet.

About the sign: This one, actually, was a bit more honest in its message than the others we've seen, reading, "PLEASE do not throw trash in toilet. It is extremely difficult to remove. THANK YOU."

Ironically, the bathroom also had a trash can in it, to help people fulfill this request -- something nearly all other outhouses seem to lack. Normally, the trash can is outside them, but it actually makes more sense to have it inside here. Go figure.

The walls here are white, and the floor is blue-painted concrete. The commode sits on a little step/elevated area on the floor, which looks nice but actually may cause trouble for those with shorter legs. This is not one of those environments, really, where you dangle your feet over the side and have your legs touching the side of the commode -- these are unisex environments, so you always have to be mindful about men who miss the mark.

On the whole, the place is pretty clean and odor-free -- and I give the designers kudos on the later, seeing that the toilet itself is placed right next to a vent in the wall. Sure, there is a tinge of urine here, but that vent really does a good job in airing the place out some.

Little things like that elevate the experience, to be honest. But be warned that this is one of the most popular stops in the park, and it is very crowded here. There was a line for the toilet when I visited, which kept me waiting a little longer than I would have liked (not like you can just pee on a rock somewhere, because the area itself doesn't have many spots for privacy, no trees and such).

Also, once you're inside, you can hear the people outside quite well, and if they're in a hurry to get in, they will not be shy about sharing those thoughts with it. And if you've got some noisy rumblings in your tummy that are waiting to get out, they will hear every last pop out of you.

Of course, your options are limited here, but it's still something to consider when planning your visit.

Marks out of 10:

7. A comfortable outhouse with some simple, yet well-planned, design improvements. If only the outside world wasn't so apparent inside. Still, this is a better place to visit than some indoor bathrooms I've been to.

Comments to the Management:

Not sure what to recommend here. If you could increase the quiet factor and separate the outside world from the inside world better, that would be great. But at the same time, this is just an outhouse, and it has to stay as that.... so I'm clueless here, I'm afraid.

Clever Cruisers Cafe Bathroom Brings Together the Open Road and the Commode

Cruisers Cafe 66
233 W Route 66
Williams, AZ 86046
www.cruisers66.com

Where is it?

Standing at the front entrance, with your back to the door, you'll see a small dining area in front of you, a larger dining area to your right, a gift shop to your left and a bar area ahead of you, elevated some from the rest of the place.

Go to the right, into the main dining room (going up a step up to do so -- that step has a novelty road sign beside it, indicating the step-up, which hints that people have tripped on it enough to warrant a novelty sign about it be placed there). Once there, look for Goodrich Tires sign on an outlaying wall above a table and a Route 101 road sign to the right of that.

Behind the outlaying wall is a corridor (between the Goodrich sign and the Route 101 sign). The bathrooms are down that corridor, clearly marked.

What's it like?

This friendly tavern/cafe sits at the intersection of Route 64, which heads to the Grand Canyon, and the famous Route 66, which crosses the U.S. and is a popular byway for road travelers. The business itself is in the small town of Williams, which is about an hour south of the Grand Canyon.

Clearly, being on that famous roadway has inspired this eatery, as the this looks and feels more like a garage converted into a restaurant and all the decor here is all about being on the open road. Roadster-, biker- and driving-themed items pack the place, including a bevvy of road signs, faux advertisements for various car-based goods (like the aforementioned Goodrich sign), and lots of clever car-based twists (like the six-foot tool box used to store the silverware).

Of course, taken at face value, it's just a theme restaurant with a car fetish. But thankfully the food and drink are wonderful and well-priced (and enormously portioned), making it a worthwhile stop if you're heading to Las Vegas from the Grand Canyon, as it's right on your way.

The menu consists of several diner favorites, like burgers and chicken and such, but they are prepared with much care and devotion to quality -- and you sense that upon the first bite. The burger is a mammoth half pound of fresh beef and taste gloriously of the grill it was cooked on. Salads highlight the freshness of the ingredients and quality of the house-made dressings. And the house specialty, the BBQ beef short ribs, are slow cooked on a smoker sitting out out on the front patios; they are succulent, juicy and enormous -- and smothered in a sticky-sweet sauce. Sheer heaven.

In addition, the eatery sits next to the Grand Canyon Brewery, a small micro-brew that produces six delicious beers, and proudly serves those concoctions on tap. Beers range from light and fruity wheats to crisp pale ales to hearty stouts. Though the brews are somewhat indicative of classic American west microbrews (lots of hops, origins in traditional German brewing styles), they also carry a sweetness to them and lighter body than you might expect, especially in the stout. Definitely worth a try if you're here.

Also worth checking out are the cleverly designed bathrooms here, which extend the car theme of the dining room to even greater heights.

These are one-room, one-bagger chambers, with one sink, one toilet and one urinal (in the men's room) -- each your standard white porcelain model. The floors are a regular grey tile (as seen countless places, like the Tamarisk Restaurant in Green River, UT and various Sam's Club wholesale stores).

But in addition those standard foundation elements are many other goodies to see and play with.

Like the dining room, the walls are covered with car memorabilia, framed photographs of classic roadsters and various hubcaps. The toilet stall is wrapped in a heavy rubber curtain, like the old stalls used by mechanics back in the day, and a pickup cargo bay (just the metal) of an old Ford pickup.

Yes, that's right: The actual cargo bay from the truck has been removed from the junky old car, repainted and stuck to the wall here to serve as the hard wall to the toilet stall. Very clever.

A similar trick has been pulled by the urinal, which for a privacy barrier has the removed door of a car. A nice touch.

Indeed, one of the most fun toilet experiences you'll have -- and the funkiest bathroom we've seen since our visit to Bongo Java in Nashville, TN. (Though I imagine if the place is crowded and you really have to go, those many distractions and decorations may hold up the line some.)

The place was pretty clean for the most part too, which I imagine can be difficult in a place like this, which is very kiddie friendly. Let's not forget how horrid the kiddie-friendly toilets at Island of Adventure's Toon Lagoon were -- and they were cleaned regularly by an army of staff. So I have to commend them further on that, since the place was pretty busy on my visit and clearly the toilet have been used several times before my entry.

Marks out of 10:

8. Just a really fun restaurant and bathroom.

Comments to the Management:

Not sure what to recommend. Clearly, you've gone out of way to make the bathroom fun -- and that it is!

Outhouse Review #2: Zion National Park -- Stinky Yet Serene

Zion National Park
Springdale, UT USA 84767

http://www.nps.gov/zion/

Where is it?

These facilities are located at the Temple of Sinewava area of the park, which is the last stop on the bus route that goes through the park.

What's it like?

These bathrooms, found at the mouth of the Riverside Walk trail at Zion (which lead you to the Virgin River and the mouth of the canyon), work much like mass market facilities, in that they can accommodate several people at a time instead of just one (like a regular outhouse).

Design wise, the building they are in matches well with the stunning rock vistas around it, and the wood composition makes it look like a facility one would use in frontier times. They offer running water and flush urinals and toilets, which makes them more like traditional toilets than outhouses. However, they are also located in the middle of the wilderness and smell sharply of urine and waste -- like a regular outhouse. They are somewhat clean, however expect to see lots of trash, mis-thrown paper towels and mud on the floor, as well as some obvious signs of wear and tear. Also, the stench inside can be so sharp at times that you may want to hurry your stop in order to return to the fresh air outside.

Note: The toilets here are also located at one of the most popular stops on the Zion tram, so expect to hear and see lots of traffic, both inside the toilets and out. Lots of tour groups use the sitting area at the base of the stop as a place to eat lunch or gather with other group members who have gone off to do their own thing (it was so busy I couldn't get a free moment to take a picture of the interior -- sorry). Not really a place for privacy, but then again you don't have any other choice because of the location.

Marks out of 10:

5. It's the only game in town, and though it's not terrible it's not nearly as eloquent, private or clean as the outhouse visited in Bryce Canyon (review coming soon).

Comments to the Management:

Needs a complete overhaul, including paint job and updating of fixtures. Needs a serious deep cleaning too -- and adding in some air fresheners wouldn't hurt (unless it attracted animals, of course).