A rainy night in Zion filled the natural tanks and turned normally-dry waterfalls into cascades. Photo by Deborah Wall/Cerca Contributor Ron Gorman, who also goes by the name Buzzard Eater, tells the story of mountain men who explored Southern Utah and guided later settlers to the West. Photo by Utah Trails Resort An Indian flute player performs at Village of Many Nations. Photo by Utah Trails Resort Bison were grazing within 30 yards of our Zion Mountain cabin when we awoke, thrilling my young daughter. Photo by Deborah Wall/Cerca Contributor

Zion National Park is one of the most beloved travel destinations for Southern Nevadans. Most of us head to Zion's main canyon, spend some time in Springdale but often don't venture much farther. There is much to be said for concentrating on such a stunning area of the park, but spending some time exploring the park's less-visited east side, and beyond, could really add to the experience.

My daughter Charlotte and I did just that on a recent visit, so it only made good sense to stay just outside the park's east boundary at the Zion Mountain Resort. This not only saved us driving time to reach our favorite hiking spots but also gave us the opportunity to experience some new places just outside the park.

Arriving in late afternoon, we checked into our cabin, one of about 50 of various sizes on the property. We were pleasantly surprised how elegant it was. Our cabin came complete with a small kitchen, gas fireplace, an enormous claw-foot bathtub with Jacuzzi and a view of the property's 600-acre buffalo preserve. (Actually, they are American bison, but I never heard such an animal utter a discouraging word at being called a buffalo.)

After settling in, we took a backroad driving tour around the resort's 2,700 acres. Although the land surrounding the resort appears fairly flat and contained, with a little exploring we found a vast landscape of canyons, pine forests and sweeping vistas. We had partial views of the signature sandstone peaks of Zion's east side, but it was the far-reaching ones that really caught our attention. To the south, we could see the forest-covered Kaibab Plateau, home of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon; to the east, the white, pink and brown Navajo sandstone of the White Cliffs; and to the northeast, the brilliant orange and reds of the southern tip of Bryce Canyon National Park.

We joined some local friends for dinner at the resort's Buffalo Grill. I couldn't turn down salmon with mango sauce, and the menu was child-friendly enough to provide Charlotte with a quesadilla. But of our group of six, two ordered buffalo steaks -- really bison, but nobody complained about the taste. For a growing population of Americans, bison has become the meat of choice. Besides its good taste, it has the bonus of being lower in fat and cholesterol than beef, pork and even chicken.

Part of the romance of the entire Southern Utah area is the rich American Indian history. Throughout the property there is plenty of evidence that there was once a sizeable ancestral Puebloan settlement here. Those earlier occupants left much behind, such as pottery shards, arrowheads and the remains from a kiva, or pit-house. All the artifacts found on the property are to be put on display at the resort's new lodge, now under construction.

We awoke at about 2:30 a.m. to the sound of a rare heavy downpour on the metal roof of our cabin. Although this would change our morning plans of horseback riding, it was a comforting and nostalgic sound. The flickering flame of the fireplace lulled us back to sleep for many more hours. In the morning, Charlotte, eager to start a new day, opened the curtains and was thrilled to see the herd of bison grazing less than 30 yards from our cabin.

The herd numbers more than 60, including the dozen or so calves born within the past year. The young are usually born in April and May, but last year there were a few born as late as October. Besides being small, the young have a distinctive light color -- a light reddish brown -- and don't have the prominent hump or horns they will develop as adults.

A bull weighs about one ton and stand about five- to six-feet tall. In the spring, bison shed their winter coats. This is a slow process and to the casual observer, the dangling clumps of fur might make them appear sickly, but this is perfectly natural. It's possible the bison don't like the half-finished appearance, though, for you might see one rubbing up against a fence post to speed up the shedding process and get it over with.

Our horseback riding plans were put on hold because of the wet morning's slippery mud, which could pose a danger to riders as well as the horses, especially since our guided ride would skirt the rim's steep canyons. We instead set our sights on Zion's east side, which after a rain affords some of the most spectacular sights in the Southwest. Hundreds of waterfalls pour off the sandstone walls and cliff faces, and the normally dry washes become flowing streams.

Out of the car, we headed up one of our favorite canyons, choosing it purposely because it was not a tight passage and had plenty of easily reached high ground in case of a flash flood. Many first-timers, eager to hike the east side, drop into Clear Creek, the usually dry wash that flanks the road. That's a great choice in dry weather, but during or after a rain it can be extremely dangerous, not just from flash flooding but because many areas can become quicksand traps.

On reaching the end of the short canyon, instead of finding the dry, sloping cliff face we had seen at other times, we found a wide cascading waterfall with a 20-foot-wide pool below. We climbed up and around this obstacle to one of our favorite places to stop and take in all the natural beauty.

Here, dozens of tinajas have been carved into the sandstone by water and wind erosion. Many of these potholes have sculpted walls three to four feet deep, and even in the driest of times we have always found a few inches of water in them. Today, they were filled to the brim from what was now a flowing stream, draining the higher sandstone cliffs and mesas.

After dinner, we were off just down the road to visit the Village of Many Nations and culture center. This is a must for anyone interested in American Indian history. The village is the dream and result of hard work by owners Arthur and Carol Letkey.

"This is a place that Native American culture can be taught in a positive manner, and it is also a way keep the stories, dance, craft-making and spiritual beliefs alive," said Arthur Letkey.

The center offers walking tours, nightly entertainment, educational seminars and a chance to immerse yourself in the culture, whether through a standard visit or one catered especially for you and your group.

On arriving, we toured the grounds with resident mountain man Buzzard Eater, also known as Ron Gorman. He was dressed head to toe in leather and fur reminiscent of early 19th-century fur trappers.

The Village opened last spring and is still a work in progress. They are in the process of adding new American Indian exhibits in an effort to have as many nations as possible represented so visitors can really understand the different ways tribes lived in different parts of North America. We toured two Navajo hogans, two types of sweat lodges, the vegetable garden and the cabin that Buzzard Eater built and resides in most of the time. Except for the cabin, all the shelters and houses were built by American Indians and are authentic in every way.

We also took a look at a wickiup.

"These were crude and elementary as far as style because they were more nomadic shelters," said Letkey.

These were used by the Paiute and Apache, and made of pliable wood sticks, usually first shaped like a tall igloo, then covered with brush, grass and weeds.

Children, as well as adults, can learn how to throw a tomahawk or shoot a bow and arrow, and explore a costume department to dress the part on their visit.

For the evening's entertainment we headed into a tepee -- a very spacious one, 28 feet in diameter. After Buzzard Eater started a campfire, he told us a little history of the mountain men and their relationship with American Indians. Trapping reached its peak in 1830, when there were about 500 to 600 trading furs for the supplies they needed to continue the lifestyle, but by 1840, because the price of fur dropped dramatically, and there were only about 60 left.

Next was a presentation put on by Little Owl, a man of Apache descent with handsome chiseled features and long dark hair that flowed past his waist. He shared many Indian legends with our group, including the story of the coyote, which told us how the stars were formed, and the woodpecker's significance in how flutes were invented.

A leather satchel he carried over his left shoulder turned out to hold all sorts of handmade wooden flutes, including those of cedar, cherry, pine, and mahogany. Little Owl told where he found each different wood and when he crafted them. Then he played a song on each. All his songs would have been enchanting in any setting; resonating in the close quarters of a tepee, they sounded even sweeter.

The highlight of the night for Charlotte and me was his demonstrating some American Indian sign language. He taught us signs for many of the local birds such as the owl, raptor and turkey. All of these start with your hands placed firmly on each side of your head wiggling your fingers, which indicates a bird. Next, you move your hand to identify the species. For the owl you circle your eyes with your fingers. To indicate a raptor, you make a motion of soaring with your hand, rather like putting your hand out of a car window to ride on the wind. For the turkey, you make a serpentine motion with one hand from your chin down to your chest, suggesting the wattles hanging at the turkey's throat.

If you are looking to really immerse yourself in American Indian culture, this is the place to stay as well. Besides being able to dress in authentic American Indian or mountain man clothing, you can also spend a night or two in an authentic tepee. The tepees come complete with bedding, and there are restrooms and hot showers close by.

Children will love this experience.

The next morning the weather was crisp and clear, so we were able to follow through with our plans to take a guided tour into the rugged backcountry of Zion Mountain. We met up with Chris, our guide for the morning, and with no delay we were off on a multiuse off-highway vehicle. Our destination would be down through the escarpment of the White Cliffs toward the East Fork of the Virgin River and Parunuweap Canyon.

Although I have hiked down into this canyon in the past via a different route, I had never had a chance to explore the area surrounding it. Poverty Flat Road travels along the edge of the buffalo preserve and then into country managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Although the road starts off in great shape, it deteriorated quickly and I was glad we weren't on our own. This is where the OHV becomes necessary. Smaller than a SUV, it could easily and safely negotiate the narrow rugged road where in many places, there were nearby drop-offs hundreds of feet deep.

Hikers wishing to escape beaten paths will find this canyon an excellent one to explore, with incredible narrow sections, hanging gardens and a special history, for John Wesley Powell traversed it back in 1872. Powell named the canyon Parunuweap, a Paiute term for "roaring water canyon."

This canyon is open to the public, but it is a difficult passage and you can only travel as far as the Zion National Park boundary, because of the rich archaeological treasures. For those adventurous enough to find your way into and out of this canyon, there is a plaque worth looking for, put up in honor of Powell's passing through here.

All this adventure is one weekend from Las Vegas and just one tank of gasoline in each direction, giving you maximum value for every bison nickel.