Lake Powell Gateway RV Resort hosts ribbon cutting in Big Water
- Ty Gant
- 16 hours ago
- 3 min read
“I’ve always known there was potential here,” says Heather Rankin, co-owner of the Lake Powell Gateway RV Resort in Big Water, “where we have so much of Lake Powell on the Utah side of the border, but all of the tourism ends up in Page. So I’ve been advocating for this Gateway idea for years, helping Big Water benefit from all the traffic that’s coming through to Lake Powell.”
Left to right, photos by Ty Gant:
The Kanab Area Chamber of Commerce provided the traditional ribbon as Lake Powell Gateway RV Resort celebrated their opening with a ribbon cutting on March 29.
(L-R) Kane County Commissioner Celeste Meyeres, Kanab Area Chamber of Commerce Board Member Nicholas Meyeres, Lake Powell Gateway RV Co-Owner Heather Rankin, Kane County Commissioner Patty Kubeja, Kanab Area Chamber of Commerce President Pat Guerrero.
Murals at the Gateway were painted by artist Eric Hoogen, who has contributed other similar murals in communities surrounding Lake Powell.
Rankin and her family, along with the Kanab Area Chamber of Commerce who provided the traditional ribbon, celebrated the resort’s opening with a ribbon cutting on Saturday, March 29, inviting park guests, locals and city and county officials to enjoy music and food.
Ray Rankin, co-owner, manager and lead designer of the park, spoke to the assembled crowd after the ribbon had been cut, stating, “I just want to say thank you to everyone who came out today. I appreciate the music, the caterer and I appreciate all of you guys taking your time out of your busy schedules. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who made this project happen, it’s too many names to mention.”
The RV Resort is meant to be equal parts hospitality for visitors and accommodation for locals. “We’ve already had some folks doing some grocery shopping at the store,” says Heather, “which is kind of the whole point. We’ve got the basics - milk, cereal, bread - on the one side, and RV stuff on the other.” Heather is especially proud of her “Heather’s Haven” brand, which includes personal wellness products and eggs from the family’s coop.
The park currently hosts 32 RV spaces, with some limitations imposed by health department regulations on flow through septic systems - per Heather, the park is looking to expand the property enough to allow a laundromat facility and dry camping spots for tents. The resort is also looking to expand the property’s playground with an 18-hole mini golf course.
The Rankins emphasize the nature of the RV park not only as a community project, but a family one: Heather recounts a story in the early planning of the part, “My mom, Diane, gave us a little seed money to get us started … she said she had a dream of being 90 years old, sitting in front of our park at a table, under a big tree. Well, 90 is five years away … so we installed her table, we planted her tree, we’ll see how it all looks five years from now.” Heather also praised her daughter Ashley, who did the majority of graphic design for advertising the park, “That sort of thing would have cost us thousands to hire someone to do, it would have been impossible without Ashley just doing it. We’re extremely lucky to have someone like her on board.”
Kane County and Big Water officials have commented on Big Water’s economic potential, as the town is currently undergoing an economic feasibility study to determine the best options for a Main Street business hub, and Kane County officials commented on the RV park store’s potential as a small experimental marketplace. “It’s a big step for Big Water,” said Kane Commissioner Celeste Meyeres, “We’re excited to see the results.”
More information on the Gateway RV Resort is available at LPGRV.com, as well as on social media.
