Utah Canyonlands

$1,895 plus 10.3% sales tax

The canyon lands of southern Utah are one of the most beautiful regions in America. No wonder it boasts five Nationals Parks! While hiking, horse riding and rafting, we visit them all. This trip is a feast for the eyes - from the vistas of Zion, the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon to the incomparable Delicate Arch. Bring extra camera memory cards! There is no place more beautiful than a Utah canyon ten minutes before sunset. Come and unwind from all that is challenging in life in the peacefulness of the glorious southwest.

  

Gerda C, MA - It was time to fulfill my long-held dream of seeing Bryce Canyon.  It was also time to trust in someone else.  I needed to celebrate good health and to challenge myself beyond what I felt were my limits.  My trust was well placed.  The challenges came and I met them and I feel GREAT!

Ann Marie B, FL - This experience has made me a better person and I will reflect upon it for years. Bless your heart (I'm hardly ever this sloppy!)

Fay S, NY - Well it takes an immigrant to show me what a beautiful country I have! Thanks for the encouragement and confidence. This was the best vacation I ever had!

Chip M, VA - I loved being in the water so much despite being in the desert. You kick ass in the adventure travel arena!

Donna A, NJ - I am in awe of the beauty of the desert canyon-lands - Bryce Canyon blew me away! A great group to travel with and I enjoyed every minute.

Wednesday
Arrive in Sedona by 3pm and your tour leader will meet you at the shuttle drop-off point (Super 8).  Drive to our motel and check in.  Change into hiking clothes.  We’ll go on a short tour of Sedona including a visit to a vortex and a hike among the red rocks to Devil’s Bridge. Dinner will be at Cheryl’s home.

Thursday
Drive north to Page with a break at Cameron Trading Post. Heading north towards Page we’ll stop at a scenic overlook to see Marble Canyon, our first view of how mother nature sculptured the Grand Canyon out of the Colorado Plateau.  This is also an opportunity to shop for Native American trinkets at roadside stalls.  At Lake Powell we’ll board our vessel and take a boat ride on Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge. 

Friday
It’s fun to get out of your tent and dive straight into the warm water before breakfast in camp.  We’ll motor back to the marina and load our van. It’s just over an hour to drive to Zion National Park.  The drive down to the canyon demands several stops along the way for photos. Ride the eco-bus into Zion Canyon enjoying the magnificent scenery. We’ll lunch at Zion Lodge.  Our afternoon hike up the Virgin River heads into the Narrows where each bend in the river brings new delights.  Some choose to swim in the river and others are happy to keep cool by just sloshing through the shallows. Drive back up Zion Canyon  - who can get enough of the views?  We’ll eat dinner on the way to our lodge near Bryce Canyon. 
                       
Saturday               
After breakfast we saddle-up for an incredible three-hour mule-ride through the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park on the Peek-a–Boo Loop Trail.  We think this is the most stunningly scenic park in the US and you’ll photograph amazing views from your horseback vantage point.  We get a break half way through the trip and it’s great to dismount and stretch our legs.  Back at the start, we can change out of our horse clothes before lunch at Ruby’s Inn. After lunch, drive the scenic Escalante River Gorge and up through alpine meadows to Torrey for dinner and lodging. Our drive up to 10000’ across alpine meadows of aspens affords great views of the Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Park.

Sunday
Breakfast at our motel.  Our morning hike along Sulphur Creek in Capitol Reef National Park is relaxing with wonderful photographic opportunities. There are also a couple of places where we have to climb down ledges but our guide gives excellent instruction to keep everyone safe.  Leaving the park we’ll see rock designs from the Fremont Anasazi.  We’ll lunch in Hanksville then drive across to the west of Utah to Dead Horse Point State Park.  This is the famous Goosenecks section of Canyonlands. Tonight we’ll stay in Moab and eat at the Moab Brewery. There’s time for shopping before and after dinner.

Monday
Early start, a quick breakfast and we’ll hike to incomparable Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It takes about 40 minutes to hike up to Delicate Arch one of the most beautiful formations in the West.  It’s extra special to enjoy this vista before the crowds.  On the way out we’ll take time to walk through the Windows section of the park. Before returning to Moab, your guide will drive you to more amazing roadside pictographs.  We’ll check out of our motel and assemble for our river trip.  Spend the afternoon on a float trip on the Colorado River in rafts and inflatable kayaks.  This often involves relaxing in the river, floating along in our lifejackets.  A picnic lunch is served riverside on a beach. Outside Moab we stop at Hole in the Rock, a unique home.  There is no place in North America quite like this home so we indulge in a short tour. Spend the night a cozy country B&B in the La Sal foothills.

Tuesday
After a delicious breakfast at the B&B we’ll drive into Canyonlands National Park.  Visit the ancient markings at Newspaper Rock, a cultural treasure. The scenes as we drive towards Monument Valley bring back wonderful memories of watching cowboy movies as kids!   We capture the quintessential photo of the left and right hand mitten buttes at the Navajo Tribal Park and it’s on to lunch at historic Gouldings Trading Post. Drive south to Kayenta where we’ll see a small exhibit describing the importance of the Navajo Code Talkers during WWII.  View dinosaur tracks in the desert outside Tuba City.  Our wonderful week together draws to a close as we drive down Oak Creek Canyon into Sedona and check into our motel.  Farewell dinner in Sedona.

Wednesday 
Sedona Shuttle will pick you up at our lodging – service begins at 5am.

NOTES:

How do I get to Sedona?
Arrange your flight into Phoenix in time to catch the noon shuttle van. It takes 2.5 hours to drive to Sedona where your Trip Leader will meet you at the Super 8 drop-off. Arrange your homebound flight after 12 noon on the following Saturday. You need to make shuttle reservations (928) 282-2066. The round trip fare is $85 which you can either pay for in advance or bring cash to pay in Phoenix.