• exploring the Emerald Pools Trail system in Zion National Park
• walking among the hoodoos of Bryce
• learning about the natural bridges at Natural Bridges as we hike beneath them
  
• hiking to Delicate Arch in Arches
• enjoying the remoteness and solitude of Capitol Reef
  

Southern Utah is home to four of the most well known National Parks, each with its own special magic and unique attractions. Zion National Park is famous for its sculpted canyons and soaring red Navajo Sandstone cliffs. Nearby Bryce Canyon is a testimonial to the erosive power of ice and rainwater, carving its colorful limestone into windows, fins, and soaring spires called hoodoos. Capitol Reef is a monument to the amazing power of uplift. Natural Bridges National Monument will finally help you understand the difference between arches and bridges. And Arches National Park lives up to its name with over two thousand sandstone arches of all shapes and sizes. While we need to drive between parks (on some of the most scenic highways you will ever have the pleasure to drive on), this is not primarily a driving trip. We will hike between 3 and 6 hours every day and see each park as only hikers can.

any healthy woman who enjoys hiking and wants to explore the parks of southern Utah. Being in good condition is essential for completing all the longer hikes and it is possible to choose shorter hikes or to turn back early.  Rating: 1  2  [3]  4  5

• one night at the Desert Rose Resort in Las Vegas
• one night in at Zion Park Lodge inside Zion
  
• two nights at  Bryce Canyon Lodge,  a very short walk from the rim
  
• one night at a motel in Hanksville
• two nights in beautiful new condos, each with three bedrooms and a private hot tub in Moab

• experienced guides
• seven nights of double occupancy accommodation
• all meals from breakfast on Monday to breakfast on Sunday 
• transportation during the trip
• National Park entry fees

Not included: airfare to Las Vegas or from Grand Junction, alcoholic beverages, guide gratuities

Arrive in Las Vegas anytime on April 10

At the Grand Junction, Colorado airport (GJT) at 11:30am and you can plan to fly out after 12:30 pm.

the complete trip information can be downloaded here

Sunday: Arrive anytime April 10 at our hotel in Las Vegas. If you arrive before 6 pm, you are welcome to join your guide and other participants as we go to one of the guides’ favorite restaurants and watch the dancing fountains at Bellagio in the city that never sleeps.

Monday: The drive to our first destination, Zion National Park, is about 2.5 hours. Our first stop will be the Visitors Center, a good introduction to the park, which you can visit as your guides prepare lunch. After the first of many delicious picnic lunches and some instruction on how to hike happily and safely for the week, we'll explore the Emerald Pools Trail System. The 3 mile hike (we take about 2.5 hours) to the Upper Pool passes through pinyon-juniper habitat as we visit the lush environment of the lower pool and gaze at the soaring canyon walls of the upper pool. Overnight Zion National Park.

Tuesday: We have two choices today. For those who have no fear of heights and want a challenging 5 mile hike, we offer Angels Landing, one of the classic hikes in Zion. This trail switchbacks up the side of a cliff on a wide trail and then follows a narrow ridge (there are chains there to hang onto) out to a fantastic overlook high above Zion Canyon. You can also hike part way, take a look at this last section, and then make your final decision - continuing on to another viewpoint on the same trail is another excellent choice.  Alternatively there is a lovely moderate 2 mile hike to the Watchman, a viewpoint overlooking lower Zion Canyon and Oak Creek Canyon. After our hike we'll drive to Bryce Canyon, arriving in time for dinner.  Overnight Bryce Canyon National Park.

Wednesday: Another park, another classic hike: the Peekaboo Loop. In contrast to yesterday where we climbed out of Zion Canyon, today we'll start by descending into Bryce Canyon. This 6 mile trail, which follows an up and down loop around a major formation with constantly changing views, provides an excellent opportunity to see hoodoos from the bottom up. That evening we'll have the chance to watch the sunset over some of the most amazing geology you'll ever see. Bryce is known for having one of the most glorious nighttime skies of anyplace in the U.S. and if stargazing appeals to you, this is the perfect place to do it.  Overnight Bryce Canyon National Park

Thursday: Our two hour drive this morning to Capitol Reef National Park is one of the most scenic of the whole trip as we drive though Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, crossing over vast stretches of slickrock before climbing up and over the Boulder Mountains. Capitol Reef is a small section of the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long wrinkle in the earth's crust comprised of colorful canyons, buttes, mesas, and monoliths. We explore only a small portion as we hike on the Frying Pan trail, a 6 mile primitive trail through Cohab Canyon to Cassidy Arch and out Grand Wash. This hike offers more solitude and wilderness than any other on the trip as we follow it across country that is typical of the entire Park. Alternatively one can follow Cohab Canyon to its exit for a shorter hike, leaving time to visit petroglyphs along the road. We stay overnight at a motel in Hanksville, a small Utah town that is home to the world famous Blondie’s (at least it’s in a Chinese guidebook so it must be world famous) where we’ll have a great breakfast the next morning.

Friday: After a drive through beautiful red rock country that gives us our only peek of Lake Mead, we finally get the answer to that burning question: What is the difference between an arch and a natural bridge? Our answer is found at Natural Bridges Monument, as we hike a trail through lush desert canyons past 3 bridges, all at different stages of development. The trail is a little over 8 miles, with shorter loops for those who prefer. From there we continue on to our condos in Moab. Moab is one of the most charming small towns in Utah, known for its great shops and limitless outdoor opportunities. If you want a chance to explore the many restaurant options in Moab, this is the night. Alternatively the guides will get some take out pizza and chicken and if you want to just kick back at the condos after the day, you’re welcome to join them. Overnight Moab.

Saturday: Yesterday was bridges, today is Arches - Arches National Park, to be exact. Due to its unique geology, this park contains the largest concentration of arches of anyplace in the US. Again we offer two choices. One is to start with Delicate Arch trail, a classic Arches hike and not to be missed. We'll take the short spur trail to a Ute Indian Petroglyph and then walk up gradually sloping slickrock to a small valley surrounded by red rocks on the way to the arch. Just when you think you must have taken a wrong turn, the arch suddenly appears and you immediately understand why it is the most photographed arch in Utah. There are several other short hikes to different arches so some of us may decide to continue with more hiking while others will want time in Moab, the most fun place to shop in Utah. Alternatively the 8 mile Devil's Garden Trail is a more challenging hike that passes seven arches before following a primitive route down washes and over arches. We will celebrate our week of hiking with a final farewell dinner at our condos. Overnight Moab.

Sunday: This morning we share a final breakfast, pack up, and make any last minute shopping runs into town. We will plan to leave Moab for Grand Junction, Colorado (GJT) about 10:00am for the 90 minute drive and you can plan to fly out anytime after 12:30 pm (it’s a small airport and an hour is plenty of time to check in).