Utah: Bryce & Zion Canyons

Snow Canyon; 2-3 miles, easy to moderate. Travel to Bryce Canyon National Park. Fairyland Point to Sunrise Point via the Fairyland Rim Trail; 3 miles, easy to moderate

Your leaders will meet you at the Inn on the Cliff in St. George, Utah, at 8:00 a.m. in the lobby. Please be dressed for walking—appropriate attire, sturdy footwear, and a daypack (to carry essentials like rain gear and a water bottle) are required.

Upon meeting your leaders in St. George, you will travel north to the day’s destination—Bryce Canyon National Park—with several stops en route to break up the approximately 2.5-hour drive. The journey follows the course of the Virgin River, which rises almost 8,000 feet from its terminus at Lake Mead to its origin at Navajo Lake on the Colorado Plateau. This vast geologic region includes Bryce and Zion Canyons as well as the Grand Canyon.

Your first walk of the trip is in Snow Canyon, located in the 62,000-acre Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. Here, you’ll enjoy your first glimpse of the area’s colorful sandstone cliffs, once ancient sand dunes sculpted by wind and rain.

Continuing your drive to Bryce Canyon, you disembark at Fairyland Point and walk along the Fairyland Rim Trail to Sunrise Point, where you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views overlooking Bryce Amphitheater—the park’s most concentrated area of hoodoos—as well as sweeping vistas of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the Aquarius Plateau, and distant Navajo Mountain. The vibrant red, orange, and white rock formations glow beneath the towering Ponderosa pines, offering a magical introduction to the landscape.

You may choose to shorten the walk or opt to arrive by van at your accommodation—a historic 1920s park lodge and National Historic Landmark. Set within the park itself, the lodge offers unlimited access to the Bryce Canyon rim and, after dark, a crystalline night sky. This evening, gather with your fellow travelers for dinner at the lodge’s rustic-yet-elegant main lodge.

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Rim of Bryce; 1 mile, easy. Bryce Point to Sunset Point; 3-4 miles, moderate, 700-1,000-ft. elevation gain. Afternoon walk: Bristlecone Loop via Rainbow and Yovimpa Points; 1 mile, easy

Early risers may wish to join the leaders for a serene sunrise walk along the rim of Bryce Canyon, catching the morning rays as they illuminate the Aquarius Plateau and bathe the hoodoos in warm hues.

After a hearty breakfast in the dining room, you begin today’s main walk along the rim of the canyon, enjoying spectacular views of Bryce Amphitheater and the Paria River Valley beyond. Passing multicolored limestone rock formations—both surreal and whimsical—you descend gently into the heart of the canyon, making your way through a stand of ancient bristlecone pines, some of the oldest living trees in the park, dating back more than 2,000 years. Gradually, you ascend out of the canyon on the Navajo Loop through the “Wall Street” formation, where massive orange limestone fins tower overhead. These formations, once part of an ancient lakebed, now provide cooling shade. Along the trail, pause to admire Thor’s Hammer, one of Bryce Canyon’s most iconic and impressive hoodoos.

The afternoon walk is reached via a 20-minute drive to Bryce’s southern point at an elevation of 9,100 feet. This easy walk begins on the canyon rim and rewards you with sweeping views in all directions: to the north, the 14 amphitheaters of Bryce; to the northeast, the red and orange cliffs of the Aquarius Plateau; to the east, the vast Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument—one of the world’s richest sources of dinosaur fossils; and to the south, the distant North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

This evening, linger over a dinner of refined Western fare—perhaps a grilled steak or Alaskan salmon paired with a Utah microbrew—in the historic lodge’s welcoming dining room.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Mossy Cave Trail; 1 mile, easy. Zion National Park Pa’rus Trail; 2 miles, easy

After breakfast, travel to Zion National Park, stopping along the way to walk the Mossy Cave Trail, where you’ll enjoy beautiful views of Water Canyon and its mossy overhang.

The entrance to Zion Canyon is breathtaking. Emerging from the historic Zion–Mt. Carmel Tunnel—laboriously carved through 1.1 miles of sandstone—you descend into Zion’s main canyon, shaped over millennia by the Virgin River. Zion is a true natural wonder, celebrated not only for its unique geology and stunning scenery, but also for its remarkable variety of flora and fauna, from peregrine falcons to desert bighorn sheep to the Zion snail, a species found nowhere else on Earth. The canyon also bears evidence of human history dating back 2,000 years to the Ancestral Puebloans and later the Paiutes, who arrived about 800 years ago.

Enjoy a walk along the Pa’rus Trail (Pa’rus is the Paiute word for “bubbling, tumbling water”), a multi-use path that follows the Virgin River along the canyon bottom, crossing several bridges and offering panoramic views of the towering sandstone cliffs on either side.

Your home for the next three nights is an inn resort set along the Virgin River in the charming town of Springdale. After time to unpack and freshen up in your spacious room, venture out for dinner at a favorite local restaurant.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

5 miles; moderate, 1,000-ft. elevation gain. Optional afternoon walk: Emerald Pools Trail; 2-3 miles, easy

After breakfast, set off from Zion Lodge on the Grotto Trail for a moderate walk to Scout Lookout, with an elevation gain of approximately 1,000 feet. A winding trail leads from the valley floor through a series of switchbacks into Refrigerator Canyon, where, as its name suggests, you are sheltered and cooled from the desert sun. Continue through Walter’s Wiggles, a series of closely cut switchbacks, before reaching the spectacular Scout Lookout. From here, the park unfolds below, with sweeping views of the Virgin River and canyon walls.

Enjoy a picnic lunch back on the canyon floor at the Grotto Picnic Area. After lunch, you may choose to return to Springdale and enjoy a full afternoon at your leisure, or continue hiking along the Emerald Pools Trail, returning to the lodge around 3:00 p.m. This afternoon walk leads to a series of shimmering pools and beneath a refreshing waterfall—depending on the season, it may be a steady stream or a delicate trickle.

The remainder of the afternoon is yours to relax. Unwind at your inn’s inviting swimming pool and hot tub, or explore the exhibits at the Zion National Park Visitor Center. This evening, return to Springdale for dinner on your own, with your leaders offering a variety of suggestions ranging from casual outdoor cafés to fine-dining restaurants.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Watchman Trail; 3 miles, 400-ft. elevation gain, moderate. Riverside Walk; 2 miles, easy OR The Narrows; 3-5 miles, moderate, water-level dependent

Today’s walks offer views of both lower and upper Zion Canyon on two separate routes. The Watchman Trail begins at the Visitor Center and ascends 400 feet to a scenic viewpoint overlooking lower Zion Canyon. After a picnic lunch, board the Zion Canyon Shuttle and ride to the end of Zion Scenic Drive to reach upper Zion Canyon. Here, you’ll explore the narrowest part of the canyon along the Riverside Walk.

If water levels permit, an alternate plan (instead of the Watchman Trail) is to enjoy an all-day walk in The Narrows, beginning along the Riverside Walk and then entering the riverbed to wind through the narrowest sections of the canyon.*

This evening, venture into lively Springdale for a celebratory farewell dinner at a favorite local restaurant known for its fresh, innovative cuisine.

*Please note: Water levels vary in The Narrows. River boot and sock rentals are included in your tour price, and in cooler weather, dry pants are also provided.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sunrise walk; 1-2 miles, easy to moderate

Before breakfast, join an optional sunrise walk in Zion. Watch as the rising sun illuminates the sandstone cliffs with a red glow—the light first striking the clifftops before slowly cascading down the canyon walls.

This afternoon, enjoy lunch at a lovely restaurant in Ancestor Square in St. George, Utah, featuring locally grown organic fare with Southwest flavors. After lunch, complimentary transportation is provided to the Inn on the Cliff and the St. George Shuttle at approximately 3:00 p.m., or to the St. George Regional Airport, arriving at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch