Escalante Lodge-Based Tour

Meet your guide at the Best Western Abbey Inn for a brief orientation at 6am. Depart St. George for the 2 hour drive to Bryce Canyon National Park. Today we explore along and beneath the rim of Bryce Canyon. We embark on a great hike that offers all that Bryce is famous for: unique rock towers (hoodoos), natural arches and windows and spectacular views. And it’s also less crowded than some of the other trails in the park. You’ll enjoy the fascinating features like the Chinese Wall, Boat Mesa and Tower Bridge. There are many ups and downs along the way making this a moderately strenuous hike but the rewards are plentiful! After our hike, we will head to our lodge in the town of Escalante for some hot showers before heading out for dinner at one of the nearby restaurants.
Drive Time: 2 hours to Bryce, 1 hour to Escalante
Distance & Elevation: 8 miles, 2300 feet of elevation change
Lunch, Dinner

Today we are off for a full day of exploring the secrets of the Escalante River Canyon. This beautiful redrock canyon holds endless hidden treasures. This lush oasis provides a stark contrast to the surrounding desert wilderness. Highlights include Maverick Natural Bridge, Escalante Natural Bridge and ancient rock art. Be sure to bring your water sandals for the numerous stream crossings. After a full day of exploring, we’ll head back to our lodge to rest and clean up before dinner.
Drive Time: 45 minutes
Distance & Elevation: ~8 miles, minimal elevation change
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is all about waterfalls! Calf Creek is a gorgeous canyon with lush vegetation, cool, clear water and the idyllic Lower Calf Creek Falls. Enjoy a dip in the creek while your guide prepares a hearty lunch beneath the shady cottonwoods. If time allows in the afternoon, there is an opportunity to visit Upper Calf Creek Falls, an equally breathtaking oasis.
Drive Time: less than 1 hour
Distance & Elevation: 6-8 miles, minimal elevation change
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Slot Canyons!!! Perhaps you’ve seen them in pictures but to walk through these spectacular, narrow canyons is an experience you won’t soon forget. Beautifully carved by endless centuries of rushing water, these sandstone canyons are a photographers dream. You’ve got to see it to believe it! A visit to Devil’s Garden with its unique rock formations will round out another fabulous day in Canyon Country.
Drive Time: 1.5 hours
Distance & Elevation: 6 to 8 miles, minimal elevation
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

On our final day, we will pack up and head back towards St. George. We will travel into a hidden garden of slickrock and hoodoos, outstanding natural features creating a maze of sandstone formations awaiting your contemplation. Stunning views and quiet trails are the flavor of the day in this seldom-visited jewel of Canyon Country. Your guide will choose one of many great hikes to suit the desires of the group. After lunch, we will finish up the drive back to St. George for farewells.
Drive Time: 4 hours
Distance & Elevation: 3 to 5 miles, 500 foot ascent/descent
Breakfast, Lunch

For those looking for a shorter trip, our 4-day itinerary skips the hike in Bryce Canyon on Day 1 and instead heads straight to Escalante.

• All lodging (double occupancy) for the duration of the trip.
• A professional, licensed and medically trained guide
• Use of day pack & trekking poles
• All meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on the last day + trail snacks
• Rountrip Transportation from your hotel in St. George, UT
• Park entrance fees

• Transportation to/from St. George, UT
• Lodging the night before/after the trip
• Clothing, raingear, and footwear
• Personal toiletries, sunscreen
• Water bottles/hydration bladder
• Guide gratuity (suggested 10-20% of trip cost)

*Upon booking you will receive a detailed trip information packet

Most trips in Utah will accommodate 6 people plus one guide. On occasion, a group may be as large as 9 people plus 2 guides.

Children under the age of 12 are generally not permitted on regularly scheduled trips. This restriction may be negotiable on private tours. Please contact us with any questions regarding this policy.

In order to confirm a reservation, we require an initial non-refundable deposit of $250 per person, with the final balance due 90 days prior to the trip’s departure. If you book a trip within 90 days of the trip’s scheduled departure, then full payment is due at the time of booking.

Your deposit is payable over the phone by Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, or Discover. You can also pay by personal check or PayPal (PayPal incurs a 1.5% surcharge). Call our office Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm Arizona time. 1-877-272-5032

This trip will begin/end in St. George, UT and you will need to spend the night prior to your trip’s scheduled departure in St. George. You will want to fly into either Las Vegas (2 hour drive) or St. George.

We will meet for at 6:00am the morning of your trip’s departure at the Best Western Abbey Inn in St. George. It is best to plan on staying at this hotel the evening prior to your trip’s departure.

We will provide all transportation to/from trailheads for the duration of the trip. We will pick you up at your hotel in St. George and return you there at the trip’s conclusion. Guests staying at the Best Western Abbey Inn (recommended) can leave their cars at the hotel. The hotel will often store your luggage for you, as well, but please confirm this option in advance. If you are staying at a different hotel, you will need to check with them as to whether you can leave your car/luggage there.

Expect to be back in St. George by 5pm at the latest on the last day of the trip. Many trips will return earlier but we cannot make any guarantees. In general, it is recommended that you do not plan to fly home on the same day your trip finishes. Since each trip has slightly different logistics, feel free to contact us with specific questions related to the expected return time for your trip.