Zion, Bryce & Escalante Hiking Adventure

Trip Description

The Zion, Bryce, & Escalante Hiking Adventure is one of our favorites! Towering cliffs, sparkling waterfalls, deep & narrow canyons, slickrock expanses and unimaginable views await the hiker that visits Southern Utah. This classic Utah hiking tour will take you to a number of the greatest destinations in the Southwest including Zion & Bryce National Parks, as well as the lesser known Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, home to incredible slot canyons, natural arches and innumerable ancient ruins. Spend your days exploring these outstanding destinations with a small day pack and relax each evening in a comfortable basecamp catered to by your expert guide. Enjoy a day in Zion exploring exploring it’s towering heights and narrow canyons. Next, it’s off to Bryce Canyon for a hike through its unearthly landscape of hoodoos and rock towers. We top it all off with a few days exploring the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, with its incredible diversity of slot canyons, slickrock, arches and rich ancient human history. This trip is a guide favorite and we’re confident you’ll agree.

Call or email us with any questions.
877-272-5032
or
[email protected]

Overview

Trip Details

Type: Hiking & Basecamp (plus lodging in Zion)

Days: 5 Days

Distance: 30 to 40 miles

Difficulty: Intermediate

Origin: St. George, UT

Cost: $1950/person (plus Utah sales tax, 6.5%)

Single Supplement: + $200

Itinerary

Trip Itinerary

Day 1:

Meet your guide for breakfast and a brief orientation at 6am. Depart St. George for the 1 hour drive to Zion National Park. Our first hike in Zion offers us the opportunity to hike up the canyon’s towering walls to Scout Lookout, offering incredible views high above the canyon floor. After lofty views in the morning, we will spend the afternoon exploring the canyon from below and enjoying a hike to the famed and beautiful Emerald Pools. * This first night’s accommodation will be a cozy lodge in the town of Springdale, adjacent to the Park Entrance. This will afford a far better night’s sleep than in Zion’s loud and crowded campgrounds. We will enjoy dinner together at one of Springdale’s excellent local restaurants.
Drive Time: 1 hour
Distance & Elevation: ~7 miles, 2000-foot acent/descent
Lunch, Dinner

Day 2:

Next it’s off to Bryce Canyon. Today we explore along and beneath the rim of Bryce Canyon. The Fairyland Loop 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 plentiful 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 campsite near the town of Escalante.
Drive Time: 2.5 hours
Distance & Elevation: 8 miles, 2300 foot ascent/descent
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3:

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

Day 4:

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 tasty lunch beneath the shady cottonwoods. If time allows, there is an opportunity to visit Upper Calf Creek Falls, an equally breathtaking oasis.
Drive Time: 1 hour
Distance & Elevation: 6 to 8 miles, 400 foot ascent/descent
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5:

On our final day, we will pack up camp 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

*Final itineraries are occasionally subject to change due to permit/campsite availability, park restrictions/closures, weather conditions and/or road closures.

Details

What's Included

  • A professional, licensed and medically trained guide
  • Lodge accommodations (double occupancy) in Zion
  • All necessary gear: backpack, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, trekking poles
  • All cooking/eating gear: bowls, cups, utensils (your guide will prepare all meals)
  • All meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on the last day + trail snacks
  • Rountrip Transportation from your hotel in St. George, UT
  • Entrance fees, camping fees and backcountry permits

What's Not Included:

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

*Upon booking you will receive a detailed trip information packet

How many people are in the group?

Most trips in Utah will accommodate 6 people plus one guide. On occasion, a group may be as large as 10 people plus 2 guides.

Are there age restrictions?

Children under the age of 13 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.

How do I sign up?

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

Travel Logistics

Where does the trip begin/end?

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.

Where do meet our guides?

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.

What do we do with our car and extra stuff?

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.

What time will we get back on the last day?

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.

Trip Dates

2024 Dates

April: 17-21, 29-3

May: 6-10, 21-25

September: 16-20, 23-27, 30-4

October: 7-11

 

 

Don’t see your dates? Custom dates may be available!

Call 1-877-272-5032 or email us for details.

Guest Testimonials

Guest Testimonials

“The Best Way to Explore the Outdoors! I did the Zion, Bryce, and Escalante trip in Utah and it was an absolute blast. I’m someone who loves hiking and camping but doesn’t own the necessary gear and doesn’t feel comfortable enough navigating the wilderness solo, so I was SO happy to find Four Season Guides that takes care of both things. The trip was incredibly well planned and executed, our guide gave us options of different hikes each day and shared his vast experience of what would be a good fit for us (along with prioritizing safety due to weather conditions), and the places we went to were stunning beyond belief. Highly highly recommend doing trips with them!!” – Lindsay G.


“We just returned from the Zion, Bryce, Escalante Basecamp trip. It was our third trip with FSG and was again fantastic! We previously had great experiences with the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim and Yosemite Half Dome Trips.

Scott, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the areas where he leads trips. When weather made planned hikes impractical he had amazing alternatives at the ready which in no way felt like disappointments – in fact they proved to be some of our favorites of the trip. He took care of all the details including meals and cleanup. We particularly appreciated the effort to make creative meals including lots of fruits and vegetables. Every day was well planned and Scott took time to get to know the people on our trip and make sure that each day was personalized and a good fit for the group.

FSG provides all the equipment that you need as well as all your meals (and trail snacks). That makes it really easy to show up with just your personal items and have everything that you need. If FSG guides somewhere we want to go, we wouldn’t think of using anyone else. I’d highly recommend them to anyone.” Elizabeth B.


“This is the second year in a row my friends and I have traveled out west with Four Season Guides. I cannot recommend them enough. This year we did a 5 day basecamp tour and hiked Zion, Bryce Canyon and Escalante with Matt (also amazing) who always had our best interest in mind, was awesome to hang out with and helped us avoid the Memorial Day crowds. My favorite of the three parks was Bryce Canyon—it’s such a magical place.

I actually missed my flight to Saint George and Dave (owner) was so helpful in helping re-direct my travel plans to get me into the Canyon as quick as possible. I arrived with enough time to rest and get ready for the hike out. Everyone on their team is great. These have definitely been some of my favorite trips. I can’t wait until the next.” – Andrea P.


“Absolutely loved this trip! But it wouldn’t have been nearly as good if not for our guide, Bob. He did everything in his power to make our trip the best. The meals he prepared were incredible; he was extremely helpful with all our needs; the hikes he planned for us were challenging (but not overbearing) and left each of us with a sense of accomplishment. He was able to pick hikes that left no one behind, but still challenged those that could do more. It was incredible. We hiked as a group with no one feeling inadequate. We all left with a huge sense of accomplishment and the sights we saw were breathtaking! Escalante is the best kept secret and my personal favorite. We have used Four Seasons in the past and see no reason to look for another company. This company is the best and we couldn’t have been more pleased with our guide, Bob. He’s the best!” – Deyanne N.