Frequently Asked Questions

We recommend 6+ months to secure your preferred dates. However we welcome last minute inquires. Grand Canyon permits become available 5 months prior to the month you want to hike. If you are interested in specific dates, please contact us at least 6 months in advance in order to have the best chance of securing those dates.

In order to confirm a reservation, we require an initial 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.

Once we confirm availability, you will be provided with an online registration link. Your deposit is payable online by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or ACH transfer.

Please visit ourCancellation Policypage for details.

Absolutely! It is not uncommon that some of our guests must cancel their trips due to unforeseen reasons. We strongly recommend buying Travel Protection Insurance. Prior to trip departure, a sudden illness or injury involving yourself, a family member, or a travel companion can lead to a canceled trip. Also, unexpected travel interruptions and delays can cause guests to miss the tour departure. Travel Protection Insurance also provides full medical coverage in the event of an accident or illness incurred while traveling.

When Four Season Guides secures your tour, we incur many non-refundable expenses. When a guest cancels a reservation, we must enforce our cancellation policy. Once you are within 30 days of the departure date (or 60 days for Phantom Ranch and Custom/Private trips), these consequences become significant and result in a full forfeiture of your trip cost. Furthermore, the majority of travel insurance claims happen one week prior to trip departure. For this reason, we strongly recommend buying Travel Protection Insurance.

Please visit ourTravel Protection Insurancepage for details.

Please visit ourTerms & Conditionspage for details.

Trips go rain, snow or shine. However, we reserve the right to change the trip itinerary due to weather or any other conditions beyond our control. Four Season Guides reserves the right to cancel a trip due to extreme weather circumstances. We only do this with everyone’s safety in mind.

Here are some weather links:

• Grand Canyon Village, Arizona
• Phantom Ranch/Bright Angel Campground
• Escalante, Utah
• Canyonlands/Arches, Utah
• Yosemite National Park (Yosemite Valley)

Our tours are decidedly active pursuits and participants should expect to be outside and hiking in varying weather conditions and over variable terrain. Our tours also have age restrictions, as some of our trips are likely inappropriate for young children.

Participants must be able to meet the Essential Eligibility Criteria relevant to the trip they are intending to register for. For more information about Essential Eligibility Criteria, click HERE.

In general, we highly encourage you to contact our team to discuss tour difficulty and help you determone what might be appropriate, based upon your fitness level, experience, and expectations.

No.  But you should be in good physical shape.  Backpacking trips require participants to carry at least 30 pounds, often for 5-7 miles per day over varying terrain. If you want to enjoy your backpacking trip as much as possible, please put in the time to physically prepare yourself. Our trip specialists can assist in recommending appropriate training exercises and help you determine what trips are best for your level of fitness.

We also offer a number of fantastic trips that do not require carrying a heavy backpack. Mule-assisted, basecamp and lodge-based adventures are all excellent options for folks looking for a more “easy-going” outdoor experience! But keep in mind, all of our overnight trips are designed to appeal to healthy, active travelers. Expect to spend the majority of each day hiking in the outdoors!

All of our trips are focused on active, outdoor pursuits and are designed for people looking to spend most of their vacation hiking in the outdoors. That being said, our wide variety of trips feature varying degrees of difficulty. Each trip is assigned a difficulty rating. These ratings are designed to help you determine that approximate difficulty of the hiking and decide whether or not this is the right trip for you.

Please visit ourTrip Difficultiespage for more information.

An average backpack on a 3 or 4 day backpacking trip weighs a total of 30 to 35 lbs (13.5 to 16 kg). You can add 5 to 10 pounds (2.2 to 4.5 kg) for winter hikes and trips lasting 5 to 6 days.  Weight for trips lasting more than six days can vary (please inquire) but it may reach 50 lbs (23 kg).

For Mule-Assisted & Basecamp/Lodge-Based Trips- pack mules carry most of the gear in and out of the campground, so your day pack will weigh less than 20 lbs (9 kg). Our Basecamp/Lodge-Based trips just require carrying a day pack, usually less than 10 lbs (5 kg).

When you register for a trip, we will provide you with detailed training information specific to your trip to help you get physically prepared. But in general, our trips are designed for healthy, active people who enjoy spending the vast majority of each day hiking over variable terrain.

We offer a variety of trips in a number of National Parks and Monuments across the Southwest so our meeting places/times vary. You can find this information in your trip’s description on this website. Or feel free to contact our trip specialists for more information. Most trips involve a short welcoming orientation the evening before the trip departs. We request that you consider this when making your travel arrangements.

We will require that you arrive at the meeting location the evening prior to your trip’s scheduled departure. Same day arrivals cannot be accommodated. And it is generally encouraged that you do not plan to travel home on the same day that your trip ends. Should an unexpected delay occur on the last day of your trip, you would run the risk of missing your flight home. But feel free to contact us with any specific questions. On occasion, we may be able to accommodate an exception.

This information varies depending on which trip you are registering for. Please feel free to contact us for specific information.

We do not offer airport pickups. It will be your responsibility to arrange for all transporation to/from the trip meeting/ending locations.

Many of our guests leave their cars at their hotel while out on a trip. For all trips based out of Flagstaff, you are more than welcome to leave your car at either of our prefered hotels if you are staying there. If staying elsewhere, discuss this option with the hotel in advance. There is also a long-term public parking lot in downtown Flagstaff that is convenient. We can store your luggage and valuables in a secure place.  For trips based out of other locations, please talk to your hotel.  If you encounter any problems, please call us(928) 525-1552.