Bryce–Zion
Family Inn Tour

Safe, Scenic and Splendid!

Phenomenally gorgeous and visitor-friendly, Bryce and Zion National Parks are the perfect place for a family tour - especially when you add in smooth paved bike paths, car-free roads, excellent hiking trails and a jumbo-sized menu of things kids of all ages can do. We'll bike, hike and explore the canyons, spend a morning riding horseback, do a little spelunking and even pay a nighttime visit to a ghost town!

Towering Pines, Red Rocks - No Cars Allowed

We'll meet you in St. George, Utah, on a Monday morning (public shuttles are available from the Las Vegas airport, or direct flights from Salt Lake City). After a bicycle fitting and safety talk, we'll head out to ride the Red Canyon bike path, a smooth paved bike trail spooling through stands of ponderosa pine, towering red cliffs and archways, to Kodachrome Basin, a Harry Potter-esque spectacle of pointed sandstone chimneys. After exploring the park, we'll head to Bryce Canyon itself. Our lodging for tonight and tomorrow night is at the Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel, a brand-new lodge nestled right at the canyon's entrance.

Canyon 101: Up Close and Personal

Tuesday morning we'll start off with an easy hike to Bryce Canyon's Mossy Cave. The hike puts us up close and personal with Bryce's famous 'hoodoos,' unusual sandstone formations resembling everything from totem poles to movie stars. We'll van to Rainbow Point, where the magnificent panorama of Bryce Canyon - mile after mile of rock formations ranging from pink to grey to chocolate in hue - makes the perfect place to start a bike ride.

The gentle mostly downhill ride offers ever-changing views into the canyon, and several pullouts for those who wish to stop to soak it all in. That afternoon, we'll lead another hike, this one down into the Queen's Garden/Navajo Loop section of Bryce canyon, where enormous rock formations with names like Thor's Hammer and Queen Victoria preside from thrones high above immense rock walls topped with fairy castle spires of crimson, lavender and creamy orange.

A Magical Day

No visit to Bryce is complete without watching a sunrise - and that's just how Wednesday begins. You'll never forget the sight of the hoodoo wonderland, castles and spires aflame with glowing color from the rising sun. Today, kids will have the chance to take a horseback ride out to explore Bristlecone Pine Ridge, home to 1,500-year-old pine trees, some of the oldest living organisms on earth! In the afternoon a bike ride takes us right into the ramparts of Zion Canyon National Park, where bikes are welcome and cars are not allowed. We'll spend the next two nights at the Zion Park Inn, a lodge near the park entrance on the outskirts of Springdale. Everyone will enjoy the outdoor swimming pool and hot tub with their marvelous views of the surrounding mountains.

Explore Secrets of Canyon and Ghost Town

Thursday, Day Four, we'll lead a range of hiking options exploring Zion National Park (for those who'd rather ride, we offer that too). Experienced and novice hikers alike can enjoy the best parts of this amazing canyon, as it presents terrific views accessible to both. Mysteries abound as well, from evidence of the Ancestral Puebloans - sometimes called the Anasazi - to treks into seldom-seen slot canyons. Take your pick! Tonight, after it gets dark, we'll visit the Grafton Ghost Town, where parts of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were filmed; though abandoned, an old church still stands, and some of the headstones in the graveyard date from the 1860s.

Saving One of The Best for Last

Our last morning is reserved for one of Zion's best wonders: the Narrows, a stunning slot canyon where hanging gardens and secret waterfalls are tucked into the brilliant cliffs and twisting channels. We'll hike in via the Virgin River, which at this time of year is low, slow and warm; you'll actually be wading in the river's ankle-deep waters along much of the way. In order to ensure the experience is both safe and enjoyable, we work with a local outfitter to provide everyone with walking sticks and special 'river boots' which offer great traction on the otherwise-slippery rocks (the equipment is included as part of your trip package). Afterward, a final celebration lunch is in order before we head back to St. George for your return journey home.

 

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