Bryce/Zion National Parks, Cycling & Hiking Tour
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Dates: |
Assembly Point:
Cedar City, UT |
Tour
Cost: $2,540 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, park entrance fees, support van, round-trip Timberline shuttles between Las Vegas and Cedar City, leaders, tour maps & narratives) |
Deep canyons,
the startling hoodoos of Bryce National Park and the rock temples of Zion National Park, the breathtaking
array of color, the variety of vegetation, the high alpine setting of
the Dixie National Forest —
all
contribute to the excitement of the Bryce/Zion biking and hiking tour. Our trip focuses
on the southwestern corner of Utah, including Bryce Canyon and Zion
National Parks, and Cedar Breaks National Monument. An area of indescribable
beauty, these parklands offer convincing testimony to the awesome forces
of nature.
We'll assemble in Cedar City and head for Cedar Breaks National Monument early morning of Day 1. The ride to Cedar Breaks is singularly spectacular as we climb through beautiful Cedar Canyon along cascading Cedar Creek to Cedar Breaks summit at 10,200'. We'll visit the many viewpoints within the monument before a rapid descent to the ski resort village of Brian Head where we'll spend the evening at the Cedar Breaks Lodge.
It's on to Bryce on Day 2 in the heart of Utah's "Color Country." A beautiful ride through the sandstone formations of Red Canyon carries us to the open expanse of the Paunsaugunt Plateau and Bryce Canyon where we'll spend the next two nights and a layover day exploring this geological wonder. Several outstanding hiking and cycling options are available in Bryce for the layover day.
We'll leave
Bryce on Day 4, descending through Red Canyon into the Sevier River
Valley. We're headed to Mt. Carmel and an evening at the Thunderbird
Resort prior to Day 5's short ride to Zion. The full afternoon of Day
5 is available for hiking in Zion, with an opportunity to visit the
awesome summit of Angel's Landing.
Without a doubt, Zion is a fantasyland that offers an incredible array of hiking options and our greatest challenge for Day 6 will be to see how much we can cram into this day. Observation Point, featuring Zion's highest viewpoint is a must early in the day. Later that afternoon, we'll walk along and into the Virgin River toward the Narrows.
Following a second evening at the Zion Lodge, our Bike Tour concludes after a leisurely cycle through the high desert of Southern Utah to St. George, followed by a late afternoon van shuttle to Las Vegas where our Bryce/Zion National Parks Cycling and Hiking Tour concludes.
| Day 1 | Cedar City - Cedar Canyon - Cedar Breaks National Monument - Brian Head | 36 miles |
| Day 2 | Brian Head - Panguitch Lake - Panguitch - Red Canyon - Paunsaugunt Plateau - Bryce Canyon National Park |
56 miles |
| Day 3 | Bryce Canyon National Park (layover day); hiking and cycling options; hike Fairyland Loop |
8 miles |
| Day 4 | Bryce Canyon - Red Canyon - Mt. Carmel Junction | 60 miles |
| Day 5 | Mt Carmel Junction - Zion National Park ; overnight at Zion Lodge; Hike Angels Landing |
40 miles 5 miles |
| Day 6 | Zion National Park (layover day); Hike to Observation Point and the Riverside Trail. |
10 miles |
| Day 7 | Zion - St. George; van shuttle return to Las Vegas | 43 miles |
Total
Cycling Mileage — 235
Total
Hiking Mileage — 23