Day 1- Canyonlands National Park & Dead Horse Point State Park
- A Desert Solitude guide will collect you in a luxury expedition vehicle at 9 a.m. or earlier at the Salt Lake City International Airport or at a hotel of your choosing in the Salt Lake City area. (Please contact us if you need to originate your tour from the Las Vegas or St. George areas.)
- You will travel along the Wasatch Mountains and south via Highway US-6 for 3.5 hours until you suddenly gaze upward at the towering red rock cliffs of Moab, Utah.
- Arriving at your new home away from home, your guides will help orient you as you settle into the luxury RV. Enjoy a quick lunch, prepared by your guides.
- A brief scenic drive will deliver you to Canyonlands National park, Island in the Sky District. Depending on your preferred experiences and pace you can experience some or all of the following:
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- Mesa Arch (Short hike with an arch framed vista)
- Grand Overlook viewpoint
- Shafer Switchbacks scenic drive
- Musselman Arch
- Dead Horse Point State Park
- The combined experience of Pucker Pass via Long Canyon, Dinosaur tracks, Petroglyphs, Jug Handle Arch, and a scenic drive along Potash Road back to Moab
- Dinner in Moab
- For dinner we recommend one of the following dining options:
- Subsequent to dinner, consult with your guide to choose one or more of these extraordinary guided experiences:
- Off-road tour of Moab’s renowned slickrock 4×4 trails
- Corona Arch evening hike
- Arches National Park preview
- Tusher Tunnel off-road and exploration adventure
- Colorado River scenic drive to Castle Valley
- Castle Valley clifftop overlook
- Souvenir shopping on historic Main Street in Moab
- At your campsite explore the surrounding area, relax by the campfire, and savor the feeling of desert solitude while stargazing.
Day 2 – Arches National Park & Moab, Utah
Note: To escape crowds and higher temperatures during summer desert hiking we encourage an early departure of 7 a.m. For an enhanced experience, consider including a pre-dawn hike to view the sunrise framed through Mesa Arch.
- Continental breakfast in the kitchen of the luxury RV
- Arches National Park is just a 30 minute scenic drive from camp. Your guide will escort you as you discover this world famous national park at your pace. A picnic lunch will be provided in addition to unlimited snacks and water to keep you nourished and hydrated. Experiences during the first day in Arches National Park include:
- Delicate Arch
- Windows and Turret Arch
- Parade of Elephants
- Double Arch
- Garden of Eden
- Dinner in Moab
- For dinner we recommend one of the following dining options:
- Subsequent to dinner, consult with your guide to choose one or more of these extraordinary guided experiences:
- Off-road tour of Moab’s famous slickrock 4×4 trails
- Tusher Tunnel off-road and exploration adventure
- Millsite dinosaur tracks
- Gemini Bridges via off-road tour
- Colorado River scenic drive to Castle Valley
- Castle Valley clifftop overlook
- Stargazing in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands
- Souvenir shopping on historic Main Street in Moab
- At your campsite explore the surrounding area, relax by the campfire, and savor the feeling of desert solitude while stargazing.
Day 3 – Arches National Park & Moab, Utah
- Wake up to a hot breakfast at camp prepared by your guides. Eat around the campfire while taking in the sunrise and the crisp desert morning air.
- Take a primitive 4×4 trail into Arches National Park with a trailside stop at a prehistoric dinosaur track site.
- As the trail turns into an official dirt road in Arches National Park, Balanced Rock will grow on the horizon until you arrive directly at the base of this iconic pedestal.
- This second day in Arches National Park you can see:
- Balanced Rock
- Landscape Arch
- Sand Dune Arch
- Skyline Arch
- Picnic lunch in the park.
- Camp cooked dinner prepared by your guides.
- Subsequent to dinner, consult with your guide to choose one or more of these extraordinary guided experiences:
- Off-road tour of Moab’s famous slickrock 4×4 trails
- Tusher Tunnel off-road and exploration adventure
- Millsite dinosaur tracks
- Gemini Bridges via off-road tour
- Colorado River scenic drive to Castle Valley
- Castle Valley clifftop overlook
- Stargazing in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands
- Souvenir shopping on historic Main Street in Moab
- At your campsite explore the surrounding area, relax by the campfire, and savor the feeling of desert solitude while stargazing
Day 4 – Goblin Valley State Park
- Bid farewell to the primitive Moab campsite and journey toward Goblin Valley State Park making a stop for breakfast at a local restaurant.
- Just outside Goblin Valley State Park is the primitive San Rafael Swell. Here you will hike between the narrow sandstone cliffs of Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon.
- Enjoy a picnic style lunch during your hike in the slot canyon.
- Within minutes of finishing the slot canyon hike, you will feel transported to another world as you get your first glimpse of Goblin Valley State Park. Goblin Valley is home to an unearthly maze of sandstone hoodoos that visitors are encouraged to wander through and explore.
- A barbeque style dinner will be served at camp.
- Subsequent to dinner, experience one of the following evening activities:
- Relaxing at camp around the fire or in the luxury RV
- Experiment with photography light painting in the hoodoos of Goblin Valley
- Hike and explore the surrounding area
- Off-road tour of the surrounding area
- Visit a nearby petroglyph rock art panel
Day 5 – Lake Powell (Glen Canyon)
- Enjoy a camp cooked breakfast and prepare to spend a day on the water.
- During a scenic boat tour of Lake Powell, you will experience twisting canyons flooded by the damming of the Colorado River. For the adventurous, water skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing are included with the boat tour.
- Our boat tour will pause at the trailhead of the Defiance House Indian ruins. This 2 mile-ish round-trip hike showcases a cliff dwelling that was occupied as far back as 1250 AD.
- En route to camp, we will stop at Dukes Grill in the rural town of Hanksville for an authentic southwestern style dinner.
- Wind down from an adventurous day with one of the following evening activities:
- Relaxing at camp around the fire or in the luxury RV
- Experiment with photography light painting in the hoodoos of Goblin Valley
- Visit a nearby petroglyph rock art panel
- Hike and explore the surrounding area
Day 6 – Capitol Reef National Park & Escalante National Monument
- Continental breakfast in the luxury RV
- Forging on from Goblin Valley you will travel an hour through the San Rafael Swell until you cross the threshold of Capitol Reef National Park and become immersed in the beauty of this less frequented park. Experience options in Capitol Reef include:
- Petroglyph rock panel
- Grand Wash, Pioneer Register & scenic backcountry drive
- Capitol Gorge
- Hickman Bridge
- Goosenecks Overlook
- Ranger talk discussing the geology of the Waterpocket Fold
- Picnic style lunch between hiking.
- Like the river that carved the canyon, the scenic drive of Highway 24 meanders through Capitol Reef National Park and extends on as you journey towards your next campsite in Escalante National Monument.
- Within 20 minutes of passing beyond Capitol Reef you will pause in the rural town of Torrey for dinner at one of these esteemed local restaurants:
- The town of Torrey marks the beginning of Scenic Byway 12, known as an “All-American Road,” and is breathtaking to say the least. Highway 12 snakes through Dixie National Forest, mountain passes and on into the Escalante National Monument. Panoramic views visually overload your senses as you peer down into the canyons from atop a rock canyon ridge. This 1.5 hour scenic drive of Highway 12 might possibly be every bit as majestic as a driving tour of the national parks themselves.
- Arrive at your new camp location at Escalante National Monument
Day 7 – Escalante National Monument
- Camp cooked breakfast
- Escalante National Monument is rugged and unspoiled. The best way to experience Escalante is by hiking to the remote canyons and waterfalls of this large national monument. Recommended hikes in Escalante include:
- Lower Calf Creek Falls
- Upper Calf Creek Falls
- Peek-a-boo slot canyon
- Escalante River & Escalante Natural Bridge
- Zebra Canyon
- Devils Garden
- Picnic style lunch will be provided while on excursion
- After exploring Escalante National Monument we will journey on towards our next camp near Bryce Canyon National Park
- Dinner at a local restaurant in Bryce Canyon, Utah
- Subsequent to dinner, enjoy one of the following evening activities:
- Wildlife viewing and photography
- Preview Bryce Canyon National Park
- Park Ranger led stargazing (based on availability)
Day 8 – Bryce Canyon National Park
- This leisurely day begins with an American homestyle breakfast at Bryce Canyon Pines.
- Bryce Canyon is home to orange, pink, and white hoodoos afront stunning vistas. Inside the park you will discover multiple overlooks, each with their own unique views of the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. Sightseeing at a comfortable and leisurely pace will allow you to fully experience the park. Our prefered activities for experiencing Bryce Canyon National Park include:
- Visiting the multiple overlooks, viewpoints and rim trails
- Mounted horseback guided tour deep in Bryce Canyon (Guided by Canyon Trail Rides and included with your Desert Solitude tour package)
- Queens Garden and Navajo Loop hiking trails
- Natural Bridge viewpoint
- Photographing local wildlife
- Lunch will be at a local restaurant recommended by your guide.
- Explore more of Bryce Canyon in the afternoon
- For dinner we recommend one of these great options:
- Evenings in the greater Bryce Canyon area offer even more opportunities for adventure. Consider continuing the day’s itinerary with some of these activities:
- Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo
- Revisiting Bryce Canyon National Park at sunset
- Exploring Red Canyon on an off-road 4×4 tour
- At your campsite explore the surrounding area, relax by the campfire, observe the wildlife, and savor the feeling of desert solitude while stargazing in a certified dark sky park.
Note: Bryce Canyon has an optional shuttle service. We recommend allowing your Desert Solitude guide to be your chauffeur in our luxury expedition vehicle for a more comfortable and less crowded experience.
Day 9 – Zion National Park & Coral Pink Sand Dune State Park
- Your day starts with a warm campfire breakfast prepared by your guides and continental breakfast options available in the luxury RV kitchen.
- Heading toward Zion National Park you will see more of scenic Highway 12 passing through stunning Red Canyon. The route from Bryce Canyon will take us through the east entrance to Zion. The east side of Zion is magnificent and often overlooked by most visitors as the required shuttle bus system does not service this side of the park. These factors create perfect opportunities to experience and photograph world-class scenery without the crowds. Further on in the park, we recommend choosing from these more popular experiences:
- Angels Landing
- The Narrows
- Weeping Rock
- Emerald Pools
- Grand Overlook
- The Riverwalk
- Ask your guide about their favorite hidden gems in this park
- A picnic lunch will be provided during your visit to the park.
- Continue exploring in the park through the afternoon or longer. Your guide will assist you in maximizing your experience in Zion and is willing to spend whatever amount of time you desire to take in the majesty of this world-famous national park.
- Dinner at a recommended local restaurant
- Return to camp at our new location near Coral Pink Sand Dune State Park
- The evening of this ninth day can be spent doing any of the following;
- Enjoying Zion National Park until sunset
- Playing in the Coral Pink Sand Dunes
- Exploring Slot Canyons near Kanab, Utah
- Souvenir shopping in Kanab, Utah
Day 10 – Zion National Park & Tour Conclusion
- Continental breakfast in the luxury RV
- In the morning hours, we will return to Zion National Park to hike and explore.
- Depart Zion through the south entrance and the town of Springdale where we will stop for lunch before the return trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. (Please let us know if you need to conclude your tour in another location.)
Note: This tour itinerary is customizable to meet any needs in regards to ability, preferences, interests, tour pace, or schedule. Please let us know how we can tailor this tour for you!
