Zion & Bryce Canyon Hiking

Las Vegas, NV
5
DAYS
3/5
Intensity
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Southwest Utah National Parks are absolutely stunning. High-contrast blue skies are pierced by vibrant red rock hoodoos. Vistas reveal thousands of feet of vertical topography. Dramatic smooth-wall slot canyons burrow into the earth, itself.

Our itinerary takes us deep into this amazing landscape! We camp each night inside two of my favorite National Parks. By day, we take on a “greatest hits” of moderate hikes and chow down on delicious guide-cooked meals. Highlights include a descent from the rim of Bryce Canyon, a trip up Zion’s famed Angels Landing, and an exploration of the Narrows, the world’s largest slot canyon.

Come join me this summer. Let’s visit some of the US’s finest hiking destinations. Register today!

Matt Stan
Matt Stan, Bad Adventures founder

Is this for me?

Small Group

We keep it to no more than 12 adventurers plus a pair of guides.

Accommodations

We camp in National Park frontcountry campgrounds all four nights of the trip. Dome-style backpacking tents and self-inflating camping mattresses are provided.

Meals

All of our meals are guide-cooked at camp. Bring on the yum!

Moderate Hiking

We hike up to 8 miles per day. Be ready to travel 3–4 hours at a time at a moderate pace. Previous hiking experience and a base level of fitness are required.

Our first hike in Bryce Canyon begins at the canyon rim with an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet. In Zion, temperatures may be over 90-degrees. The Angels Landing hike ascends 1,500 feet of elevation gain with significant exposure to drop-off’s near the top. These factors can make our hikes even more difficult.

The landscapes that we hike through are utterly stunning, and well-worth the effort!

Traveling Solo?

This trip works well for couples, friends, and solo travelers. The adventures we plan seem to attract like-minded people. Odds are, you'll enjoy the company of your fellow travelers.

Angels Landing, Zion National Park
Angels Landing, Zion National Park
Canyon Overlook Trail, Zion National Park

Here's the plan...

Day
1

Bryce Canyon

We meet you at any of the 7 designated gateway hotels near Las Vegas International Airport between 7:00 and 7:30 AM. We say our greetings, load up our gear, then point the van toward Utah!

How do the best adventures begin? With a delicious lunch, of course! A picnic of turkey and brie sandwiches at Bryce Canyon’s rim starts the trip off right.

Remember that Las Vegas heat? That’s long behind us. Pull a light jacket on because we’re at 9,000 feet! In the afternoon, we hike downhill from the Bryce Canyon rim, wandering through an alien-looking landscape of red rocks. The van meets us at the end for a transfer to our amazing frontcountry camp. We pitch our tents for the first two nights of the trip.

We dig into a fantastic guide-cooked dinner before enjoying the cool night and breathtaking stars. This is my kind of adventure!

Meals Included: Lunch and Dinner
Day
2

Hoodoo, What Do You Do?

Getting into the flow of the trip, we fuel up on a hearty breakfast and mugs of Bad Adventures’ signature “grows hair on your chest” extra-strength coffee.

Today’s hike invites us to descend Bryce’s breathtaking Wall Street canyon, while unique rock prominences called hoodoos look down upon us from high in the canyon.

We enjoy another delectable picnic lunch, more mouth-watering guide-cooked supper, and - of course - a session of thrilling, never-exaggerated campfire stories. Ahhh. This is the life.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day
3

Zion

You didn’t think one National Park was enough, did you?

Today we pack up camp and head to my (Matt Stan’s) favorite place in the world: Zion National Park.

We get the lay of the land via the Canyon Overlook trail. Later, we indulge in optional showers, stroll the town of Springdale, and enjoy dinner in town.

We pitch camp for the final two nights of the trip at a frountcountry group campsite in the heart of Zion National Park!

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Day
4

The Narrows

After an eggs and bacon spread that can’t be beat, be lace up our (included) canyoneering boots and head to the Temple of Sinawava trailhead. The beautiful riverwalk leads us along the Virgin River. But when the trail ends, we just keep going! With sturdy walking staffs, we take to the river, wading upstream into the world’s largest slot canyon, Zion’s Narrows! It’s absolutely otherworldly and not to be missed.

We return to camp for a late lunch, enjoy some down-time, and perhaps an optional mild hike nearby.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day
5

Angels Landing

We tackle our biggest hike, Zion’s famed Angels Landing, on this final morning together. We chow down breakfast, pack up camp, and head to our trailhead. It’s a whopping 1,500 feet of elevation gain to the top! We switchback through Walter’s Wiggles, get a taste of the views to come from the prominence, Scouts’ Lookout, then crane our necks to view the final ridge to the top. This last, most difficult section takes us up a ridge with sheer drop-offs on both sides! We soak in the views, then begin our descent.

Want to decrease the physical intensity of the hike? Prefer to avoid traveling the final ridge of Angels Landing? You can make your destination Scout’s Lookout, which shortens the adventure to only gaining 1,100 feet.

Our last meal together is a picnic lunch in the park. We shed a tear, load up the van, and return to our gateway hotels in Las Vegas by 5:00 PM.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

What's Included?

4 Nights of Spectacular Tent Camping

We stay at beautiful sites inside the National Parks! Tents and camping mattresses are included.

Services of a Pair of Guides

Friendly, accommodating, fully credentialed, and always professional.

4 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, and 3 Dinners

All the the delicious meals are guide-cooked.

National Park Admission and All Permits

Sit back and relax! We've got the red tape covered.

Transportation in Nevada and Utah

Ride in style in a comfortable Ford Transit passenger van.

Group Gear

We’ll take care of the medical kit, satellite phone, and more.

Equipment for Hiking the Narrows

You’ll be set for wading into Zion’s Narrows with the provided canyoneering boots and a sturdy hiking staff.

Not Included:

Airfare and other travel expenses to get to and from the trip, hotel accommodations before and after the trip, optional shower in Springdale, dinner on day 3, certain personal gear including a sleeping bag, travel insurance, and guide gratuity.

Important Details & FAQ

  • How physically fit do I need to be?

    This adventure requires previous hiking experience and a base level of fitness. We hike up to 8 miles per day over rugged terrain, gaining up to 1,500 feet of elevation (for Angels Landing), with 6 to 10-pound daypacks.

    Not sure if this trip is appropriate for you? Don’t hesitate to contact us.

  • How intense is the hiking?

    Our day hikes are 3 to 8 miles long with up to 1,500-feet of elevation gain. I (Matt Stan here) would describe the intensity as a solid 3 out of 5 when including Angels Landing. However, I’d be tempted to call the adventure a 2.5 out of 5 if you decide to to forgo the optional final ridge section of Angels Landing and instead make your destination Scout’s Lookout on our day 5 hike.

    Be aware that we start the hike descending from Bryce Canyon’s rim at nearly 9,000 feet of altitude, Zion may have temperatures in the 90’s, and the optional final section of the Angels Landing hike has sheer drop-offs on both sides of the ridge we travel. Those three factors contribute to making this a more challenging adventure.

  • Where do I go to start the trip? Where should I stay the night after the trip ends?

    We can pick you up from any of the following seven hotels, just south of Las Vegas International Airport, between 7:00 and 7:30 AM on the first morning. We'll retun to the same gateway hotels by 5:00 PM on the fifth day.

  • Can I arrive to the trip by private car?

    If arriving by private car, you may be able to make arrangements with one of the gateway hotels to leave your vehicle at their property during our adventure. Alternately, you can park a vehicle at Las Vegas International Airport and use a hotel shuttle bus or rideshare service to join the trip at one of the gateway hotels.

  • What will the weather be like?

    At Bryce Canyon’s 7,600 to 9,000 feet of elevation, in August, we’re likely to experience daytime highs in the 70’s and nighttime lows in the 40’s.

    At Zion’s 4,000 to 5,000 feet of elevation, we may encounter daytime highs into the 90’s and nighttime lows in the 60’s.

    Our gateway city of Las Vegas is just awful, though. It’s unbearably hot and miserable. Just brace for the worst. We’ll get out of town and into beautiful Utah ASAP.

  • What should I wear? What should I bring?

    Be sure to review the packing list carefully. The higher-value items you need to bring are a sleeping bag and a rain jacket.

    Try to avoid overpacking. Bringing too much stuff will just slow you down!

  • What’s the camping situation like?

    We have spectacular tent camping every night of the trip. Our first 2 nights are in the heart of Bryce Canyon National Park. The final two nights are in Zion National Park. Both are amazing places to call home for a while!

    Dome-style tents and comfy self-inflating camping mattresses are provided.

Real People.
Real Reviews.

I have many adventuring experiences with Matt Stan over the years. Matt has created a team of knowledgeable and...

Posted by Megan Lundy on Saturday, June 29, 2019

Meticulously planned adventures. World class guides. Friendly people. Delicious food. Spectacular sights. Epic experiences. I could go on....

Posted by Chris Nadovich on Sunday, June 16, 2019

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