Photo by Kara Foran on a trip in August, 2022
Zion & Bryce Canyon Hiking
Explore spectacular Southwest Utah!
Southwest Utah National Parks are absolutely stunning. Ultra 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!
Bad Adventures founder
Is this for me?
We keep it to no more than 12 adventurers plus a pair of guides.
We camp in National Park frontcountry campgrounds all four nights of the trip. Dome-style backpacking tents and self-inflating camping mattresses are provided.
All of our meals are guide-cooked at camp. Bring on the yum!
Each day, we explore Zion and Bryce National Parks' very best. 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.
Here’s the plan…
Bryce Canyon Day 1
We meet you at any of our designated gateway hotels near Las Vegas International Airport. 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!
Hoodoo, What Do You Do? Day 2
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, a mouth-watering guide-cooked supper, and - of course - a session of thrilling, never-exaggerated campfire stories. Ahhh. This is the life.
Zion! Day 3
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!
The Narrows Day 4
After an eggs and bacon spread that can’t be beat, we lace up our 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.
Angels Landing Day 5
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, Scout 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 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 head back to Vegas.
How intense is this?
Overall, this is a moderate trip.
Rim Trail Vista Hike
This trail has some areas of gradual incline and decline that we take at a leisurely pace. The elevation gain, as well as hiking at high elevation makes this hike mild for most people.
Mild
Distance
3½ miles
Route Type
Point-to-Point
Elevation Gain
450 feet
Elevation Loss
250 feet
Starting Elevation
7,800 feet
Bryce Point to Canyon Floor Hike
This trail quickly descends to the canyon floor. This hike features several sections of short steep elevation gain, but is downhill overall. The higher altitude and length of hike makes it slightly challenging for most people.
Slightly Challenging
Distance
7½ miles
Route Type
Point-to-Point
Elevation Gain
750 feet
Elevation Loss
1,800 feet
Starting Elevation
8,100 feet
Queen’s Garden and Slot Canyon Hike
This trail has a rapid descent to the canyon floor. The steep, switch back-ed ascent returning to the canyon rim as well as hiking at high elevation makes this hike moderate for most people.
Moderate
Distance
3¾ miles
Route Type
Loop
Elevation Gain
580 feet
Elevation Loss
580 feet
Starting Elevation
8,000 feet
Canyon Overlook Hike
This trail includes rugged, uneven terrain and some exposure to steep drop offs with handrails nearby.
Easy
Distance
1 miles
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Elevation Gain
190 feet
Elevation Loss
190 feet
Starting Elevation
5,150 feet
The Narrows Hike
This hike includes travel on slippery, unstable rocks in shin-deep moving water. The turbidity of the Virgin River often prevents us from seeing our feet. At a few spots, we wade through thigh-deep water. Sturdy hiking staffs and canyoneering boots are provided to help with balance, traction, and foot protection.
Slightly Challenging
Distance
5 miles
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Starting Elevation
4,200 feet
Hike to Scout Lookout
This paved trail has steep, sustained elevation gain. In summer months, the heat can make the unshaded portions of this hike especially challenging.
Moderately Challenging
Distance
4 miles
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Elevation Gain
1,100 feet
Elevation Loss
1,100 feet
Starting Elevation
4,100 feet
Angels Landing Chain Section
This short section of trail features extremely steep rugged terrain that requires the use of hands and feet to climb. This entire area has very high exposure, often with steep drop offs on both sides.
Very Challenging
Distance
1 miles
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Elevation Gain
600 feet
Elevation Loss
600 feet
Starting Elevation
5,200 feet
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.
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.
It was great to have someone else take care of the logistics and do a WAY better job than I would have. The hikes were the best of the best trails. I appreciated the “overview” hikes that helped us understand where we were in the landscape. They did a great job of tracking the group’s ability and adjusted the schedule to meet the weather.
I will definitely be back for more Bad Adventures!
—
Reneé C.
from Montoursville, PA
after a
trip
in August, 2022
Bad Adventures has developed an excellent hiking adventure with this Bryce and Zion trip. We had time to acclimate to the altitude and to get to know each other on some early easy hikes. Matt and Raina did a great job figuring out our group's hiking style and ability, then tailored our experience so that we got the perfect amount of challenge. Plus they took care of all the meal prep so all we had to do was get cleaned up, rested up and fueled up for the next hike! Their knowledge of the parks allowed us to see and do so much more in 5 days than I ever could have imagined. 10/10 would recommend!
—
Dawanna B.
from Philadelphia, MS
after a
trip
in August, 2022
What should I pack?
We put together a recommended packing list with all the clothing and gear you need for the trip.
Where do we meet?
Las Vegas Airport Area Hotels
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.
Where does the trip end?
Bad Adventures will drop you off at either Las Vegas International Airport or any of our 7 recommended hotels between 5:00 and 7:00 PM. If flying out the night the trip ends, we do not recommend booking a flight before 9:00 PM.
FAQs
We have spectacular frontcountry 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.
Yep. Showers are available for a fee in the town of Springdale, Utah. There will be free time to lather up on the afternoon of day 3.
We can accommodate many common food allergies, sensitivities, and dietary requirements. Please contact us to discuss your specific needs.
Nah. That’s pretty unlikely. This trip is solo traveler friendly!
You can reserve your spot today by paying a $349 deposit. The balance is due 60 days before the trip. Be sure to read the complete Trip and Course Policies.
We recommend taking out a travel insurance policy. Bad Adventures reserves the right to cancel trips and a travel insurance policy keeps you protected. See the Travel Insurance Page for more information.
There's no cancellation fee if you decide to cancel 90 days or more before the trip and we'll even refund your deposit! However, if you cancel less than 90-days before the trip, your deposit is nonrefundable. Additionally, there are significant cancellation fees if you decide to cancel your registration 59 days or less before the trip. Be sure to read the complete Trip and Course Policies.
We only advertise trips we plan to operate. Since our founding in 2013, Bad Adventures has never canceled a multi-day trip. However, we must reserve the right to do so. Be sure to review our Trip and Course Policies and purchase travel insurance.
No problem. Just please let us know if you’re packing anything that’s not on the packing list, so we can load for the trip accordingly.
Weather varies, but at Zion’s 4,000 to 5,000 feet of elevation, we expect daytime highs in the 80’s and 90’s and nighttime lows in the 50’s and 60’s.
At Bryce Canyon’s 7,600 to 9,000 feet of elevation, we’re likely to experience daytime highs in the 70’s and nighttime lows in the 40’s.
Expect the weather to be slightly colder if your itinerary is in June. We recommend checking the weather forecast in anticipation for your trip.
Let’s do this!
$349 to reserve your spot today
Balance due 60 days before the trip.
Possible change of plans? You can cancel for a full refund until 90 days before the trip.