Day 1- Canyonlands National Park & Dead Horse Point State Park- Your Desert Solitude guide will pick you up in our luxury expedition vehicle at your preferred time of 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:
- Mesa Arch (Short hike with an arch framed vista)*
- Grand Overlook viewpoint*
- Shafer Switchbacks scenic drive*
- Musselman Arch
- Deadhorse Point State Park
- Combined experience of Pucker Pass via Long Canyon, Dinosaur tracks, Petroglyphs, Jug Handle Arch, and a scenic drive along Potash Road back to Moab*
(*) Indicates highly recommended activities.
- 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
- Left Fork swimming hole & waterfall
- 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 we favor in Arches National Park are:
- Delicate Arch*
- Landscape Arch*
- Balanced Rock*
- Double Arch*
- Sand Dune Arch
- Windows and Turret Arch*
- Double O Arch
- Dinner in Moab
- For dinner we suggest 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*
- Corona Arch evening hike*
- 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
- Left Fork swimming hole & waterfall
- 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 – Capitol Reef National Park, Goblin Valley State Park & Escalante National Monument
- 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.
- We will bid farewell to this primitive campsite and journey toward Capitol Reef National Park and Goblin Valley.
- An hour and forty-five minute drive seemingly transports you to another world. Goblin Valley State Park is home to unearthly sandstone hoodoos. Experience options in Goblin Valley include:
- Gobblin Valley Overlook
- Exploring the Hoodoos
- Little Wild Horse slot canyon*
- Forging on from Goblin Valley you will travel another 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*
- Hickman Bridge*
- Goosenecks Overlook
- Ranger talk discussing the geology of the Waterpocket Fold
- Like the river that carved the canyon, scenic Highway 24 meanders through the park. Taking in the scenic drive is the one key component to experiencing Capitol Reef National Park. The scenic drive extends on as you journey towards your next campsite near Bryce Canyon National Park.
- 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 2.5 hour scenic drive of Highway 12 might possibly be every bit as majestic as a driving tour of the national parks themselves.
- You will have witnessed a diversity of landscapes, traversed nearly 300 miles (450km) and created memories to last a lifetime! When you pull in at your new campsite an inviting campfire will be burning, a warm dutch oven dessert waiting, and the luxury RV prepared for your arrival.
Day 4 – 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 preferred 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.*
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 5 – Zion National 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. Our 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. This makes for 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 the park through the afternoon or longer. Your guide will assist you in maximizing your experience in Zions and is willing to spend whatever amount of time you desire to take in the majesty of this world-famous national park.
- The evening of the fifth day will depend on your travel itinerary. We will confirm with you during the booking process which option works best for you.
- Option 1 – If you are continuing on to St. George or Las Vegas your guide will deliver you to any destination in the St. George area. You will enjoy dinner at a local dining establishment en route to St. George. The St. George Regional Airport offers daily flights to other major airports.
- Option 2 – If you are continuing on to Salt Lake City your guide will convey you to your new camping destination in the Dixie National Forest near Duck Creek, Utah. Back at camp, you will enjoy another mouth-watering campfire or BBQ dinner prepared by your guides. High elevation in this mature forest provides refreshing cool mountain air even in the peak of summer.
Day 6 – Bonus day! Cascade Springs & Cedar Breaks National Monument
- This additional day is only for travelers who wish to end their tour in the Salt Lake City or Northern Utah area.
- Continental breakfast in the RV Kitchen
- Your guides will assist you in unloading your personal belongings from the RV and we will set out to experience some local sites. Our first stop is a short hike to Cascade Springs, a waterfall originating from inside a cliff wall and among the headwaters of the famous Virgin River. Heading northward we will stop and view the overlooks of Cedar Breaks National Monument.
- Lunch will be provided at a local restaurant en route from Cedar Breaks to Salt Lake City.
- We will press on to our final destination and bid farewell in Salt Lake City.
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!
