Beyond the Grand Canyon: Treks of the West - Camping Edition

Get back to nature and enjoy guided hikes in the fabled national parks of Southwest USA

Journey into Zion, Bryce, Arches and Grand Canyon national parks to explore the best hiking trails in Southwest USA. Hike into the belly of the Grand Canyon down to Plateau Point, enjoying a sunset vista or opting for a bird’s-eye view on a scenic flight. Walk alongside the beautiful Virgin River in Zion National Park, observe strange red-rock formations in Arches and Bryce Canyon national parks, and end at the magnificent Grand Canyon. This dedicated guided hiking tour means you can explore the national parks the way they were meant to be – on foot and with camera at the ready!

This trip is also available with hotel and motel accommodation - see Beyond the Grand Canyon: Treks of the West.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Land acknowledgement: This adventure takes place on homelands sacred to Native Americans throughout the region. We honour their past, present and future generations, who have lived here for millennia and will forever call this place home.
• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally-owned campsites and other enterprises, and by championing locally-produced food wherever possible.
• We preserve the past and observe cultural and historical structures and artefacts, but do not touch them, so that they are preserved for future generations.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
• Generally, camping uses much less energy than a hotel. By their very nature, campsites are green, open spaces and the surrounding areas are usually kept wild. This trip has one hotel night plus seven nights at campsites.
• We light campfires only in established fire rings, and use locally sourced wood, preventing the spread of invasive species across state lines. We also adhere to all local guidelines for potential fire danger for the time of year and location.
• We use a campsite in the Grand Canyon that is operated by the US National Park Service, which partners with local communities to assist in historic preservation and the creation and maintenance of recreational spaces.
• We do not build unauthorised cairns as trail markers in the desert ecosystems. Extracting and moving rocks make mountain soils more prone to erosion and disturb fragile vegetation.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves generates income used to upkeep and develop these important sites. In this trip, we visit the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices regarding working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We rewild 1,075sqft (100sqm) per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• The majority of meals on this trip are included as part of the camping experience. Food is locally sourced, so does not travel long distances.
• We do not include any internal flights on this itinerary.
• Our local partner is a member of the San Francisco Green Business Program. The San Francisco Green Business Program recognises businesses, non-profit organisations, and institutions in the City and County of San Francisco that meet high environmental standards.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Is this trip for you?

This adventure has been rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page.

This is a walking tour designed for active adults and offers a well-paced mix of walks for differing levels of fitness. Most walks are of moderate difficulty and are up to four hours’ long. For the more adventurous, there are often optional moderate to strenuous hikes of up to eight hours’ duration in some locations. Your tour leader will organise these on your behalf and you will pay locally. You’ll find the main optional activities listed under each itinerary day description, along with guideline prices. It may not be possible to do all optional activities listed on each tour.

Although each tour follows an itinerary, there is a certain amount of flexibility and sometimes your tour leader may suggest changes. This may be due to road conditions, weather or a visit to a special attraction or event that happens to be in progress. Flexibility is key and often a side diversion will be a tour highlight. Hikes and optional activities cannot be guaranteed and may vary depending on ability, group interest, local weather conditions and time of year.

Angels Landing hike in Zion National Park

During the itinerary, we have time in Zion National Park, where one of the more strenuous and popular hikes is Angels Landing. In response to concerns about congestion on the trail, the National Park Service announced that everyone who hikes Angels Landing needs a permit. Permits cannot be booked by a tour operator, so all guests who wish to attempt this hike are responsible for applying.

Permits are released via a lottery system; unfortunately, there is no guarantee of securing a permit.

The lottery system comes in two forms:

1. Seasonal Lottery: You can apply for a permit one to three months before your trekking date
2. Day-Before Lottery: You can apply for a permit the day before your planned hike

Zion is renowned for hiking and there are many excellent trails with wonderful views, such as the Watchman Trail or The Narrows. Our group takes these alternative trails. Anyone who is successful in securing their permit can hike Angels Landing while the group completes an alternative trail. For more on Angels Landing permits, such as application dates and prices, visit the National Park Service page here.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

USA

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for polio, tetanus and rabies. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

USA

Travellers from the UK and most EU countries can enter the US under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) provided they have registered for an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) – which costs US$21 – and are in possession of an onward air ticket and machine-readable passport when entering the US. Visas are required for some nationalities and requirements often change; it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas and fulfil any requirements for this trip. We recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/united-states-america
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-states
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/entry-requirements

Please note, regulations stipulate that any person who has travelled to Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since March 2011 (or has dual nationality of Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria) may no longer qualify for the VWP. In addition, if you have travelled to Cuba since 12 January 2021, you will not be eligible for the VWP and should instead apply for a visa to travel to, or transit via, the USA.

Food & Drink

Seven breakfasts, seven lunches and seven dinners are included on this trip.

To help you budget for meals not included, average costs are:

• Hotel breakfasts: US$12-US$17
• Lunches: US$15-US$20
• Dinners: US$20-US$35, not including alcoholic beverages

Drinks cost on average:

• Wine: US$7-10 per glass
• Beer: US$5-8 per bottle

A tip of approximately 17%-20% is added to group meals in North American restaurants. Applicable taxes will also be added to all listed menu prices.

Your tour leader may offer your group the option to operate a lunch-only food kitty, this has proven to be a popular alternative to three daily restaurant meals. The leader will explain this option while on your tour, and the whole group will have to agree for this system to run.

Please make sure we are aware of any special meal requirements before travelling. We will do all we can to accommodate for various dietary requirements but in certain parts of North America certain food types can be limited.

Weather

The West is known for its very dry spring, summer and autumn weather and outstanding blue, sunny skies. However, temperatures vary greatly depending on the elevation you are at. Generally, the higher the elevation, the cooler the temperature. In summer, Bryce and the Grand Canyon offer pleasant temperatures ideal for hiking whereas some of the deserts might experience hotter temperatures. On warmer days, the leader will opt for early morning and late afternoon walks, leaving time for midday rest. The hottest time of day in the desert is actually 3pm, and most nights will be mild to warm. Be prepared for afternoon thunderstorms in the summer and look out for the plentiful mountain wildflowers.