Red Rock Legends: Utah & Arizona Parks Small-Group 5-Day Tour

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park⌄

   If Salt Lake City is chosen as the pick-up location, we will start the tour at the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum. At this museum, you can discover what life was like thousands to millions of years ago in Southern Utah. This museum contains over 700,000 archaeological artifacts, ranging from complete sets of dinosaur bones to pictographs left by the Fremont people more than 2,000 years ago. No matter your interests, you are bound to find something you enjoy.

   Located only a few miles from Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park offers a unique view of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below. While driving around, your tour guide will tell you the unusual story of how this park got its name.

   Canyonlands National Park is made up of three distinct regions: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze. We will be touring the Island in the Sky region which is situated far above the Colorado River. From this vantage point, we will see deep into the virtually untouched canyons below, giving us a glimpse into the region's ancient past.

   Located between Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, Moab is seen as the gateway to many of Utah’s greatest natural landscapes. You’ll love your stay here just as much as the parks themselves!

   Canyonlands Jet Boat Tour with Dinner, Sound, and Light Show Experience the stunning beauty of Canyonlands as you cruise along the Colorado River on a scenic jet boat tour. After the ride, enjoy a delicious riverside dinner. The evening concludes with an unforgettable Sound and Light Show, where the canyon walls come alive with stories of the region’s history, projected under the stars. Note: The Canyonlands By Night & Day dinner cruise is a complimentary seasonal activity. It operates March–October. subject to availability, weather, and operating conditions.

   Meals: Dinner: ● Enjoy a cowboy-style Dutch oven dinner (Complimentary seasonal provided)

   Overnight: Best Western, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Archway Inn or similar quality hotel

2. 2Arches National Park, Potash Road and Choose your Adventure in Moab, Bluff / Moab⌄

   With more than 2,000 arches, Arches National Park has the densest concentration of natural sandstone arches in the world! With only a short hike, many world famous arches can be seen up close, including landscape arch, delicate arch, and double arch. This is a national park you won’t want to miss!

   Return to Moab for an activity of your choice. Moab is the adventure capital of the Southwest, and this afternoon is your chance to experience it your way. Choose one of the following complimentary activities, such as river rafting, horseback riding, a 4x4 off-road tour, a guided hike, or another locally available activity. One complimentary activity is included in your tour price. If you would like to arrange more than one activity, feel free to contact us in advance to discuss. Duration varies by activity.

   Located right outside of Moab, Potash road winds along the Colorado river with water on one side, and a huge rock cliff on the other. Along this road, your tour guide will show you ancient petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks, as well as additional arches that can be accessed by foot. Overnight: Bluff or Moab. Bluff is a small historic community established by Mormon pioneers following the famous Hole-in-the-Rock expedition.

   Meals: Breakfast: Included

   Overnight: Desert Rose Resort, Bluff Gardens, or similar in Bluff; or Best Western, Holiday Inn, Archway Inn, or similar in Moab.

3. 3Goosenecks State Park, Monument Valley, Petrified Forest, Winslow, Meteor Crater, and Flagstaff⌄

   Gooseneck State Park offers stunning views of a river that cuts deep into the landscape, creating a canyon full of tight turns. You’ll also be able to see Mexican Hat, an incredible sombrero-shaped rock.

   Pause along US-163 for one of the Southwest’s classic road views, where the highway stretches toward the buttes of Monument Valley. The location became widely recognized through the cross-country running scene in Forrest Gump and remains one of the region’s most photographed viewpoints. Photo stop

   Composed of vast buttes that tower over 1,000 feet in the sky, Monument Valley is the perfect place to stretch your legs from the long car ride and take some pictures. These buttes have made appearances in many movies, the most famous of which being the running scene in Forrest Gump.

   Travel into Arizona to explore a landscape shaped by geology and time. Around 225 million years ago, fallen trees were buried by sediment and gradually transformed as minerals replaced the original wood, creating the colorful petrified logs seen throughout the park today. The park also encompasses portions of the Painted Desert, ancient petroglyphs, and traces of historic Route 66. Winter departures: Petrified Forest National Park is omitted due to shorter daylight hours and seasonal routing considerations.

   Make a short stop in Winslow along historic Route 66 and visit Standin’ on the Corner Park, a landmark associated with the Eagles song Take It Easy.

   Visit one of the world’s best-preserved meteorite impact sites. Approximately 50,000 years ago, a meteorite struck northern Arizona, creating a crater nearly a mile across and roughly 550 feet deep. Its stark, lunar-like terrain was also used by NASA during training for Apollo astronauts in the 1960s.

   For the last leg of the day's journey, we’ll drive towards Flagstaff, Arizona which is perfectly situated between Sedona, Southern Utah, and Grand Canyon National Park. Located in one of the world's largest ponderosa pine forests, this city is the perfect place to relax after a long day's journey.

   Meals: Breakfast: Included

   Overnight: Holiday Inn Express, Weatherford Hotel，or similar quality hotel

4. 4Sedona, Grand Canyon, Kanab⌄

   Begin the morning among Sedona’s striking red-rock formations. Enjoy a short scenic visit and take in the area’s distinctive desert landscape before visiting the Chapel of the Holy Cross, an architectural landmark built into the surrounding red cliffs.

   The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Arizona with an estimated 5.9 million people visiting yearly. This canyon was carved out of the surrounding rock by the Colorado River over a period of 6 million years, resulting in an astonishing panoramic view. We will specifically be visiting the viewpoint of the Grand Canyon which is often less busy. Be sure to bring your camera, you will not want to miss this destination!

   Finally, after a full day of activities, we'll drop you off at your hotel in Kanab, allowing you to relax and unwind before the next day's adventure. Kanab, often called “Little Hollywood” for its long history as a filming location for Western movies and television productions.

   Meals: Breakfast: Included

   Overnight: Best Western, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, or similar quality hotel

5. 5Zion National Park, and Salt Lake City/Las Vegas⌄

   Enter Zion National Park from the east, passing the patterned sandstone of Checkerboard Mesa before traveling through the historic Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel and descending toward Zion Canyon. Depending on seasonal shuttle operations, park conditions, and available time, explore the canyon and enjoy an easy walk along the Virgin River beneath Zion’s towering sandstone cliffs.

   If you choose to depart from Las Vegas, your tour guide will drop you off at either the airport or a hotel in Las Vegas around noon. Following this, your tour guide will drive 6 to 7 hours back to Salt Lake City.

   If you choose to depart from Salt Lake City, your tour guide will drop you off either at the airport or a hotel of your choosing. Settled in 1847 by a group of pioneering Mormons, Salt Lake City has blossomed into the vibrant capital of Utah and gateway to the west. If time permits, your tour guide will take you to see the twin hearts of this city: Temple Square and the Capitol Building.

   Meals: Breakfast: Included