On the Wild Road

HCN’s Expedition through Utah and Southwest Colorado

September 7 - 15, 2019

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Join us for the trip of a lifetime!

Join author and longtime High Country News contributing editor Jonathan Thompson on an incredible hiking journey through the national parks and monuments of Utah and southwestern Colorado. This trip will blend the natural beauty of the Four Corners Country with the rich cultural history of the people who have called this place home, from the Puebloan, Ute and Navajo cultures to the Euro-American settlers who followed.

Highlights include:

Venture into one of our newest and most controversial national monuments,  Bears Ears
Walk along the Virgin River in Zion National Park
Hike among the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon
Visit Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Park
View iconic Highway 12 and Burr Trail in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Itinerary

Day 1 – Saturday, September 7: Arrival at Durango, Colorado

Arrive independently at your leisure and explore a bit of Durango on your own before settling into our riverside hotel.

Day 2 – Sunday, September 8: Mesa Verde, Hovenweep and Bears Ears

We start this morning with a brief orientation, and then it is off to Mesa Verde National Park, a fascinating blend of natural and cultural beauty, where we will take a short hike to see some of the dwellings built right into the cliff sides. Then we will make our way west to visit two national monuments, Hovenweep and Canyons of the Ancients, which celebrate the Northern Ancestral Puebloan culture, also known as the Anasazi. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 – Monday, September 9: Bears Ears & Natural  Bridges 

This morning, we begin our exploration of the Bears Ears region with a visit to Newspaper Rock. Afterwards, we get a closer look at the Bears Ears rock formation before enjoying a picnic lunch among three natural bridges carved by the power of water and time at Natural Bridges National Monument. As we continue west, we will drive through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, crossing the Colorado River and following scenic Highway 95 on our way to Capitol Reef National Park. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 – Tuesday, September 10: Capitol Reef National Park

Our exploration of Capitol Reef begins with a morning hike to the Grand Wash, followed by a stroll to Hickman’s Bridge. After lunch, we’ll check out some of the human history of the park in the Capitol Gorge, where we can view petroglyphs and a pioneer register etched into the stone and enjoy a 3-mile hike through a slot canyon. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5 – Wednesday, September 11: Capitol Reef & Grand Staircase National Monument

This morning, we take a short hike in Cohab Canyon and enjoy an opportunity to take a closer look at the historic Gifford House. On our way south on Highway 12, we will drive part of the famed Burr Trail through a narrow canyon, where we will be surrounded by contours of sandstone while riding through a narrow canyon whose walls rise hundreds of feet above us. This evening, relax at the renowned Boulder Mountain Lodge. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 – Thursday, September 12: Grand Staircase-Escalante & Anasazi State Park

In the morning, we will visit Anasazi State Park, the anthropology museum and the excavated site of a thousand-year-old village. The Fremont prehistoric people occupied most of Utah during the same period as the Ancestral Puebloans. The site’s unique architecture, as well as the artifacts recovered from the area, reflect a prehistoric “melting pot.” We will enjoy lunch on the trail on a fantastic hike in Grand Staircase National Monument, with several trail options to choose from in this vast protected area. Then we will continue along scenic Highway 12 to Bryce National Park. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 – Friday, September 13: Bryce Canyon National Park

Visit the Bryce Canyon Visitor Center and hike the Rim Trail. Experience the canyon’s intricate geological display from the rim at Bryce Point and Paria View, and below the rim on the Navajo and Queens Garden Trails on a 3-mile loop. This afternoon, savor the ambiance of the Lodge, designed in 1924 by master architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. The lodge and its cabins were recognized in 1987 as a national historic landmark. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 – Saturday, September 14: Zion and Cedar Breaks

A morning drive brings us to Cedar Breaks National Monument. Located at over 10,000 feet up, this unique amphitheater is a treat to see. After a short hike at Cedar Breaks, we’ll make our way to Zion National Park, where we will explore some of the park’s trails, including the Riverside Walk to the beginning of the Narrows as well as the Emerald Pools, which offers breathtaking views of Zion’s canyon. This evening, we will celebrate a great week of exploration. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9 – Sunday, September 15: Departures from Las Vegas

After one last post-breakfast hike in Zion, we make our way down to Las Vegas to bid farewell after a great week in Utah. Meals: Breakfast

Please Note: The above itinerary is subject to change depending on a variety of factors. In every case, Black Sheep Adventures will endeavor to make you aware of changes as soon as possible, but occasionally, changes must be made immediately prior to or during a departure. We strive to offer the best-quality trip for each area and will make every effort to offer a comparable or better vacation.

Lodging Information

We’ll spend our first night along the Animas River at the DoubleTree Durango. We have one night in Monticello, Utah, at Grist Mill Inn, which puts us in a great location to explore Bears Ears National Monument. Then we will spend two nights in Torrey, Utah, at the Red Sands Hotel, right at the edge of Capitol Reef National Park. At Bryce, we stay two nights at The Lodge at Bryce Canyon, which offers fantastic views of the park just steps from your room. Our last evening will be spent at Desert Pearl Inn, only steps away from Zion National Park.

DoubleTree Durango. Enjoy a warm cookie and a warmer welcome when you arrive at the hotel, which is located on the beautiful Animas River, within walking distance of downtown Durango and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Grist Mill Inn. Sitting below the Abajo Mountains in the small town of Monticello, Utah, this family-owned hotel is the perfect gateway to explore the Bears Ears region including Natural Bridges, Newspaper Rock and Canyonlands.

Red Sands Hotel. At the doorstep of Capitol Reef National Park, this recently remodeled hotel is a great place to relax after a full day of adventure in the area. Take a dip in the onsite pool and hot tub or catch up on your email and post photos from your Utah adventure, using the complimentary Wi-Fi.

Boulder Mountain Lodge. Located in the middle of Utah’s scenic red-rock canyon country and surrounded by mountain forests, this lodge is an oasis in the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante. Each room features a deck or patio with fantastic views of the gorgeous surroundings. Make sure to get out and explore some of the 11-acre bird sanctuary that surrounds the lodge.

Lodge at Bryce Canyon. This iconic national park lodge was built in 1925 by famed architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. Your room is just a few steps away from the rim of Bryce Canyon, providing ample opportunities to easily explore the park.

About Us

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High Country News Travel is proud to partner with Black Sheep Adventures to bring you this exclusive travel experience.

‍‍Black Sh‍‍‍eep Adventures has been operating professional, international adventure travel since 2002. In those 15 years, they’ve delivered one-of-a-kind vacation experiences for thousands of satisfied guests. Whether you're looking for adventures in hiking, biking or riding the rails, we are here to give you a truly memorable experience.

High Country News Travel is a service offered by High Country News . Our goal is to give you educational, adventurous, meaningful and transformative travel opportunities. It has always been part of the High Country News mission to “inform and inspire” people, and we want to take that even further by creating journeys that focus on exploration and enjoyment while helping to broadening our readers’ perspective on humanity and the environment.

Booking & Pricing

Book Now: Call toll-free 866-OH-SHEEP (866-647-4337). For additional information, email Black Sheep Adventures

Payments: can be made by check or money order and sent to Black Sheep Adventures. Mailing address: 900 Doolittle Drive, Suite 3A, San Leandro, CA 94577.

Price per person: U.S. $3,995 each, based on double occupancy with minimum of 8 and maximum of 17 (tips not included).

Single occupancy supplement: U.S. $895.

Payment Terms: U.S. $750 deposit to hold space, balance due 90 days prior to departure.

Booking Deadline: TBD.

Trip Price Includes:

Nine-day national park exploration itinerary
Eight nights lodging based on double occupancy
Eight breakfasts
Seven lunches (a mix of restaurant, pack and picnic lunches depending on the day’s activities)
Seven dinners
Bountiful snacks throughout each day
Group will be transported by passenger van starting in Durango ending in Las Vegas
All national park and museum entrance fees
Educational commentary from High Country News writer Jonathan Thompson
Services of professional tour manager
Black Sheep Adventures reusable water bottle

Not Included: pre- & post-tour travel, alcoholic beverages except at welcome and farewell dinners, gratuities for your BSA guides. (We suggest around 5 percent of the trip cost per guide). A one way shuttle will be provided from the end of the trip to Durango for $100 per person

Notes

Legal: A waiver agreement has to be signed by each participant before starting the trip. Click here to view and sign.

Insurance: Travel and Life & Health insurances are highly recommended. For more information and to purchase, click here.

Weather & Clothes: Mainly warm, but thunderstorms are likely to occur. A windbreaker jacket and a warm pullover are recommended, as well as short- and long-sleeved T-shirts, light and heavier trousers, and heavy shoes. Don’t forget to bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and camera!

Cancellation policy: If you cancel for any reason, the following refund schedule applies: 91+ days prior to trip start: A $100 fee per person will be deducted from any refund. 61-90 days prior to trip start: cancellation fee equal to 25 percent of trip cost. 31-60 days prior to trip start: cancellation fee equal to 50 percent of trip cost. Zero-to-30 days prior to trip start: no refund.

The trip itinerary is subject to change depending on a variety of factors. In every case, Black Sheep Adventures will endeavor to make you aware of changes as soon as possible, but occasionally, changes must be made immediately prior to, or during, a departure. We strive to offer the best-quality trip for each area and will make every effort to offer a comparable or better vacation.

Black Sheep Adventures acts only as an agent for the various independent suppliers that provide hotel accommodations, transportation, sightseeing, activities, or other services connected with this tour. Such services are subject to the terms and conditions of those suppliers. High Country News and Black Sheep Adventures and their respective employees, agents, representatives, and assigns accept no liability whatsoever from any injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or any other incident which may be caused by the negligence, defect, default of any company or person in performing these services. Responsibility is not accepted for losses, injury, damages or expenses of any kind due to sickness, weather, strikes, hostilities, wars, terrorist acts, acts of nature, local laws or other such causes.

All services and accommodations are subject to the laws and regulations of the country in which they are provided. High Country News and Black Sheep Adventures are not responsible for any baggage or personal effects (including bicycles or bicycle gear) of any individual participating in the tours arranged by Black Sheep Adventures. Individual travelers are responsible for purchasing a travel insurance policy, if desired, that will cover some of the expenses associated with the loss of luggage or personal effects.