DURATION:
5 Days/4 Nights
AVAILABILITY:
May-Sept
GROUP SIZE:
Max 8-10
STARTS IN:
Salt Lake City
ENDS IN:
Salt Lake City
TRIP STYLE:
Camping
See what southern Utah is all about as we travel through “Canyon Country” and work our way up the Colorado Plateau to some of the most incredible sights in the American Southwest. One iconic site after another, this tour will provide an unforgettable experience to see all 5 of Utah’s National Parks including Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef, plus additional State Parks as a bonus! Click here to learn more about our relaxed booking and travel options.
Today, we’ll depart from Salt Lake City and drive through the beautiful Wasatch mountains en route to incredible canyons of southern Utah. First up for the five National Parks is Canyonlands, known for being rough, rugged, and desolate…but with much beauty to behold! We will explore the district called Island In The Sky where we’ll hike to some outstanding viewpoints and see an iconic natural arch.
Additionally, we will stop at Dead Horse Point State Park for one of the most awe-inspiring views of the mighty Colorado River. This amazing place has been featured in many movies and television shows ranging from “Thelma & Louise” to HBO’s recent series “Westworld”.
This evening we will set up camp just outside of the town of Moab. Your guides will provide you with all the camping gear necessary, provide a detailed tutorial on how to set up tents, then let you get settled in as they cook up a hot meal. This night we’ll relax by the fire and enjoy the dark southern Utah night sky.
Driving time: 4 Hours
Hiking: 3+ miles – Minimal elevation gain
Accommodation: Kane Creek Campground or similar
Wake up to breakfast provided by your guides (including lots of coffee!). Today we’ll be exploring one of the greatest collections of natural arches on the planet at Arches National Park! We will depart early to view the Windows, Double Arch, and hike 3-miles round-trip to one of the most famous features in the entire southwest, Delicate Arch.
“A weird, lovely, fantastic object out of nature like Delicate Arch has the curious ability to remind us—like rock and sunlight and wind and wilderness—that out there is a different world, older and greater and deeper by far than ours” – Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire
After some additional active options in Arches National Park, we make a trip to their visitor center before returning to Moab for a couple hours of down time at our campsite. Depending on group preference, some additional options this afternoon may include a visit to Castle Creek Winery for some wine tasting or a stop at the Moab Museum of Film and Western Heritage. This evening, we will have a group dinner in the town of Moab.
Driving time: Local
Hiking: 3-5 miles – 700+ feet elevation gain
Accommodation: Kane Creek Campground or similar
Departing from Moab, we drive 2 hours to our first adventure for the day at Goblin Valley State Park. This place is out of this world! It is hard to envision a more “alien-like” landscape than what you’ll see here. Small hoodoos, locally known as goblins, fill a former tidal plain and make for one of the most unique destinations in the American Southwest.
After Goblin valley, we’ll enjoy one of America’s most scenic drives as we explore Capital Reef National Park for a possible hike to view a famous Natural Bridge. Capitol Reef National Park includes 241,904 acres of amazing red rock formations, cliffs, canyons and natural bridges. It is Utah’s wilderness at its best. Capital Reef is also the least visited of Utah’s National Parks, so it’s definitely worth checking out!
This evening we will spend near Bryce Canyon.
Driving time: 5 Hours
Hiking: 2-3 miles – 400+ feet elevation gain
Accommodation: Rubys Campground just outside of Bryce Canyon
This morning we will enter Bryce Canyon National Park just in time to capture the sun rising over a collection of sandstone spires called “hoodoos”. Explore several viewpoints before we descend into the Bryce Amphitheatre on “The world’s best 3-mile hike”. This trail is rated as moderate and is a wonderful way to view a variety of geology, flora, & fauna.
Tonight we head closer to Zion and set up camp under Ponderosa pines. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the campground amenities including a swimming pool and recreation barn, then enjoy a fresh dinner prepared by your guides.
Driving time: 2 Hours
Hiking: 3-4 miles – 600+ feet elevation gain
Accommodation: Zion Ponderosa just outside of Zion
Today we explore our 5th National Park in 5 days at Zion National Park! Marvel at the giant red cliffs that rise over 2,000 feet above the blue-green waters of the Virgin River. We’ll spend the day exploring much of what this park has to offer before making our return trip to Salt Lake City.
Our activity today will likely include an adventure down the world-famous Narrows where you’ll experience hiking knee-deep in cool, rushing water as towering cliffs rise up on both sides. This trail begins on a paved path that follows the Virgin River for approximately 1 mile and provides a great opportunity to spot Mule Deer before we enter the river section for the rest of the hike.
*Due to many natural variables in the outdoors, we take what mother nature provides for us when deciding on which hike we will do. Other amazing options may include an adventure to the Upper Emerald Pools or similar.
After several hours of optional hiking and exploring, we depart from Zion National Park and begin our return 4.5-hour drive to Salt Lake City.
Driving time: 5 Hours
Hiking: 3-6 miles – minimal elevation gain
Return to Salt Lake City: We plan to return to SLC by approximately 7:00pm. If you plan to depart from Salt Lake International Airport after the trip, be sure you do not book a flight prior to 10:00pm or 22:00 due to various circumstances out of our control.
Absolutely a magnificent trip !!! Plan to go again and see all the beauty of USA!!! Mountain Based Tours are a must!!!
Where to begin? My daughter and I just returned from the Mighty 5 camping trip and it was a fantastic trip from every perspective. The landscape is simply breathtaking. ... read more Nick and Eric are top notch guides! They guided what seemed like a seamless journey through Utah taking in five National Parks and two State Parks. Lots of mileage but it didn’t feel like it because of the multiple hiking and bathroom breaks along the way. They did an excellent job of assessing the abilities within the group and adjusting accordingly. Meals were delicious. Appreciate all the fresh fruit and hearty stew. Campfire every night. I hope to travel with Mountainbased again in the future. I’ll have no hesitation booking another trip.
Trip exceeded my expectations. Justin and Eric (our guides) were competent, caring and a whole lot of fun. Thank you for creating a trip I will always treasureCan’t wait for... read more Tetons 2019!
MountainBased has expanded to these two great parks. I went on the Utah 5 with them two years ago and couldn’t wait to join them again! So much fun! Justin... read more and Eric created the greatest trip. Hiking to Mount Washburn. Rafting the Snake River. S’mores...More
This trip and the MountainBased team exceeded all expectations making it flawless from day 1. Nick was professional, knowledgable and genuinely loves his job. I met life long friends while... read more exploring some of the most incredible destinations. They set an unprecedented calibre of touring that is unmatched. I’m already booking another trip for next season.
Hiking through Bryce and Zion was a perfect way to see more of the parks than a regular tour. Great communication, camping equipment, transportation, and food. Jared and Justin were... read more so sincere, knowledgeable, and went beyond expectations to take care of the group. Great family...More
I booked this trip with a friend but ended up a single. This proved to be inconsequential. The Mountainbased team accepted me just as they did the other 10 on... read more the trip. The trip from Salt Lake to South Utah and back involves many miles...More
My son (recent HS graduation) and I went on the Southern Utah Hiker/Camper. Food was really good. Guides were TOP NOTCH. I cannot say enough great things... read more about these guys. They were fabulous! They provided so much great information during each part of the trip....More
I went on the Mountain Based new hiking trip offered to Bryce, Zion, and Grand staircase with my sister. It was a wonderful trip! Justin and Eric were our guides... read more and we had Steve and Nick who were guides in training. They were amazing! We...More
Check out a more in-depth list of what to bring here.
Spend three unforgettable days in the Moab area as we explore two of Utah’s most spectacular National Parks – Arches & Canyonlands National Park, while staying at the stunning Red Cliff’s Lodge!
Experience all five of Utah’s National Parks in just five days from March through October! This lodging and hiking trip will allow you to see Utah’s greatest gems.
Spend three unforgettable days in the Moab area as we explore two of Utah’s most spectacular National Parks – Arches & Canyonlands National Park, while staying at the stunning Red Cliff’s Lodge!