Zion Canyon’s sheer Navajo sandstone cliffs, towers, and pillars are dramatic enough to require pedal assistance. I consider myself an accomplished cyclist, yet I boost the power of my e-bike to allow me to focus on the red glow emanating from Watchman peak high above Virgin River.
It is a late afternoon at the beginning of June. Zion National Park This is my first stop of a four-day journey with EXP JourneysTour operators that specialize in high-touch, bespoke adventure trips. I’m surprised that the paved Pa’Rus Trail in Zion is all ours, except for a few wild turkeys and lizards who scamper away into the rabbitbrush when we get close. That’s what makes EXP Journeys so special. They have guides who have spent many years exploring these popular locations and are able to provide solitude.
Zion’s annual visitor count has nearly doubled in the last 15-years, to just over five million, making it America’s second most popular tourist destination. national park. Statistics like these have stopped me from enjoying the natural beauty in my backyard. Even for those of us who enjoy the outdoors, preparing and gear To pull off a comfortable getaway, you will need to have the following: family camping trip It can be intimidating. My dad always said, “Camping is not a vacation but an adventure.” EXP Journeys will take care of the logistics, so you can enjoy both.
Kevin Jackson and Andrew Roberts, co-founders of Wilderness Adventures, have taken trips all over the world, including the Pyrenees and Everest Base Camp. But they always felt a draw to America’s wilderness, especially the Southwest. The trips are reimagining the American camping experience, with a passionate guide and luxury amenities that were once reserved only for celebrities. Africa’s high-end safari camps, and through a partnership Navajo owned tour company Monument Valley SafariStorytellers from the native people. Shaye holiday, the owner of these tourism projects, says that they allow them to share their culture and land. “That exchange helps keep our culture alive.”
You won’t miss the best time to go, lesser known scenic drives and expertly led excursions.
The leave-no trace mobile camp is set up within 48 hours at the Bureau of Land Management grounds, just beyond East Entrance of Zion National Park. It provides all comforts. The tents have a canvas wall and are equipped with memory foam beds and ensuite bathrooms. They are also illuminated by chandeliers. Just ten steps from the tents are two shared hot showers. Shon Foster is the former chef from The Lodge, and he has been tasked with bringing games, such as corn hole, to a central dining tent. Amangiri Owner of Sego Restaurant in nearby Kanab, owner dazzles with artichoke mozzarella tomatoes frittatas. Filet mignon is also cooked cowboy style papillote.
Maxie, Chris and their team took us to thrilling adventures like UTVing or sand-boarding over four days. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Their knowledge of off-roading, geology, history and botany is impressive. Maxie gives me confidence as I drive my UTV up a daunting mountain of sand. In Bryce Canyon National Park, as we gaze across a sea of rust-colored hoodoos from Sunset Point—another lookout we miraculously had to ourselves thanks to our guide’s brilliant timing—Chris explained how these drippy sandcastle-like formations were created by a unique weathering process known as ice wedging wherein water seeps into the crevices in the rocks and when temperatures drop, it freezes and fractures the stone.
