Family Zion & Bryce Hiking

Our trip begins early this morning in Las Vegas (Henderson), Nevada at our host hotel. Our guides will briefly talk us through the basics before we set out on the five-hour drive to Bryce Canyon National Park. We'll make a few stops to stretch our legs and pass the rest of the driving time with some travel games from the REI Family Games Bag. Bryce Canyon National Park is a chain of natural amphitheaters, formed by erosion, brimming with thousands of brightly colored spires or "hoodoos" striped in red, orange and white. Upon arrival, we 'll enjoy a spectacular one-way hike descending through the famed skyscraper hoodoos of Wall Street and past the walls of Bristlecone Ridge admiring the changing light illuminating the canyon. Emerging from the park at Tropic Trailhead, it's only a short drive to our exclusive REI Signature Camp at Bryce Canyon. Our guides provide camp orientation and then we check out our comfortable tents and enjoy the first of many delicious meals prepared by our skilled camp chefs! All meals included from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 5.

Hiking: 2.5 miles; Elevation gain/loss: 1,100'; Van transfer: 5 hours

Within an hour drive from our camp, Lower Calf Creek Falls is one of the gems of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a lesser-known but equally spectacular region of southern Utah. We hike 3 miles along a river, passing Fremont pictographs and granaries as we explore deeper into the canyon. Enjoy a relaxing lunch and swim at the base of the incredible 126' waterfall. After refueling and refreshing we'll hike back through canyon country to our trailhead. We return to camp and relax with some fun camp games or kids can take part in a sketch session (all supplies provided) of some beautiful features visible from camp such as Bristlecone Ridge. Most evenings there will be time for some extra fun at camp—solving "Criddles" canyon riddles- answering canyon trivia about flora and geology. Another wonderful dinner followed by a delicious, well deserved dessert tonight!

Hiking: 6 miles; Elevation gain/loss: 866'

After a great hot breakfast, we bid farewell to our REI Signature Camp near Bryce Canyon. We pack our lunch and have a short transfer back to the National Park. The legend of the Paiute says that a long time ago a group of people moved into the area and made coyote angry with their bad behavior. Coyote put a curse on the people, now called "Legend People", turning them to stone. See if you can find the images of people sitting and holding each other in the hoodoos! Our last hike at Bryce has us descending into the canyon to explore the dramatic corridor of stone through the Two Bridges side of the Navajo Loop. To ascend we'll follow the Queen's Garden Trail (definitely fit for a queen) to the rim. Our van transfer today takes less than two hours as the mountains and mesas of Zion appear in the distance and rise to meet us. We ascend the final stretch of road to our secluded REI Signature Camp at Zion Canyon, above the national park. At camp we'll settle in, enjoy appetizers and cold drinks together and get oriented to the site. We'll enjoy an abundant dinner spread and after grab our headlamps and join the guides for an optional evening hike to take in the sunset from a spectacular viewpoint near camp before returning to camp for the night.

Hiking: 2.75 miles; Elevation gain/loss: 800'

We enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, before catching the park shuttle to the Grotto Trailhead. From here we begin our hike to Scout's Lookout. Step by step, we make our way through aptly named Refrigerator Canyon where the towering rock walls keep temperatures cool. Exiting the canyon, Walter's Wiggles soon comes into view. The famous set of 21 tight switchbacks carved into the cliff face leads to today's destination, Scout's Lookout. From the lookout, we're rewarded with expansive views of Zion Canyon and the iconic formations that comprise the multi-colored landscape of this national park. After our hike, we return to camp where parents can relax while kids take part in a sketch session (all supplies provided) of our beautiful surroundings. Tonight, we enjoy a relaxing evening at camp, complete with a farewell celebration dinner.

Hiking: 3.25 miles; Elevation gain/loss: 1,000'

After another hearty breakfast, we say goodbye to camp and shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava. From here, we embark upon our hike into the Narrows—a deep gash in the earth carved by the Virgin River. We travel upstream along the steep, colorful sandstone walls on a route often described as one of the best hikes in the U.S. After exploring the spectacular Narrows, we return to our waiting van and begin the three-hour drive back to Las Vegas. We expect to arrive at the Las Vegas by early evening.

Hiking: up to 5 miles; Elevation gain/loss: 200'; Van transfer: 3 hours. We walk on trail for approximately one mile before entering The Narrows where we literally get our feet wet. We hike upstream 1.5 additional miles, gradually gaining approximately 100' before turning around and exiting the same route.