Grand Canyon, Bryce & Zion

Our canyonlands adventure begins in the red rock country of St. George, Utah. This evening, gather for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Our Expedition Leader offers a brief orientation to the history, geology, wildlife and ecology of the Colorado Plateau, which we explore in depth on our foray through three of the world's most magnificent national parks.

En route to Bryce Canyon, we stop at Snow Canyon State Park, contained within the larger Red Cliffs Desert Reserve established to protect the federally listed desert tortoise. Spanning 7,400 acres, the park encompasses ancient lava flows and soaring cliffs in a strikingly colorful desert environment. Vertical walls of Navajo sandstone rise in layers of cream, pink and rust above a landscape streaked with contrasting black basalt. Sculpted by wind and water over millennia, the canyon reveals petrified dunes, twisting slot canyons and pockets of desert varnish that shimmer in the sun, along with resilient desert plants like yucca, prickly pear and juniper.

Later this afternoon, we reach Bryce Canyon. The national park was established in 1925 to protect and draw visitors to its fantastical landscape, which feels like a portal to another world. Its pink pinnacles, limestone formations and natural amphitheaters capture the imagination with geological surprises. Red rock walls are rent with deep channels while whimsical hoodoos—rock spires carved eons ago by erosion—rise hundreds of feet into the sky. Rising early to watch the sunrise and lingering over radiant sunsets, experience the ever-changing grandeur of this astounding landscape.

After dark, another wonder awaits: a chance for some of the best stargazing in North America. The night skies around Bryce are some of the darkest in the United States, thanks to the park’s high elevation above 8,000 feet, its remote location, and its clear, clean air. Joined by a Dark Sky Ranger, we head just outside the park bounds, away from any artificial light, to witness the night sky through telescopes. Offering an extraordinary view of the cosmos, Bryce holds International Dark Sky status, and the absence of light pollution reveals more than 7,500 stars on a clear night, while the Milky Way arcs in a luminous band across the dark tableau overhead. During a new moon, the sight is otherworldly, as planets, constellations and distant galaxies seem close enough to touch.

Today we discover Bryce Canyon on foot, the only way to explore its intricate sedimentary depths at close range. Guided by our Expedition Leader, drop below the rim on a series of switchbacks that descend 550 feet into the lower canyon, where we find pinyon pines and junipers. Heading back up again, gain a different perspective on the forest of hoodoos as we weave among their unique shapes (Guests who don’t wish to tackle the elevation gain can walk the paved trails on the rim.) In the afternoon, more opportunities await to explore Bryce from different vantage points, including a panorama across the vast landscape of the natural amphitheater crowded with hoodoos.

Given our optimal location near the rim, it’s easy to rise early to watch the sunrise over Bryce Canyon. We witness a striking array of colors as the changing light illumines the stone pinnacles and sheer cliffs. A morning hike offers yet more angles on this wondrous landscape, more evocative with each turn in the trail.

Then it’s time to head for Zion National Park on one of the most scenic drives in the American Southwest. Keep an eye out for bighorn sheep as we follow the narrow two-lane road that cuts through canyons and twists below towering monoliths. As we approach Zion, we pass Checkerboard Mesa, a 6,250-foot landmark of striated Navajo Sandstone. Early Mormon pioneers gave Zion its name—so striking was its beauty that it evoked images of the biblical Promised Land. The U.S. government agreed and made it a national park in 1919. Multi-hued sandstone ramparts rise above the valley floor where the Virgin River flows among the cottonwoods, carving a deep canyon over millennia and blending lush greenery with dramatic rockscapes.

Begin the day exploring Zion Canyon on foot, following narrow trails below 2,000-foot cliffs of Navajo Sandstone that soar above us on either side. On the canyon floor, see lush and colorful hanging gardens growing out of the rock. Trails along the river lead to quiet recesses, where we may hear and see many birds unique to the American West. Listen for the haunting cry of canyon wrens, look to the skies overhead for golden eagles and prairie falcons, and find American dippers and phoebes in the willows along the riverbanks. Then climb higher for dramatic views of the towering canyon walls and shadowy depths below. Varied overlooks reveal different vantage points on Zion’s geological drama, as we witness the tremendous power of water and wind to sculpt this landscape, a highlight of our visit is a helicopter flight just outside Zion National Park, featuring aerial views of dramatic scenery including Smith Mesa, Kolob Canyons and Red Butte Mountain.

Reflecting the adage that travel is more about the journey than the destination, our long drive today takes us through some of the most geologically dramatic landscapes of the American Southwest. As we leave the soaring red cliffs of Zion behind, the terrain gradually opens into high desert plains dotted with juniper and sagebrush. Traversing the vast Kaibab Plateau, we make numerous stops while exploring a landscape shaped by ancient seas and volcanic activity. The colors shift constantly—from rust-colored rock formations to wide, windswept mesas and deep canyons carved over millennia. By the time we reach the pine forests surrounding the Grand Canyon, we feel steeped in timeless natural history.

One of America’s most iconic national parks, Grand Canyon was established in 1919. Lying entirely within the state of Arizona, the park encompasses 278 miles of the Colorado River and adjacent Colorado Plateau. Located on the ancestral homelands of 11 tribal communities that hold the space sacred, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere on Earth. Humans have lived in the Grand Canyon region for 25,000 years, a mere blip in time compared to the 1.7 billion-year-old Vishnu Schist rocks visible along the Colorado River in the bottom of the canyon. Once we check in to our hotel near the South Rim late this afternoon, we gather for dinner and an orientation to all that lies ahead as we delve into the canyon’s wonders.

No western adventurer should miss gazing into the mile-deep chasm in the ethereal light of sunrise, and we join our Expedition Leader to greet the dawn’s rays at a stirring viewpoint. With a full day ahead to explore the Grand Canyon from the South Rim, there's plenty of time to absorb the drama of one of the planet’s most magnificent natural landscapes, watching the variegated canyon walls change color as the light shifts throughout the day. Sunset will likewise bring astonishment as we watch the canyon depths shift from orange and rust to pink and purple, as the sinking sun casts its glow in contrast with the shadows moving across the etched promontories and crevasses.

We spend the day on several mellow hikes, tapping the deep knowledge of our Expedition Leader who knows the best trails and viewpoints for a more secluded encounter with this extraordinary geological phenomenon. Admire vistas from several different spots along the rim and just below, doing our best to enjoy moments of relative solitude away from crowds. As the sun begins to set, we share a farewell dinner together on the South Rim. Then step outside once night falls for a last chance to stargaze: Grand Canyon National Park was recognized as an International Dark Sky Park in 2019, after a three-year endeavor to protect its night skies by altering light fixtures and taking measures to reduce light pollution.

Rise at dawn for a last sunrise over the Grand Canyon before we depart after breakfast. Our high desert adventure concludes with a drive to Flagstaff, Arizona, the southern gateway to the Grand Canyon. A transfer to the airport is included to meet departing flights this afternoon. If your schedule permits, you may wish to explore a bit of this walkable city on your own. Surrounded by pine forests at 7,000 feet in the northern Arizona high country, Flagstaff’s historic downtown is a lively mix of cafes, pubs, locavore dining, art galleries and funky boutiques.