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Grand Canyon, Bryce & Zion Multisport

Grand Canyon, Bryce & Zion Multisport

Discover three of the nation’s most colorful natural parks by bike and on foot with your family, taking your time to enjoy the high-desert landscape, otherworldly rock formations and jaw-dropping vistas. Immerse yourself in the beauty of the Grand Canyon, where scenic treks - and perhaps even a mule ride! - await, and hike among the spindly spires and pinnacles of Bryce. Venture along one of many trails that zigzag through Zion Canyon. At campsites perched on canyon rims and under the cool canopy of towering pines, Backroads puts you in touch with the majesty and awesome power of these spectacular settings. With plenty of options, opportunities to explore at your leisure and leaders who know the native flora and fauna inside and out, this is a fantastic journey for the whole family!

Days 1-2 Grand Canyon

Meet in St. George  Get your first good look at one of the world's seven natural wonders as you hike along the rim of the Grand Canyon  Kids join local cowpokes to check out the canyon from the back of a mule, while adults descend by foot into the gorge's depths If you're up for more, follow the secluded Widforss Trail for wide-open vistas across the canyon or take the scenic drive to Cape Royal, where you can see superb views of the Colorado River as it slices through the Earth.

Days 3-4 Bryce Canyon

En route to Bryce Canyon National Park, admire sweeping views of the Grand Staircase, stop for a picnic and walk to the remarkable Vermillion Cliffs Hike along the rim of Bryce Canyon  On a trek to Queen’s Garden, discover pink hoodoos and vivid rock formations sprouting from the canyon floor  Adults and older kids with strong legs can opt to bike a hilly route to Rainbow Point, the highest spot in Bryce Keep your eyes open for desert creatures, like lizards and chipmunks, as they dart playfully across the landscape  Relax at our campsite nestled amid the pines.

Days 5-6 Zion

Savor a breezy descent out of Bryce and along a quiet bike path through red rocks and spires toward Zion National Park Venture into the Virgin River on one of Zion’s most famous hikes, the Narrows Kids learn canyoneering basics from experienced guides and instructors, while adults cap off the trip with an easygoing walk past Emerald Pools, a thrilling climb to Angels Landing or a rewarding hike on the West Rim Trail - all with spectacular views   Return to St. George.

big map

CANYON VIEWS: Deluxe Camping

North Rim Campground (2 nights): Our home near the edge of the North Rim offers breathtaking views.

Sunset Campground (2 nights): Set in a pine forest, just a short hike from the rim of Bryce Canyon.

Watchman Campground (1 night): Nestled along the Virgin River with Zion's soaring cliffs all around.

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with no significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Biking Average Walking Average
Insider Trips
Explore at a leisurely pace—on village walks, market strolls, art history excursions, hands-on cooking classes and more.
Level 1 2-3 hours 10-20 mile 2-5 miles
Level 2 2-4 hours 21-30 miles 5-7 miles
Level 3 3-5 hours 31-40 miles 7-9 miles
Level 4 4-6 hours 41-55 miles 9-11 miles
Level 5 5-7+ hours 56-75+ miles 11-13+ miles
2010 DATES
FAMILY TRIPS
Recommended Kids Ages

Minimum Ages:

Recommended minimum age for the trip: 6 years

Minimum age restrictions:

General Info on Minimum Ages:

We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:

Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.

Guest Trip Reviews

Every member of our family loved the trip. The scenery was incredible, our leaders were amazing, and we thoroughly enjoyed our fellow campers. I could not have imagined the uniqueness of hoodoos in Bryce, the awesome expanse of the Grand Canyon or the rugged beauty of Zion. Backroads provided the perfect way to see them.
Bob Shearman - Fort Myers, FL

Our trip was simply fantastic. The accommodations were great (and I had NEVER tent-camped before!), the food was out of this world (I never would have guessed that we would eat that well on a camping trip!), and our leaders were second to none. I can't say enough about it; we had the time of our lives! I was awed by the beauty of the Southwest as well as the top-notch service we received from Backroads.
Linda Omdahl - Jefferson, MD

This was a fabulous trip! We had a 19 year old and a 5 year old and neither has stopped talking a about how much fun s/he had. I did not want to miss an activity because all were geared around seeing or doing something new. The climb to Angel's landing was stupendous! The campsite at the Grand Canyon was superb. We have been on several European trips and had heard good things about the family trips! They all underestimated the quality of the trip. My wife doesn't even care to camp and she did not complain once due to the superior trip planning and the support team we had. Well done and keep up the good work! We look forward to seeing Provence with you in September.
Gary Bacon - Carmel, IN

Best family trip we have ever taken! You actually got my wife to enjoy camping, which is a feat that I would never imagine happening. The spirit and soul of your guides was a surprise and a high point of our experience. Really, I could go on but words do not really capture what I call "Ruach" (which means "spirit" in Hebrew) and which your company and your guides have in abundance. My wife accuses me of a being a sentimental cornball (and she tends to be right) but the trip you had for us was deeply moving, both in the time I got to spend with my family, meet new friends (including your guides) and see wonderful places. It has been almost 2+ weeks since I have been home and I still get a smile in my heart and soul thinking about our trip with you. Thank you for that.
Steven Marcus - Libertyville, IL

The trip was outstanding. My son said "This was the best vacation of my entire life!" and we all agreed that this was the perfect vacation for our family. We loved the activities, the scenery, the friendships among the kids, and we were so impressed with the enthusiasm and energy of the trip leaders. We're already planning our next Backroads Family camping trip for next summer.
Linda G. - Encino, CA

The best compliment of all is that our kids all said this was the best trip we've ever taken. Our leaders were outstanding in every way – made us all comfortable and relaxed. They were a wealth of information about the parks and surrounding areas, handled the wide range of age levels in our group very well (kids ages 6-19), provided games to play, engaged the kids during "down time," and made their own tasks seem effortless and seamless. The food was superb and their positive outlook was contagious and uplifting. We can hardly wait to book our next trip!
Susan Hunt - McLean, VA

I am overwhelmed with the perfection of this trip. Part of the wonderful experience was made possible by the natural beauty of Bryce, Zion, and the Grand Canyon. But my family's enjoyment of these magical places was orchestrated precisely and flawlessly by Backroads - starting with the helpful trip consultant whom I spoke with way back in November and who recommended this trip as one that would fit well with my vision of our summer family vacation. The next Backroads guidance came from the emails and brochures that came my way, including the terrific packing list and detailed itinerary. But the crowning Backroads contribution - the one that made a summer trip into perhaps the best summer trip my family has ever taken - comes from the leaders. They are simply fantastic; they're smart, informed, helpful, cheerful, earnest, committed, lovely, capable, energetic, impressive human beings. They worked together like synchronized swimmers, seamlessly executing a daily dance that made every element of the camping experience an effortless joy for everyone. They were terrific with the kids. They were engaging, warm, and just plain fun with the parents. I cannot say enough about how much their truly excellent work (and it WAS work indeed - daily and nightly diligence that always seemed like their pure pleasure to do) made the whole trip into pure enjoyment.
Amy Silverstein - Chappaqua, NY

This is our third Backroads trip and we look forward to many, many more. The overall trip was great. The leaders were fabulous. Like the previous two trips, after about 24 hours you feel like you are vacationing with them (but they won't let you do any work) rather than them being your guides. That is not to say they were not superb leaders but that the comfort level is so good they feel like companions in a leadership role. They clearly know how to make people feel at home and are excellent at managing people's differences in a very professional way.
Scott Shulman - Atlanta, GA

Don't know how you continue to exceed my expectations. I don't usually give all 10s. Backroads is stupendous.
Rhonda Taubin - Atlanta, GA