Big-time fun on a big-time scale is yours for the taking as you explore the timeless natural playgrounds of the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion. Your family will be amazed by the high-desert landscape, otherworldly rock formations and spectacular vistas of three of the nation’s most colorful natural parks. Hike into to the world-renowned Grand Canyon, where scenic walks (and perhaps even a mule ride) await, discover the surreal landscape of Bryce and its towering hoodoos, and venture along one of the many trails that zigzag through the spectacular cliffs of Zion Canyon. Plenty of activity options and free time to explore at your leisure make this a fantastic journey for the whole family!

CANYON VIEWS: Deluxe Camping

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

North Rim Campground (2 nights):

Our home on the edge of the North Rim offers breathtaking views.

Watchman Campground (2 nights): Nestled along the Virgin River with soaring cliffs all around.

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

DAY 1

• Level 1  1 Route Option Available
• Walking 1.5 miles
• 0 - 500 feet elevation gain

DAY 2

• Levels 1 to 3  Many Route Options Available
• Hiking 1.4, 3.4, 5, 9 miles
• 0 - 1450 feet elevation gain
• Biking (Adults) 21, 44, 50 miles
• 0 - 1000 feet elevation gain
• Mule Ride (Kids) 2 hours

DAY 3

• Level 1  2 Route Options Available
• Hiking 1.4, 3 miles
• 0 - 500 feet elevation gain

DAY 4

• Levels 1 to 3  3 Route Options Available
• Hiking 3.4, 7.2 miles
• 500 - 800 feet elevation gain
• Biking (Adults) 33 miles
• 1000+ feet elevation gain

DAY 5

• Levels 1 to 3  4 Route Options Available
• Biking 5, 16, 49 miles
• 0 - 900 feet elevation gain
• Hiking 5 miles
• 250 feet elevation gain

DAY 6

• Levels 1 to 3  5 Route Options Available
• Hiking 2, 2.2, 4, 5, 8.2 miles
• 500 - 2200 feet elevation gain
• Canyoneering (Kids) 5 hours

DAY 7

• Level 1  2 Route Options Available
• Biking 16 miles
• 500 feet elevation gain
• Hiking 2.8 miles
• 450 feet elevation gain

The terrain on this Family Trip varies from level to gently rolling, with a few steep ascents and descents with significant elevation gain and loss. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and there are always moderate mileage options to enable you to spend more time exploring at your own pace.

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	Average Distance
		Biking	Walking & Hiking
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

2009 DATES

FAMILY TRIPS

• 6/5-11Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 6/11-17Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 6/19-25Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 6/22-28Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 6/27-7/3Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 7/5-11Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 7/13-19Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 7/21-27Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 7/24-30Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 7/29-8/4Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 8/6-12Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 8/14-20Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 8/17-23Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)
• 8/22-28Price: $1998 pp dbl. occ., (+ $0 for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. Prices may change during the course of the year--if they do change, the best prices are available earlier. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Recommended Kids Ages

Minimum Ages:

Recommended minimum age for the trip: 6 years

Minimum age restrictions:

• Canyoneering: 6 years
• Mule Ride: 7 years
• Ride own bike: 8 years

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:

• 12+ cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities and route
• 9+ difficulty of activities and route
• 6+ several long adult dinners; parent may not be able to pull a Burley and/or there may be multiple activity restrictions
• 3+ riding is on bike paths, making it great for young kids; Burley and Piccolos are available; there are few or no activity restrictions; and no long dinners (or we offer alternatives)

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 tomiss 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