Hovering hoodoos. Walter's Wiggles. Spindly spires. Kids in giggles. Seems right out of Dr. Seuss. But this fantastical world exists. Right here. In the Southwest. You'll rub your eyes. Once. Maybe twice. To believe the whimsical rock formations. The spectacular views. The red and orange and yellow hues. And in this wonderland of slot canyons, pinnacles and bristlecone pine, your family gets to hike, bike, mule ride and rock climb. Watching the sun set at the surreal gorge's rim, you might just hear Dr. Seuss say: "Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one."
Days 1-2 Bryce Canyon's maze of spires, windows and pinnacles
Hike through a slot canyon whose walls are only ten feet apart in places Discover a labyrinth of hoodoos and vivid rock formations sprouting from the floor of Queen's Garden Grown-ups spin to Red Canyon, where youngsters join them for a breezy ride What was that? Desert critters, like lizards and chipmunks, scamper across your path Journey through an arid landscape with the spectacular Kaibab Plateau rising ahead.
Day 3 Kids make like early pioneers, exploring the Grand Canyon's rim by mule
Adults enjoy an up-close look at the beauty of the Grand Canyon during a hike Youngsters delight in a special dinner with the Kid Coordinator while adults sit down to a satisfying meal at the Grand Canyon Lodge.
Day 4 Splash your way through the Narrows in Zion
Admire expansive high-desert views of the Grand Staircase en route to Zion, a hiker's paradise It's an exhilarating river hike through the Narrows, one of the most renowned slot canyons in the world, with small waterfalls and hanging gardens cascading down the rock faces.
Days 5-6 The thrilling hike to Angels Landing, bringing you nearly 2,000 feet above the valley
for a 360-degree panorama of soaring sandstone Opt for an easygoing walk past Emerald Pools if heights aren't your thing Experienced canyoneering instructors show kids the ropes Pedal a traffic-free route amid towering walls of sheer Navajo sandstone.
Trip Highlights
- Astonishing rock formations, river-carved canyons and sheer sandstone cliffs
- Pedal among crimson rocks and desert wildflowers to Red Canyon
- An impressive slot canyon in Bryce, whose walls are only ten feet apart in places
- Kids make like early pioneers, exploring the Grand Canyon's rim by mule
- Splash your way through the Narrows in Zion
Casual Inns
The Lodge at Bryce Canyon (1 night): Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this simple park lodge is mere steps from the canyon's edge.
Grand Canyon Lodge - North Rim (2 nights): This 1920s rustic stone-and-wood lodge is perched above the grandeur of the remote North Rim.
Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens (2 nights): A riverside oasis with a beach and lush gardens. (pool)
Routes 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.
| Daily Route Options | |||||||||||
| Day | Activity | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | |||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | ||
| 1 | Walking | 3.4 | 500 | ||||||||
| 2 | Biking | 9* | 100 | 26 | 1000 | ||||||
| Biking | 16 | 100 | |||||||||
| Walking | 1.5 | 100 | |||||||||
| 3 | Walking | 1.5 | 500 | 7.4 | 1500 | 10.2 | 500 | ||||
| Walking | 5.0 | 100 | |||||||||
| Other | Point Imperial scenic drive (2.5 hours round-trip) | ||||||||||
| Kids | Mule ride (1 hour) | ||||||||||
| 4 | Walking | 2.0 | 0 | 5.0 | 200 | ||||||
| 5 | Walking | 2.8 | 400 | 4.0 | 1000 | 5.0 | 1500 | 8.2 | 2200 | ||
| Walking | 4.2 | 1000 | |||||||||
| Kids | Canyoneering (6 hours) | ||||||||||
| 6 | Biking | 19 | 500 | ||||||||
* Includes a shuttle
2013 Dates & Pricing*
FAMILY TRIPS
- 6/23-28 Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $540 for sgl. occ.)
- 6/30-7/5 Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $540 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/7-12 Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $540 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/21-26 Price: $2698 pp dbl. occ., (+ $540 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/28-8/2 Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $540 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/4-9 Price: $2798 pp dbl. occ., (+ $540 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/11-16 Price: $2698 pp dbl. occ., (+ $540 for sgl. occ.)
- 8/18-23 Price: $2698 pp dbl. occ., (+ $540 for sgl. occ.)
Plus 6.25% Utah state sales tax.
*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
Recommended Kids Ages
Minimum Ages:
- Recommended minimum age for the trip: 6 years
- Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 7 years
- Minimum age restriction for canyoneering: 6 years
- Minimum age restriction for mule ride: 7 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+ amount of cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities, routes
- 9+ difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions, routes
- 6+ several longer dinners; routes are difficult for pulling a Burley and therefore not appropriate for younger children; difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions
Guest Trip Reviews
This was the best trip ever - it combined the right amount of adult time with family time, exercise and leisure. Given the five-year difference in our kids' ages, combined with our younger son's endless energy, we wanted to find the family vacation that satisfied all our needs and goals, and Backroads fulfilled this in every way. Additionally, our leaders' willingness to be flexible with regard to our itinerary made the trip even more tailored to us. A perfect blend of activity, downtime, family, new friends. We are new fans!- Menlo Park, CA
What an amazing family experience!! We could never have accomplished near this amount of activities, left to our own devices. Nor have challenged ourselves as much. We enjoyed the entire experience, and hold its memory dear!- Saint Augustine, FL
Backroads is the way to travel - it was great having all the logistics taken care of. We could just relax and enjoy the trip. The sights were incredible and the activities fun. My children, ages 6-17, all had a wonderful vacation. I cannot say enough nice things about our leaders - they were awesome. I would recommend this trip to anyone who likes to be active and appreciates nature.- Wauwatosa WI
This has been the best trip our family has ever taken. Please extend my sentiments to the owner of Backroads: "the quality of the backroads experience...is unsurpassed. I will be back. Thank you very much."- Lafayette, LA
This trip exceeded our expectations in every way. I kept telling my friends for weeks afterwards about Backroads and the fact that not a detail was missed. All of our leaders were excellent. We liked that there were always options in terms of length of hikes or bike trips. We liked the options. We can't say enough good things about our Backroads experience.- Wilmette, IL
The trip in the canyon areas exceeded my high expectations. Our family had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed our vacation together. This was our second Backroads trip and reinforced our pre-existing belief that Backroads trips are the best way to see new areas.- Needham, MA
This was one of the best vacations I've ever taken. A great combination of sightseeing, exercise and leisure. Great leaders, great food, great trip!- Branford, CT