Start Date:

Jun 02, 2018

End Date:

Jun 08, 2018

Start Location:

St George, UT

End Location:

St George, UT

Total Days:

7

Riding Days:

5

Rest Days:

2

Miles:

280

Average Daily Mileage:

56.0

Surface:

Paved

Riders:

13

Elevation Alert:

High Point: 10,400'

Airport:

McCarran Intl. (LAS)

Tour Leader:

Christi Horton, Frosene Sacco

Meals:

Shared cooking

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Meals - Shared cooking

Your group will share responsibilities for food purchase, preparation, and clean up on a rotating basis. Vegetarian and special dietary needs will be accommodated, though food selection may be limited in some locations.

Accommodations:

Camping

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Accommodations - Camping

Overnights will be at private or public campgrounds with a range of amenities. Depending on the nature and location of the trip, these facilities could range from RV parks with hot tubs, to wilderness locations without running water. Overnight facilities vary, but tents are typically pitched on large, flat, grassy areas. You will need a good freestanding tent with a ground cloth, a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the season and elevation of your tour, and a sleeping pad.

Type:

Supported

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Type - Supported

Supported tours range from fully supported to van supported, and add an ease of travel that comes when vehicles transport your personal gear.

Physical Difficulty:

Intermediate+

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Physical Difficulty - Intermediate+

In comparison to our Intermediate tours, an Intermediate+ tour often has slightly more climbing or a few longer days (50–70 miles per day). A few of our self-contained Intermediate+ tours are ranked as such not due to high mileage or heavy climbing, but because riding loaded for several consecutive days can be physically taxing.

Level of Support:

Van Supported

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Level Of Support - Van Supported

Adventure Cycling's van-supported tours — where all personal and group gear is transported by a vehicle each day — have 2 leaders and up to 13 riders who camp most nights and share rotating cooking duties, akin to a self-contained trip but with the security and simplicity of van support.

Cost:

$1,199.00

Unsuitable Bicycle Types:

E-Bike, E-Trike

Overview

Join us for this amazing bicycle adventure through the ethereal shapes and shades of Zion National Park, where we’ll enjoy care-free cycling as we explore the maze of narrow sandstone canyons, striking rock towers, and mesas. We’ll pedal amidst the ghostly hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park, shuttle through the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel, and, in Cedar Breaks National Monument, we’ll reach the high point of our adventure at 10,400 feet above sea level.

Each evening, after the brilliant sun has bowed below the horizon, we’ll enjoy a delicious meal. Don’t forget to have a look overhead — the stars and planets seem to shine bigger and brighter in Utah Canyon Country than almost anywhere else in the U.S.

Day 1

St. George, 0 miles. We’ll meet up in St. George, known as Utah’s Dixie for its temperate climate. After greeting our fellow bicycle enthusiasts and tour leaders, we’ll get situated with our first map meeting and orientation in the late afternoon. Don’t forget that St. George is in the Mountain Time Zone, one hour ahead of Las Vegas! After making any last minute adjustments to our bikes, we’ll fall asleep under the sparkling desert sky.

Day 2

St. George to Springdale, 43 miles. We’ll start on rolling terrain and then hit our first major climb up to Hurricane Mesa. This curious name dates back to the early 1860s when a whirlwind blew the top off a buggy carrying a group of surveyors led by Mormon leader Erastus Snow. “Well, that was a hurricane!” exclaimed Snow. There’s plenty to do in Springdale before we rest. Perhaps we’ll check out the Zion Human History Museum or the Zion Canyon Theatre where we can view the history of the Park on a screen that’s six stories tall!

Day 3

Springdale to Hatch, 62 miles. After beginning the day with a climb, it’s time to enjoy a shuttle through the 1.1-mile Zion-Mt.Carmel tunnel. When the tunnel was dedicated, on July 4, 1930, it was the longest tunnel in the United States. Later, in Bryce Canyon National Park, you’ll enjoy the delicately carved spires that rise in brilliant color as you pedal amidst the ghostly hoodoos carved out of the Paunsaugunt Plateau sediments.

Day 4

Hatch to Ruby’s Inn, 25 miles. Today we’ll get a chance to put our tires to the five-mile-long bike path running through magnificent Red Canyon from the Thunder Mountain Trailhead to Coyote Hollow Road. Red Canyon is a little-known gem, a forested area with 60-million-year-old dark red rock castles protruding up from crimson sand. You’ll have the rest of the day to discover the treasures of Bryce Canyon any way you choose; by bicycle, foot, horseback, or even helicopter!

Day 5

Ruby’s Inn to Panguitch, 25 miles. Spend a leisurely morning exploring Bryce, making sure to check out trails taken by old west outlaws and enjoy a rare chance to see the paintings and dwellings of ancient Native Americans. We’ll have a mostly downhill ride into Panguitch, a mid-sized town completely surrounded by mountains.

Day 6

Panguitch to Cedar City, 62 miles. Today we’ll climb to our highpoint of 10,400 feet and cruise through Cedar Breaks National Monument, resting atop the Colorado plateau. Millions of years of sedimentation, uplift, and erosion carved out this giant amphitheater that spans three miles and is more than 2,000 feet deep. A constantly changing landscape, it has been a source of human wonder for thousands of years. When the Southern Paiute used to occupy this region, they referred to it as “u-map-wich,” which translated to “the place where the rocks are sliding down constantly.”

Day 7

Cedar City to St. George, 63 miles. We’ll complete our loop today as we head downhill for the first 35 miles and finish the ride back in St. George. After lunch it’ll be time to bid farewell to your new friends, but not to your fresh-made memories, which will stay with you long after you’ve made your way home.

"The national parks were spectacular, that was our motivation for doing this trip. The group dynamics were a bonus-- we made some friendships that were unexpected."

"The team on this trip was fantastic! Great way to start my journey with cycle touring!"

"Climbing up to 10,000 feet on our longest and most difficult ride, and heading into rain, we passed our route guide. Kevin was parked in his truck on the left side of the road. As I rode by, the song “Highway to Hell” was blasting from the radio and he threw a thumbs-up out the window. Great motivation, great memory of that ride."

"I enjoyed the map meetings and the interaction with the staff. Of course, the scenery in Bryce Canyon wasn't bad either!"