Yellowstone to Zion: Grand Teton, Moab, Bryce and the Utah Parks

Bozeman and Paradise Valley to Gardiner

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport to Livingston, then south through Paradise Valley to Gardiner

• Welcome dinner
• Nuit : Gardiner
• Environ 2 h de route

Soir

In the evening your guide walks the group through the twelve days ahead: which mornings start early and why, the two long driving days in the middle of the trip, distances from wildlife, bear spray and layers for cold mornings. Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner in town.

Compris

• Pick-up at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)
• Drive through Paradise Valley with your guide
• The Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance
• Welcome briefing and welcome dinner in Gardiner

Lamar Valley at dawn

Gardiner to Mammoth, Tower Junction and Lamar Valley, then back by Tower Fall

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Gardiner
• Environ 3 h de route

Matin

The one pre-dawn start of the Yellowstone days, and it is worth it. We leave Gardiner about an hour and a quarter before sunrise (around 4:15 am in late June, nearer 5:45 am in mid-September) and drive past Mammoth and Tower Junction into Lamar Valley, about 75 km, arriving as the light comes up. Wolves, bison, pronghorn, elk and sometimes grizzly bears are most active at dawn, and a local wildlife guide joins us with spotting scopes and news of which packs and herds have been seen that week. Nothing is promised, but the valley at first light, with bison spread across the flats, is the Yellowstone most visitors miss. Breakfast is in the field at a pullout above the river, with hot drinks.

Après-midi

Mid-morning we head back by the Tower Fall overlook, where Tower Creek drops about 40 m between volcanic pinnacles, and sit down to lunch near Mammoth or in Gardiner. The afternoon is yours to rest.

Compris

• Lamar Valley at dawn with a local wildlife guide and spotting scopes
• Field breakfast in the valley
• Tower Fall overlook
• Sit-down lunch near Mammoth or in Gardiner

Activités en option

• Half-day whitewater rafting on the Yellowstone River from Gardiner in the afternoon (price shown at booking)

Mammoth, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the lake

Gardiner to Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris, Canyon and Hayden Valley, then along Yellowstone Lake to West Thumb and Old Faithful

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Old Faithful
• Environ 4 h de route

Après-midi

At Canyon we sit down to lunch, then stand at Artist Point to see the Lower Falls, 94 m high, between the yellow and rose walls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. In the afternoon we drive south through Hayden Valley, where bison gather in summer, and along the shore of Yellowstone Lake to West Thumb, whose hot pools run to the edge of the cold water. We reach the Old Faithful area by about 6 pm. About 155 km and three and three-quarter hours at park speeds, split by five stops.

Compris

• Mammoth Hot Springs terraces at 8 am with your guide
• Norris Geyser Basin and the Porcelain Basin loop
• Sit-down lunch at Canyon
• Artist Point and the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone
• Hayden Valley and the Yellowstone Lake shore
• West Thumb Geyser Basin

The geyser basins: Grand Prismatic and Old Faithful

Old Faithful to Midway and Lower Geyser Basins, back to the Upper Geyser Basin, then the Grand Prismatic overlook

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Old Faithful
• Environ 2 h de route

Matin

At 7:15 am we drive 13 km to Midway Geyser Basin and walk the boardwalk around Grand Prismatic Spring before its small car park fills; the morning steam is heavy, so we return for colour later. Next is Fountain Paint Pot and the Firehole Lake Drive in the Lower Geyser Basin.

Après-midi

Back at Old Faithful for lunch, we walk the Upper Geyser Basin along the Firehole River, past Castle and Grand Geysers, to the deep blue of Morning Glory Pool, about 2.5 km each way, timing Old Faithful's eruption to the rangers' posted prediction. In mid-afternoon, when the steam has thinned and the sun is high, the van drops us at the Fairy Falls trailhead for the 1.9 km round trip to the Grand Prismatic overlook, about 30 m above the basin.

Soir

The evening is free, and the geyser is quiet of crowds at dusk.

Compris

• Grand Prismatic Spring from the Midway Geyser Basin boardwalk at about 7:30 am
• Fountain Paint Pot and the Firehole Lake Drive
• Sit-down lunch at Old Faithful
• An Old Faithful eruption and the Upper Geyser Basin to Morning Glory Pool with your guide
• The Grand Prismatic overlook in the afternoon

South through Grand Teton to Jackson

Old Faithful to Kepler Cascades, Craig Pass and Lewis Falls, then through the South Entrance to Colter Bay, Oxbow Bend and Jackson

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Jackson
• Environ 3.5 h de route

Matin

Early risers can watch a sunrise eruption of Old Faithful before breakfast; we leave at about 9:30 am. Kepler Cascades tumbles beside the road just south of the basin, and at Craig Pass the road crosses the Continental Divide at about 2,520 m. South along the Lewis River we stop at Lewis Falls, leave Yellowstone by the South Entrance and follow the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway into Grand Teton National Park.

Après-midi

Lunch is a sit-down meal at Colter Bay on Jackson Lake, with the range across the water. In the afternoon we stop at Oxbow Bend, where the Snake River curls below Mount Moran and moose, otters and white pelicans use the shallows, then drive the valley to Jackson, where we stay two nights.

Soir

About 165 km and three and a half hours of driving at park speeds, broken by four stops; we arrive by about 4:30 pm with the evening free.

Compris

• Kepler Cascades and Craig Pass on the Continental Divide
• Lewis Falls
• Sit-down lunch at Colter Bay on Jackson Lake
• Oxbow Bend and Mount Moran

Jenny Lake early and a Snake River float

Jackson to Mormon Row, Schwabacher Landing and Jenny Lake, then a float on the Snake River to Moose and back to Jackson

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Jackson
• Environ 2 h de route

Après-midi

Lunch is sit-down at Moose, then a guided scenic float on the Snake River with a licensed outfitter, about two hours on calm water below the Grand Teton (4,199 m), with eagles, moose and beavers along the banks. After Labor Day the boat starts later, at about 10 am, so on September departures we float in the morning and cross the lake after lunch.

Soir

We are back in Jackson by about 5 pm; the evening is free.

Compris

• Mormon Row and Schwabacher Landing in early light
• Jenny Lake shuttle boat across and back (about 8 am from June to Labor Day; after lunch in September, when the first boat is later)
• Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point with your guide
• Sit-down lunch at Moose
• A guided scenic float on the Snake River

Star Valley and Bear Lake to Salt Lake City

Jackson through the Snake River Canyon and Star Valley to Bear Lake, then Logan Canyon and Salt Lake City

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Salt Lake City
• Environ 5.5 h de route

Soir

There is no shorter road from the Tetons to Utah's canyon country, and splitting the journey with a night in Salt Lake City keeps both halves under about six hours. We leave at about 8 am and follow the Snake River Canyon south to Alpine, then Star Valley, where Afton's main street is spanned by an arch built of elk antlers. A coffee stop there breaks the first two hours. Past Montpelier the road drops to Bear Lake, its water a milky turquoise from limestone in the lake bed, and we sit down to lunch in Garden City, known for raspberry shakes in summer. In the afternoon we climb over the Bear River Range and down through Logan Canyon, then run south along the Wasatch Front to Salt Lake City, arriving by about 5 pm for a free evening downtown.

Compris

• The Snake River Canyon and Star Valley, with a stop at Afton's elk antler arch
• Sit-down lunch at Bear Lake
• Logan Canyon

Temple Square and south to Moab

Salt Lake City to Temple Square and the State Capitol, then over Soldier Summit to Helper, Green River and Moab

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Moab
• Environ 4 h de route

Matin

After breakfast your guide walks the group round Temple Square, the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and up to the Utah State Capitol, whose steps look over the valley to the Great Salt Lake.

Après-midi

We leave at about 10 am and drive south-east on US 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon and over Soldier Summit, at about 2,280 m, then down to Helper, a railroad and coal-mining town whose main street of brick fronts is now galleries and cafés; we sit down to lunch there. The land turns to desert past Price and Green River, with the Book Cliffs on the left, and the last stretch south on US 191 enters the red rock as we near Moab, where we stay two nights. About 375 km and four hours of driving with two breaks. We arrive by about 3:30 pm, and the rest of the afternoon is free for the pool, the town or a rest before tomorrow's early start.

Compris

• Temple Square and the Utah State Capitol with your guide
• Sit-down lunch in Helper
• The drive over Soldier Summit and past the Book Cliffs

Arches early, then Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point

Moab to Arches National Park, then Island in the Sky in Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point State Park

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Moab
• Environ 3 h de route

Matin

Summer afternoons in Moab are often over 35 C, so we walk in the morning and look from the rim later. We enter Arches by about 7 am, with a timed entry booked if the park requires one that year, and walk the trail to Delicate Arch, about 4.8 km round trip climbing about 145 m over open slickrock, while it is still cool. Then the Windows and Double Arch, a short walk each.

Après-midi

Lunch is sit-down in Moab with time for a rest in the heat of the day. In the afternoon we drive up to the Island in the Sky, the high mesa of Canyonlands, for the short loop to Mesa Arch on the cliff edge and the walk out along Grand View Point, where the White Rim lies about 300 m below and the canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers cut deeper still. On the way back we stop at Dead Horse Point, 600 m above a gooseneck bend of the Colorado, and are back in Moab by about 6:30 pm. About 190 km and three hours of driving.

Compris

• Arches National Park: Delicate Arch, the Windows and Double Arch
• Sit-down lunch in Moab
• Canyonlands Island in the Sky: Mesa Arch and Grand View Point
• Dead Horse Point State Park

Capitol Reef and Scenic Byway 12 to Bryce

Moab to Green River and Hanksville, through Capitol Reef to Torrey, then Scenic Byway 12 over the Hogback to Bryce Canyon

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Nuit : Bryce Canyon
• Environ 6 h de route

Après-midi

The second long driving day: about 445 km and five and three-quarter hours at the wheel, and about ten hours door to door with the stops and lunch, because the only roads from Moab to Bryce cross a lot of empty country. Rather than take the faster interstate, we go through Capitol Reef and on Scenic Byway 12, so the miles come with stops. We leave at 7:30 am, stop in Green River after about an hour, then drive past Hanksville into the grey badlands around Caineville and into Capitol Reef, where the Waterpocket Fold rises in cliffs of red and white. We stop at the Fremont petroglyph panel and in Fruita, where the park tends the old orchards and the Gifford Homestead sells small pies. Lunch is sit-down in Torrey. In the afternoon Scenic Byway 12 climbs over Boulder Mountain, with a viewpoint stop at the top, crosses the Hogback, a narrow ridge with drops on both sides, and stops again in Escalante before Bryce Canyon, where we arrive by about 5:30 pm.

Soir

After dinner on your own, the rim at Sunset Point is a short walk.

Compris

• Capitol Reef National Park: the petroglyph panel, Fruita and the Gifford Homestead
• Sit-down lunch in Torrey
• Scenic Byway 12 over Boulder Mountain and the Hogback
• Bryce Canyon rim at sunset

Bryce at sunrise and over the tunnel to Zion

Bryce Canyon to Red Canyon and Mount Carmel Junction, then the Zion to Mount Carmel Highway and tunnel to Springdale

• Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
• Nuit : Springdale
• Environ 2 h de route

Matin

The Bryce amphitheatre faces east, so we are on the rim at Sunrise Point for first light, when the hoodoos turn orange one row at a time. Then, while it is cool, we walk down among them on the Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop trails, about 4.6 km with about 180 m of climb back to the rim, and are back for a late breakfast. We leave at about 10:30 am through the red tunnels of Red Canyon and south on US 89, then turn onto the Zion to Mount Carmel Highway. Checkerboard Mesa is the first stop inside Zion, and the Canyon Overlook Trail, a ledge walk of about 1.6 km round trip, looks straight down Pine Creek into Zion Canyon.

Après-midi

Then the 1.8 km tunnel, completed in 1930, and the switchbacks down to Springdale for a late sit-down lunch.

Soir

In the late afternoon we walk the flat Pa'rus Trail along the Virgin River with the Watchman behind us, and meet for a farewell dinner in town. About 135 km and two hours of driving.

Compris

• Sunrise at Bryce Canyon
• Queen's Garden and Navajo Loop trails with your guide
• Checkerboard Mesa and the Canyon Overlook Trail
• The Zion to Mount Carmel tunnel
• Sit-down lunch in Springdale
• The Pa'rus Trail along the Virgin River
• Farewell dinner in Springdale

Zion Canyon early, then Las Vegas

Springdale to Zion Canyon on the park shuttle, then by Interstate 15 to Las Vegas

• Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
• Environ 3 h de route

Après-midi

We sit down to an early lunch in Springdale and leave at about 1 pm, driving about 265 km south-west on Interstate 15 through St George and the Virgin River Gorge into Nevada, where the clocks go back an hour. We drop you at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) by about 3 pm Nevada time, or at a hotel on the Strip if you are staying on. Book flights leaving after about 6 pm.

Compris

• Zion Canyon on the park shuttle
• The Riverside Walk to the mouth of the Narrows
• Lower Emerald Pool
• Sit-down lunch in Springdale
• Drop-off at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) or on the Strip