Utahs Backcountry - Deserts and Red Rock 9 Days

What's Included?

• Hotel in Salt Lake: Red Lion Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown (2 Nights)
• Hotel in Beaver: The Super 8 Beaver.
• Hotel in Panguitch: New Western Motel
• Transport in New SUV
• Airport Transfers and Pickup
• All Meals
• Camping (Equipment provided as per need)
• Professional Guide
• Any park fees or camping fees

This trip is a special treat and a one of a kind opportunity. The national parks of Utah attract millions of visitors every year but overlook some of Utahs most amazing destinations. Join Touristlink founder and native Utahan on a journey to explore Utahs remote deserts and canyons. We start in Salt Lake City and make a southerly circuit around the shores of the Great Salt Lake and into the western deserts of Utah. Highlights include views of the ancient shorelines of Lake Bonneville, fantastic geological exposures, rock hounding, ghost towns, alpine islands in the desert, Bristle Cone Pines the longest tree and solitude. We then head to the plateau country of central Utah where we hike among the beautiful colors of the fall aspen. The last leg of our journey takes us through some of southern Utahs redrock country where we visit some fantastic slot canyons and swim beneath slickrock waterfalls. David Urmann the trip leader is an expert in the canyons and backcountry of Utah where he worked as a wildland firefighter for 8 years and published Trail Guide to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument one of Utahs newest national monuments. This trip is focused on getting out of the car every day and exploring on foot. We will aim to keep actual driving time under 2 hours per day.

Day 1 - Arrive Salt Lake City

We will pick you up upon arrival from the airport and drop you at a downtown hotel where you can spend the rest of the day touring Salt Lake. We will have an evening briefing on our trip and load luggage into our 4wd vehicles. Hotel in Salt Lake: Red Lion Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown.

Day 2 - Salt Lake City to Simpson Mountains

We leave early from Salt Lake City enroute to the Simpson Mountains where we will camp for the evening. We stop enroute at South Willow Canyon for a hike in the Stansbury Mountains and to get out of the cars. Camping at Simpson Mountains.

Day 3 - Simpson Mountains to House Range

We leave early and visit Topaz Mountain and the Little Drum Range before camping at the House Range. These two localities are world class rock hounding sites. Your trip leader and geologists Dr. Urmann will give you an overview and some tips. Amazing Trilobites are recovered on a frequent basis from the Little Drum Range. Camping at House Range.

Day 4 - House Range Hiking

We hike to the top of Notch Peak via Sawtooth Canyon. It’s a 4.5 hike to the top. The face of Notch Peak is little known but its vertical drop is bigger than that of Yosemites Half Dome. The entire cliff has a vertical relief in excess of 4000 feet making it the highest cliff in North America. Great views of the Bonneville Basin and a Bristlecone Pine forest are found near the top. Camping at House Range.

Day 5 - House Range to Beaver Utah

We make short stops at Fossil Mountain and either at the Mineral Mountains (or Meadow Creek Hot springs) outside of Beaver to take pictures and do some short hikes. We overnight and cleanup in Beaver from the last few days camping. Hotel in Beaver:  The Super 8 Beaver.

Day 6 - The Tushars Mountains to Panguitch

We leave Beaver and visit the Tushar Mountains which are the third highest mountain range in Utah. The spectacular peaks of this range were formed between 22 and 32 million years ago by volcanic activity that included a calamitous explosion that blew off the top of a massive peak perhaps as high as the peaks of the Himalayas. It’s a good place to see Mountain Goats. We spend the day hiking in the mountains before overnighting in Panguitch where we stay at the New Western Motel.

Day 7 - Bryce and Bull Valley Gorge

We make a quick trip to see the viewpoints at Bryce early in the morning. We spend the afternoon hiking Bull Valley Gorge one of the most dramatic narrows of Utah. We camp near Escalante.

Day 8 - Calf Creek and Death Hollow

We hike down to the lesser visited Upper Calf Creek Falls for a swim in a beautiful desert canyon. Great views of the Slickrock country of Utah. We drive the Hell's Backbone Road route across the deep gorge of Death Hollow and onwards to the top of Boulder Mountain to camp. Boulder Mountain is the tallest forested plateau in the southwest and the fall aspen and lakes make it a beautiful setting. Camp On Boulder Top.

Day 9 - Boulder Top and back to Salt Lake City

We spend the morning on Boulder Top hiking to one of the lakes set amongst the Aspen trees before heading back to Salt Lake. Hotel in Salt Lake: Red Lion Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown

Exclusions

• Personal expenses such as telephone calls, alcoholic beverages, donations, tips etc...