Ready for red rock trails? This all-women hiking trip packs Utah’s most striking views into five days of pure adventure. We’ll tackle iconic routes in Zion, Bryce, and Snow Canyon, while our experienced guides handle all the details—from park entrance fees to scenic drives between trailheads. We’ll stay in comfortable rooms at a 3-star inn and a lodge within Zion’s gates, with full board to fuel our journey. With transport, lodging, food, and park fees all covered, all you need to bring is your sense of adventure and a camera. These desert trails are calling—let’s hit them together!
Our trip starts today at the St. George Utah airport (SGU). Plan on flying in by 3:30pm to meet the group by 4pm at the hotel. Nestled in a vast expanse of red rock scenery, St. George is listed as one of the best places to live in the United States. We’ll start getting to know each other and have a trip orientation in the evening before sharing our first dinner. Bedtime is likely to be early tonight!
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Abbey Inn
After an early breakfast, we’ll load up and drive to a nearby hidden gem. Our first hike of the trip is at Snow Canyon State Park, a 7,400-acre (3,000-hectare) scenic park quietly tucked amid lava flows and soaring sandstone cliffs in a colorful and fragile desert environment. We will see a little bit of everything the park has to offer on a loop connecting the following trails: Butterfly, Lava Flow, West Canyon, Red Sands, Whiptail, and Petrified Dunes. We’ll have a picnic lunch amidst a backdrop of red rocks and sage brush before continuing on to Zion. Tonight we’ll enjoy a dinner out together in Springdale.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 4.8 mi / 7.7 km
Elevation gain: 639 ft / 195 m
Accommodation: Zion Lodge
This morning we’ll beat the crowds and the heat on an out and back hike of the Watchman Trail. At the top, hikers are rewarded with sweeping views of the neighboring Springdale area, and the namesake of the trail, The Watchman rock formation. In the afternoon, we’ll hike to Scout’s Lookout on a wide paved path with about 2 miles (3.2 km) of ascending switchbacks. From this junction, the trail follows a narrow ridge (there are chains for support) out to a fantastic overlook high above Zion Canyon called Angels Landing.
Due to issues like erosion and hiker safety, Zion National Park now requires a permit for those hiking to Angels Landing. Those who don’t have a fear of heights and would like to hike Angels Landing on this adventure will have to apply for an individual hiking permit before the trip.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 3.1 mi / 5 km
Elevation gain: 646 ft / 197 m
Accommodation: Zion Lodge
We get up early this morning for the 2-hour drive to Bryce. The drive itself is wonderfully scenic—if you’ve never seen Bryce Canyon, your first look over the rim will take your breath away! The elevation here is 7,500 ft (2,280 m), which we might feel as we hike.
Our trail today is the Peekaboo Loop (or Queen’s Garden and the Navajo Loop, depending on trail conditions). In contrast to yesterday, where we climbed up out of Zion Canyon, today we’ll start by descending into Bryce Canyon. This trail follows a loop around a major formation. Constantly changing views provide an excellent opportunity to see hoodoos (pinnacles of weathered rock) from the bottom up. After completing our hike we’ll drive back to Zion, stopping at a restaurant where the food is rivaled only by the view and ambiance.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 6 mi / 9.7 km
Accommodation: Zion Lodge
Today we’ll explore the Emerald Pools Trail. The hike to the Upper Pool is about 2.5 hours round trip and passes through the lush environment of the lower pool and the dry environment of the upper pool with waterfalls in between. We’ll plan to leave Zion by 1:30pm and be back in St. George by 3:30pm. You can get a flight home after 5:00pm.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Hiking: 3 mi / 4.8 km
Elevation gain: 620 ft / 189 m
Included:
Add-ons
Not included:
For this Zion and Bryce hiking tour, you should be in good physical condition and have a solid hiking background. You’ll hike between 4 to 6 hours daily with significant elevation gain and loss for 4 consecutive days. While there’s some flexibility to modify the hikes, you’ll need good stamina and comfort with sustained activity.
To get the most out of this experience, we recommend regular aerobic conditioning, such as jogging, swimming, or cycling, for at least 30-45 minutes a few times a week. Additionally, building strength and flexibility through cross-training can be helpful, especially for managing the elevation changes and the physical demands of hiking.
This trip is ideal for anyone who loves hiking and feels confident navigating trails with some physical challenge. That said, if you don’t currently have a regular exercise routine or may not have time to prepare ahead of the trip, it’s best to consider something with a gentler pace.
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Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Footwear
Clothing
Equipment/essentials
Toiletries (small sizes)
Optional items
On Day 2, you will hike before checking in, so come dressed in hiking clothes with boots, hiking poles, and water easily accessible in your luggage or backpack. Easily accessible water is crucial for all hikes—consider a water bottle attached to your waist strap or a hydration system.
Your daypack should hold 2L of water, rain gear, lunch/snacks, sunscreen, a warm layer (fleece pullover or vest), personal first aid kit, lightweight gloves, warm hat, and personal items like a camera. A 24-30L daypack with a hip belt, padded shoulder straps, and lifters is recommended.
Group sizes and pricing
A Zion and Bryce hiking tour can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
The starting point of your Zion and Bryce hiking tour is St. George, UT. To get there, most people fly into St. George Regional Airport (SGU). If you arrive at the airport by 3:30pm, your guides will provide transportation to your hotel. Otherwise, you can arrange a ride share option or call a local taxi to get to your hotel in St. George at your own expense. In that case, you will meet your guides on Day 1 at the hotel.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!