Capitol Reef & Escalante
(October 5-10, 2026)

Accommodations: 2 nights at a hotel in Torrey, UT, near Capitol Reef National Park, 3 nights at a hotel in Escalante, UT, near Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Included:

• Accommodations – 5 nights
• Transportation – To and from the meeting point.
• Meals – All meals specified in the itinerary.
• Guide(s) – For groups of 6 people or less, one guide will be provided.
• Entrance fees to Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
• Gratuities at hotels & restaurants with the exclusion of your personal purchase of alcohol.
• All chores – Including meal prep, washing dishes, loading of support van, etc by the guides

Not Included:

• Pre/Post-trip Hotel Accommodations – Hotel reservations before and after the trip must be made by participants. Please contact us if you would like recommendations.
• Air travel – Participants are responsible for booking their own airfare.
• Travel Insurance – This can be beneficial for lost luggage, flight delays, unexpected illness, injury while traveling, and emergency evacuation for medical or personal.  We highly suggest that you protect yourself and your investment. OC recommends Seven Corners for trip insurance.
• Alcohol
• Gratuities for your guides – Gratuities for you guides are not included in the trip price. It is courteous to tip 10-15% of the trip total to your guide/s.

DAY 1

Salt Lake City to Capitol Reef National Park, Explore Cohab Canyon

We start our adventure in the great Salt Lake City, Utah. After meeting our fellow adventurers at the airport, we begin our 4-hour drive to Torrey, the location of our lodging for the next two nights, conveniently located near the entrance of Capitol Reef National Park. Once in the park, we will take a scenic hike through the heart of Capitol Reef, hiking along a sandstone monocline and through the serpentine Cohab Canyon to the historic Gifford House. Once at the Gifford House, we’ll relax and enjoy a picnic dinner while gazing up at the colorful sandstone cliffs and domes of the Waterpocket Fold. Dinner included.

• Hiking: 2-3 miles.
• Terrain: mostly on-trail, with a 350′ climb/descent.
• Transfers: 4 hours.

DAY 2

Hike Capitol Reef’s slickrock trails, past natural bridges and spires

Our hike today takes us along the Rim Overlook Trail, visiting the impressive Hickman Natural Bridge along the way. At a viewpoint above the historic fruit orchards of Fruita, we have a picnic lunch as we enjoy breathtaking views of the Waterpocket Fold and talk about the unique geology of the area. Our hike continues to another spectacular viewpoint for a bird’s-eye view of one of the park’s most iconic geological features. After our hike we will stop at the park Visitor Center, where we have some time to appreciate the interpretive exhibits. We return to our hotel for some free time before we meet for dinner. All meals included.

• Hiking: 7 miles.
• Terrain: moderately steep slickrock, mostly on-trail, with a 1,200’ climb.

DAY 3

Hike along the rim of the Waterpocket Fold and among the towering walls of Chimney Rock Canyon. Transfer to Escalante

After a short van ride to our trailhead we set out on the Chimney Rock Trail. Today’s hike takes us up along the rim of Mummy Cliff, offering panoramic views of the rest of Capitol Reef and the Waterpocket Fold. Later we take a side trip into the impressive Chimney Rock Canyon, where we’ll be on the lookout for 200-million-year-old petrified wood. After our hike, we’ll begin our drive on Scenic Byway 12 over Boulder Mountain to the frontier town of Escalante. We will spend the next three nights here. All meals included.

All meals included.

• Hiking: 6-8 miles.
• Terrain: dirt/gravel trail, then off-trail in sand/gravel wash, 700’ climb and descent.
• Transfers: 2 hours.

DAY 4

Explore Grand Staircase-Escalante on a hike in a remote canyon

Our first hike in Grand Staircase-Escalante takes us into a whimsical and photogenic canyon, passing through a rarely explored part of the Monument via several sets of long, winding narrows on this point-to-point through-hike. The Navajo sandstone in this area is unusually colorful, displaying a wide range of textures and formations. Note that there will be alternate routes available around the narrowest passages for those preferring to skip this part of the hike. At day’s end, we return to our nearby lodging. All meals included.

• Hiking: 8 miles.
• Terrain: varied including sandy/rocky/muddy wash bottom, some rock scrambling and tight narrows.
• Elev. gain 200’/loss 850′.

DAY 5

Discover ancient cliff dwellings in the Escalante River Canyon

We marvel at the color palette and geological diversity of the Grand Staircase as we hike along the rim and then over the edge of the Escalante Monocline into the depths of the Escalante River Canyon. We follow a cross-country route across textured white sandstone to an old pioneer trail that takes us into the heart of the main canyon. As we hike along (and in) the river, some of the afternoon’s scenic highlights include a dramatic skyline arch, an immense natural bridge and an ancient cliff dwelling. In most national parks, these features would draw large crowds but in Escalante, we have them almost certainly to ourselves. Back at our lodging, we enjoy a farewell celebration dinner with our guides and begin daydreaming about our next great adventure. All meals included.

• Hiking: 9 miles.
• Terrain: mix of on- and off-trail, including open slickrock, some river wading and rock scrambling.​​
• Elev. gain/loss: 150’/1,100’.

DAY 6

Hike among the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon before returning to Salt Lake

Today we drive through the Grand Staircase portion of the Monument on our way to Bryce Canyon National Park, where we’ll go for a short hike through the fantastically shaped, wildly colored limestone hoodoos that Bryce is famous for. After lunch on the trail, we’ll begin our return trip to Salt Lake City, arriving at the airport late this afternoon. Breakfast and lunch included.

• Hiking: 1-3 miles.
• Terrain: dirt trail.
• Elev. gain/loss: up to 700′.
• Transfers: 5 hours.