Walking the Western US National Parks & Eclipse

Our trip begins in Salt Lake City, the gateway to some of the USA's most dramatic national parks.

Due to the number of evening flights into Salt Lake, your Leader plans to do the welcome meeting on the morning of day two, and will leave a message in reception with details on timings and everything else that you'll need for the day. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) - a 10 minutes' drive from the hotel.

If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you could choose to take a stroll around the centre. Founded by a group of believers of the Church of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in 1847, the city is now their international headquarters and some of the finest buildings belong to the church. The setting, below the Wasatch Mountains and beside the Great Salt Lake, is superb and makes this a pleasant city to explore on foot. Stay: Crystal Inn & Suites (Comfortable)

We leave the city immediately this morning, heading for the vast open scenery of the national parks, which Utah is famous for.

Our first stop is Canyonlands. This is a wilderness of countless canyons and buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries, which also divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves. Our hikes this afternoon take us into the Island in the Sky district where we will take an easy trail to the spectacular Mesa Arch, a natural rock arch on the edge of a cliff before hiking on to the Grand View Point, aptly named for its beautiful panoramic views of the region. After our hike, we continue to Moab for the evening.

Today's four-and-a-half kilometre hike is expected to take around two-and-a-half hours along a flat route. Stay: Redstone Inn (Comfortable)

Moab is the adventure capital of Utah and home to both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Having already explored Canyonlands, we make our first visit to Arches today, to discover some of the park's over 2,000 natural stone arches as well as soaring pinnacles, giant balanced rocks and winding hiking trails.

First stop is the Fisher Towers site. These rock pinnacles are isolated remnants of a 225 million year old floodplain deposit, which soar above the red and purple-hued canyons below. After the hike we return to Moab and midday is left free to to discover more of the townsite around lunch time.

Late this afternoon we will once again visit Arches and take a hike to the most iconic area of the park, Delicate Arch. At 20 metres tall and freestanding, this natural rock archway is a perfect spot to watch the sun set on this magnificent landscape. After sunset, the lack of light and air pollution in the area should afford us a dazzling display of stars.

Today's seven kilometre morning hike to Fisher Towers is expected to take around four hours with 550 metres of ascent and descent. The afternoon hike to Delicate Arch is five kilometres, taking approximately two hours with 170 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: Redstone Inn (Comfortable)

We return to Arches again this morning with a hike into Devil's Garden, to view one of the world's longest natural arches, Landscape Arch. As we continue along this primitive trail across fins of sandstone, we are afforded unparalleled views into this maze of rock slabs.

After our morning hike, we continue to Torrey, the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park.

Today's seven-and-a-half kilometre hike is expected to take around three hours with 120 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: The Noor Hotel (Comfortable) (L)

An annular eclipse of the Sun will take place today, 14th October 2023. Our location for the eclipse is Capitol Reef National Park - the wide open spaces of the US National Parks provide an ideal spot to view the spectacle. This morning, at around 10.27am, you can expect to experience some four minutes and 44 seconds of annularity (weather permitting).

Eclipse glasses will be provided to allow you to view this natural wonder safely and we will be accompanied by an expert astronomer to provide an insight on the science behind the eclipse, and to answer any questions you may have. There will be another Explore group with us, and we'll be able to share stories about our travels so far.

According to weather records, this day in Capitol Reef has had some level of cloud cover 25% of the time (since 2000), although we are unable to make any guarantees regarding the weather conditions and the likelihood of seeing the eclipse.

In the afternoon, we'll take a hike in Capitol Reef. This may be the most remote and under-visited of Utah's 'Big Five' National Parks. The red rock park encompasses a landscape of coloured sandstone cliffs, twisting canyons, monoliths and spires, and our Tour Leader will choose an easy to moderate hike of approximately 5 to 10 kilometres depending on what time we leave the eclipse location this afternoon. Stay: Super 8 by Wyndham (Comfortable)

After the excitement of yesterday's eclipse, Our journey takes us on to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. This 'Monument' is an enormous 1.87 million acre playground for hikers and bikers, taking its 'Staircase' name for the series of plateaus that descend south between Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. We plan to walk the Lower Calf Creek Falls trail, with a varied terrain from sand to red rock, through a deep canyon that ends at the impressive falls themselves.

After our return hike the way we came, we continue to Bryce Canyon.

Todays 11 kilometre walk is expected to take around four to five hours with 264 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: Bryce View Lodge (Comfortable) (L)

Not actually a true canyon, but a series of natural amphitheatres, Bryce is distinctive due to its geological structures known as 'hoodoos'. These unusual structures are formed by a combination of frost and water erosion of sedimentary rocks and result in an 'other worldly' landscape of pinnacles, spires and wonderful rich colours that are not seen in such abundance in any other area. Our hiking this morning takes us down amongst these wonderful formations on an assortment of trails which interlock and cross over giving you the opportunity to make your walk as long or short as you like.

In the afternoon we drive to Zion National Park Stay: La Quinta Inn - Springdale (Comfortable) (L)

Taking the shuttle bus from Springdale today we enter Zion for a full day of exceptional hiking. Zion National Park is the showcase of the west and is home to, arguably, the best hikes in Utah. The main area of the national park that we will visit is Zion Canyon, a 24km rift in the beautiful red and tan coloured Navajo sandstone and the location for our hiking today and tomorrow.

Hiking the West Rim trail as far as Scout Lookout is one option, beginning with 21 steep switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles, and culminating in an astounding view across the park.

Pending weather conditions, an alternative and beautiful trail is a moderate hike to the Emerald Pools - lower, middle and upper - that offer us waterfalls, misty trails, hanging gardens and winding paths along with a taste of the beauty that Zion National Park has to offer.

Today's six kilometre hike to Scout's Lookout is expected to take around three hours with 340 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: La Quinta Inn - Springdale (Comfortable) (L)

Our second visit into Zion National Park takes us along the Watchman's Trail, a moderate hike of approximately two hours that will take us past many of the park's famous geological formations, including the Towers of the Virgin and the Altar of Sacrifice. The very end of the walk brings us to a spectacular overlook of the Watchman, a red rock pinnacle that dominates the skyline. Photographic opportunities are plentiful, with a great contrast between the red of the rocks and the running rivers that we'll pass.

After the walk, we drive to Page, a small town in northern Arizona situated on the shores of magnificent Lake Powell. After a short break for lunch we take a second short hike at Horseshoe Bend. The trailhead is located just outside Page and overlooks one of the most spectacular views on the Colorado River. Created when the Colorado plateau uplifted (a mere five million years ago) and the river became trapped in its bed, causing it to cut its way through the rock to seek a new natural level and forming a 270 degree horseshoe-shaped bend in the canyon.

From Horseshoe Bend, we continue to the Grand Canyon.

Today's hike in Zion is three-and-a-half kilometres, taking approximately two hours with 170 metres of ascent and descent. The afternoon two-and-a-half kilometre morning hike to Horseshoe Bend is expected to take around one hour with 240 metres of ascent and descent. Stay: Red Feather Lodge (Comfortable)

The Grand Canyon National Park is a sight to behold. A unique combination of geologic colour and eroded forms make this massive fissure in the ground one of the 'must see' sights of America. At 446 kilometres long, up to 29 kilometres wide in places and 1.8 kilometres deep, the sheer size of the Grand Canyon overwhelms our senses. We have a full day to explore the routes and trails around the South Rim of the canyon. With routes ranging from easy to strenuous and regular buses to drop you at the various trail heads, you will have the opportunity to choose the walk that most suites you.

You may wish to hike various parts of the rim trail (easy to moderate walking), taking you along the top edge of the canyon with some stunning view points; or perhaps the Bright Angel Trail, a steeper walk that takes you further down below the rim of the canyon and into the abyss itself. There are a multitude of different walking options available, all of which will offer you some spectacular scenery of this amazing landscape. In the evening, if you wish to see more of the canyon, there is the opportunity for an optional helicopter ride over the canyon or, if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, to visit the local IMAX theatre. Stay: Red Feather Lodge (Comfortable)

We'll take our last spectacular views of the Grand Canyon with a morning walk along the rim to Yavapai Point.

In the late morning we leave the park behind us, and head towards the bright lights of Vegas. We will travel today along one of the most historic highways in America, the famous Route 66. A shadow of its former self, the road is nonetheless still rich in the Americana of its glory days, when it used to be known as the 'Main Street' of America. Our drive back to Las Vegas takes us through the towns of Kingman and Seligman, home to the wonderfully eccentric 'Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-in'. On arrival in Vegas we then have a final free evening to make the most of one of America's most notorious cities.

Today's four and half kilometre hike is expected to take around one hour along a flat route. Stay: The Strat Hotel (Premium) (L)

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Las Vegas.

There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Las Vegas at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Las Vegas International Airport (LAS), which is a 15 minute drive away.