5-Nights Utah Escalante & Coyote Gulch Hiking from $4,995

Itinerary Details

MT Sobek: Utah Escalante & Coyote Gulch Hiking

Day 1 Hike in Canyon Country & Travel to Moab
2-hour private van transfer with stops
3 hours/6.2 miles hiking on multiple trails with 800' elevation gain and 800' elevation loss
Meet up with your guides this morning in Grand Junction, CO for the scenic canyon country drive toward Moab, UT. Stretch your legs beneath the soaring, sandstone monoliths of Fisher Towers, hiking over slickrock and through red rock canyon. Savor a riverside picnic lunch, then head for your next hike at Grandstaff Canyon. Follow the trail through willow and cottonwood beneath towering rock walls and over creek crossings to magnificent Morning Glory Natural Bridge, one of the largest natural rock spans in the country. Return to the vehicle and continue to Moab where you'll settle into your accommodations and enjoy a well-earned dinner with your fellow adventurers and guides.
Accommodation: Red Cliffs Lodge
(L, D)

Day 2 Fly Between Walks in Canyonlands & Capitol Reef National Parks
3-hour private van transfer; 45-minute small plane air transfer
2 hours/6 miles hiking on multiple trails with 335' elevation gain and 335' elevation loss
Drive to Canyonlands National Park for a hike on the Lathrop Trail. Cross the Island in the Sky mesa through desert grasslands for impressive views of the Colorado and Green Rivers at the rim of the canyon. After a picnic lunch, transfer to Canyonlands Field Airport and board a scenic flight over canyon country and a different perspective of the region's geology and scale. Land in Hanksville, meet up with your guides, and transfer to Capitol Reef National Park's historic Fruita for a walk amid the old groves below red rock cliffs and a look at the iconic barn. Continue to Teasdale in the foothills of Boulder Mountain.
Accommodation: Cougar Ridge
(B, L, D)

Day 3 Hike the Boulder Mail Trail in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
20-minute private van transfer
7 hours/11 miles hiking with 2,545' elevation gain and 2,545' elevation loss
One of the most remote towns in the continental United States, Boulder, UT was once accessed by pack-horse mail route and didn't have electricity until 1947. Today starts with a drive to Boulder and an out-and-back hike along the Boulder-Escalante Mail Trail. The route takes you across slickrock dotted with juniper and pine, over benches and sandstone domes through Sand Creek to reach the rim of Death Hollow, but not before you've enjoyed a guide-prepared picnic in superb wide-open scenery along the way. Back in Boulder, enjoy a farm to table meal at nationally acclaimed Hell's Backbone Grill.
Accommodation: Boulder Mountain Lodge
(B, L, D)

Day 4 Follow Slickrock Trails to Phipps Arch
2-hour private van transfer
5 hours/8 miles hiking with 600' elevation gain and 600' elevation loss
Drive into the wild sandstone country of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, where sculpted cliffs, slickrock domes, and desert washes reveal the raw beauty of southern Utah. Today's hike leads to Phipps Arch, a striking natural span tucked deep in a remote canyon landscape near the Escalante River. Follow sandy paths and slickrock benches through a quiet world of juniper, cottonwoods, and warm-toned Navajo sandstone, with ever-changing views across the desert. This backcountry adventure includes some scrambling and multiple river crossings through shallow water—great challenges for experienced hikers. Spend a little time exploring or relaxing by the beautiful Escalante River before returning to Boulder.
Accommodation: Boulder Mountain Lodge
(B, L, D)

Day 5 Descend to Remote Coyote Gulch
4-hour private 4 x 4 transfer on slow dirt roads
7 hours/12 miles hiking with 3,280' elevation gain and 3,280' elevation loss
Begin at the Chimney Rock Trailhead and set out across open desert and slickrock, keeping an eye out for wildlife and desert flora. Then drop into a world where Navajo sandstone walls rise on either side and water flows on the sandy canyon floor. Hike downstream through sandy bends, cottonwoods, and sculpted alcoves, wading through shallow water to magnificent Jacob Hamblin Arch, bathed in golden light. Retrace your steps to Hurricane Wash and follow its sandy corridor back toward the desert rim to complete the loop. This evening, celebrate the day and last evening of the journey with your fellow adventures at Hell's Backbone Grill.

(B, L, D)

Day 6 Marvel at Goblin Valley Hoodoos & Depart
4-hour private van transfer
1.5 hours/3 miles hiking with 150' elevation gain and 150' elevation loss
Spend the morning exploring the surreal formations of Goblin Valley State Park, where thousands of whimsical hoodoos rise from the desert floor and there are no marked trails. Hike through the Valley of Goblins, wandering among mushroom-shaped towers and sculpted sandstone figures that invite imagination. After your hike, gather for a final picnic lunch in the heart of canyon country, surrounded by the colors and forms of the Colorado Plateau. Then transfer to Grand Junction, where your Utah adventure comes to an end with memories of glowing arches, river crossings, and wild desert beauty.

(B, L)