Bryce & Escalante Basecamp
St. George, UT
5.0 (7 reviews)Trip Highlights
- Big Canyon Views
- Slot Canyons & Waterfalls
- Scenic Camping
- 5 days Exploring Utah's Secrets
- Breathtaking Solitude & Scenary
- Spires, Oases & Natural Bridges
- Guides Choice Trip
Description
For this iconic Utah hiking tour we’ve taken our popular Bryce & Escalante Inn-based Tour in Southern Utah, and added a basecamp adaptation. Our Escalante Basecamp Hiking Tour is an exciting and diverse journey into the classic landscapes of the West. You’ll experience the intricacies of this secluded and diverse landscape. Each day is completely different as we set out on increasingly exciting hikes and adventures into breathtaking Canyon Country. Waterfalls, slickrock, deep canyons, natural arches and bridges, relics of the Native Americans and pioneers who once called this land home, and endless views make this week one of the most enchanting you’ll spend on the planet!
Each evening you’ll return to a comfortable camp with fantastic dinners and breakfasts, access to showers, a variety of cold and hot drinks, larger tents (than on backpacking trips) with plush sleeping amenities, and lots of relaxation to replenish for the next day’s adventure.
$1550 Per Person
DIFFICULTY LEVEL 2
Our difficulty ratings are based on a scale of 1-5, tours with a rating of 1 being least difficult, tours with a rating of 5 being most difficult
- Backpack Weight:
- 10 pounds
- Daily Hiking Distances:
- 2-10 miles
- Most Elevation Loss:
- 800 feet
- Most Elevation Gain:
- 800 feet
- Quality of Trails:
- Mostly unmaintained trails
- Additional:
- The trails on this trip tend to be rocky and/or sandy
Participants should:
- be active and healthy
- exercise several times per week
- be comfortable hiking 6-8 miles per day in hilly or mountainous terrain taking occasional breaks
SOLITUDE LEVEL 3
1 least solitude, 5 most solitude
We rate this Utah trip a Level 3 on solitude. You can expect to see a handful of other groups per day. At certain times of year, such as Spring Break, you can expect to see more people.
TRAVEL TO ST. GEORGE
This Utah trip originates in St. George, Utah where you’ll meet your guide and group. St. George has a small airport served by Delta Connection and United Express. From the St. George Airport one can take a taxi into town or some hotels offer a complimentary airport shuttle. The more popular method of travel though is to fly into Las Vegas, NV and take a shuttle (www.stgshuttle.com) to St. George. This is often your cheapest option. It is a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas to St. George on good roads.
UTAH SALES TAX
Utah is the only state we are based in that charges sales tax to outfitters and guides. The sales tax is based on the St. George, UT municipality rates, which are adjusted occasionally but are in the 6-7% range. For all of our hiking and backpacking tours that originate from our St. George, Utah base (Utah trips and Death Valley trips), the sales tax will be applied automatically to your payments. Feel free to call us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) with any questions!
Private Trips
Traveling in perfect company is a wonderful thing! With our private trip offerings you can book a trip exclusively for your group. Whether it’s with family, friends or colleagues, private trips are a fun and enriching way to explore the outdoors.
Private trip pricing is based on a sliding scale, depending on the number of people in your party. Rates are per person and do not include sales tax and national park fees (where applicable) or guide gratuity. Give us a call at 800-715-HIKE to get the ball rolling!
Private Rates FOr This Trip
- 2 People: Rate x 2
- 3 People: Rate x 1.3
- 4-5 People: Rate x 1.2
- 6-8 People: Rate x 1.1
- 9-12 People: Rate x 1
*all rates are per person
Learn About Our Private Trips
View Private TripsItinerary
Day 1
- Shuttle to Escalante: 3.5-hour drive from St George
- Hiking Mileage: 4 miles
- Campground: Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Our Utah national park adventure starts with a drive to the town of Escalante and to the trailhead for the Upper Escalante Canyon. The day’s trek consists of pleasant hiking along the floor of a deep and imposing canyon. There will be lots of hiking across the creek so you’ll need your wading shoes for this one. The highlight of the day is the spectacular Escalante Natural Bridge, located 1.5 miles in. Following the hike we’ll set up our basecamp, eat a tasty meal and, possibly go for an evening or full moon hike, then settle in for the night.
Day 2
- Hiking Mileage: 6 miles
- Campground: Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
Our second hike will take us to the spectacular Calf Creek Falls. This is a beautiful hike along calf creek, a lush stream that is home to a substantial trout population. We’ll pass indian ruins and pictographs, and have a good chance of seeing some wildlife. At the end of the trail we can take a swim (if you’re hearty – this water is surprisingly cold) below the 128-foot falls. We’ll eat lunch at the falls, and then have the opportunity to visit the town of Boulder, UT where we can make an optional visit to Anasazi State Park. This site was home to one of the largest Anasazi communities west of the Colorado River. Once done at Anasazi State Park, we’ll drive back to our basecamp and enjoy another delicious dinner.
Day 3
- Hiking Mileage: 5 miles
- Campground: Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
After a hearty breakfast we’ll hike into Phipps Wash, a seldom-visited, colorful canyon with a forty-foot high arch and a natural bridge. The hike begins off the historic Sheffield Road on open slickrock with expansive views. We descend quickly, however, and eventually come to the hidden Phipps Arch. We’ll have lunch here and take some time to explore. Eventually we’ll hike into the Escalante River drainage and wade upstream toward Highway 12.
Day 4
- Hiking Mileage: 7-10 miles
- Campground: Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
This day takes through one of the most physically fun hikes in all of southern Utah. Driving down historic Hole-in-the-Rock Road, we’ll hike out to the exciting and fun Spooky and Peek-a-Boo Canyons. Spooky is aptly named as it’s a dark, narrow slot that requires lots of sideways walking with your daypack in your hand. Peek-a-Boo is also brilliant but quite different; it’s filled with interconnected potholes, arches, and grottos. Along our drive back, we’ll take the opportunity to visit the incredible Devil’s Garden. This is a great spot for young and old alike as it’s a fairyland of small knobs, arches, and other eroded landforms.
Day 5
- Hiking Mileage: 2.2 miles
- Shuttle to St. George: 4.5-hour drive
On our last morning we’ll eat breakfast and head west toward the starting point of our trip, St. George, Utah. But the trip isn’t over yet! We’ll stop at Bryce Canyon National Park to enjoy a classic hike through its famous hoodoos and specacular vistas. Our hike, the Navajo Loop, takes us down from the rim, through the stunning corridors of Wall Street and past the Silent City, before bringing us back to the rim of the amphitheatre. We’ll enjoy lunch on the rim, gazing into the maze of Wall Street and contemplating our incredible week. After lunch we’ll load up and head back to St. George, where we’ll say our goodbyes and start scheming about our next adventure!
Snow Canyon Add-On Hike
Extend your adventure with a day hike in the amazing “Miniature Zion Canyon” – Snow Canyon State Park! Click here to learn more.
Please Note: We always do everything in our power to follow the set itinerary, however it can change occasionally based on temporary access restrictions, weather, lodging/campground availability, guest ability/injury, natural events like fires and flooding, and other potential causes.
TRIP DATES & BOOKING
AVAILABLE TO BOOK
This trip is available and bookable online! Click on the date to register now or contact us online to book through our award-winning customer service team!
GOING FAST
This trip has 1 or 2 spots remaining and is bookable online! Click on the date to book now or contact us online to book through customer service.
REQUEST A RESERVATION
This trip is exclusively booked through customer service due to logistics with lodging, permits, staffing, availability, or something else. Please contact us online or call us at 800-715-HIKE (4453) to request a reservation.
Don't see your dates? Call us! We may be able to add new trip dates.
800-715-HIKE (4453)Trip Details
What's Included
- Top-of-the-line tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and day pack
- Use of trekking poles
- All meals are included from breakfast the first day through lunch on the last day
- A professional, knowledgeable, certified Utah hiking guide
- Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in St. George, Utah
- National park entrance fees
- Emergency equipment including a company-issued first-aid kit and satellite phone
- You will receive a Lifetime Hiking Membership entitling you, your spouse and kids to a lifetime discount of 10% off any Wildland Trekking hiking trip after your first one!
What's Not Included
- Clothes, raingear, and footwear (Oboz hiking shoes and boots recommended)
- Sunscreen, toiletries and personal items
- Water bottles and a headlamp or flashlight
- Guide gratuity (industry recommendation is 10-20% of trip cost)
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about what to pack.
Meals: What to Expect
All of our hiking and backpacking tours include a diversity of tasty meals packed full of critical carbohydrates, proteins and fats. We carry foods that travel well in the outdoors – rice, pastas, lentils, beans, couscous, packaged meats, nuts, breads, oatmeal, granola, and more.
For optimal taste and energy, we supplement all our meals with spices, herbs, oils, cheeses, butter, sugar, and fruits and vegetables (fresh and dried). In addition, we provide you with with an assortment of trail mix, snacks, and dried fruits to eat at your own discretion.
We regularly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, kosher and non-gluten diets and will make adjustments for food allergies. These and other special dietary requests may require an additional fee.
Gear We Provide
We provide all group gear which includes the following:
- Deuter or Osprey backpacks
- Sierra Designs, Kelty or Big Agnes tents
- Sierra Designs, Kelty, Big Agnes and Mountain Hardware sleeping bags
- Thermarest or Big Agnes sleeping pads
- Leki or Black Diamond trekking poles
- Cooking stoves and cookware
- Company-issued first-aid kit
- Emergency communication device(s)
What Gear to Bring
We ask that you supply a couple of gear items on your hiking tour. These items are two 1-liter water bottles per person and either a headlamp or flashlight per person. Basic items like sunscreen, bug repellent (where and when applicable), lip balm, and toiletries are also important. All of these items are available online at Wildland Trekking Outfitters.
What Clothes to Bring
When you register for this tour you’ll receive access to a printable, downloadable trip information packet with detailed guidance about what clothes to pack (click here to see it now.) All trips require a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or hiking boots, rain gear, and our recommended clothing system. A minimum of three pairs of wool or synthetic hiking socks are also required. All of these items are available online at Wildland Trekking Outfitters.
Trip Logistics
How Do I Register?
Reserve your spot today! In the Trip Dates & Booking section of this page, the green and red dates are bookable online by simply clicking on the date, and blue dates must be booked through our customer service team for a variety of possible reasons. To email our customer service team, you can click here to get the ball rolling. Our adventure consultants will confirm availability, and if you’re ready to register we’ll email you a link to a registration profile. You’ll have 72 hours to complete your profile (and that of any dependents) and pay the deposit.
Feel free to call us for more info – we’re here 7 days a week!
Where Do We Meet?
You will rendezvous with the guide and group in St. George, Utah for an orientation meeting at 5:00 PM the evening before the trip begins. Your guide will be in contact approximately 2 weeks before your trip starts to specify the orientation location, and we are more than happy to pick you up if the meeting if you are staying at one of our recommended hotels but the orientation is taking place elsewhere. The guide will then pick you up at your hotel the next morning for transport to the trailhead. For Private Utah Tours your guide can meet you at your hotel in St. George or Cedar City, Utah at an agreed upon time.
Click here to see a printable, downloadable trip information packet with more detailed guidance about flights, shuttles, recommended lodging and more.
Start/End Times
Your guide will inform you of the first day’s pick-up time at the orientation meeting. Generally, you can expect it to be between 5 and 8 am, although the exact time will depend on current weather and road conditions. We will drop you off at your hotel on the final day no later than 7 PM.
Safety Considerations
Your safety is our top priority. Our hiking tours are led by professional hiking guides, all of whom are wilderness-certified first responders or EMT’s, each with years of guiding and wilderness experience. We’ve developed comprehensive risk management protocols that our guides adhere to in case of an emergency, and most tours carry a satellite phone. If you have any further questions about safety, please contact us at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) for more information.
Guides
Your tour will be led by a trained, experienced professional with a solid guiding background, years of personal wilderness and hiking experience, medical certifications, and a passion for leading people into breathtaking landscapes. Check out our Meet Our Team page for staff bios.
Guide Working Parameters
Guides are required to take 8 hours off each 24-hour period to sleep, recuperate, take personal/down time…etc. In addition, as part of the 8 hours off they must sleep/rest or be in their tents/rooms uninterrupted for a minimum of 5 hours each night. We ask guests to respect these requirements and to not interrupt guides’ off time and sleep time unless there is a true emergency.
Group Size and Age Restrictions
The standard group size on this hiking tour is 6 guests and 1 guide, with a maximum of 10 guests and 2 guides. If you have more questions about group size, please give us a call at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) and we’ll answer all your questions.
Age restrictions are as follows:
- 12 and older to join scheduled tours (mixed groups)
- 5 and older to join private tours, with final approval and specific logistical requirements (such as porter or stock assist) determined on a case by case basis
Weather in Southern Utah
Weather in Southern Utah
Southern Utah is a high desert. The weather is very moderate: occasional dustings of snow in the winter that melt rapidly, and summer temperatures in the low 90s (°F) that often cool down with thunderstorms. To be fully prepared, please follow the recommended clothing list closely (this list comes as part of your trip packet when you register). The ideal time to be in the Canyon Country is Spring and Fall. Read below for average high and low temperatures in Utah’s Canyon Country:
| Average Temperatures (Fahrenheit) | |||
|
Month
|
High
|
Low
|
|
|
Dec-Feb
|
43°
|
18°
|
|
|
March
|
55°
|
27°
|
|
|
April
|
64°
|
33°
|
|
|
May
|
73°
|
40°
|
|
|
Jun-Aug
|
88°
|
55°
|
|
|
September
|
79°
|
45°
|
|
|
October
|
67°
|
35°
|
|
|
November
|
53°
|
25°
|
|
Accommodations
Premier Campgrounds
4 NIGHTS
On our signature camping tours we hand pick wonderful campgrounds that put us right in the action for exceptional hiking and camping vacations. They may be national park, state park, or private campgrounds. They may vary by trip date depending on availability and seasonality.
Fantastic Meals
14 MEALS
Basecamp trips include meals for the duration of the tours beginning with breakfast the first day through lunch the final day. Meals are prepared by your guide(s) using fresh ingredients, exclusive Wildland recipes, and we adhere to all department of health outdoor cooking codes.
Comfortable Camping
CAMPING AMENITIES
What amenities do basecamp tours include? Cold and hot drinks, campfires (where/when allowed), camp chairs, access to showers, fresh food, roomy tents, comfortable sleeping pads, comfy sleeping bags, camp pillows and more! Camp comfortably, eat like royalty, and hike til your heart’s content!
Trip Reviews
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- Most recent
- LOW - HIGH
- HIGH - LOW
Alex W
Utterly Professional
My wife and I just got back from the Bryce Escalante Base Camp tour. Phenomenal experience in every way. Goes without saying the scenery was spectacular, but what made the trip an event that will linger in our memories for years was the humanity of our guide, Moshe Kramer. Kind, patient, remarkably informative, utterly professional. Good people make lasting impressions, and Wildland Trekking seems to have them in abundance. Thank you Utah, and thank you Moshe for a fantastic week.
Sharon V.
Would Do It Again!
There isn't much more I can say to recommend this experience than to say I would do it again in a heartbeat if I could. Kelsi made it all look effortless and remained calm in situations that might have been stressful for others. I've never felt more at home with a leader on day one than I was under her lead! Can't wait for another chance to cross paths! THANKS Wildland Trekking Co!
Jaclyn B.
Had an amazing time!
The hikes were incredible and guides were wonderful. Had an amazing time!
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