We've planned an exciting array of cycling adventures for our Great Canyons category for the coming season. We'll again visit Bryce and Zion National Parks in southwestern Utah in the context of a 7-day Alpiner bicycle tour and incorporate the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as part of our 9-day Great Canyons Biker/Hiker. We'll also offer another in our group of "signature" tours---the Canyon Country Classic, a 10-day adventure that not only explores Zion, Bryce and Cedar Breaks, but also ventures well beyond into the sparsely-travelled Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument in the heart of the Dixie National Forest and on through the surreal rock formations of Capitol Reef National Park. Brian Head -to-Bullfrog, the quintessential southwestern mountain bike experience, highlights an exceptional group of southwestern off-road adventures (see Mountain Bike Adventures). For pure hikers, our Grand Canyon series, Bryce/Zion, Big Bend and Capitol Reef programs are extraordinary southwestern hiking adventures (See Hiking Adventures).

Bryce/Zion Alpiner

Dates: (7 days, 6 nights; Sun-Sat) June 6-12; Oct. 3-9

Assembly Point: St. George (airline and bus service to St. George; or airline service to Las Vegas, NV; optional Timberline van shuttle between Las Vegas and St. George prior to, and following tour)

Tour Cost: $1,295 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, support van, leaders, tour maps & narratives) (optional Timberline van shuttle between Las Vegas and St. George prior to and following tour—$50)

Deep canyons, the startling hoodoos of Bryce and the rock temples of Zion, the breathtaking array of color, the variety of vegetation, the high alpine setting of the Dixie National Forest—this is the Bryce/Zion Alpiner. Our tour focuses on the southwestern corner of Utah, including Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, and Cedar Breaks National Monument. An area of indescribable beauty, these parklands offer convincing testimony to the awesome forces of nature.

We'll assemble in St. George and our destination for Day 1 is Cedar City on quiet roads through the Dixie National Forest and beautiful Snow Canyon State Park.

From Cedar City, we'll explore the scenic Cedar Breaks region. The ride to Cedar Breaks is spectacular as we climb through beautiful Cedar Canyon along cascading Cedar Creek to Cedar Breaks summit at 10,200'. A short, but rapid descent and we're in the ski resort village of Brian Head where we'll spend the evening at the Cedar Breaks Lodge.

It's on to Bryce on Day 3 in the heart of Utah's "Color Country." A beautiful ride through the sandstone formations of Red Canyon carries us to the open expanse of the Paunsaugunt Plateau and Bryce Canyon where we'll spend the next two nights and a layover day exploring this geological wonder. Several outstanding hiking and cycling options are available on this day.

We'll leave Bryce on Day 5 and ride on to Mt. Carmel and an evening at the Thunderbird Resort prior to Day 6's short ride to Zion. The full afternoon is available for hiking in Zion that includes a visit to the awesome summit of Angels Landing. We'll spend the evening in Zion prior to our leisurely return to St. George.

Total Mileage – 339

Great Canyons Biker/Hiker

Dates: (9 days, 8 nights; Sat-Sun) June 26-July 4; Aug. 28-Sept. 5

Assembly Point: St. George (airline and bus service to St. George; or airline, service to Las Vegas, NV; optional Timberline van shuttle between Las Vegas and St. George prior to, and following tour)

Tour Cost: $1,695 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, support van, leaders, tour maps & narratives) (optional Timberline van shuttle between Las Vegas and St. George prior to and following tour—$50)

The Great Canyons Biker/Hiker is our ultimate, all-inclusive adventure in the magnificent canyonlands area of the southwest. In the course of this 9-day program, we'll cycle beautiful Cedar Canyon to Cedar Breaks, Red Canyon to Bryce and the awesome Kaibab Plateau to the Grand Canyon's North Rim. Layover days present the opportunity for full-day hikes in Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks.

Great Canyons assembles in St. George and we'll ride scenic, quiet backroads north through Snow Canyon into the Dixie National Forest and on to Cedar City. We'll climb from Cedar City on Day 2 through Cedar Canyon to the high alpine setting of Cedar Breaks National Monument with its breathtaking panoramic vistas of the erosional wonders below. A short, rapid plunge to Brian Head follows along with an overnight in the Cedar Breaks Lodge.

The previous day's climb is rewarded with a long descent on Day 3 through the Dixie Forest along Panguitch Lake to Panguitch. We'll ride through beautiful Red Canyon to Bryce, where we'll spend the next two nights and a layover day exploring the Park. Several outstanding hiking opportunities highlight this layover day.

From Bryce, we're headed to the Grand Canyon's North Rim. We'll ride through the heart of Utah's "Color Country" to Kanab and, following an overnight at the Shilo Inn, we'll climb to Jacob Lake, high atop the beautiful Kaibab Plateau in the Kaibab Forest, and then on to the Canyon. We'll arrive at the North Rim late-afternoon of Day 6 and hike deep within the Canyon during a second layover day. We'll spend both overnights at the Grand Front Lodge overlooking the Canyon.

It's "payback" time on Day 8 as our long climb to the North Rim of Day 6 is rewarded by an incredible downhill as we head to Zion (van shuttle available for those who have no interest in this heroic century-and-then-some ride). We'll hike in Zion until mid-day of Day 9 and then van shuttle back to St. George where our program concludes.

Total Mileage – 532

Canyon Country Classic

Dates: (10 days, 9 nights; Fri-Sun) Sept. 17-26

Assembly Point: St. George (airline and bus service to St. George; optional Timberline van shuttle between Las Vegas and St. George prior to and following tour)

Tour Cost: $1,895 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, support van, leaders, tour maps & narratives) (optional Timberline van shuttle between Las Vegas and St. George prior to and following tour—$50)

In the course of the 17 years that we've been planning and staging bicycle tours throughout the Western U.S. and Canada, we've assembled a select group of programs that distinguish our organization from others. Classic Canada, Classic Colorado, Beartooth, Wild River, Oregon Coast-to-Cascades, San Juans, Glacier Park and New Mexico Ramblers—these are the extraordinary experiences that have come to be known as our "signature" adventures.

Last season, Canyon Country Classic joined this elite group of cycling experiences. We've long been aware that some of the Southwest's most exciting cycling terrain lies remotely tucked within the eastern reaches of the Dixie National Forest in south-central Utah, and beyond the well-travelled loop embracing Cedar Breaks, Bryce and Zion. For some time, we longed to ride the Escalante, to climb to and through the shimmering aspen groves above Boulder, and to explore the surreal rock formations of Capitol Reef. Fantasy became reality with the introduction of Canyon Country Classic.

Canyon Country assembles in St. George and we'll ride through the Virgin River Valley to Zion National Park on Day 1. Much of Day 2 will be spent exploring Zion, including the opportunity to hike the Narrows or climb to Angel's Landing. Late that afternoon, we'll cycle the short distance to Mt. Carmel Junction, where we'll spend the evening at the Thunderbird Lodge.

It's on to Bryce on Day 3 as we climb gently through the beautiful red sandstone of Red Canyon. We'll spend the next two nights at Bryce, with a layover day that offers great hiking opportunities. We're headed east from Bryce to Escalante with an optional opportunity to visit fascinating Kodachrome Basin State Park near Tropic along the way. Following an overnight at the Prospector, we'll ride to Boulder and then climb beautiful Boulder Mountain. A long descent provides an incredible ending to this special day as we ride to Torrey, gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. We'll spend the evening at Capitol Reef Resort with its inviting outdoor pool, and then explore Capitol Reef the following day before riding on to Loa.

Early-morning of Day 8, we'll ride the Sevier River Valley to Panguitch and then climb back into the Dixie Forest the following day. We're headed for Brian Head on Day 9 and a final evening at the luxurious Cedar Breaks Lodge. A short but "attention-grabbing" climb early on Day 10 is a not-so-subtle reminder that our adventure, though in its final day, continues unabated. We'll visit beautiful Cedar Breaks National Monument that morning and then its downhill, and we mean downhill, all the way to Cedar City. We'll end this extraordinary adventure on this dramatic note and van shuttle back to St. George.

Total Mileage – 448