Bryce to Zion Bike Trip
RIDING TYPE
Intermediate
DURATION
5 Days
SEASON
June - September
Bryce to Zion Mountain Bike Trip
A Spectacular Southern Utah Transition
This new Bryce to Zion trip takes us through the spectacular transition of Southern Utah’s landscapes. We blend the iconic beauty of Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks with the dramatic, high-altitude terrain of the Markagunt Plateau.
Prepare for incredible biking, fascinating geological discoveries, and the quintessential Utah canyon experience. From the iron-rich hoodoos of the Clarion Formation to the ancient lava flows of 1050 AD, this itinerary is designed for active travelers who want to see the geologic wonders of Southern Utah from the saddle of a bike and the soles of their hiking boots.
Why Choose the Bryce to Zion?
This Southern Utah multi-sport tour offers a unique perspective on the region’s most famous geological wonders:
Dual National Park Immersion: Experience the best of both worlds with cycling and hiking in Bryce Canyon and a grand finale exploration of Zion National Park.
The Markagunt Plateau Highline: Ride into the clouds at 9,800 feet, traversing volcanic fields, cinder cones, and the site of the massive Markagunt gravity slide—one of the largest landslides on Earth.
Iconic Utah Hiking: Trade your pedals for boots to trek through red rock hoodoos and, water levels permitting, wade into the world-famous Zion Narrows.
Fully Supported Logistics: Our expert guides handle the camp, the kitchen, and the shuttles, giving you more time to soak in the “see-forever” vistas and high-alpine lakes.
-DAY-BY-DAY
Itinerary
We’ll begin the trip in Bryce Canyon National Park, known for its colorful and strangely eroded cliffs. These unique layers are formed in the 43-million-year-old Clarion Formation—an iron-rich layer of limy sediment.
We will use the bike path to ride right into the park and make our way to Sunset Point. The view from here shows the fantastic transition between the forested mesa and the crazy rock formations of the canyon below.
From the trailhead, we’ll hike into the canyon with red rock hoodoos around every corner. This amazing hike is the quintessential Bryce Canyon experience, showcasing what makes this place so unique.
After our hike, we get back on our bikes to make our way to our camp for the night.
First, we will fuel up on a hearty breakfast before we begin to explore some of the back roads on top of the plateau. This will take us to Red Canyon, where we will have the chance to ride through some hoodoos similar to those we saw inside the park on Day 1.
After a quick stop at the Red Canyon visitor center to learn more about the fascinating geology of the area, we’ll break for lunch, then shuttle across the highway to our afternoon ride along the western section of the Markagunt Plateau.
This afternoon’s destination is Panguitch Lake, our camp for the night.
Today we will explore the Markagunt Plateau as our ride takes us to new heights with a climb up to 9,800 ft. This area experienced a fire years back, which opened things up for great sweeping views in all directions and a real opportunity to understand the geologic forces that created this place.
With its volcanic fields, cinder cones, and lava flows, the Plateau is home to the massive Markagunt gravity slide, one of the largest known terrestrial landslides on Earth. Scientists think the slide took place about 1,000 years ago, which in geologic time is crazy recent!
This “see-forever” ride will loop us around Shakespeare Hollow before taking us back down to Panguitch Lake for a quick swim before dinner.
Today geology will continue to astound us as we will see some of the most recent lava flows in the lower 48. We will ride out toward the town of Hatch and stop by some lava flows and cinder cones from 1050 AD.
After lunch and a quick shuttle, we will head up and over Sidney Peak for a ride high above Brian Head. This will give us a real bird’s-eye view of the beauty and complex formations of this interesting region.
A fun descent will take us down to our camp for the night.
After a short pedal in the morning to check out an amazing canyon descent, we will head to Zion National Park. We will access the Park via the bike path and make our way to today’s hike.
Options include the Emerald pools, or if water levels permit, we will visit the Zion Narrows—one of the Colorado Plateau’s most spectacular canyons. The Virgin River has cut through the sandstone for almost a million years, and in places, the river completely fills the canyon. Either way, we will wrap up our trip with a great Zion experience.
-TRIP NOTES
The fine print
Itineraries are subject to change due to weather, road conditions, rider safety and other factors which may affect the logistics of the adventure.
Road Surface
Dirt roads, double tracks, and some pavement.
Overall Rating
Intermediate
Technical Difficulty
Moderate; some obstacles and rocky washes.
Physical Difficulty
Moderate to strenuous; some climbing and one or two long days.
Altitude
4,000 - 9,000 feet
Biking Mileage
17-26 miles per day.
Hiking Mileage
17-26 miles per day.
–Travel Logistics
Getting there.
St. George, UT. Begins 7:30 AM MST at Holiday Inn St. George Convention Center, 1808 Crosby Way. Spend the night before in St. George.
Getting There
120 miles north of Las Vegas on I-15. Flying into St. George (SGU), Las Vegas (LAS, Salt Lake Express shuttle), or Salt Lake City (SLC, Salt Lake Express ~5hrs).
Taxi Service
Quality Cab 435-656-5222; Taxi USA 435-656-1500.
Lodging Before Your Trip
Holiday Inn St. George Convention Center
Book your room at the Holiday Inn using this special booking link to enjoy a discounted rate.
Tru by Hilton St. George
Fairfield Inn St. George
Hilton Garden Inn St. George
Quality Cab: 435-656-5222
Taxi USA: 435-656-1500
PACKING
Standard western spirit packing list
- Meals/camp gear provided
- Bring/rent bike & helmet, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, cycling & camp clothing, personal items, tipping cash (10-20%)
Bring or rent
Bringing or renting
- Bike (rentals come with flat pedals)
- Helmet (gratis w
- Rental bike)
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
Cycling clothing
- Cycling shoes
- 3-5 pair cycling shorts
- 3-5 cycling shirts
- Long sleeve cycling shirt
- Long sleeve cotton shirt or solar sleeves
- Cycling socks
- Windbreaker
- Tights or leg warmers
- 2 pair cycling gloves
- Rain jacket & rain pants (Gore-Tex or similar)
- Warm layer
- Sunglasses
Camp clothing
- Camp shorts/shirts
- Warm socks
- Long underwear
- 2 pair warm long pants
- Fleece/sweater
- Pile or down jacket
- Warm gloves and hat
- Brimmed hat
- Bathing suit
- Hiking shoes
- Sandals
- Rain gear
Personal
- Toiletries
- Medication
- Towel
- Biodegradable soap
- Wet-wipes
- Flashlight/headlamp
- Sunglasses
- Optional day bag
- Stuff sacks
- Cash for tipping (10-20% of trip price)
Optional
- Camera
- Binoculars
- Favorite beverages
- Books
- Maps
- Portable USB charger
Need more information about our bike trips?
Check out what a bike trip is all about by visiting our camping page, FAQ page, what to bring page or be the first to know about new trips, last minute trip openings and future discounts by subscribing to our newsletter.
Need even more details? Send us a message or call and talk to one of our trip specialists at (435) 259-8732.
Need more information about our bike trips? Check out what a bike trip is all about by visiting our camping page, FAQ page, what to bring page or be the first to know about new trips, last minute trip openings and future discounts by subscribing to our newsletter.
Need even more details? Send us a message or call and talk to one of our trip specialists at (435) 259-8732
Gallery
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Western Spirit
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