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America Canyon Lands
Any one done this trip recently? Interested to know actually how much walking is required.
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Any one done this trip recently? Interested to know actually how much walking is required.
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Our most recent tour, Desert Oasis included Zion which is on Canyonlands tour, we had a choice of an easy walk or a more challenging one. That seems to be more the norm these days, they split the group. We took the more challenging walk with Tauck and did the alternative in the afternoon during free time, a flat walk by the river, uneven gravelly ground, but flat. I have taken the Canyonlands tour but too long ago to remember. Comfortable supportive shoes are essential.
We took this trip in May/June of 2019. The amount of walking is up to you. We are active and did some walking at all locations. Others on the tour did more and some didn't venture as much. There are a lot of places you can go that are not very strenuous. The tour will take you to many places on the bus and then you can decide whether to walk back or take the bus.
We went a day early and went up Pinnacle Peak which overlooks the hotel in Scottsdale. While it is a dirt path with some rocky areas, locals brought their children and one even had a stroller! In Sedona we followed the History Walk which was quite informative but did require a climb up a fairly steep street to return to the drop off point (but again it was all paved).
The tour stops at many overlooks at the Grand Canyon. The hotel is right on the rim so you can view it from there or walk along the rim to other view points. You can also follow a trail down a bit into the canyon.
At Lake Powell, the only significant walking is to get to the boat ramp for the dinner cruise and the trip to Antelope Canyon. They did offer transportation to the boats for those who preferred. The float ride down the Colorado requires you to get on and off of a raft. There are steps at the rear which makes it very easy. The trail to the petroglyphs is dirt but not steep or rocky.
In Bryce you should get up for sunrise. The path is paved. The view is great but make sure to have warm clothing. Again, you can go down a bit into the canyon or you can pass and stay on the rim.
In Zion there are a number of walks you can take or you can sit on the balcony of your room. The walk to Emerald Pool is across the road from the hotel. It's a bit wet and can slippery but is not too difficult. One of our party stopped mid-way because he was finding it too difficult. There's a bus that takes you to other areas. We took the bus to the Riverside trail. It's paved for a significant distance (about one mile). When we were there we could not go any farther because the river was high and running fast.
The more active people probably would have liked more time at many locations to enable them to go deeper into the canyons and follow more trails. However, for the less active you should be fine and will get great views of the parks without needing to do much walking.
If you go, I would highly recommend taking the flight seeing trip to Monument Valley. The flight is fantastic and the drive to through the area is impressive. If you are a fan of John Ford movies, you will recognize it.
Kathy M,
Such a nice response to rfumuso's question. I have never taken a Tauck tour in any of the National Parks, having camped and hiked in most of them in my college days (many, many decades ago). After reading your post, I just might consider signing up for one. Thanks for sharing.
Great descriptions - very helpful