Paria Canyon

• 8 am: Pickup in St. George, gear distribution and packing demo
• 9 am: Drive from St George to White House trailhead, 2.5 hours
• 10:30 am: Arrive at White House trailhead and begin hike
• If you prefer to drive on your own and meet us at the trailhead, please note we are on
• Mountain Daylight Time (Arizona and Nevada are on a different time zone)
• Hike 7-9 miles with lunch break
• 7-8 pm: Dinner, set up camp at confluence

Today we'll get our feet wet early on as we walk through the exposed, sandy wash of the Paria River. After a few miles of hiking the canyon walls will start to narrow. Notice the "swiss cheese rock" walls and expect to walk through thigh-deep water (deeper if flash floods happened recently). We will make our way to the narrows where three slot canyons converge. From there, we'll hike a quarter mile up Buckskin Gulch and you'll get your first taste of the majesty of deep time.

• 8:30 am: Breakfast, pack up camp
• Hike 5-8 miles
• 7 pm: Dinner, set up camp

Today we'll have an optional morning hike of 1-2 miles into Buckskin Gulch– one of the longest, deepest slot canyons in the world. Expect dark alcoves and beautiful wavy sandstone walls carved by centuries of flash floods. Afterward we'll grab our backpacks and hike downriver through the Paria most of the day. Look forward to hanging gardens and our guide's favorite freshwater spring gushing out of the red rock walls. 

• 8:30 am: Breakfast, pack up camp
• Hike 7-10 miles
• 7 pm: Dinner, set up camp

Today we'll continue hiking through the serpentine river. Look for giant alcoves and notice as the canyon starts to widen. Today we will visit a secret oasis in the desert when our guides lead you to Shower Spring. This will be our last night in the canyon before we exit and hike overland the next day.

• 8:30 am: Breakfast, pack up camp
• Hike 8-10 miles
• 7 pm: Dinner, set up camp

Say your goodbyes to the beautiful canyon walls because today we will be leaving the river (for a time) to hike over a fairly exposed high-route. We will gain and lose a few hundred feet of elevation as we boulder-hop around prickly pears and pass through popcorn-like bentonite layers. We will also stop by an awesome petroglyph panel featuring bighorn sheep, spirals, and human figures. 

• 8 am: Breakfast, pack up camp
• Hike 4-6 miles
• Exit hike at Lee’s Ferry, drive to White House trailhead 1.5 hours
• Drive 2.5 hours to St George
• 7-9 pm: Drop off in St. George (We cannot guarantee an exact arrival time in St. George, so please do not schedule a flight close to this time. All times on this itinerary are estimates and dependent on group hiking pace)

Today we'll cross the river several times and continue on sandy, overland social trails as we make our way to the end of the canyon. We'll pass abandoned uranium mines from the cold war days as well as ranches settled by Mormon pioneers. Finally we'll walk past a tiny pioneer cemetery and beautiful orchards in the desert before reaching the end of the Paria Canyon.