Itinerary

Day 1: Meet in Grand Junction and cycle the Colorado River trail past wineries and vineyards

Within in minutes of meeting, we are riding on the Colorado River Trail in Grand Junction, Colorado. It’s a great warm-up ride and provides the perfect orientation to the region. In addition to geological wonders, the Great Basin Desert abounds with ranching and agriculture. Wine is the up-and-coming crop in what is known as the Grand Valley Wine Region, and this route takes you past many of the valley’s vineyards. Reds you’ll find most often include merlot, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz/syrah, and cabernet franc, and whites are typically chardonnay, riesling, and viognier. We feel there’s no better way to kick off the week than to pedal to some wineries and raise a toast! After cycling near Grand Junction, it’s a 90-minute drive to our base for the week in Moab, Utah. We spend all five nights on the tour at the Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn so you should have plenty of time to explore town.
Meals: lunch, dinner. Lodging: Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn
Distance: 34 miles, elevation +788 ft / – 998 ft

Day 2: Cycle downriver from Moab and take a short hike to Corona Arch

Go for another ride alongside the Colorado River downstream from Moab to Potash and hike to Corona and Bowtie Arches. Moab offers some of the best road riding in the West! Low traffic, smooth roads and sunshine mean riding here is often fantastic when the weather at home is hostile. And the scenery! Massive cliffs, red sandstone walls graced with ancient petroglyphs, the docile Colorado River. Today, ride a flat 20 miles beside the river, enjoy a gourmet feast for lunch, then charge 20 miles back to town or shuttle back for more time to explore Moab. We stop along the way for a short hike to Corona and Bowtie arches as well.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lodging: Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn
Distance: 43 miles, elevation +1474 ft / – 1474 ft. (*This route is mostly flat; elevation stats are skewed by cliffs and overhangs.)

Day 3: Hike and explore natural engineering wonders at Arches National Park.

Arches National Park boasts some of the most incredible hikes in the world. No trip to this part of Utah would be complete without experiencing Arches. In the morning, explore short trails at “The Windows” admiring Double Arch, Turret Arch and Parade of Elephants, among others. Afterward, hike to the most-photographed arch in the world: Delicate Arch. Now the unofficial symbol of Utah, this feat of natural engineering seems to defy the laws of gravity, balancing gracefully some 80 feet above the sandstone. En route, you’ll cross a suspension bridge over Salt Wash and take a side spur to view an impressive Ute petroglyph depicting horses and a bighorn sheep hunt. From there it’s a short distance up the sloping slickrock to stand under Delicate Arch.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lodging: Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn
Hiking miles 4-7, Elevation Mostly easy hiking with some slickrock.

Day 4: Enjoy Dead Horse State Park by Bicycle and on foot.

Dead Horse State Park. Climb up to it. Cruise down from it. Or … do both! You choose. Dead Horse Point is a stunning mesa perched 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, with views of the snowcapped La Sal mountains and the Canyonlands. Today, choose between riding up, cruising down, or doing both: it’s the perfect day for riders of different levels. Ride up from Moab on a smooth 8-mile bike path that turns onto a scenic byway with a wide shoulder. Climb a consistent, but not steep, grade for 20 miles until you arrive at the mesa, where Old West cowboys once corralled wild mustang. Want to stick to flat roads and gentle downhills? We’ll shuttle you directly to Dead Horse Point to explore this amazing amphitheater. After a terrific lunch, cruise 34 miles mostly downhill back to Moab. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch. Lodging: Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn
Distance: 34 (up to 68) miles, elevation +870 ft / – 2798 ft. (Optional) Up To Dead Horse:
+2798 ft / -869 ft

Day 5: Spend the day floating a picturesque section of the Colorado River

Water is, in many ways, the primary “artist” behind the geological sculptures of this area. Spend a whole day rafting (or kayaking) down a spectacular stretch of the Colorado River made famous by dozens of movies. Admire the scenery without hiking or pedaling! Our outfitter provides everything you need. Stop to kick your feet up in the shade and enjoy lunch at a ranch along river. The rapids here are mild, and the calm stretches in between are perfect for cooling off by floating down the river in your life-jacket. If you prefer to stay dry, you can also ride this scenic section of the river on the road on your own today instead, up to 65 miles with 1100’ of gain/loss.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Lodging: Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn

Day 6: Visit the “Island in the Sky” In Nothern Canyonlands National Park

Go for a series of short hikes to see the sights at “Island in the Sky” in northern Canyonlands National Park. This amazing sheer-walled mesa rising above the junction of the Green and Colorado River valleys provides the perfect place to reflect over a fantastic week. Contemplate history at the Pueblo granary ruins at Aztec Butte. Admire, and photograph, one last amazing truly amazing arch with perhaps the best backdrop of them all – Mesa Arch! Finish with dizzying views at Grandview and White Rim overlooks. After lunch we shuttle (90-min.) back to Grand Junction.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch.
Hiking miles 3-5, Elevation Short, relatively easy hikes with some slickrock.

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Lodging

Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn
The hotels, inns, and B&B’s we use are always among the finest the area has to offer. Our smaller group sizes allow us to stay at some award-winning places that can’t handle groups of 25 or more. We work closely with the innkeepers to make sure they understand your needs and ours

Included:

• Deluxe lodging
• All meals except one lunch and one dinner on your own. Snacks and beverages between meals
• Road / hybrid bike, E-bike rent possible
• Wahoo GPS device
• Park and other entry fees
• Rafting, guided hikes
• Luggage transfer

Not included:

• Night before and after the tour.
• Airline tickets
• Alcoholic beverages at meals
• Gratuities guides

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour price 2024 from : $ 3398.- pp .single fee $ 917.-
You can avoid a single supplement by sharing a room with another rider.
E-bike rental extra $ 200.-pp

Tour dates 2024:
27 Apr – 02 May Guaranteed, 7 spots available
23 Sep – 28 Sep Fully booked
30 Sep – 05 Oct, need 4 more to guarantee

Conditions

Deposit 25%
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

Meals and dining:
We know how important breakfast is to make sure your day starts off right. Most breakfasts are served at the inn where we spend the night and are either a set menu or a continental breakfast buffet. But if there is a local restaurant with a reputation for a great breakfast, we can guarantee we will find it and you will be treated to a nutritious meal to start the day.
Lunch is provided at a state park or similar scenic setting midway during the day’s ride. Guests are always surprised at the variety and quality of lunches we prepare. Besides sandwich fixings and cold drinks, we offer fresh fruits and vegetables and hot lunches such as tortellini with pesto or veggie burritos. If you prefer a certain item of food or drink, just let your tour guide know and we will be sure to prepare just the right lunch to keep your energy up for the rest of the day.
During the day water, fruit juices, soft drinks, energy bars, fruit, and snacks are available from the van. A cold beer from our cooler waits at the end of the day, and you can relive the day’s highlights at our wine and cheese party before dinner.
Dinner is eaten together at the best restaurant in the area. At most restaurants, you order what you want from the menu. Except for alcohol, everything is included, even appetizers, salad, soup, and dessert. If we have to shuttle everyone a short distance to get to that special place, we do it. We like to eat well.

If you have any special dietary requests, please let us know in advance. We regularly accommodate vegetarians and other restricted diets. All of our meals are carefully selected to provide you with the unusually high nutritional and caloric needs of your body on an outdoor adventure.