Itinerary

Day 1

Welcome to your adventure! We travel from Las Vegas to St George, Utah, our jumping-off point for the journey. This evening we have a welcome dinner and gear check where we meet our backpacking guide, and we stay overnight in St George before heading into the backcountry tomorrow!

Hotel in St George

Day 2

The day starts with breakfast and then it's trail time! We grab a shuttle to the trailhead and begin our journey through Coyote Gulch.

From the trailhead, we hike a short distance before entering an open and dry wash, the upper section of Coyote Gulch. The day’s hike continues downstream and gradually the wash begins to resemble a canyon as short walls of Navajo Sandstone begin to appear on either side of the wash and you come to several pour-offs and short waterfalls. Just as the canyon begins deepening you'll find yourself in a beautiful cottonwood grove and your camp for the evening.

We each have our own reasons for being here, but we were all drawn to this wild place. For some of us, it was a yearning to rewild our souls. For others, it's a chance to connect with the natural world. And for others still, it is simply an opportunity to get away from the pressures of everyday life. Whatever our reasons, we all felt called to Coyote Gulch. Tonight we gather in the backcountry for an opening circle to honor our coming together.

Mileage: 3.5 miles / Elevation Loss: 300 feet

Camping in Coyote Gulch

Day 3

As the sun rises, sit in silence and stillness. Close your eyes and begin to breathe deeply, as you are guided to become aware of nature that surrounds you, setting your intentions for the day, and drawing in the power of the earth to support you on your journey.

After breakfast at camp, we continue to hike downstream through stands of cottonwood and willows, as the gulch deepens and narrows and encloses us in a towering corridor of sandstone. The creek is flowing continuously now and there are numerous crossings. As we progress, the day’s changing light plays on the canyon’s walls in a brilliant show of reds, yellows and browns. These imposing walls are the backdrop for features closer at hand: beautifully sculpted stream beds and intimate little cascades and waterfalls.

After a few miles of hiking, in an especially sinuous and narrow part of the gulch, we hike by Jacob Hamblin Arch. Another half-mile hike downstream brings you to Coyote Natural Bridge. You'll walk directly underneath this unbelievable feature.

Our camp for tonight will be made in the vicinity of Coyote Natural Bridge. After dinner, you'll explore the truly amazing Native American ruins nearby. Bands of Fremont people, a pre-Columbian culture that lived contemporaneously with the Anasazi through 1300 AD, once called Coyote Gulch their home.

This evening a luxurious Ritual MAGIK Yin Yoga practice weaves in nature's offerings of the day with soft shapes in your body and breath. Designed specifically for hiking, this practice will leave you ready for another day of hiking. No yoga experience needed!

Mileage: 6 miles / Elevation Loss: 200 feet

Camping in Coyote Gulch

Day 4

As the sun rises, you are guided through a morning meditation to weave the experience of being in nature to start your days journey.

After breakfast at camp, we begin the hike. Several miles from camp you'll hike beneath Cliff Arch, a spectacular arch several hundred feet above the canyon floor. The character of the canyon changes again as you progress, becoming wider with steep vegetated hillsides beginning to appear beneath the canyon’s walls. Larger pour-offs accompany a higher stream volume and sandstone terraces begin to appear above deep overhangs where the stream flows.

Later in the day, you'll use these terraces for easier hiking and after traversing a sandstone slab you'll arrive at the confluence of Coyote Gulch and the Escalante River. You'll make camp here under steep cliff walls and, time permitting, you'll have the opportunity to hike upstream along the Escalante River to the remote and spectacular Stevens Canyon. Those so inclined are more than welcome to relax in camp rather than hike.

This evening a luxurious Ritual MAGIK Yin Yoga under the cliff walls is sure to be magical.

Mileage: 5.5 miles and 4 miles optional day hiking / Elevation Loss: 200 feet

Camping in Coyote Gulch

Day 5

Today is your last day on the trail before returning to St. George in the evening. Begin with morning meditation to soak in the experience and honor the gifts of the land.

The hike today is a strenuous in soft sand to the “crack in the wall,” a narrow crevice you'll use to escape the canyon’s upper-most cliff wall. From the top, you'll have a brilliant view of the Escalante River and Steven’s Arch. After the guide hauls everyone’s backpack over the rim with a rope, you'll hike two miles across the desert to the Fortymile Ridge Trailhead and your vehicle.

Tonight we thank the earth and Coyote Gulch for the gifts that we have been given and honor each other and our shared experience together in our final closing circle.

Mileage: 4.5 miles / Elevation Gain: 800 feet

Overnight in St George

Day 6

All journeys must come to an end. Breakfast at the hotel and then we begin the trip back to the Las Vegas airport.