Please click here to jump to the Overview section with all tour details including pricing.

The Utah-Escalante Loop bike tour is among the finest Southwest bike trips offered. This carefully crafted 5-day cycling adventure spins a stunning route through the picturesque and remote Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park, including Utah State Highway 12 – arguably one of the best cycling roads in the Beehive state, and perhaps in the country. This amazing tour will dazzle your senses with the mysteries and vastness of the heart of Utah.

Utah-Escalante Loop: Highlights

Utah-Escalante Loop: Testimonials

Read what previous guests on our Utah-Escalante Loop tour have been saying…

The trip wildly exceeded all my expectations and was an incredibly memorable trip for me!! The scenery of the areas we biked through was breathtaking and the daily itineraries were well thought out. I was so impressed by the organization of the trip and the two guides – Matt and Evan were just amazing – competent, capable, personable, great cooks, clear communicators – and just all around great company – a pleasure to be around!! So – wonderful trip – thank you and to Matt and Evan for making it so! – Carol

I am extraordinarily grateful to you for curating, creating and executing the experience that was the Climate Ride Escalante last month. There have been a few adventures in my life that I have rated as significant highlights, my years in the USNavy in Vietnam, a 3 week Safari in Botswana, Zambia and South Africa, a 3 week visit to China and a number of cruises to exotic places… yet the 6 days in the Utah National Parks on my bicycle was as exciting as the best of them! Your description of the difference between a vacation trip and an ADVENTURE I have borrowed often now, and used effectively, thanks for that! – Dave

Utah-Escalante Loop: Dates

Potential tour dates are listed below and not all tour dates will run. Lock in your preferred tour date early as unopened tour dates will be closed. Please see the Spring/Autumn Tour Calendar and the Summer Tour Calendar for confirmed departures. Any unopened date can be a Custom Week (9 riders required). Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891

To easily register for a particular tour, please click the Book Now! link after the tour date listed below. This will select the tour name and the appropriate date on the registration form.

2024 Tour Dates

• May 6 to 10, 2024 Lodging Based Tour (Book Now!) – TOUR A GO!

Tour Status Notes: NO STATUS = Date Set, no riders have signed up. TOUR OPENED = Tour Opened, rider minimums not met. TOUR A GO! = Tour is Go, rider minimums met. SOLD OUT = Tour Full, rider maximums met.

Why Should you Sign-Up Now and OPEN a Tour Date?
This is the proverbial chicken and the egg conundrum! We need our cyclists to first commit to the date that works for them so that we can commit to that date.

For starters, when you OPEN a date you get to pick your preferred departure date, and there is no penalty if the tour does not run. Once you pick your tour date, Lizard Head closes nearby dates and funnels all additional riders to your chosen date until the tour meets its 6 rider minimum.

BONUS: As an added bonus, we can also hold a spot for you on another tour date of your choosing. There is no fee to switch to another tour date.

In conclusion, if you want a tour to run, we need you to sign up and not wait for others to do the same! Waiting for others may mean that a tour date takes longer or does not confirm. Just Do It! Once a few riders jump into the proverbial waters, others will follow!

Utah-Escalante Loop: Overview

Tour Length: 5-Days/4-Nights, Camping or Lodging Options Available. Whomever opens a tour first determines the camping or lodging option.

Meeting & Ending Town: Torrey, Utah

Total Miles: 24 to 75 miles (additional mileage options available)

Mileage Range: 225-275 miles

Ability Level: Upper Intermediate (3)  to Advanced (3/4)

Tour Cost: Camping based tour is $1,675 per person. Lodging based tour is $2,825 per person. Add $425 per person to the lodging based tour cost for a private room each night of the tour (includes 4-Nights).

Tour Discounts: Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page to learn more about Reptile Rewards, Tour Discounts, and Group Discounts. Tour discounts are not stackable with any other discounts or promotions – only the highest valued discount is provided. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

Tour Includes: 5-Days guide service, 4-Nights of camping or lodging, all meals, forest service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, in-tour shuttles, and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental, and massage (if available) are additional.

Camping for 4 Nights: (subject to change)

• Night 1: Otter Creek State Park, Antimony, Utah (elevation 6,355′)
• Night 2: Ruby’s Inn RV Park & Campground, Bryce, Utah (elevation 7,687′)
• Nights 3 & 4: Deer Creek Campground, Boulder, Utah (elevation 5,689′)

Lodging for 4 Nights: (subject to change)

• Night 1 & 2: Ruby’s Inn, Bryce, Utah (elevation 7,664′)
• Nights 3 & 4: Boulder Mountain Lodge, Boulder, Utah (elevation 6,703′)

Meeting Hotel and Ending Hotel reservations and costs are NOT included unless specified otherwise. Guests are on-their-own to make reservations at the Meeting Hotel or Ending Hotel, or other nearby hotels.

Road Bike Rentals

NOTE: The make, model, and specifications of rental bikes may differ from what is described below. Please contact us if you have any specific needs for a rental bike or have any questions about rental bikes.

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent Scott Bikes. The Scott Addict 10 Disc was designed from the ground up with those longer days in mind. With geometry that is less focused on racing and more on enduring, the Addict 10 will be your go to when you’re looking to put the miles in.

The Scott Addict 10 Disc features: Carbon Frame and Fork, Shimano Ultegra 2x11 Drivetrain, 34x32 Compact Gearing, 30mm Tires, and Hydraulic Disc Brakes. Approx. Weight: 16.89 lbs / 7.66 kg (without pedals)

☛ Learn more about our Rental Bikes and Equipment

Road E-Bike Rentals: Click Here for more information on our Road E-Bike Rentals including pricing. Please note that E-Bikes are not available for certain tours including those that involve camping. Please contact us for more information before registering for a tour. NOTE: E-Bikes are great, but our tours are designed to be ridden without motorized assistance. We offer "bumps" along the road so that everyone can stay together.

Tandems and Recumbents: Lizard Head Cycling Guides happily accommodates both tandem and recumbent bikes on our tours.

If you have any further questions, please read more on our Rental Bikes FAQ page. You can also email us at info@lizardheadcyclingguides.com or call us at 970.728.5891

Meals On Tour

Lizard Head Cycling Guides provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted) including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.

Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and occasionally guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being "off the grid", most of our off-road tours feature guide prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called "Guide TV".

We also pride ourselves on being able to cater to specific dietary requests and needs, so rest assured that you will be able to get the nutrition that works best for you during your tour. Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, or a someone who loves it all – we will keep you well fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepares healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours, Lizard Head Cycling sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert... yum! Also, while on tour if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days sleep is the most important post-ride element.

Overall Route Map

Below is an example of the daily routes for this tour and are subject to change based on season, available accommodations, road closures, and other factors. The actual routes will be made available to registered participants before their tour, so please view these routes as a general outline as to what to expect.

Utah-Escalante Loop: Itinerary*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour itineraries are subject to change and modification based on the group, available accommodations, road construction, road closures, and other unforeseen circumstances including weather, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, landslides and/or other acts of nature. Also, the distances and elevation profiles shown below may not reflect the actual distances and elevations while on tour as these are provided here to give an idea as to the anticipated mileage and terrain. Please view this itinerary, the distances, and elevation profiles as a general outline as to what to expect while on this tour.

NOTE: The lodging based tour is described in the itinerary below. Please click here for the camping based tour itinerary.

Day 0: Arrive in Torrey, Utah

On Day 0 (the day before the tour starts), guests arrive in Torrey, Utah by driving a vehicle there, or by flying into St. George Regional Airport (SGU). If flying into Grand Junction Regional Airport, Lizard Head Cycling will provide a pre-tour shuttle from Grand Junction to Torrey, Utah. Cost is $95 and also includes a post-tour shuttle back to Grand Junction on Day 5 (the day the tour ends).

Day 1: Otter Creek State Park to Bryce National Park 
42 miles with up to 1,950 feet of climbing

Starting from Torrey, we shuttle west to start north of Otter Creek State Park. through Johns Valley and past the small ghost town villages of Osiris (with the Osiris Creamery), and Widtsoe. With some moderate climbing early in the ride, the profile stays relatively easy for the remainder of the day until we reach Bryce Canyon National Park and our lodging for the night. Additional riding options within Bryce Canyon National Park are available.

Day 2: Bryce Canyon National Park Exploration
48 miles with up to 1,950 feet of climbing

On Day 2,  we ride to Sunrise Point at the very top of Bryce Canyon National Park, for a spectacular early morning view. From the top of the park the ride is mostly down while stopping at the many viewpoints.

For lunch, we meet at Sunrise Point for a relaxing meal beneath the ponderosa trees before hiking below the rim on the Wall Street trail to get up close and personal with the orange Hoodoos of Bryce.  Lodging tonight is again in Bryce Canyon City.

Elevation Profile: 48 mi +2940 ft / -3730 ft

Day 3: Bryce Canyon to Boulder
75 miles with up to 4,950 feet of climbing

From Bryce Canyon National Park we head northeast along Utah State Highway 12 – arguably one of the best cycling roads in the Beehive state, and perhaps the entire country. It twists and turns and climbs and dives among the ridges, mesas, and valleys of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a 1.9 million acre spectacle of multi-hued cliffs and terraces, with distances that defy human perspective. At the end of the day the oasis of Boulder, Utah awaits for post ride relaxation and a fine dinner.

Day 4: Long Canyon & Calf Creek Falls
Long Canyon: 34 miles with up to 3,050 feet of climbing
Calf Creek Falls: 24 miles with up to 2,300 feet of climbing

With a layover day in Boulder, Utah, two rides are offered today – a longer 34 mile route along the picturesque Burr Trail & Long Canyon, and/or a shorter 24 mile route to Calf Creek Falls and back. The 126-foot tall Calf Creek Falls is one of our all time favorite swimming holes! So pack some extra swim gear and take a refreshing break in the cool, clear waters.

Day 5: Boulder to Torrey
38 miles with up to 4,090 feet of climbing

On this final day the distance is short but the challenge is big! From Boulder you will ascend Boulder Mountain – and brace yourself – it’s a monster 2,800-foot ascent from Boulder to the mountains with a peak elevation of 9,000-feet. From the top of Boulder Mountain you will fly down to Torrey, Utah to end the tour.

Utah-Escalante Loop: Logistics & FAQs

General Tour & Cancellation Policies

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all of our tour and cancellation policies, which can be found by clicking here.

Travel Insurance

If you have not already, now would be a great time to consider adding travel insurance to your tour. You are welcome to use any travel insurance company you would like. We recommend Generali/Trip Mate.

Generally, if contracting COVID causes clients to cancel or interrupt their tour, trip insurance companies would treat it as any other illness as long as it is contracted after the insurance was purchased. Please check your individual plan documentation for details. Please note that quarantine is usually only covered if clients are actually sick with COVID. If a state requires quarantine upon arrival because of standardized state law, coverage is generally not covered. Again, check your individual plan documentation for details.

American Guests - use this link: http://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html?partner=LIZA0855

• The Premium Plan is the only plan which offers Pre-Existing coverage so long as the plan is purchased prior to Final Payment.
• The Premium Plan is the only plan that offers an optional Cancel For Any Reason - the policy must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit, the full trip cost must be insured, and if they cancel for Any Reason, it must be 48 hours prior to departure, and the reimbursement for an Any Reason claim is 60% of pre-paid, insured, non-refundable trip cost.
• Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-874-2442 for coverage questions and policy modifications or to purchase by phone. Agency Code: LIZA0855

Canadian Guests - use this link: https://tripmate.catravelins.ca/?utm_source=lizardhead

 

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is a permittee of the Dixie National Forest.