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

Bryce to Zion MTB Tour: Highlights

Bryce to Zion MTB Tour: 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

• August 5 to 9, 2024 (Book Now!)

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!

Bryce to Zion MTB Tour: Overview

Tour Length: 5-Days Cycling/4-Nights Camping & Lodging

Meeting/Ending Town: St. George, Utah

Total Miles: 115 to 150 miles (additional mileage options available)

Mileage Range: 14-20 miles

Ability Level: Intermediate (2/3) , Upper Intermediate (3) , Advanced (3/4)

Tour Cost: $1,890 per person. Add $125 per person for the Single Supplement Fee for the one night of lodging.

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 of guide service, 3 nights camping, 1 night of lodging, all meals, park service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, shuttles, and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental, and massage are additional.

Camping and Lodging for 4 Nights: (subject to change)

• Night 1: Kings Creek Campground (Tropic Reservoir) (elevation 7,900′)
• Nights 2 & 3: Te-Ah Campground (Navajo Lake) (elevation 9,070′)
• Night 4: Cliffrose Lodge & Gardens, Springdale, Utah (elevation 3,950′)

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.

Mountain 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.

Mountain Bike Rentals

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent the Scott Spark 930, a truly fantastic way to go up or down a mountain. We have been riding mountain bikes for a very long time here at Lizard Head, but we can easily say our rentals are the most fun mountain bikes we have ever ridden. The Spark 930 blends the featherweight lineage of its race focused cousin with the single track chops of a 120mm travel ripper - this bike is up for anything.

The Spark 930 features: Spark Carbon HMF-Alloy Frame, FOX 34 Float Performance 130mm Fork, FOX Nude EVOL/120mm/TwinLoc rear shock, Shimano XT-SLX 12 Speed Drivetrain, Shimano Deore Disc Brakes, Syncros X-25 TR Rims, Maxxis Rekon Folding Tires, plus Syncros Dropper Post. Approx. Weight: 28.88 lbs / 13.10 kg (without pedals)

Mountain E-Bike Rentals

The Strike eRIDE 920 offers SCOTT’s latest technologies together with the newest Bosch motor. Versatile, reliable, and accessible, the Strike puts the accent on the comfort with 150mm of travel, slicker tires, thicker grips and saddle to give you a solid choice for any outing.

☛ Learn more about our Mountain Bike & E-Bike Rentals and Equipment

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.

Ability Level: Can I Ride This Tour?

Definition of Ability Levels

= Intermediate (2/3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 1 to 3 times a week for a total of 50 or more miles.
= Upper Intermediate (3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 2 to 4 times a week for a total of 75 or more miles.
= Advanced (3/4) Rides and/or takes spin classes 3 to 5 times a week for a total of 100 or more miles. Has ridden multi-day tours and done a century ride.
= Expert (4) Rides 4 or more times per week totaling 150 or more miles. Rides E.F.I. with regularity. Has done numerous multi-day tours, century rides and races.

How Fit do I Have to Be? If one month prior to the tour, you can ride 2 to 3 times a week equaling a total of 75 or more miles a week, you'll do just fine. We like to jokingly say that "one is ready for a Lizard Head Cycling Tour when they are finished with tour" and this is true! The only way to simulate a week long bike tour is to go on a week long tour.

Our average rider age is 55 years. These are bike tours, not races so we take our time to stop, take pictures and see the sights. We have all day to reach our destination and most riders take "bumps" at some points. We offer reduced mileage options for each day. Of course if someone wants to ride E.F.I. (Every Freaking Inch), we love to show them all the extra climbs, loops and hidden canyons that can be included!

Do the Bump! Daily mileage options allow cyclists of varying abilities to enjoy this tour. One of our favorite options is to give cyclists a "bump" via the support vehicle, or a 10 to 20 mile lift down the road representing an hour of pedal time. After the bump the rider is "off the front" and riding at his or her own pace without feeling they are being left behind the group. They'll then have time to linger and take in the spectacular scenery. All cyclists come together in time for lunch. Afterwards, cyclists can take another bump and/or continue riding.

Seamless Mileage Options: Lizard Head Cycling Guides designs multiple mileage options for each tour – something we're well known for in our business. This technique is similar to heliskiing in that one does not ski everything, they ski the best. 🙂

Slow or Fast? Many cyclists who sign up for our tours have worried themselves silly about not being able to keep up, but then they're surprised to find that all the worrying was about nothing. They do just fine! Slow and Fast only exist relative to other cyclists. Speed does not matter as long as one is moving on the bike. As long as one is moving, they are truly going fast enough.

If you have questions about your ability to ride this tour, please contact our office via email or call us at 970.728.5891 - we'll more than happy to guide you!

Please also see this blog post for more information.

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.

Bryce to Zion MTB Tour: 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.

Day 0: Arrival in St. George

Guests either drive to St. George, Utah or fly into Las Vegas, Nevada (Harry Reid International Airport – LAS) and arrange for a shuttle to the meeting hotel in St. George, Utah. Shuttles run multiple times each hour. Reservations can be made with St. George Shuttle (800-933-8320) or St. George Express (435-652-1100) and should be made well in advance.

Alternatively you can also fly into St. George, Utah (SGU Regional Airport – SGU) which is serviced by Delta, American and United with limited daily flights.

Day 1: Losee Canyon 
13 to 23 miles with up to 2,800 feet of climbing
Additional E.F.I.: 17 miles with up to 1,500 feet of climbing

After a morning meet in St. George and the loading up of gear and bikes, we travel towards Bryce Canyon National Park. We then unload just before Bryce Canyon and depart for the first ride of the tour, first up the Losee Canyon Trail.

 

Day 2: Bryce Canyon National Park 
Segment 1: 17 miles with up to 1,400 feet of climbing
Segment 2: 14 miles with up to 1,350 feet of climbing

On our second day we depart camp and ride to Bryce Canyon National Park to see the orange Hoodoos while hiking the Wall Street trail (1.3 miles). In the mid afternoon we ride out of Bryce to camp in the Ponderosa Forest.

The views from here are spectacular with the Paunsaugunt Plateau and the Table Cliffs Plateau to the north, the Pink Cliffs to the south, and the Sevier River and the Markagunt Plateau to the west.

 

Day 3: Virgin River Rim Trail to Strawberry Point (Out & Back)
One-Way Out: 18 miles with up to 2,550 feet of climbing (with shuttle back)
Optional 36 miles with up to 5,260 feet of climbing (Roundtrip)

Today offers a simply spectacular ride along the mostly singletrack path of the Virgin River Rim Trail. The trail winds its course through old growth forests, across alpine meadows, and offers vista after vista. The destination is Strawberry Point – a dramatic little amphitheater that is filled with hoodoos, sinks, and gorges – and the views from here are breath taking! The standard route is an all-day out and back ride, or opt for just riding to Strawberry Point and we will shuttle you back to camp.

Day 4: Navajo Lake to Zion National Park
37 miles with up to 5,000 feet of descending! 

Day 4 offers a huge descent over 39-miles. This is easily the longest descent of the tour. Starting from Navajo Lake the first 15 miles are a descenders dream with an elevation gain of less than 200 feet and a loss of nearly 3,300 feet! After dropping down into Ashdown Canyon we follow a route alongside the North Fork of the Virgin River – this is the river that feeds into Zion National Park.

About half-way through the ride we hit some smooth hardpack and then eventually a paved road that takes us to the east entrance of Zion National Park. We then continue the ride into the park marveling at the magnificent formations that surround us. We then reach Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel where we will need to shuttle through with the support van. On the other side we remount the bikes and enjoy a short, but fast descent out of the West Entrance of Zion and into Springdale, Utah where tonight’s lodging awaits.

Day 5: Zion Canyon Ride and Zion Narrows Hike
Ride 17 miles with up to 1,200 feet of climbing
Optional Hiking 2-8 miles for 3-4 hours

From Springdale we ride along the Pa’rus Trail into Zion National Park where riders will enjoy a seven mile car-free journey along the floor of Zion Canyon past magnificent sandstone formations such as the Watchman, Court of the Patriarchs and eventually to the Temple of Sinawava.

On this day guests pack a lunch in the morning and can then choose from a variety of self-guided and self-supported hikes including the Narrows or Hidden Canyon. After your hike, ride back down the canyon to load up one final time and then shuttle back to St. George to end the tour.

Bryce to Zion MTB Tour: 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.