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

Grand Staircase Utah MTB Tour: Highlights

Our Grand Staircase MTB tour is our entry level MTB tour. It combines FANTASTIC scenery, 2-nights lodging, 2-nights camping and non-technical mountains biking on a mixture of dirt and paved roads. The Grand Staircase MTB tour is a tour that will get you hooked on the thrill of mountain biking and perhaps camping!? 🙂

Grand Staircase Utah MTB Tour: Testimonials

Read what previous guests on our Grand Staircase Utah MTB Tour have been saying…

What a great trip for beginner mountain bikers! David and Hayden were phenomenal!!! You guys run great trips! Thanks so much for all the forethought and excellent guides! I am looking forward to more in the future! – Perri

Grand Staircase Utah 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.

2025 Tour Dates

• April 20 to 24, 2025 (Book Now!)

• September 8 to 12, 2025 (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!

Grand Staircase Utah MTB Tour: Overview

Meeting Town/Airport: Grand Junction, CO/Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT)

Ending Town/Airport: Grand Junction, CO/Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT)

Tour Length: 5-Days/4-Nights  (Two days lodging & two nights camping)

Total Miles: 80 to 125 miles, additional mileage options available. (Can I keep up on this tour?)

Mileage Range: 24 to 41 miles

Ability Levels: Intermediate (2/3) , Upper Intermediate (3)

Tour Cost: $2,125 per person.

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.

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

Rental Tent, Ground Pad and Sleeping Bag: $85 Lizard Head Cycling offers late model camping gear rentals. The rental tent is a 3-person Sierra Design tent (sleeps 2 comfortably). The ground pads are 1.5 inches thick and our synthetic sleeping bags are rated for 20 degrees (so you’ll feel warm & comfy in the Utah Wilderness). **Al la Carte tent rental is $55-.

Tour Includes: 5 days of guide service, 2-nights of lodging, 2 nights of camping, all meals (two at John’s favorite Hell’s Backbone Grill!), forest service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, shuttles and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental and massage are additional.

Accommodations: Two nights lodging at the Boulder Mountain Lodge, in Boulder, Utah. Two nights of camping.

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

☛ MUST READ: Training for Your First MTB Tour: 5 Best Tips to Improve Your Pedaling Technique

Grand Staircase Utah 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 1: Boulder Mountain
12-miles with 2,800 feet of descent

The tour meets at and departs from the Courtyard Grand Junction in the morning where we load bikes and gear into the support vehicle and then embark on scenic drive across the Beehive state.

We will shuttle to the top of Boulder Mountain and then get on the bikes to embark on a super-fun 2,800 foot descent along Highway 12 to Boulder, Utah to check into our favorite lodge of all, the Boulder Mountain Lodge.

For dinner we’ll unwind and dine at the award-winning Hell’s Backbone Grill where gracious owners and wonderful hosts, Jenn and Blake, treat you to a truly delicious and eclectic offering of fine dining choices. Their restaurant has received numerous praise, including this New York Times Story.

Day 2: Lower Calf Creek Falls
24 miles with up to 2,300 feet of climbing

On our first cycling day we ride from Boulder to the Calf Creek Recreation Area along the highly scenic Utah State Highway 12. Once at Calf Creek we change into hiking boots and enter this enchanting desert oasis with lush vegetation and beaver ponds soon arriving at the year-round 126-foot cascading waterfall of Lower Calf Creek Falls. We will spend a few hours searching Indian ruins and petroglyphs, then observe birds, deer and (if we’re lucky) a mountain lion. Enjoy lunch in the shade beneath the waterfall.

After the 5-mile walking roundtrip to Lower Calf Creek Falls, you can call it a day or challenge yourself with the 12 mile return ride back to Boulder. Upon returning to the resort, take a walk around the adjacent bird sanctuary or enjoy a nap under a large cottonwood tree. We love the Boulder Mountain Lodge!

Day 3: Boulder to Lampstand Mesa
27 miles with up to 2,100 feet of climbing

Starting from Boulder Mountain Lodge, we begin riding down along the paved Burr Trail and through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument passing through The Gulch, the Circle Cliffs and Deer Creek Recreation Area. Along the way you will be amazed as you ride past the 400-foot tall Wingate Sandstone walls of Long Canyon to dazzling views across the high desert canyonlands. Turning off the Burr Trail we hit some dual-track making our way to our campsite near the Lampstand Mesa which will be our basecamp for the next two nights.

Day 4: Wolverine Loop Road
41 miles with up to 2,500 feet of climbing

This day is a mix of pavement and dirt. Riding from basecamp, we pedal along the Burr Trail to the start of the Wolverine Loop Road where we find ourselves deep in pinyon and juniper trees and more amazing Wingate Sandstone. This road offers some great downhill sections and moderate climbs rewarded with commanding views of the Henry Mountains. We continue along Wolverine Loop Road through Death Hollow and then to Wolverine Petrified Wood Area for lunch and then a hike. Continuing on our ride we ride through Horse Canyon and Wolverine Canyon eventually making it back to the Burr Trail and then completing the day back to our campsite.

Day 5: Burr Trail to Glen Canyon
42 miles with up to 1,715 feet of climbing and 4,270 feet of descending

After packing up camp and after a hearty breakfast, we pedal down towards the Waterpocket Fold which is a massive geological land form known as a monocline that spans for over a 100 miles through the semi-arid plateau of central Utah and which defines Capitol Reef National Park. We will stop along the way for a short hike in Upper Muley Twist Canyon to glimpse the dramatic views of the Waterpocket Fold from the Strike Valley Overlook. After the hike we descend down the twisty switchbacks of Burr Canyon.

After Burr Canyon we ride along remote desert dual-track of Burr Trail on top of Big Thomson Mesa with the Waterpocket Fold to our right for most of the afternoon eventually making our way into the upper reaches of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area where the riding ends. We load up the support vehicle and then shuttle back to Grand Junction to end our tour.

Grand Staircase Utah MTB Tour: Logistics & FAQs

Bike Shipping

Lizard Head Cycling recommends shipping with BikeFlights.com. Bikes can be shipped either to our partner bike shop in each meeting town for professional assembly or directly to the meeting hotel for self-assembly. Bike boxes can generally be left at the meeting hotel during the tour. Bikes shipped across the continental US should be shipped 8 days prior to your tour.

Meals
Any dietary preferences or allergies should be noted on the registration form. Each of Lizard Head Cycling’s lunches contains gluten free options.

Ride Difficulty
This custom tour is designed for cyclists with various levels of fitness. Each day there are additional mileage options for advanced riders.

Tour Support
A 15-passenger van and trailer that carries luggage, food and equipment will support this tour.

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