Flow of the Day: The itinerary is designed to maximize our experience in nature. We won’t, however, be rushing from place to place to chase the largest species list possible. Our goal is to spend time appreciating the landscape and wildlife, and enjoying our encounters at an enjoyable pace.

Mornings and Evenings will be spent observing the canyons and landscapes. Afternoons will be spent on easy hikes to fantastic places, or driving between parks.

While our pacing is generally slow and relaxed, we are far from our lodging during the day, making it difficult to return to the rooms for an afternoon siesta.

Clothing: Pack light field clothing of neutral colors. Bring several pairs of long pants and comfortable, light, airy shirts. Long-sleeved (relaxed fit) shirts are useful for protection from the sun, as is a light hat or cap. Good rain gear is essential, and a small umbrella is also recommended. Be sure to have a pair of comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots, plus a second pair of tennis shoes or sandals. A couple sweaters or fleeces, plus hat and gloves, is important for the mornings. Though we are in the desert, we will be at elevations approaching 9,000 ft, so we can experience near-freezing temperatures in the early morning, and potentially into the 90s in the middle of the day.

Equipment: Bring a pair of binoculars and a camera with extra batteries. The guides will carry spotting scopes. Pack sunglasses and sunscreen, a small flashlight or headlamp, a small alarm clock (a smartphone will work), and a small daypack.

Health Considerations: Please consult your physician before the trip about the elevations we will be at. The region sits on a giant plateau that rises over 9,000 ft above sea level at points, including at our lodge at Bryce Canyon.

Physical Expectations: Much of the walking on this trip will be along roadsides or easily walked trails, but do expect some mud, potential soggy conditions, and some uneven and uphill terrain. Some walking destinations may make those with a major fear of heights uncomfortable, but we will never be in places that force travelers to hike near cliff edges or risky exposures.

Participants should be able to hike on moderate terrain at least 3-4 miles per day, and be ready to expect conditions that may be hot, cold, dry, wet, or anything in-between.

This trip is led by NBNC Program Director Sean Beckett. Sean has guided wildlife safaris, photography tours, and birding trips across North America for almost 15 years, including in the canyonlands of the southwest. His experience as a top-tier guide is complemented by a background in western wildlife research ranging from from raptor banding to deer monitoring to cougar tracking. Sean holds a M.S. from the University of Vermont's Field Naturalist program, and guides regularly with the World Wildlife Fund.

This trip is co-guided by Bryan Shirley, a Utah-based naturalist and expert bird guide with deep expertise in the desert southwest. Bryan leads weeks-long nature expeditions like ours year-round, including our 2022 NBNC Canyons trip.

What’s included:

• All lodging and meals.
• Two expert naturalist guides.
• Entrance fees and park admissions.
• Transportation in comfortable vans, including transfer to and from the airport.
• Pre-departure orientation session before the trip.

What is not included: Airfare, gratuities, pre- and post-trip meals, incidentals, and travel insurance.

Meals will be a combination of sit-down dinners, to-go lunches, picnic meals, and hotel continental breakfasts. We arrange our meals to maximize our time in nature, but we always plan to have at least one hot restaurant meal each day. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

Lodging will be at Best Western-style accommodations or similar throughout the trip. Lodging is selected to balance location with affordability (hotel lodging around National Parks has become extraordinarily expensive in recent years).

Ground Transportation

During the trip we will be traveling in two minivans, each driven by one of the adventure's two guides. This will allow us great flexibility to move around our busy national parks, and more comfort for travelers while on longer drives between our destinations.

Please note, this trip covers long distances and spends long periods on the road on many days. This is the nature of exploring Utah and Arizona!

Air Travel

Travelers will be responsible for arriving in Salt Lake City by mid-afternoon on September 21. We will arrange to pick up travelers from the airport that day. Travelers will need to rely on their own transportation if arriving in town prior to the 21st.

Travelers will be responsible for booking flights out of Salt Lake City no earlier than 3 pm on our final day. For travelers staying an extra night in SLC, we can arrange drop-offs at your lodging in town.

For a list of species seen on previous tours in this region, contact us at [email protected]

NBNC is proud to announce that all of our trips from 2025 onward are 100% carbon-neutral. This includes each traveler's flights to and from this destination, as well as carbon emitted during the trip.

How it Works: The voluntary carbon market has come under intense scrutiny in recent years as the legitimacy and effectiveness of many carbon offsetting projects have been called into question. That's why we're proud to be working directly with the Northeast Wilderness Trust's Wild Carbon program. The carbon credits we purchase to offset our carbon emissions are used to permanently conserve forestland as wilderness. Why wilderness offsets?

• It's Permanent: Unlike most contracts in the voluntary carbon market that have a lifespan of just 10-20 years, wilderness conservation is forever. 
• It's Additive: Acreage purchased and conserved through wild carbon offsets would not be protected anyway through another mechanism later.
• It's "Leakproof:" Forest protection often just shifts and concentrates timber harvest elsewhere. But wilderness conservation is different–wilderness protection here doesn't just move carbon emission over there. That's because old forests function very differently than young ones. Big trees and old soils capture and store vastly more carbon than a young forest of the same acreage. Growing an old forest is like building a natural carbon sequestration factory!
• It's More than Carbon: With wilderness protection comes additional co-benefits like biodiversity conservation, flood resilience, and habitat connectivity. This way, going carbon-neutral isn't just negating our carbon footprint, it's also actively helping conservation in other ways.

Want to learn more?: 

• Read The Ecotourism Dilemma our article on how we think about carbon emissions in the context of nature travel.
• Check out this FAQ for NBNC travelers about Northeast Wilderness Trust's Wild Carbon Program.
• To learn more about forest carbon storage, please watch Understanding Forest Carbon by climate forester Dr. Ali Kosiba.

• Please see our COVID-19 page for NBNC's full policies surrounding COVID and other illnesses.
• All participants and instructors will be required to affirm negative test results from a self-administered Covid-19 rapid antigen test taken prior to arrival on the first day of the program.
• Participants on NBNC’s Adventures Afar and multi-night overnight trips must be comfortable with the possibility that someone on the trip may contract Covid-19 (or other contagious illnesses) during the trip, even if they test negative on the first day as required. NBNC will attempt to limit exposure and isolate any such participant, which could include that participant incurring additional expenses such as hotel rooms, meals, or transportation, and missing out on group activities. However, isolation may not be possible at all times on all trips, so all participants should be aware that circumstances may require that a participant with Covid-19 continue to travel with the group.
• Participants experiencing respiratory symptoms will be required to wear a mask at all times when around other travelers.
• Failure to comply with the health and safety instructions of the trip guides will result in dismissal from the trip.
• NBNC encourages all Adventures Afar participants to be honest and transparent about their symptoms, for the sake of their health and the health of those they are traveling with.
• NBNC encourages all Adventures Afar participants to secure individual travel insurance.

Ready for the Southwest?
Email [email protected] to get signed up.

Payment Schedule

• A $500 deposit is required to reserve your space on the trip.
• 50% of the trip balance will be due 6 months before the departure date.
• The remaining trip balance will be due 3 months before the departure date.

All payments can be made via check to: North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VT 05602

Cancellation Policies

We understand that incidents and emergencies arise that may force you to cancel your trip. However, NBNC invests considerable time and, in many cases, non-refundable payments to lodges and local contractors to secure our rooms and programming. NBNC aims to be as flexible as possible in our refund policy, but a full refund of your payments may not be possible after the dates indicated. All cancellations must be made via email to NBNC.

• Cancellation more than 180 days before the trip: Full refund of all payments.

• Cancellation 90-180 days before the trip: Refund of any payments minus the $500 deposit. If your space is filled by another traveler, we will also refund your deposit.

• Cancellation 30-90 days before the trip: No refund guaranteed. If your space is filled by another traveler, we will provide a full refund minus the $500 deposit.

• Cancellation less than 30 days before the trip: No refunds guaranteed.