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Arizona/Utah

On the Road: Absolute Southwest — A Canyonlands Adventure

Program No. 8718RJ

This one has it all: three iconic national parks, two national monuments, a raft trip on the Colorado, a Jeep trip in Monument Valley and quintessential Southwest landscapes throughout!

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12 days

11 nights

30 meals

11B 10L 9D

Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner

Phoenix, AZ

Montezuma Castle National Monument, Sedona

Sedona, AZ

Oak Creek Canyon, Museum of Northern Arizona, Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon, AZ

Natural & Human History at the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon, AZ

Desert View Watchtower, Cameron Trading Post, Goulding's

Monument Valley, UT

Monument Valley by 4WD Truck

Monument Valley, UT

Antelope Canyon and Glen Canyon Dam Visit.

Page/Lake Powell, AZ

Horseshoe Bend Overlook, Glen Canyon Float Trip

Page/Lake Powell, AZ

The Grand Staircase, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park

Zion National Park’s Slickrock Country & Zion Canyon

Zion National Park

Zion Park Shuttle to Viewpoints and Nature Walks.

Zion National Park

Program Concludes

Las Vegas, NV

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At a Glance

Journey to Sedona, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Learn about the geologic upheavals, native cultures and settlers that give this region its character. Traverse storied landscapes on the Colorado Plateau, experience the Navajo Reservation and gaze up at canyon rims from the Colorado River.

Activity Level

Keep the Pace

Walking up to two miles daily over varied terrain. Elevations just over 8,000 feet. Participants may elect to opt out of longer walks.

Best of all, you’ll…

Enjoy a Navajo-led 4x4 adventure in Monument Valley and a smooth-water raft float on the Colorado River.
Experience the famous Antelope Canyon, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.
Study the region’s geology, natural history, Native Americans, current issues and historical characters.

General Notes

This program starts in Phoenix, Ariz. and ends in Las Vegas, Nev. Transportation on this program is by full size motorcoach, which seats about 40 participants.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Karlyn Bunting

Karlyn Bunting grew up in Page, Arizona, after the construction of Glen Canyon Dam – at the heart of what is commonly called the Grand Circle. He loves to hike and explore the many natural wonders of the region, and is deeply interested those who traveled this region prior to our modern day — from the Ancestral Puebloans to the Mormon migrations. Karlyn is also an avid photographer and storyteller, and enjoys sharing his unique and multi-faceted perspective of the Colorado Plateau.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Stewart Lasseter View biography

Stewart Lasseter completed studies in geo-science, natural history and Spanish at the University of Arizona. He then studied as the protégé of a Native American healer, learning from her practices of wholeness, kinesiology, mind-body medicine, and dyslexia correction. He has years of experience bringing groups in touch with the natural world and has completed post-graduate studies in health sciences at Prescott College.

Bryan Bates View biography

Bryan Bates is an ex-officio member of the governing board for the International Society for Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture. Under a NASA grant, he created a course manual for archaeoastronomy and published research on a solar calendar at Wupatki and an equinox site near Stoneman Lake. He is involved in a research project on archaeoastronomy at Mesa Verde National Park and teaches archaeoastronomy, as well as biology, environmental science, natural history and chemistry.

Karlyn Bunting View biography

Joanna Joseph View biography

Daughter of a Montana saddle maker, Joanna Joseph is an artist, musician and interpreter of human history. At the University of Montana, she studied art, drama and classical Greek. Joanna was also program supervisor at Glen Canyon Dam, developing an appreciation for the importance of water in the Southwest. A resident of Big Water, Utah, she has worked with Road Scholar since 1994.

Devon Beam View biography

Devon Beam has called Northern Arizona home since 2018. After working in the outdoor industry for the past 15 years, he began working with Road Scholar to continue his ongoing passion for promoting outdoor recreation. Devon has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Central America. His hobbies include traveling, baking bread, playing guitar, and biking in remote places with his spouse.

Cassandra Dakan View biography

Cassandra Dakan earned an M.A. in cultural anthropology from Northern Arizona University, where she later taught for a decade. She has lived on both U.S. coasts and the Gulf of Mexico, and visited all 50 states, Europe, China, and Africa. In her 60s, she served in the Peace Corps in Fiji and the Eastern Caribbean.

Suggested Reading List (7 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

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On the Road: Absolute Southwest — A Canyonlands Adventure

Program Number: 8718

Life in Stone: Fossils of the Colorado Plateau

by Sadler, Christa

Like pages in a book, the layers of sedimentary rock that are exposed on the Colorado Plateau tell us much about the diversity of environments that have come and gone over a period of hundreds of millions of years. This region is recognized as one of the finest earth-science laboratories in the world. Analysis of the fossil record and new discoveries across the plateau are answering questions, solving mysteries, and making connections that help us understand the history of life worldwide. "Life In Stone" tells the story of past environments and current discoveries with numerous illustrations and lively text written for a general audience. 72pp

The Southwest

by Lavender, David

A historical and cultural overview, including discussions of present-day racial, conservation, and economic problems. Easy reading, fascinating history. 364pp

Living at the Edge: Explorers, Exploiters, and Settlers of the Grand Canyon Region

by Anderson, Michael F

A comprehensive look at the pioneer history of the Grand Canyon Region, from its earliest residents to the creation of the national park at the end of the pioneer era (circa 1920). Included are close to two hundred historic photographs, many never published before, and 12 custom maps of the region. 184pp

Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers

by Kawano, Kenji

The American offensive in the Pacific during World War II [was] hampered by the Japanese ability to crack the most secret U.S. Codes. Navajo was virtually unknown outside the reservations, ... and [their] code proved uncrackable. Kenji Kawano's striking photographs capture the quiet dignity of the surviving veterans as they recall their actions --Los Angeles Times 128 pp

Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West

by Stegner, Wallace

Here Wallace Stegner, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, gives us a thrilling account of Powell's struggle against western geography and Washington politics. We witness the successes and frustrations of Powell's distinguished career, and appreciate his unparalleled understanding of the West. "Stegner's most exciting work." (San Francisco Chronicle) 496pp

Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water

by Reisner, Marc

The story of the American West is the story of a relentless quest for a precious resource: water. It is a tale of rivers diverted and dammed, of political corruption and intrigue, of billion-dollar battles over water rights, of ecologic and economic disaster. In Cadillac Desert Marc Reisner writes of the earliest settlers, lured by the promise of paradise, and of the ruthless tactics employed by Los Angeles politicians and business interests to ensure the city's growth. He documents the bitter rivalry between two government giants, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in the competition to transform the West. Based on more than a decade of research, Cadillac Desert is a stunning expose and a dramatic, intriguing history of the creation of an Eden--and Eden that may be only a mirage. 608pp

Native Roads : The Complete Motoring Guide to the Navajo and Hopi Nations

by Kosik, Frank

Using the mile markers of the US, Arizona, and Navajo highways and routes running through the Navajo and Hopi nations as her organizing principle, the author offers a travel guide to the sites found in the area. Natural, historical, and cultural points of interest are covered, along with some information on lodging and services. 280 pp

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On the Road: Absolute Southwest — A Canyonlands Adventure

Enroll with Confidence

Protecting the Environment

At a Glance

Best of all, you’ll…

General Notes

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