Off the Beaten Path: Backcountry Hiking in Southwestern Utah

My experience with Off the Beaten Path: Backcountry Hiking in SW Utah was everything I hoped for and more: well organized, great hiking with stunning landscape in geologically interesting areas, knowledgable and supportive leaders and expert lecturers, comfortable lodging and good food!

This was a terrific hiking experience and complimented by excellent staff and accommodations

I have only positive things to say about this program. The leaders, Chris and Brian, were exceptional. They were just what we needed to be albe to enjoy and complete our hikes. The hikes themselves were moderate to strenuous so make sure you're fit enough to travel several miles day after day, climb, and scramble over rocks. Be prepared to possibly go beyond your comfort zone. Be able to walk on a narrow ledge. If you can do these things then I highly recommend this program.

Southwest Utah is a beautiful geological wonder and a great way to explore and learn more about it is by experiencing it through the Off the Beaten Path: Backcountry Hiking in Southwestern Utah Road Scholar trip. You will be lead by a wonderful team, meet new friends and experience hiking through canyons, sandstone bowls, rock scrambling and elevations with glorious views. I am looking forward to my best Road Scholar adventure.

Push yourself and your body to new heights. Climb over and under boulders and trees of every size and color that will take your breathe away in more way than one.

Sherry, Chris and Gearard you guys' rock! I had a fabulous time! It has driven me to challenge myself for more trips like these. Thank you for the lifetime of experience.!

If you like to hike to spectacular locations, with physically challenging days, this is for you! Sherry, Chris and Jared were always prepared, considerate and encouraging. Our group was composed of all solo travelers, which I gather was atypical, but they worked to bring us together while still respecting differences. The hikes were fun and occasionally strenuous with fantastic scenery. The educational aspects were informative but pithy, not too far "into the weeds". I would take this trip again!

Outstanding week! The hikes in the varied and beautiful landscapes of SW Utah were challenging and so much fun! Our leaders, Sherry, Chris, and Brian, were fabulous...knowledgeable, experienced, and very personable. The accommodations were very comfortable, and food was tasty and plentiful. I highly recommend this Road Scholar adventure for anyone who loves hiking.

Exploring this area has been on my bucket list for a long time. I'm delighted with what I learned, saw and did on this trip. I would recommend it highly to anyone fit enough to scramble over precarious rocks and with stamina to hike long distances daily.

This was my first Road Scholar adventure, and it exceeded all expectations! Sherry and Chris took us to truly off-the-beaten-path trails. It felt as though we became a part of a secret club to witness the beauty of Utah. The leaders were knowledgeable, adaptive and responsive to the group. Sherry quickly earned our trust which gave us the encouragement and confidence to tackle some challenging terrain. I can’t wait for my next Road Scholar adventure!

The Off the Beaten Path: Backcountry Hiking in Southwestern Utah Trip is a fantastic trip. I highly recommend it. You do need to be an avid hiker able to complete 6-12 miles a day in sometimes steep environments with scrambling and bouldering required. The views were magnificent and the hikes varied from wide open bowls of ancient sand dunes to steep and deep canyons and everything in between. If you want a challenge with lots of eye candy in views, this one is for you.

The program is listed a challenging, and it is. If you like a vigorous and educational hiking experience with great people this is for you. Our group had people from 60 to 76 years old and everyone was up for the experience.

Nice trip. New areas to explore. Fairly rigerous for 70 year olds. Wilderness is disappearing, see it while you still can.

The program was very challenging but that's was what I really like as you feel a sense of accomplishment. I feel for anyone thinking of doing this trip you need to prepare as you need upper body and length strength to effectively accomplish and enjoy the hiking. Sherrie and Chris were very good at how they led the hikes. I would definitely recommend this if you want a great challenging hiking experience

Sherry, the lead guide is very approachable, friendly, knowledgeable about the area, the plants, the fauna, and the geology. She is top class. The food was excellent and you get access to a variety of types of food. Vegetarian needs are also accomodated. The hotel was clean and well located. Everything in the room worked as intended. The hikes are as described, challenging. Do not register for this trip unless you have good balance, fair upper-body and leg strength, and have high physical endurance. The hike to Water Canyon/Squirrel Canyon started at 9:00 a.m. and ended at 5:00 p.m. We covered almost ten miles on this hike. Fourteen of the sixteen hikers were very tired the next day. Luckily an easy day is built into the schedule on the day following the tough hike. The scenery is awesome and because the trips are only scheduled for spring and fall, the weather is usually perfect for hiking. This trip is very highly recommended for those who are phsically fit and want a challenge. Oh, two of the hikes required scrambling, that is, using all four limbs to navigate/negotiate obstacles along the route. The guides were equipped with webbed ropes to help the hikers better navigate challenging areas.

This is a terrific program in a breathtaking landscape. For this flatlander, it was an opportunity to push myself: it is a physically challenging program, but for me just the right amount of challenge. That being said, it's essential to read the descriptions of the hikes carefully before enrolling to make sure this trip is for you. The group leaders were wonderful and added to the experience, as did fellow travelers.

Wow, what a great and challenging trip. Amazing hikes in the St George area where there were far fewer other hikers. The location, the hotel, the food at local restaurants were all great choices. We had lunches provided every day for the long hiking days. I will observe there were a number of people on the trip that hadn't read the program descriptions or perhaps did not understood just how challenging these hikes were going to be. This was *not* just a hike down some trails, we were climbing or dropping through some challenging rock and boulder formations, going up or down some fairly steep trails with some impressive drop-offs right next to the trails. If you're ready for some great challenging hikes that will most likely to push you out of your comfort zone, this is the trip for you! The guides were there for us the whole time, and helped us overcome many many obstacles on the hikes. Great time!

OMG how can I find words to describe this amazing tour?Have been my first ever RS I must say I really enjoyed. The knowledge, concerns, abilities and strength of the leaders were remarkable. We all felt like a family when we had to leave. The colors and formations were inspiring and we were guided places I would have never seen any other way.A challenge physicaly ,and a lot to learn, LOVED RS!

Challenging hikes in beautiful southwest Utah’s stunning formations, canyons & cliffs. Great program for those who love challenging hikes (which are fully guided and supported by the instructors), along with in-depth explanations of the geology. Our group of like-minded enthusiastic hikers added to the fun.

Awesome and strenuous hiking opportunities with significant geology and history information added in. I learned a lot and am encouraged to go back for more!

I am getting used to it. I liked the old website. The new one seems more simplistic but it is not necessarily easier to use.

This is an amazing program and like nothing else I have ever done. John and Sherri are a pleasure to hike with and have a wealth of information that they share with the group. The program is accurately described as challenging and the rewards are well worth the effort. We hiked in places that we saw no one outside of our group the entire day and much of the time we were not on established trails. The terrain was varied and is well described in the RS itinerary as was what you can expect for each of the daily hikes. John and Sherri were flexible and creative when hiking options were necessary. For those who may be hesitant to sign up for this program be aware that it is physically demanding but we always had alternatives for the most difficult areas. Weather was also a factor as the temperatures were in the mid-80's one day and then barely above freezing on another. Having clothing options is a must. Sherri knew the areas we hiked extremely well and was helpful to those of us who were not as experienced. This program was a personal goal and accomplishment for me and I am very grateful to RS and specifically to John who was especially supportive and encouraging. If you have the desire to learn about the area, discipline to work hard, and hike where you wouldn't otherwise go on, I highly recommend this program with John and Sherri. The experience was priceless and I look forward to more programs offered in the SW areas of Utah.

The overview accurately describes this trip, off the beaten path and challenging, scrambling over boulders and walking along paths that were steep. The activity rating of "3" was spot on, so do get in shape before signing up, you will enjoy the hiking so much more. Be prepared for unpredictable spring weather, 80+ degrees one day and then snow and rain the next. And if you're the type of person that can't handle changes in the itinerary because of unforeseen circumstances, such as weather or trail closures, this might not be the trip for you. Did I have a good time? Absolutely!! Our guides, Sherry and John, were kind, considerate and had great senses of humor. My fellow hikers were interesting, laid back and always willing to help each other. I would highly encourage anyone interested in geology and hiking to take this trip. Another wonderful trip with Road Scholar.