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At-A-Glance

Trip Dates:

September 8, 2012 through September 13, 2012

September 8-13, 2012

Only 6 spaces are left for this southwest journey.

The intrigue of the past, beauty of the present, and pleasures of the outdoors blend perfectly on this journey of discovery to the fascinating Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Enjoy guided hikes into a landscape of spires, fins, arches, and canyons, where you will learn both the grand and subtle influences that shape life here. Accompany expert guide into a world where ancestral puebloans adapted to the land at Mesa Verde National Park and view petroglyphs from the comfort of your raft on a morning float down the Colorado River.

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For details about this trip, download the brochure (pdf)

Tour Highlights

Enjoy a variety of easy hikes that take you past stately spires, under graceful arches, and through multi-hued canyons. Visit the architectural marvel of Mesa Verde National Park. Spend a morning on the Colorado River in an oar-powered raft. Keep your eyes open for peregrine falcons, golden eagles, and other desert wildlife during your wildlife watch excursions.

Tour Details

Arrive/Depart

Durango, Colorado

Length of Tour

6 days/5 nights

Pace

Easy to moderately active, offering a choice of activities each day to suit different activity levels and interests. Be prepared for a variety of hikes and walks on uneven trails.

Price Includes

All accommodations, meals as noted (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner), ground transportation, entrance fees, professional guide services, park and other entrance fees, and miscellaneous program expenses.

Price Does Not Include

Roundtrip airfare to and from destination, gratuities for naturalist guides, alcoholic beverages, or personal expenses.

Payments/Cancellations

Space is confirmed by calling the NPCA at 800.628.7275. A $500 per person deposit is due at registration. Final payment will be invoiced separately and is due 90 days prior to departure. Cancellation notice must be submitted in writing and is effective upon date of receipt. Cancellations up to 90 days prior receive a refund, less the $250 per person handling fee. Cancellations 90-61 days prior to departure, 25% of the tour cost is forfeited; 60-31 days prior to departure, 50% of the tour cost is forfeited; 30 days or fewer prior to departure result in the loss of 100% of your total cost.

Travel Insurance

To protect yourself from the loss of deposit and cancellation fees, you are encouraged to purchase travel insurance. If you need assistance, NPCA recommends contacting Travel Insurance Services.

Daily Itinerary

Note: Activities will include hiking in a range of conditions; all tour participants should be able to hike 2-5 miles over uneven terrain with some elevation gain during the course of a day.

September 8: Arrival in Durango, Colorado, & Arches National Park, Utah

Today we drive from Durango to Arches National Park and our first stop in the Windows District. This small jewel of the National Park System contains the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches, as well as other unusual rock formations. After a picnic lunch, we hike the Devil’s Garden District and visit both Landscape Arch and Pine Tree Arch. We stop at Balanced Rock and Delicate Arch viewpoint before leaving Arches National Park for the day. Gonzo Inn (D)

September 9: Colorado River Float & Canyonlands National Park

A quiet morning float* on the Colorado River takes you past the awesome Fisher Towers (a series of free-standing rock formations). The largest stands over 900 feet tall. Along with the spectacular scenery, your 13-mile river run splashes through some easy Class I and Class II rapids. After our time on the river, we visit the Island in the Sky mesa at Canyonlands National Park. Gonzo Inn (B,L,D)

*No rafting experience is necessary.

September 10: Canyonlands National Park & Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument

Follow intricate trails through canyons, over slickrock, and past the bizarre rock world of the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Among the hikes we explore are Cave Springs and Potholes Point. We might also take the off-trail hike into Shea Canyon for some more rock art. Next stop is Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument, with one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs, carved by Native Americans during prehistoric and historic periods, spanning more than 2,000 years. Recapture Lodge (B,L,D)

September 11: Monument Valley

You’ll recognize Monument Valley from old John Wayne westerns, with red mesas and free-standing rock formations reaching up to 1,000 feet tall. The valley lies within the Navajo Nation, and a local Navajo guide will take us on a six-hour jeep tour deep into the landscape, delving also into the Navajo perspective of history. A number of iconic formations are on the route, including the Mittens, Elephant Butte, Camel Butte, and the North Window. After an authentic Navajo lunch will see Sand Springs, Yei Bi Chei, and the Totem Pole. Recapture Lodge (B,L,D)

September 12: Mesa Verde National Park

An incredible day awaits at Mesa Verde National Park which preserves the one thousand year culture of the remarkable Ancestral Pueblo people. Visit the fascinating Spruce Tree Cliff Dwellings and see the famous Cliff Palace, two of the largest cliff dwellings built between AD 1211 and 1278.

Late afternoon we settle into our accommodations at a lovely adobe lodge set in a quiet red rock valley. Tonight enjoy a sumptuous farewell dinner and reminisce with your fellow travelers. Strater Hotel (B,L,D)

September 13: Departures from Durango, Colorado

Bid goodbye to this unforgettable landscape and head to Durango to catch your flight home. (B)

Pricing Details

NPCA Member Price From

$2,695 - $2,995* per person double occupancy; $450 single supplement.

* Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Deposit

$500 per person

Map

Alternate Departures

Unable to join us for this tour? NPCA’s travel partner, Off the Beaten Path, is offering additional naturalist led journeys to Colorado and Utah this spring and fall. Schedule of alternate departures:

• May 13-18, 2012
• September 2-7, 2012

Off the Beaten Path shares NPCA’s love of national parks and our philosophy of engaged, small group travel. For more information on alternate departures, contact Off the Beaten Path directly at 800-445-2995.

Travel Partner

Off the Beaten Path

Lodging Info

Gonzo Inn

Recapture Lodge

Strater Hotel

Booking Info

To contact NPCA's ParkScapes program for questions or reservations please call 800-628-7275 or email travel@npca.org. You may also book directly online.

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