Grand Staircase Hiker’s Dream
Fully Guided Tour
Photography Paradise!
Interesting Geology!
Other Tours in or near Grand Staircase Escalante
Single Travelers & Private Tours
We can always accommodate single travelers via private tours ($799). Often times, we are also able to combine a single traveler with other scheduled parties; please give us a call at 435-644-5506 to discuss the latter option.
Private Tours are available to be booked online.
We go out of our way to open the wonders of the West to EVERYONE.
We are permitted, licensed, and insured.
Dreamland Safari Tours holds Special Use Permits from the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park, the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument/Paria Wilderness, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Kanab Bureau of Land Management, Kaibab National Forest, and Arizona Strip Bureau of Land Management.
Don't see your preferred departure date or time available via online booking? Give us a call.
For sunset or sunrise at our more remote locations, we recommend a scheduled or custom overnight or multi-day tour - and we are happy to work with you to develop an itinerary that meets your needs.
All listed tour durations and pickup times are approximate. Please allow 10-20 minutes of pickup time flexibility for unforeseen circumstances and varying pickup logistics. Water and snacks are provided on all tours. A lunch meal is included on all tours of 6+ hours. Vegetarian option available.
We reserve the right to fill all empty seats on non-private tours. Cancellation / Reschedule / Weather policy applies.
Please familiarize yourself with our FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS before contacting us.
Contact us
To contact us with other specific questions or begin Making Reservations click the "Book Now" Button on each tour page or click Contact Us for info on how to give us a call or shoot us an email.
Our Grand Staircase Hiker’s Dream Tour is just what it sounds like: an active day full of incredible vistas in Grand Staircase Escalante. Just like our Grand Staircase Photo Dream, this tour focuses on some of the best sights along Skutumpah and Cottonwood Roads.
Can’t get enough of those views from high up? We’ll spend the day hiking Yellow Rock and exploring the mesa edge amongst the seldom visited Rimrock Hoodoos. Ascending Yellow Rock is like traversing the surface of a giant gold marble embellished in brilliant swirls of orange and white. Magnificent views of the Grand Staircase form the backdrop for this dream landscape. The Rimrock Hoodoos are a fantastical forest of unlikely rock columns, not unlike the Toadstools – but this spot is far off the beaten path and, different from the Toadstools, it is unlikely that we’ll encounter anybody else.
Price
Private Tour Upgrade Available?
Tour Length
Departure Times
Difficulty (1-10)
Recommended abilities
Permits
Location
Attractions
Special Interests
These FAQs are specific to this tour. If you would like to view our general FAQs CLICK HERE.
1. How much hiking will I have to do to see Yellow Rock and the Rimrock Hoodoos?
Yellow Rock itself only requires about 3 miles of hiking, but those miles pack a punch. You’ll be ascending a 1000ft steep slope with difficult footing in order to get to Yellow Rock. Yellow Rock itself is a big dome; the most stunning color patches are well below its summit, but if you’d like to scramble to the top in order to enjoy great views of Grand Staircase you are looking at another ~300ft of ascent on slickrock. Good footwear and a daypack to carry water are a must; trekking poles with rubber tips are highly recommended.
The Rimrock Hoodoos are a 2 mile roundtrip hike that’s mostly flat – save for one steep scrambly section that is not to be underestimated.
2. How much time is spent driving vs. hiking on this tour?
This is one of our more active tours and you will spend considerable time out of the car. It’s about a 1 hour and 20 minute drive to the Yellow Rock trailhead from Kanab. So about 2 hours and 40 minutes are spent driving and more than 6 hours are spent out of the car hiking and exploring.
3. I am staying in Page. Where can we meet?
We offer pick-up service to any hotel or vacation rental in Kanab, Utah, but we do not pick up in Page, Arizona. If you are staying in Page, we can arrange a meeting point halfway between Page and Kanab. For this tour, we would meet you at the intersection of Highway 89 and Cottonwood Road, about 40 minutes west of Page. If you book the 8 a.m. time slot, that is the time the tour leaves Kanab. We would pick you up between 8:45 and 9 a.m. at the Cottonwood Canyon Road. We are based in Utah and operate on Utah time. During daylight savings time, it is one hour later in Utah than it is in Arizona.
4. Is there a bathroom on this tour?
There are no facilities on this trip. At any time, you may duck behind a tree or bush for privacy. Bury all solid waste. There is toilet paper, hand wipes and plastic bags in each truck. If you choose to use toilet paper, please place it in a plastic baggie and throw it in the trash bag at the truck. It cannot be buried or left on the ground.
5. Do you offer sunrise or sunset tours at Yellow Rock?
The aspect of Yellow Rock’s prime color patches aspect are not ideal for sunset and some of the best photography at Yellow Rock is actually at mid-day – though sunrise can be beautiful too . We love desert adventure as much as we love photography, and we have the ability to make an unforgettable sunrise adventure happen if you are keen on getting up really early. Call us at (435) 644-5506 to discuss custom options. If you are looking for a sunset spot, you may like our Sunset Safari Tour.
6. Are drones allowed on this tour?
Yellow Rock falls in the Paria-Hackberrry Wilderness Study Area and the Rimrock Hoodoos are in The Cockscom Wilderness Study Area. Even though drones are not expressly prohibited in wilderness study areas (like they are in Wilderness), please be mindful of the wilderness character of these areas. When operating a drone on tours, please be mindful of other guests on the tour and other hikers who may be in the area. People seek remote locations for the solitude. Please do not fly drones close to other people and limit the amount of time the drone is in the air. Always follow instructions from your guide.
To read more FAQs that are common to all of our tours, visit our FAQs page.
Guest Experiences with Dreamland Safari
Single Travelers
Please consult with us prior to booking online (unless you want to book a private tour, which you are welcome to do online at any point!). For non-private tours we have a two adult passenger minimum; we are likely able to find a seat for you on another group’s tour, but the process is easiest if you start by calling us or sending us an email to discuss options and find out which tours are running during your date window.
Yellow Rock is a singular formation with unparalleled color patterns.
This ancient petrified sand dune got its start 190 million years ago in a windswept desert frequented by wandering dinosaurs. The magic is still found here in the radiant reds, intense whites and luminous yellows. Brain rock, cross bedding and bizarre formations offer uncounted options for creative photographers.
Fully Guided Tour
Photography Paradise!
Interesting Geology!
Other Paria / Vermillion Cliffs Tours
We go out of our way to open the wonders of the West to EVERYONE.
We are permitted, licensed, and insured.
Dreamland Safari Tours holds Special Use Permits from the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park, the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument/Paria Wilderness, Kanab Bureau of Land Management and Arizona Strip Bureau of Land Management.
All Day Tours are 2 adult minimum. A single passenger must pay for two seats if there is not a scheduled tour. All daytours 50% off for children 15 and under. Some Day Tours are not appropriate for small children.
Tour departure times are chosen at reservation. All daytours are booked on demand with departure options to fit your schedule. Tours do not run on each departure time or everyday. For Sunset or Sunrise at our more remote locations please consider a scheduled or custom built overnight or multi-day tour. We do not provide Sunrise or Sunset Daytours except the Sunset Safari.
All listed tour durations and pickup times are approximate. Please allow 10-20 minutes of pickup time flexibility for unforeseen circumstances and varying pickup logistics. Water and snacks are provided on all tours. A lunch meal is included on all tours of 6+ hours. Vegetarian option available.
We reserve the right to fill all empty seats. Cancellation / Reschedule / Weather policy applies.
Please familiarize yourself with our FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS before contacting us.
To contact us with other specific questions or begin Making Reservations click the “Book Now” Button on each tour page or click Contact Us for info on how to give us a call or shoot us an email.
About The Grand Staircase Hiker’s Dream Tour
The Hiker’s Dream Tour is our answer to a commonly asked question: “I want to see the heart of Grand Staircase Escalante; where should I go?” – the answer is: it depends. With just over a million acres, Grand Staircase Escalante is massive and cannot possibly be seen in a day… but we’ll take you straight to some of our favorites. With the Hiker’s Dream Tour, we’ll get you out of the truck and deep into Grand Staircase Escalante’s most iconic spots.
Yellow Rock
For Yellow Rock our hike starts in Cottonwood Canyon and climbs a steep, rocky trail. We will gain almost 1,000 feet in elevation before we reach the top. The hike is strenuous but the rewards are great as a view of the Vermilion, White and Gray Cliffs of the Grand Staircase are revealed. See Castle Rock, Mollie’s Nipple and get a bird’s eye view of the famous Cockscomb.
There will be plenty of time for photography and roaming the enormous sandstone slope before heading back down the steep trail. We’ll likely see few others during our excursion.
The Rimrock Hoodoos
Next, we’ll drive to the Rimrock Hoodoos to get up close and personal with ancient stone toadstools. The outlandish terrain feels like something out of Alice in Wonderland where boulders balance precariously on columns of sandstone.
Unlike the more popular Toadstools hike on Highway 89, this secret spot is seldom visited and marked by dozens of remarkable hoodoos. The hoodoo hike is about 2 miles, and it involves some mild scrambling.
