Mansard Trail Hiking Tour
5 Miles, 1200ft Ascent
Great Views & Rock Art
Single Travelers & Private Tours
We can always accommodate single travelers via private tours. 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.
If you are looking for an active half-day adventure with amazing views, spectacular geology and unique rock art: the Mansard Trail has it all. Located a mere ten minute drive outside Kanab, the Mansard rewards all those intrepid adventurers who are willing to take on 1,200ft of ascent over the course of a moderately strenuous 5 mile hike (round trip). The steepest part of the trail requires a short section of hands-on scrambling which is nowhere near as bad as it may look at first glance, not for humans nor for their four-legged friends — we know many dogs who are able to get up this section without the assistance of their humans.
If you want to stretch the legs on a moderately strenuous hike, learn something about Kanab’s geology and the region’s Native American history, and take home some great photos all in a half-day’s excursion — this is the tour for you.
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. Is the Great Chamber Adventure an easy hike?
The Great Chamber is not a long hike, but it does require a steep uphill climb in deep sand to gain the entrance to the Chamber. There is also a small fence to step over coming out of the parking area. You should be steady on your feet and feel confident in your ability to tackle a hard hiking effort for ~10-15 minutes.
2. Where exactly is the Great Chamber?
The Great Chamber is in the great Kanab area, on deep sand roads a few miles off the closest paved roads.
3. Is the Great Chamber good for photography? May I bring my tripod?
Yes! The Great Chamber is fantastic for photography. Landscape photographers will delight in early morning sun burst opportunities as the sand dune in the Great Chamber is bathed in a soft glow. Hobbyist photographers love the Chamber at all times of the day, including in the afternoon for wonderful and unique silhouette shots. For astro photographers, the Great Chamber is a cherished Milky Way location — best approached in the spring (May through July) when the Milky Way rises in such a way that it is beautifully framed in the Great Chamber’s opening. If you are interested in Great Chamber Milky Way photography, check out our premium Great Chamber Milky Way workshop with Cody York.
5. Are drones allowed on this tour?
Yes, drones are allowed on this tour, but the Great Chamber is not necessarily a good place to fly a drone. It is a singular spot and there may be other people in close proximity. When operating a drone on tours, please be mindful of other guests on the tour and other hikers who may be in the area. Others 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 Tours
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.
The Mansard Trail is a local favorite hike. Fantastic views, unusual rock art and solitude far from the crowds combine into a memorable half-day adventure that is a quintessential Kanab experience.
Come with us on an exhilarating hike that will take you up the side of the Vermilion Cliffs just east of Kanab, following in the foot steps of native Americans and early white explorers in the area, including Major John Wesley Powell. Gentle switchbacks with increasingly fantastic views lead you on a 1,000ft ascent, interrupted only by one short (8ft) section of steep scrambling. Once at at the top of the Vermilion Cliffs, your guide will lead you across a sage brush plateau to an alcove full of unusual rock art.
Be prepared to put some effort into reaching this extraordinary location, while learning facets of the Kanab area’s history and geology from our expert naturalist guides.
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.
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.
About the Mansard Trail Hike
Is the Mansard Trail in the Vermilion Cliffs?
Well, that’s a complicated question. The Mansard Trail is NOT in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, nor is it in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, but it DOES climb up the side of the Vermilion Cliffs and it IS part of the Grand Staircase Escalante land form! Clear as mud? Let us lead you on this adventure and our guides will help you make sense of all of it.
How fit do you have to be to hike the Mansard Trail?
If you want to hike up all the way to the amazing rock art panel at the end of the Mansard Trail, you are looking at just over 5 miles roundtrip – and 1,200ft of ascent (plus the same vertical distance back down). The ascent is mostly gradual, but if you aren’t used to multi-hour hikes with lots of vertical change this trail will make you work for it.
Is it possible to hike the Mansard Trail without a guide?
Yes! You don’t need to hire us to hike the Mansard. That said, many guests enjoy the peace of mind and education aspect of hiking with a guide. All of our guides are naturalist interpretive guides with deep passion and broad knowledge of the local history, geology, flora, fauna, and more.
On a related note – if you are thinking about hiking the Mansard Trail on your own, and would like recommendations for a few more hikes that you can easily access & do without a guide, you may enjoy this article on our blog: Hikes to Do Around Kanab Without Needing 4-Wheel-Drive
