The Two Inn Trail

In a country where rough camping in tents is de rigeur, we are delighted to offer this unusual combination of riding backcountry trails, and overnighting in comfortable inns. Some of the most spectacular scenery in the Southwest can be found in and around the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument, a vast protected region in southern Utah sprawling between the better-known Bryce and Zion Canyons. The longest trailering time to the trailhead is 25 minutes.

Varied days are spent exploring canyons, sandstone formations, and dunes in the low country. Then ride up through stands of pine and aspen to the higher elevations where one can see out across the Colorado Plateau for hundreds of miles. The pace changes with the terrain; steady and cautious down rocky trails, fast canters on sandy tracks.

Spend the first 3 nights at a quiet inn near the sleepy farming town of Alton in non-fussy rooms furnished with rustic pine furniture, and an inviting porch with a view of the brilliant pink cliffs. Then move to a B&B surrounded by green pastures with white rail fences, a surprising contrast to the sandstone cliffs which run the length of the narrow valley. The pleasant rooms boast handmade quilts and lace curtains. Breakfast and dinners are served on the sunny patio or in an antique-filled dining room.

The sure-footed horses and experienced guides are the same as for our camping treks, and you will quickly appreciate their intimate familiarity with this landscape of sculpted rock and tenacious vegetation. At the end of the day, return to the inn for a hot shower, a hearty dinner and a comfortable bed.

Customer Testimonials This was the best Equitours ride for me to date. It had challenging bush wacking, exciting long runs and spectacular views. PERFECT!
- Shirley McSweeney

Day 1: Pickup in St George, Utah at 2.00. Drive to Mt Carmel, on a winding road through the breathtaking scenery of Zion National Park. Arrive at the inn with time to settle into your room and relax before dinner. Dinner and overnight at the Arrowhead Inn at Mt Carmel.

Day 2: Breakfast at the inn. Today’s ride begins right from the inn. Head south, with the white cliffs of the Glendale Bench a reference point to the east, and the craggy formations of Zion on the western horizon. The trail makes a huge loop, crossing sand dunes, winding through stands of pinyon and juniper trees and dropping into the cool shadows of narrow slot canyons before circling back to the inn at Mt. Carmel. Turn the horses out for a well deserved rest. You will have time to clean up and relax before dinner is served.

Day 3: After breakfast, help load the horses into the trailer and drive about 25 minutes to the edge of the Parunaweep Wilderness. Today’s trail will take you through country carved by the Virgin River and its many tributaries. There will be opportunities for some cantering, as well as rough trails over slickrock where you will appreciate your surefooted and sensible mounts. Return to Mt Carmel for dinner and a final night there.

Day 4: You need to pack up this morning, and bring your luggage to the lobby. It will be transported to the B&B in Alton. Help load the horses for a 20 minute drive south to an area the locals call simply “the sands.” Ride across undulating coral colored dunes on which unusual and fascinating desert plants are growing. Marvel at the brilliant colors of Red Canyon. Then ride north through Four Mile Canyon, following an old wagon trail. You will see where early settlers wrote their names with axel grease on the white sandstone walls. The last stretch of the trail is steep, and brings you onto the Glendale Bench where the truck and trailer are waiting to transfer you and the horses to Alton, about a 25 minute drive. Dinner and overnight at Alton John’s B&B.

Day 5: Enjoy breakfast and the view across this lovely little valley. Today’s ride begins at the inn, and winds up into the pink cliffs characteristic of the Bryce Canyon formation. It follows an old ranger trail in the Dixie National Forest, along the boundary of the National Park. Stop to enjoy the spectacular view south and east across the Colorado Plateau before looping back to the inn for dinner as you watch another memorable sunset.

Day 6: After breakfast, help load the horses into the trailer and drive 20 minutes. The trail today leads high onto the Bryce Plateau where you can canter across open meadows, and into forests of ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, aspen, scrub oak and maple. Ride to an overlook called Powell Point at an elevation of 9500 ft, from where you can see hundreds of miles in all directions. Navajo Mountain is a distant curve on the horizon, and on a clear day with a pair of binoculars you can see the distinct form of Shiprock, New Mexico. Ride back to the trailhead and return to the B&B in Alton, for a final dinner and overnight in this tranquil setting.

Day 7: After breakfast, load your luggage into the truck and transfer back to St. George. Arrival time in St George is no later than noon.

THIS ITINERARY IS FLEXIBLE. CHANGES MAY OCCUR DUE TO WEATHER OR OTHER UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.