Just returned from our 6 day trip through southern Utah. After getting scammed by a different tour company, we booked with Southwest Adventure Tours (SAT) at the last minute to save our vacation, and they were very accommodating.
Our guide was Shybree, and we couldn’t recommend her more highly. She was funny, a great driver, knowledgeable about the geology and biology of the area, and really made our trip special. My husband and I are in our thirties and wanted to really make the most of the unique hiking opportunities. Although this tour is more easy going with mostly easy, short hikes, Shybree went out of her way to recommend and drop us off to do our own longer hikes while she accompanied the rest of the group. Thank you Shybree!
The accommodations were clean and comfortable. Definitely have to keep in mind that you’re staying in very small towns in almost the middle of nowhere. I just wish there was a little more information given about the spots we were staying so that we could have coordinated other activities at these hotels. For example it would have been nice to know that one of the lodges offered horseback riding tours so I could have booked them through the lodge in advance. They were completely booked by the time we found out about it. If you’re into night sky photography, make sure to bring a tripod! I captured some of the most amazing pictures of the Milkyway in the parking lots of the hotels!
The food was ok. Some places were certainly better than others, but again, you have to keep in mind where you are and what is actually available. We were able to order alcoholic beverages on our own tabs, separately from the food which worked out well. Word of warning for those who like to enjoy an evening cocktail, Utah alcohol laws are very different from most other states. We ended up grabbing a couple of 6 packs at gas station stops so that we could enjoy a beer in the evening after long days of hiking. Liquor is hard to come by.
The sprinter van was awesome! I was a little worried about being crammed into a van with the other guests, especially because I usually get car sick, but the van has plenty of room. The captain’s chairs are comfortable and there are plenty of AC and usb charging ports on every row. Shybree made sure to rotate all guests through the rows, moving up one each day, so that everyone had a chance to sit in each row to enjoy the views. Bathroom breaks were frequent. On the last day the van was switched out for an older van due to mechanical issues which was no where near as comfortable and whose suspension could definitely use some work! But I can’t really complain as we were just happy to get back to SLC without breaking down on the side of the road.
All in all we had an amazing trip and highly recommend it. They’re highly organized, efficient, and you really do get to see the best of the parks. Thank you SAT and Shybree!