The Maze Biking & Stargazing Trip

Sample Itinerary

Day 1:

We’ll begin in Green River, Utah, at Holiday’s warehouse, at 7:00 a.m. Mountain Time We’ll help you get your gear packed into the van (we suggest separating your gear into a day bag and an overnight bag in order to make sure you have what you need during the day), and you can buy any last minute items from our accessories store at this time (see our packing checklist for a list of items you can find at our store). Most importantly, your guides will perform a pre-trip inspection of your bikes. If you are providing your own bike, please make sure that it is in good repair; we suggest getting a complete service at a professional shop prior to the trip. Guests whose bikes fail our inspection will be asked to rent a Holiday bike for $180.00/person.

From Green River, it’s a 3-hour van ride to the Hans Flat Ranger Station, the Park Service’s Maze District headquarters. North Point, our camp for the first night, is just a few miles away, so we’ll spend the afternoon riding out and back to the aptly named Panorama Point: the views are breathtaking. The ride is fun and fast out to the overlook (a great warm up), with a bit more climbing to get back to camp. This totals about 22 miles for the day, although more riding and hiking are always an option.

Day 2:

Today’s ride begins with 12 miles of rolling terrain through pinyon pine and juniper forest. Along the way we’ll stop and explore an old ranching/mining camp, probably used first in the 1890s. We may take a quick detour out to The Neck to enjoy one last view from this high vantage point before we start our descent over the edge of the mesa we have been riding along all morning. This is the Flint Trail, a steep, rough, rocky, and loose road. Enjoy the downhill or choose to take your bike for a short walk to the bottom of the hill. This section is less than a mile long, but takes you through 20 million years in geologic time to an area the old timers call “Under the Ledge”. Hop back on your bike at the bottom of the hill for another 10 miles of riding to our camp, right on the western edge of the Maze District at the top of Teapot Canyon.

Day 3:

After a relaxed morning of exploration (hike or bike farther around the head of Teapot Canyon, or enjoy a leisurely morning in camp), we’ll climb up to Sunset Pass and check out large deposits of petrified wood, evidence of ancient tropical swamps. What goes up must come down: roll back down the Pass and spend the rest of the day pedaling through the drainages that feed lower Cataract Canyon. Finish the day with a steak dinner at our campsite while looking down 1,400 vertical feet to lower Cataract and the Colorado River.

Day 4:

The final day of riding will consist of about 25 miles. It is generally a gentle slope down to Utah Highway 95 at the Hite Bridge on the upper end of Lake Powell. A 2-hour scenic drive will bring us back to Green River around 4:30 in the afternoon.

Itineraries for bike trips in the Maze will vary depending on assigned campsites, weather, and the ability and interests of the group. The above is just one possible four-day itinerary. Your trip may cover slightly different routes or visit different landmarks. Even though it’s a bike trip, Holiday’s motto of “Go With The Flow” still applies!