Developing an Awareness to the Ways of Nature
The desert bestows many amazing vistas to enjoy the dawn. This one overlooks the Escalante River.
Dawn in the desert embodies the renewed spirit and energy that we receive from a new perspective. This happens everyday that one wakes up in the desert. The dawn is always invigorating with excitement for the new day.
Desert DAWN adventures are rooted in the natural and cultural history of the area while our courses and excursions are steeped in traditional woodcraft camping skills. Desert DAWN instructors reveal the landscape treasures of South Central Utah’s riparian canyons, high desert and forested mountains.
Personalized Experiences
Local Instructors & Guides
Each day tour or multiway excursion is individually designed, taking into account your skills, abilities and interest. We combine your needs with our skills and comprehensive knowledge of the land to create your personalized day adventure. Our instructors and guides live locally in Boulder, Utah and have guided and taught extensively from the adjacent lands.
Day Tours
The Escalante River creates the backdrop for a relaxing summer day hike.
Day Hikes, Driving Tours & Woodcraft Skills Day Camps
Explore the marvels of the canyons and mountains by day and enjoy the distinctive hospitality of Boulder, Utah by night. Chose from Riparian Canyon Hikes, Slickrock Hikes, Rim-to-River Hikes, Boulder Mountain Hikes, Driving Tours or Woodcraft Skills Day Camps.
Multi-Day Excursions
Friends enjoy a moment of serenity on an Overnight Excursion.
Back Country Excursions, Family Excursions, Overnight Excursions, Organization Retreats
Enjoy a unique experience with friends, family or colleagues and explore nature according to your own schedule and interest for education, vacation or retreat. Excursion durations of overnight to multiple weeks.
Free Your Mind Take a step away from the phones, the computers, the tablets and into nature’s solitude. Since the early days of civilization, humans have retreated to nature for the grounding affect of nature’s solitude. Read more about why people come to Desert DAWN.
Traditional Woodcraft Camping Adventures & Courses
Discover the wonders of nature using traditional woodcraft camping skills: Rope Craft, Knife Craft, Fire Craft, Shelter Craft, Pack Craft, Camp Craft and Trail Craft. Base camp or trail travel course formats allow you to chose your level of adventure.
Canyon Country Birding Safari
Florence Merriam Bailey in camp near Queens New Mexico, 1901. Photo by Vernon Bailey. Photo courtesy of Vernon Bailey Papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
The Canyon Country Birding Safari is a journey back to the Golden Days of the naturalist. During the 1800’s many naturalist were held in high esteem. The likes of Charles Darwin and John Audubon made significant advances in the understanding of nature. By the end of the 1800’s people were flocking to the woods, the forest or the deserts as respite from city life and to explore nature in the ways of the naturalist. We are recreating these experiences with the Canyon Country Birding Safari. Read More.
Coming in FALL 2018
WWDBD? (What Would Daniel Boone Do?)
Simple gear and traditional woodcraft camping skills are the key ingredients for a “Less is More” approach to trail travel. Photo by Paul Bojan
What would it be like to immerse yourself in the wilderness, carrying only a few basic items and being able to read the land to determine the resources that nature could provide for your sustenance and comfort, as Daniel Boone would do? Read More.
A Winning Approach
We are more excited about hiking in nature and exploring new areas or developing and improving skills than we are about sitting on a computers and writing about doing these things. Our business model is not about growth and expansion and becoming the biggest and grandest outdoor company. Our business model is about providing high quality experiences that have the potential to be transformative for the people who chose to share time with us in nature.
Staying outdoors, staying small and keeping it simple; it works for us and it works for you.
“Come home to nature, it welcomes you.”
Join us for an instructive exploration of the spectacular riparian canyon and desert slickrock environments of Escalante River canyon system within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the forest and mountain environments of Boulder Mountain within the Dixie National Forest, all of which surrounds the cozy little town of Boulder, Utah in South Central Utah.
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I and my two son’s were treated to an amazing adventure with Jeff in the Escalante wilderness. When I called Jeff about wanting something more than an excursion I never dreamed we could experience so much, learn so much or appreciate so much on a what one would think of as a simple backpacking trip. It will always be a time we will never forget. Thank you Jeff for everything you shared and for sharing yourself most of all.
I hope we cross paths again, Marc
Jeff is a special soul who’s connection with the land around him is contagious. He expressed such a tangible love for the skills he shared that I will never forget my time with him. I will definitely draw on this experience for years to come, and make it a point to share another journey with him very soon!
My wife and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary in Boulder, Utah, and were treated to two days of break-taking hiking trips during which Jeff led us to places we never imagined going to by ourselves. HIs expertise and knowledge of the area were simply amazing. Not only did we leave with a new appreciation of the beauty of the area, we left having gained a new friend. Thank you for an exceptional time with you! Until we meet again!