Developing an Awareness to the Ways of Nature
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’s excursions bring forth this awakening and renewed spirit to those who walk the trails or camp with us in the desert canyons and sub-alpine mountains of south central Utah .
Local Guides Create a Richer Experience
Local Guides
Our guides live locally in Boulder, Utah and have guided and taught extensively from the adjacent desert canyons and sub-alpine mountains. We have a deep understanding and appreciation for this land, which allows us to create the perfect adventure for you. With over six decades of combined experience among our three guides, we have the “trail time” to know the moods of the landscape and the intricacies of the challenges the this landscape presents. Read Some More!
We take the time to discuss the abilities, skills and interests of you and your group, along with the weather and numerous other factors that will affect your safety and enjoyment of the trip, and then we decide with you on the best experience. We have a very broad array of routes that provides us with over a hundred hikes from which to select for your adventure.
Watch a Seasoned Guide Uncover the Wonders of Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument – Men’s Journal
Desert DAWN guides reveal the landscape treasures of South Central Utah’s riparian canyons, high desert and forested mountains through a variety of trip styles to suit your exploration interests. Choose from Day hikes, Driving Tours, Campfire Experiences, Traditional Backcountry Skills Experiences, Wilderness Pathfinder Adventure Courses, and Personalized Backcountry Adventures.
Day Tours & Experiences
Day Hikes
Explore the marvels of the canyons and mountains by day and enjoy the distinctive hospitality of Boulder, Utah by night. Choose from Riparian Canyon Hikes, Slickrock Hikes, Rim-to-River Hikes, Slot Canyon Hikes or Boulder Mountain Hikes. Read S’more!
Driving Tours
Experience the wonders of the Escalante Canyons from the comfort of a Sport Utility Vehicle that may be driven to within a short walk of amazing tucked away locations. Read S’more!
Campfire Experiences
Relish a cowboy style dinner by the campfire, cooked traditionally in Dutch Ovens. Enjoy old-time entertainment with traditional games and campfire entertainment. Read S’More, Yum!
Traditional Woodcraft Camping Skills: A Day Camp
Explore a few of the skills used by the 19th century Wilderness Pathfinders; they may come in handy on your next camping trip. Excitement and Discovery for the entire family. Read S’more!
Multi-day Backcountry Adventures
Take a step away from the phones, the computers, the tablets and into nature’s solitude. Humans have always retreated to nature for the grounding affect of nature’s solitude.
Wilderness Pathfinder Courses
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 S’more!
Discover the wonders of nature using traditional woodcraft camping skills: Fire Craft, Shelter Craft, Knife Craft, Axe Craft, Rope Craft, Pack Craft, Camp Craft, Trail Craft, Plant Craft and Animal Craft. These are the same wilderness living skills that were the “ten essentials” of the 18th century pathfinders who were the early explorers of this land.
Personalized Backcountry Adventures
Enjoy a unique experience with friends, family or colleagues and explore nature according to your own schedule and interest. Choose from Backcountry Adventures, Family Adventures, Overnight Adventures, and Organization Adventures. Read S’more!
A Winning Approach
We are excited about hiking in nature and exploring new areas or developing and improving our skills. Our business model is to be a small family owned educational guide service. As such, we focus on the quality of an experience rather than the quantity of people we guide. We are interested in 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!
Jeff and Matt guided me to a remote location with a trailhead along hole in the rock road. Jeff and Matt have outdoor IQs that are off the charts. For instance, it was fascinating watching Matt make a spindle and stick for creating a coal to start a fire out of a yucca plant stalk. The knowledge they have about what water is safe to drink, UV rays effect on water, tying lines up to keep food away from mice, proper technique for hiking on slick rock safely, and saving my tail when my filter failed was quite valuable. I had brought a phone with the usgs map and a route on it, which was, as it turned out, a poor and inefficient route. At the time, it was a comfort thing for me. Jeff pointed out, “We don’t know the source of that route.” He was right! Jeff and Matt read the land and their topo map to successfully figure out the best route in and out of our location. If you decide to go on a trip with these outdoorsmen, leave the phone at home.