Quick Details
Explore Utah & Arizona’s Top Parks with a Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Utah Volunteer Experience!
Best Friends Animal Sanctuary needs a lot of helping hands in order to Save Them All. We have found that many of our guests are passionate about pitching in, and therefore we created a tour with more volunteer time included!
During this experience, you will have the opportunity to work with the animals for multiple volunteer shifts! Whether helping beautify the landscape at Angels Rest, cleaning stalls in Horse Haven, or taking an energetic dog on a walk, you will certainly feel needed on this tour.
In addition to volunteering, you’ll have the chance to visit some of the most beautiful parks in Arizona & Utah: Bryce Canyon, Zion, Peek-A-Boo Slot Canyon, and Lake Powell. This tour is all-inclusive with excellent accommodation, delicious meals and a knowledgeable, local guide to boot.
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Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, NV
Guests are responsible for getting themselves to the airport (flights are not included in this tour).
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Day One
It takes a little time to get to our home in Kanab, but it’s so worth it! Your journey will start in Las Vegas, Nevada, where we will pick you up at Harry Reid International Airport.
From Las Vegas, you will be transported to Kanab, Utah, watching the scenery change from glitzy lights to serene scape. The drive delivers the perfect opportunity to meet and get acquainted with your fellow guests who’ll be on tour with you!
As we get near our destination, you’ll find the busy, hectic world falls further and further away, and your view opens up to the colors and calm majesty of the desert.
We will arrive at The Gathering Place by early evening, where you can unpack and unwind. A light meal will be served that evening, and your guide will orient you on the week’s events.Meals included this day: light dinner.
Day Two: Volunteer at the Sanctuary
Start the day by getting to know the beauty and history of the Kanab area with a tour through Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, located just 5 miles away. A representative at the sanctuary will take you on a morning tour of the facility. You’ll learn about the fantastic work that gets done at Best Friends, which extends beyond their large facility, housing over 1,600 animals! This non-profit facility is nestled in the wondrous Angel Canyon.
Lunch will be served at the Angel Canyon Cafeteria, where fantastic vegetarian and vegan dishes are on the menu. You may dine inside or on the patio, overlooking the splendor of the canyon.
In the afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to volunteer in an area of Best Friends. There are many projects that will benefit the animals, and the sanctuary staff will lead the group in serving.
Dinner will be at a local restaurant that evening.
Day 3: Lake Powell
On this day, we’ll travel east to the lovely Lake Powell. For lunch, we’ll enjoy individual box lunches from a local restaurant.
When we arrive in Page, Arizona, we’ll board a boat and experience the sparkling blue waters of Lake Powell in the best way possible, with towering red rock formations surrounding us and continuing as far as the eye can see. Be sure to have your camera ready to capture the undulating shoreline and slot canyons!
Following our excursion on the water, we will take some time to check out Horseshoe Bend, a jaw-dropping overlook of a 2,000 foot monolithic butte wrapped by the Colorado River.To finish the day nicely, we’ll enjoy dinner back in Kanab at a locally-owned restaurant.
Meals included this day: breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Day 4: Bryce Canyon and Peekaboo Canyon
On this day, we’ll head north to the incredible Bryce Canyon. The scenic drive takes about 1.5 hours. The drive is well worth it, as Bryce Canyon is one of the most unique national parks in the U.S.
Only in the Bryce Canyon area can you find limestone structures like these, known as “hoodoos”! The bright orange hues and vast amphitheaters will mesmerize you. Your guide will bring you to several viewpoints and guide you on short hikes that will lead you down into the canyon.
On your way home from Bryce Canyon, you’ll have the opportunity to take a ride to our local-favorite: Peekaboo Slot Canyon! You’ll have the option to drive or ride in a multi-seat off highway vehicle over sand trails and small sand dunes. As you journey over the sand through the beautiful southern Utah desert landscape, you’ll see a formation of Navajo Sandstone cliffs in the distance. This is a thrilling ride yet has been proven to be safe for hundreds of guests.
The slot canyon is a magical place created by wind and water rushing through it over thousands of years. This sanctuary of stone is secluded and quiet, a perfect break from the more crowded and busier parks. We’ll easily stroll through a slender rock passage that will enchant any photographer, hiker or adventurer. The warm red, cool brown and hot orange spectrum of colors is meticulously layered by Mother Nature into the sandstone walls. The hike through the canyon is around half a mile, comfortable for almost any hiker.
After our trip to Peekaboo, we’ll enjoy dinner at the Gathering Place, giving you a chance to unwind and prepare for the next day.
Meals included this day: breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Day Five: Volunteer at the Sanctuary
On this day, we will come back to Best Friends, where we’ll enjoy the opportunity to lend a hand to animals in need. Possible areas where service may occur are: Horse Haven, Piggy Paradise, Catworld, Dogtown, Parrot Garden, Bunny House, Angel’s Rest, Wild Friends, and the Gift Shop!
Each volunteer will have the opportunity to serve in the morning and the afternoon. Lunch that day will be at the Angel Canyon Village. Guests will choose their slots ahead of time. Opportunities are subject to availability and the greatest areas of need at the sanctuary.
Meals included this day: breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Day Six: Zion National Park
On our last day, we’ll cry a bit, because it is time to check out of The Gathering Place. Your guide will be prepared to load your luggage into the van early that morning. You will be transported to Zion National Park, our adventure destination for the day.
We’ll park the van and then hop on the canyon shuttle, where all visitors find their way to points within Zion. We’ll take the shuttle all the way through the canyon, getting out at a few points of interest for some short guided hikes. Saving the best for last, we’ll arrive at the Virgin River for a river walk in the cool, clear waters that are magically enclosed within towering rock formations and scattered with gem-like pebbles. This is truly an experience like no other!
After a day of exploring the park, it’s sadly time to head home. We’ll enjoy a closing lunch, then transport you to St. George where your guide will bid you a fond farewell and make sure that you arrive at the Las Vegas Airport by 6:00 p.m.
Guests will arrange for transfers if needed once in Las Vegas.
Meals included this day: breakfast & lunch.
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- 5 Nights Accommodation
- All Meals*
- Friendly Guide & Driver
- Ground Transport Throughout the Tour
- Bottled Water and Snacks
- National Park Entrance Fees
*Please let us know at the time of booking if you have any special dietary requirements.
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- Flights
- General Gratuities
- Alcoholic Beverages
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- Light layered clothing
- A light rain poncho/jacket in case of rain
- Comfortable footwear for outdoors to Closed-toe shoes for serving and hiking
- Sunscreen, hat & sunglasses
- Your camera
- A daypack or small bag for necessities
- A water bottle
- A warm jacket or coat
- A swimsuit for the hot tub
- A sense of adventure!
We suggest you bring clothing for each day (light layers), shoes and socks appropriate for hiking on rocks, sand, gravel, and pavement. We’d also recommend a rain poncho or similar light rain gear, sunscreen, a hat and/or sunglasses, and a camera. National Park Tourz provides 3 meals a day, as well as bottled water, and daytime trail snacks. If you have special dietary needs or preferences, you may want to bring a few of your own snacks.
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- Itineraries are subject to change as we strive to adapt to weather conditions and the needs of our guests.
- Each day will include a maximum of about 2 miles easy/gentle walking or hiking.
- All shuttles and ground transfers to and from the airport are included and organized by us.
- Guests are responsible for travel to the meeting point at the indicated time on the arrival day.
- Utah is a dry state with its own liquor laws. You can read up on the state laws here.
- In Kanab, the summers are hot and mostly clear, the winters are very cold and partly cloudy, and it is dry year round, with the exception of our incredible monsoon season in August. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 22°F to 92°F and is rarely below 10°F or above 99°F. We schedule our tours in line with the best time of year to visit Kanab for warm-weather activities, which is during the spring and fall seasons.
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For this tour, you will enjoy the excellent home comforts of The Kanab Gathering Place. We strive to accommodate the special requests and needs of our clients. Four of the rooms in this home have king beds, and two of the rooms have two double beds. The accommodations have two ground floor rooms and four rooms that require using stairs.
In the event that a guest needs an ADA room, we will arrange accommodations at a nearby hotel (for an additional $50 per day).
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Gratuity or tipping is a personal option and is completely up to you. You may request to have it added into your tour balance or tip your guide directly at the end of your tour. Customary gratuity is 15% of your tour price.