Nevada and Two Utah National Parks
10/8-16/2025
David Bradford/Andrea Ezerins
Four Clients Only (There are three spots available)
I recently returned from a great trip in the west, that included the Las Vegas area, Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. My wife and I hiked, saw a lot of sights and birded a wide variety of habitats. This was a wonderful excursion that I want to repeat as a Relaxed Nature Tour in 2025.
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We will spend three nights in Henderson, NV. away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas. Staying southeast of Las Vegas, in the small town of Henderson, puts us in an excellent location to bird the many hot spots east of Vegas. From Henderson we have easy access to the o so birdy Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, Las Vegas Wash, Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs, Desert NWR. If time allows, we will venture into the mountains west of Las Vegas where we hope to find a different assortment of bird species. While enjoying the sights, we will spend two mornings birding, even though this is a relaxed nature tour.
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While in Henderson, NV. we will visit Lake Mead and look at the oft-talked-about lake, plus there are a few birds in the area. A visit to Hoover Dam, a much-improved tourist attraction, is planned. I had not been to the Hoover Dam in quite a while and was surprised at the new viewing bridge that had been built, the new restaurant, and the many parking lots. This was a nice stop and one worth visiting.
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After three nights in Henderson, NV. we will work our way to Zion National Park, a jewel in the park system. Here the sedimentary rocks have been uplifted, tilted, and eroded creating fantastic outcroppings of Navajo Sandstone. We will stay at the lodge within the national park and ride the park shuttle when necessary. In Zion we plan to take some hikes and enjoy the fantastic scenery, and we will eat at least one meal at the restaurant in the park. On our way to Zion we might stop at Snow Canyon State Park.
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After two nights at Zion NP, we will travel to Bryce Canyon National Park for two nights at the lodge within the park. On our way to Bryce, we will probably stop at Cedar Breaks National Monument to get our first look at the rock formations called hoodoos. Parts of Cedar Breaks are at 10,000 feet in elevation and offer some short hikes.
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Bryce Canyon NP cannot be described properly, and photos do not tell the true story. This park must be experienced, just as I have done in 1982,(camping) 1996,(with parents) and 2024(with wife). You must stand on the rim and look down into the canyon at the remarkable geologic structures to fully appreciate the park. And staying in the lodge at Bryce allows the tour participant to walk less the one hundred yards to the overlook rim. Bryce Canyon also has many easy to hike trails that allows the visitor to walk among the fascinating geology of this area.
Zion and Bryce do not hold a lot of birds, but the scenery and sights make you forget about birds and stand in wonder of the two parks.
Here is a link to my trip list from 2024. This will give you an idea of birds we might see in 2025.
https://ebird.org/tripreport/267126
The rooms in Henderson are reasonably priced, while the rooms at the lodge at Zion are pricey, and the cabins at Bryce are outrageous. Feels like gouging, but it is location, location, location. By staying in the lodges, and not the two gateway cites to the parks, we are right where the action and scenery is located.
Fee: The cost of the tour for double occupancy is $2,900 and includes most meals. Single occupancy is an additional $850 per person. Meals are no longer a major production, but more relaxed casual affairs. We will fly in and out of Las Vegas.
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Deposit: A deposit of $500 is needed to hold a spot on this tour. Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084 281 744 6486 leave message or text.
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Lodges: Please note, the lodges at Zion and Bryce are expensive, but they are not fancy. They are basic with no AC and no TVs at Bryce Canyon NP but there are ceiling fans in the cabins if for some reason it is warm. However, it is all about being on the park property when you wake up each morning.
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Temperature: Temperatures in Las Vegas/Henderson can be comfortable in the morning and hot in the afternoons this time of year, but it is dry heat. (yeah right) The afternoons at Zion and Bryce warm up nicely, however, the mornings can be chilly. I wore a fleece each morning and evening at Bryce.
MT. RUSHMORE AND SOUTHWESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA
September 9 – 14, 2026
Leaders: David Bradford/Andrea Ezerins
Haven’t seen Mt. Rushmore yet or want to revisit this national treasure nestled in the Black Hills of South Dakota?
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Then this relaxed nature tour is for you. We will fly in and out of Rapid City, SD., and spend five nights in Keystone. This is one night longer than the prior tours; in 2026 we will spend the extra day exploring the historic gold rush town of Deadwood. While in Keystone, we’ll visit Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Badlands NP, and the Mammoth Excavation Site. We might also tour a cave, visit a museum, and enjoy Spearfish Canyon.
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On the 2023 tour we saw buffalo, pronghorn, mountain goat, big horn sheep, coyote, prairie dog, mammoth bones, a ghost town, a museum, the tourist town of Keystone, and the vast expanse of the great outdoors in southwestern South Dakota. Of course, we spent time looking for birds, but we sure saw a lot of nature and enjoyed being in the wilds of South Dakota.
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Of course, we will visit the four Presidents, Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln at Mt. Rushmore National Memorial. To most, this is the highlight of the tour, though other stops rival the presidents. The memorial is on many people’s bucket list and here is a chance for a visit plus so much more.
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The day spent in Badlands National Park will include hiking a few short trails, allowing us to enjoy the park along with its unique geology and wildlife. We will also drive either the Needles Highway or Iron Mountain Road, both exhilarating, curvy, twisty roads with plenty to see. Walk among mammoth bones that are being excavated, which is both educational and fascinating. I love this place. The wide open expanses of Custer State Park is where we see buffalo, pronghorn, and other wildlife. Crazy Horse Memorial is a massive granite structure that depicts the Indian Chief riding a horse. The memorial is still being carved, and we plan to take a bus trip right up to the face of Crazy Horse. Very few people are allowed this opportunity to walk at the base of his face and look down on the surrounding Black Hills. Most view the memorial from a mile away at the visitor center. The visitor center, like the carving, is massive as well and is loaded with educational displays and fascinating bits of info from the American past.
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This tour started when my 88-year-old mother was lamenting the fact that she was never going to see Mt. Rushmore. Within six months, my sister and I had her standing on the viewing platform at the memorial nearly in tears. Now, Andrea and I bring others to the memorial, allowing them to check something off their bucket list.
New to the 2026 tour will be a trip to Deadwood, about an hour northwest of Keystone. Here we plan to visit the new and improved visitor center with a full-sized prospectors camp, interactive maps, and scads of Black Hills gold rush information. In town, we plan to visit the very saloon where Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker, take in a reenactment of the shootout of Wild Bill, “visit” with Calamity Jane and act like tourists for a bit. If we happened to drive up to Spearfish Canyon and see an American Dipper, well that will be a lagniappe.
Please visit my website for a list of species seen and the written summary from 2022 and 2023
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www.birdtoursbydavidbradford.com
​Cost of this four client tour per person double occupancy is $2,000. For single occupancy, add $650. A deposit of $500 holds your spot. All meals are included. Flights are not included. We are staying right in Keystone, where hotels are quite expensive, but we will be close to the action.
​Deposit checks can be mailed to David Bradford 18046 Green Hazel Dr. Houston, TX. 77084. Call 281 744 6486 to leave a message or text and I will return your call.
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