Spots for this trip are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. This is a trip with a super small group so I expect it will sell out quickly. Reserve early to secure your spot!

Once you are ready to register, go to this page and sign up in 3 simple steps:

1. Fill out the application form
2. Pay the $700 deposit
3. Sign the retreat contract

You can pay the balance in full, or I will be in touch to set up your payment plan.

Add a 3% fee to any payments made with a credit card. There are no fees for ACH, wire transfer, check, or Venmo.

I accept:

• ACH
• Wire transfer
• Check in the mail
• Venmo
• Credit card

Add a 3% fee to any payments made with a credit card. There are no fees for ACH, wire transfer, check, or Venmo.

Yes. You can choose to pay in full at time of registration or automatically be enrolled in a payment plan. All payment plans must be set up via credit card.

Add a 3% fee to any payments made with a credit card. There are no fees for paying in full with ACH, wire transfer, check, or Venmo.

Due upon registration: $700 non-refundable deposit

If you register in August, divide the balance by 5 equal payments (payments will be debited in the months of September, October, November, December, January)

If you register in September, divide the balance by 4 equal payments (payments will be debited in the months of October, November, December, January)

If you register in October, divide the balance by 3 equal payments (payments will be debited in the months of  November, December, January)

If you register in November, divide the balance by 2 equal payments (payments will be debited in the months of December, January)

If you register in December, you will pay half upon registration and the other half in the month of February

If you register in January, February, or March, balance is due in full upon registration

Payments will be charged every 30 days from the day you make your deposit and the balance must be fully paid by February 1, 2027.

Remember that the $700 deposit is non-refundable so I strongly recommend that your purchase travel insurance. You may be able to buy a policy that includes “cancel for any reason” coverage to protect your investment, but buy it promptly. Many plans require you purchase this insurance within 1 week of your trip deposit.

Upon registration, you will sign a copy of our retreat agreements, which outlines what you get for your investment as well as the cancellation and refund policies. Want a copy of the agreements before you register? Email me.

Cancellation & refund policy:

• Before January 1, 2027: You may cancel or transfer your registration to another person and get a full refund of all monies paid (except non-refundable $700 deposit)
• January 1-February 1, 2027: No refunds, but you may transfer your registration to another person. If I am able to sell your spot, I will refund you.
• After February 1, 2027: no refunds or transfers.

Your $700 non-refundable deposit secures your spot. This deposit is non-refundable, which means it will not be refunded by me, for any reason, including if you change your mind, are unable to attend due to illness, canceled flights, or any other reason.

You may pay in full when you register, or you will automatically be registered for a payment plan. See the FAQ for payment plan details.

Your $700 non-refundable deposit secures your spot. This deposit is non-refundable, which means it will not be refunded by me, for any reason, including if you change your mind, are unable to attend due to illness, canceled flights, or any other reason.

Travel insurance is strongly recommended for all my retreats. You may be able to purchase a travel insurance plan that includes “cancel for any reason” coverage. Oftentimes you must buy this type of policy within 1 week of making your deposit for this trip, so do not delay. See the FAQ about travel insurance for more info.

About Schedule Changes
Adventure travel and group travel built with accessibility in mind require flexibility and a positive mental attitude. Activities, excursions, and itinerary may change at any time, depending on availability, weather, and what we determine is most appropriate for the group’s wellbeing. We adapt the itinerary to the group, and design the event around the person or people who need the most support, so everyone can be included.

The base cost of the retreat is $2495 USD, which includes the non-refundable $700 deposit.

If you choose to rent additional items like trekking poles or binoculars, that will be added to the cost of your retreat.

If you choose to share a room with a friend, or if you live in Las Vegas and do not wish to stay at the hotel the first night, that cost will be subtracted from the total.

💖 1:1 introductory call with Amber before the trip

💻 Online meet & greet with other attendees before the trip

🚐 Transportation from LAS airport to hotel, all destinations in itinerary, and dropoff to LAS airport

🛌 4 nights hotel accommodations

🔥 Zion National Park + Cedar Breaks National Monument admission

🐳 Zion Canyon Hot Springs admission

🥙 All meals + snacks except where noted

👚 Limited edition merchandise to commemorate the experience

Not Included

• Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
• Airfare to LAS
• Pickup or dropoff to airport outside designated times
• Alcohol
• Food purchased at Zion Canyon Hot Springs
• Additional meals or drinks outside the itinerary
• Additional excursions
• Souvenirs
• Tips for hotel staff 

Yes, many of my guests do come alone. But by the end of their stay they usually have made some great new friends. I’ve heard from folks who retreated with me a decade ago that are still friends with each other today!

The group will be 5 participants with Amber leading the trip.

No, you will have your own queen bed room each night, unless you specifically request otherwise. If you are booking with a friend and want to share hotel rooms to save a bit of money on your trip, you can let me know in the registration form.

I don’t publish the names of the hotels where we’ll be staying for security reasons, but if you’d like a list of the exact hotel properties where we’ll be staying before you sign up, you can email me.

• Las Vegas: a Hampton Inn & Suites or similar
• Cedar City: a Hilton property (like Hampton Inn & Suites or similar)
• Springdale: a Hilton property (like Hampton Inn & Suites or similar)
• Zion Main Canyon: a Ramada property or similar

This retreat is for women and gender minorities. It is not a space for cisgender men.

Let me try my best to be clear. Women (and people of other gender identities who grew up socialized as women) share certain lived experiences in our patriarchal culture. We receive implicit and explicit messages about “our place in things” that men don’t. We’ll be untangling the ways that cultural conditioning about womanhood overlaps with our sense of self, especially with regards to body image and physical capability.

This retreat is a space for women as well as anyone who was raised or socialized as a woman. Trans women are welcome, as well as transmasc and non-binary folks who were socialized as women (regardless of how they identify). It is not a space for cisgender men.

If you have questions about whether you should attend, please contact me and we can discuss!

You’d be amazed at how many women have this question! The other question is, “Will I be the oldest one there?”

Most of my retreat guests are in their early 30s to late 50s. But I’ve had several retreat guests in their 60s and 70s over the 10+ years I’ve been throwing these events. I deeply appreciate inter-generational retreats, it adds layers of perspective and wisdom that benefit the collective.

As one participant said, “I was able to see the wisdom that aging can bring. It was incredibly beautiful to see people, older than I am, loving and caring for their bodies the way that is mindful and intentional. It helped open my eyes to the fact that life, at any age, is what you make of it.”

You are not too old! I hope to see you there.

Please don’t worry. I design my retreats in such a way that we move at the pace of the people who need the most time and assistance.

No one is ever made to feel “too slow.”

As the leader responsible for holding the container of the retreat group, I set the pace for activities and I intentionally lead “from the back of the pack” according to how the group is doing.

Even the most athletic people have bad days, get too hot in the sun, or get their period. So I am always evaluating the group in front of me and making sure that no one is left behind.

Read about how I scouted for this trip to make sure it’s accessible

View accessibility and activity level info

Participation in any group activity carries a risk of getting sick, especially when people travel to the event. Getting sick at an event, or worse, passing an illness around an event is a huge bummer, but it does happen.

In our post-pandemic world (in which Covid is still very much alive and well) it’s important to have a plan, as all of us have different risk profiles and practices around staying well.

Obviously we want to avoid any illness, but I treat Covid differently because it is an extremely contagious virus, and also extremely common to pass around at events. I also have many guests with compromised immune systems, and with our remote location, accessing medical care will not be simple, so I want to do my best to keep our community safe.

Retreat Agreements
To care for the group and yourself, I’m asking everyone attending this retreat to agree to the following:

• All retreat participants must test negative for Covid before they leave their home airport for the trip.
• Please wear a mask in the airport and on the plane. It’s extremely common for someone to get sick while traveling to an event, then pass the illness around at the event. Please mask during your travels to protect your investment in this trip and the health of your fellow community members and our families.
• If you feel ill at the retreat, please let us know right away so we can support you.
• We will have Covid tests available and if you feel ill, we will ask you to test for Covid.
• If you test positive for Covid during the retreat, you will need to isolate and mask around others. This is a huge disappointment to happen at a retreat, when you’ve anticipated the event so much, so please wear a mask on the plane and in the airport for your best chance at arriving and staying healthy!
• I ask that if you test negative for Covid but are still feeling ill, especially if you run a fever, that you isolate and rest until you feel better. If you need to be near the group for any reason, I will have masks available.

If you want to see the entire retreat agreement contract before you register, please email me.

Travel Insurance & Illness
You should promtply purchase travel insurance to provide the most coverage for your trip. You may be able to buy “cancel for any reason” insurance which can cover your investment in the case you get sick before or during the retreat.

You may also elect to purchase a travel insurance plan that covers medical care or medical transport in Nevada. I recommend it, as travel insurance is quite affordable compared to what you are spending on this trip.

Alcohol is not included in the cost of this trip. If you choose to have a drink during a group dinner or while staying at a hotel, we ask that you consume responsibly. Consider that the dry climate and altitude of southern Utah may affect you differently than you are accustomed to.

Smoking & Vaping

Smoking and vaping are allowed in many areas of the hotels, but not allowed inside the rooms. Smoking and vaping will not be allowed inside the van. Smoking and vaping in Zion National Park is strictly regulated to prevent wildfires. Smoking is prohibited on all trails, in vegetated areas, and within 25 feet of public buildings. You may only smoke in paved, unvegetated recreation sites or parking lots. Please be mindful that many people do not tolerate smoke well, so be considerate of the people around you. If you choose to smoke, please ensure all smoking debris is completely extinguished before you dispose of it properly.

Great! I have a whole section about that right here.

All trailheads have toilets which we will use before we start our hike. Hikes do not have bathroom facilities on the duration of the hike so it’s important to use the toilet before we start hiking.

If you need to use the bathroom on-trail ask Amber. We will make sure you are able to go as comfortably as possible, with minimal disturbance to the environment around us. 

Watch this video to get a little more information about the way I design my trips to be accessible and inclusive, plus a preview of the route and the altitude of each stop along our road trip.

No worries at all! We’re going to hike together as a group, take a slow pace, and no one will be left behind. We’ll take lots of photo, snack, and water breaks. 

We help each other with difficult terrain and we always go at the pace of the person who needs the most support. I walk at the back to maintain the pace of the group.

Download a packing list for this trip. We ask that you bring everything on the list that is not marked “optional”. These items are chosen for your safety and comfort.

The most important things are bringing layers of clothing (my formula is tank top, baselayer or t-shirt, flannel shirt or fleece, and puffy jacket) and clothing for being active in the sun. You’ll want a hat with a brim (preferably one that has a brim all the way around) for the sunny days and a warm hat like a beanie for mornings and evenings.

Temperatures in March average 60-66°F during the day with overnight lows of 35-41°F. It can be cooler at higher elevations near the west or east side of the park, so it’s important to bring layers.

My experience is that you’ll want layers like a tank top or tshirt, plus a flannel or fleece (which you might tie around your waist or put in your pack during the day), and a puffy jacket + warm hat for mornings and evenings.

Even though it will be cool, it will likely be very sunny, so bring a hat with a brim during the day, sunglasses, and sunscreen.

It’s unlikely that it will rain but please bring a jacket or poncho just in case. It’s the old hikers joke – if you don’t bring a rain jacket it will rain. If you do bring it, no rain! 🙂 

In Las Vegas on our first day, your phone should work as normal and there is WiFi available at the hotel.

Like so many wilderness places, there is little to no cell service inside Zion National Park. Take this opportunity to unplug, be present and enjoy the natural setting of the desert. Signal strength will depend on your cell phone plan and location. WiFi will be available at all hotels and at Zion Lodge where we will eat lunch on Day 4.

Curious about the exact spots we’ll be visiting on our road trip? Watch this :

Travel insurance is strongly recommended for this trip. You may be able to purchase a travel insurance plan that includes “cancel for any reason” coverage. You usually must buy this type of policy within 1-2 weeks of making your deposit for this trip, so do not delay.

While the coverage provided by travel insurance varies based on the policy you purchase, as a general rule, this type of insurance may provide coverage for a variety of losses which you may incur relating to a booking, including losses relating to trip cancellation, illness, injury, theft, lost or damaged property, etc.

Be aware that, except for the limited refund rights in the cancellation policy, you are 100% responsible for any losses, penalties, fees, or other financial consequences arising out of any booking or trip, or the cancellation or interruption of any booking or trip (including, by way of example, costs related to airline tickets and fees, passport fees, visa fees, medical expenses, etc.).

Check out this guide to travel insurance by WHOA Travel, it does a good job of outlining the different things to look for in a plan. They also have links to some plans that have cancel for any reason insurance.

Getting a travel insurance quote through a provider’s website is easy, or you can call and discuss your trip with an insurance professional to help you select what you need. Look at the terms closely for each plan and make sure you are comfortable with the reasons you are allowed to use the insurance.

You can also go to reddit and do some searching about travel insurance plans and “cancel for any reason” insurance, and see what the masses recommend (that’s what I do to research these type of things). Getting quotes from different travel insurance company websites is a simple process and quotes are free. If you need help picking a plan, email me.

Please fly into the Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), Las Vegas, Nevada. Transfers will be offered from LAS to our hotel on the first day via private shuttle.

On the day of departure, we will drop off at LAS airport between 10-11am. 

Yes but you will need to ride with the group to Zion National Park. You will be responsible for parking your car in Las Vegas. Many local casinos have secure, video-monitored parking garages, however, cars left longer than 7 days will be towed.

Yes, if you live in Las Vegas and don’t want to stay the first night at the hotel, you may meet the group for dinner and morning departure. Locals rate is the full cost of the trip minus the cost of the Las Vegas hotel room. When you sign up, you can let me know if you plan to use this option.

• Transfers will be arranged from Las Vegas airport (LAS) only.
• Arrival flights: by 3pm local time, March 15, 2027
• Departure flights: after 1pm local time, March 19, 2027

Upon arrival, you will meet a prearranged hotel shuttle to take you to your hotel. Please plan to arrive by 3pm if possible, so you can have plenty of time to get to the hotel, relax, and join for a group dinner at 6pm.

On the day of departure, I will drop off at LAS airport between 10-11am. You can catch a taxi to many other places in Las Vegas if you are extending your trip.

If you arrive or depart outside the stated hours above, you will be responsible for your own transportation to meet the group at Zion National Park, which may be very expensive. You will also miss a part of the trip and it may be difficult for us to meet up and find each other once we are in the park. Please try to arrive on time and communicate with Amber immediately if there are any delays.

We will have a First Aid Kit available in the van and on our hikes. Amber has a Wilderness First Aid certification through NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School).

If there is an emergency, we will dial 911. There are many areas without cell reception in the park so we may need to get help from a park ranger, or someone will hike out to make our call.

As a remote national park, emergency medical services are dispatched from surrounding areas, and park rangers can assist with on-site first aid or coordinate evacuations. The nearest hospitals are in St. George, Hurricane, and Cedar City. The drive is 30 minutes to over 1 hour, depending where we are in the park.

In the case of an accident, injury, illness, theft, or other incidents, you must immediately notify Amber. Emergency procedures are in place at the park and rangers will help us. However, they cannot guarantee necessary medical attention or treatment.

I recommend that you purchase travel insurance, which can cover medical care and transport in Utah should you need it.