Guided Adventure Tours Exclusively for Desert Botanical Garden Members

Grand Canyon and Havasupai Adventure

When the first European explorers came to the edge of the Grand Canyon they had no idea what they saw. The visual vocabulary for a gorge a mile deep, six miles wide and 287 miles long was simply not available; the distances were deceptive, the scale unimaginable.

On this adventure, you will descend into one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, the heart of the Grand Canyon at Havasu Canyon. There, we will hike and explore this incredible landscape, swim in travertine pools of turquoise blue, and enjoy relaxing evenings at our comfortable permanent base camp. The trip begins and ends with a 10-mile trek from the rim to our base camp. Along the way you will pass through the remote village of Supai, an incredible cultural experience where the mail still arrives via packhorse.  Each day will be filled with adventure and exploration of the many side canyons and secret passages.  Search for Western Tanagers and California Condors perched high above or hunt for travertine pearls in hidden caves beneath waterfalls.

Packhorses carry all the heavy gear, allowing you to hike unhindered and allowing us to provide amenities and food not often found in such remote areas.

Some say you haven’t lived until you’ve taken a journey through Grand Canyon. This journey takes you through the heart of the canyon and will leave you with a sense of accomplishment, awe and a true appreciation and love of the grandest place on earth.

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Experience the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeast Arizona

This unique educational adventure has been designed specifically for members of the Desert Botanical Garden. It affords us the opportunity to stay, learn, hike, and play at the beautiful American Museum of Natural History’s Southwestern Research Station.  Scientists from across the nation and overseas come here to study the incredible diversity of plant and animal life of the Chiricahua Mountains, the "Biological Grand Canyon" of North America.  Surrounded by jaw dropping scenery, this is truly a North American safari with exceptional animal and plant discoveries around every corner.  Expert guides/naturalists will lead you to the hidden secrets of this fascinating wonderland of rock spires, soaring peaks, and riparian edens.  At the end of the Ice Age, the Chiricahua Mountain range gave rise to a rich biological stew of plant and wildlife communities, stirring in ingredients from the Chihuahuan Desert to the east, the Sonoran Desert to the west, the Rocky Mountains to the north, and the Sierra Madre to the south.   The uniqueness and diversity of the local species attract many naturalists and is also celebrated as one of the top birding localities in the United States.  Our travel will take us through the Mecca of North American bird watching, with its Holy Grail: the Elegant Trogan, a large brightly-colored bird, relative of the Central American Quetzal revered by Mayan priests.  Highlights of the trip include exploring Cave Creek Canyon with a guest naturalist from the Research Station, trekking across the crest of this 9800-foot mountain range, and immersing yourself in the hoodoo filled maze of the Chiricahua National Monument.

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