Finding beauty beyond the Black Hills
While the Black Hills will always be home, Carrie Gerlach, founder and owner of Black Hills Adventure Tours understands there are stunning places all over the world that deserve to be explored.
This is why she has started leading expeditions and tours all around the country, and even the world!
From a young age Carrie spent time traveling with her parents and fell in love with exploring. Her adventurous spirit and commitment to research and knowledge led her to begin offering outbound trips through Black Hills Adventure Tours.
These trips are only open to women and are a chance for like-minded women to travel in a safe, controlled environment.
Past trips have included Savannah, Georgia and Zion National Park in Utah. Coming up, Carrie will be leading an all women’s expedition to Costa Rica!
Before an outbound tour, Carrie visits the area to learn from locals about the hidden gems in each particular area. During these research trips she connects with other local outfitters so when she returns, her guests have an enjoyable, seamless experience.
These adventures are categorized as “soft adventures” meaning everything is accessible to the average women. Yes, there may be hikes and adventure, but you don’t have to be a marathon runner to enjoy your trip.
To learn more about the next upcoming outbound trip, give us a call today or subscribe to our newsletter!
SANDSTONE AND SLOT CANYON DETAILS
Day One
Experience the WOW of Las Vegas. You will arrive and get settled into our hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner and meet your travel companions. We will discuss the trip in detail including arrival and departure times and information on each stop. At the end of the evening, you can choose to retire to your room and prepare for the adventure that starts at sunrise or enjoy the sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps.
Day Two
We will begin our travels with a 3-hour trip by SUV to Karranaville Falls. This 3.8 mile hike will take you through a slot canyon with one of the most photographed waterfalls in Utah. The majestic red rock cliffs surround you from the moment you step foot on the trailhead, and all along the dirt path towards Kanarra Creek Canyon. When you eventually reach the slot canyon, it seems to rise out of nowhere. Lunch will consist of a picnic lunch while taking in the breathtaking views of this beautiful place. Round out the day with an overnight stay in Cedar City.
Day Three
Seeing the stunning sights of the ecological Hoodoo formations (irregular columns of rock) in Bryce Canyon National Park will leave you savoring the beautiful landscape. Follow the incredible views of red rocks, pink cliffs and endless vistas on the 2.9 mile Queen/Navajo loop trail. Bryce Canyon National Park is home to the greatest number of hoodoos on earth. The day ends with a stay in Bryce!
Day Four
A day in Zion National Park. For a true slice of Americana, there’s nothing quite like hiking in National and State Parks. Zion National Park encompasses some of the most scenic canyon country in the United States. Within its 232 square miles are high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep, sandstone canyons, and the Virgin River and its tributaries. The geological formations of Zion--formed over approximately 250 million years. Spend time exploring this vast land on the popular Checkerboard and Wilderness hiking trail.
Day Five
You will spend the day hiking in Zion Emerald Pools and the Riverwalk. Waterfalls, beautiful alcoves, and natural pools can be seen all around. Expect to get just a little wet as you travel along the trails. Colossal cliffs surround the end of this trail on three sides in front of you creating a natural amphitheater. The Riverwalk takes you straight to the narrows and into the base of the canyon. End the day in Mesquite and enjoy dinner.
Day Six
Start the day out at Valley of fire State Park which is located about 58 miles from the Las Vegas Strip in the Mojave Desert. Experience brilliant, colorful scenery filled with panoramic vistas, hiking trails, petroglyphs, and stunning red and pink rock formations. White Dome’s loop features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail appears to pass through an ancient ruin, but it is actually the remains of a movie set built in 1965 for the movie “The Professionals”. Prospect Trail will amaze you with rock formations, arches, and possibly a herd of big horn sheep along the trail route. Mouse Tank Tail is named for a Southern Paiute Indian renegade who used Valley of Fire as a hideout in the 1890’s after he was accused of killing two prospectors. It features very fine sand so have good shoes. It is one of the many boulders covered with petroglyphs within Petroglyph Canyon. When the day is done, you will spend one last night in Las Vegas
Day Seven
All good things must come to an end and this dream getaway is no exception. Gather your memories and say good-bye to newfound friends to make the trip home.
INCLUDED
Private ground transportation
Private professional guide/driver
6 nights of lodging
All activities and entrance fee listed on itinerary
Daily picnic lunches
Welcome dinner and farewell dinner
NOT INCLUDED
Airfare
Gratuity
Travel Insurance
Any meals not listed
Costa Rican Adventure!
Day 1 --- Arrive at San José Airport & Stay in San Jose! (Palma Real Hotel)
Welcome to Costa Rica!!!
From the San Jose airport, you will be transported by shuttle service to your first hotel in San Jose where you will spend the good night of rest for a week of adventure. (Meals: None)
Day 2 --- Visit Irazu Volcano & Travel to Turrialba Valley (Ranieri’s B&B)
Today your nature guide will meet you at the hotel at 7:30 am where you will have a delicious breakfast before your drive out of the city. Enroute to Turrialba, we will stop by the tallest volcano in all of Costa Rica. Here you will look down into the crater of the Irazu Volcano. This is quite the site to see and the energy exit point of where two tectonic plates (Coco & Caribe Plates) are doing a subduction slide under Costa Rica.
After a visit to the top of the volcano we will drive down its slopes and visit Costa Rica’s most famous church. Here you will learn the history and walk around La Basilica de La Virgen de Los Angeles. Then we are going to continue our way to Turrialba to our B&B (Meals: Breakfast & Dinner)
Day 3 --- Canyoning Experience (Ranieri’s B&B)
After a delicious breakfast we get ready for our first adventure of the week, the Canyoning! We will experience a canyoneering adventure where you will make your way down a canyon with five different waterfalls. These waterfalls range in height from 20ft to 100ft high. Be ready to repel down some from start to finish. We will also partake in a lovely lunch. During the afternoon we are going to meet Sitio de Mata Village where we will experience another delicious cultural dinner and dance. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
Day 4 — Cacao Farm Visit & Raft Pacuare River to POC Lodge (Pacuare Outdoor Center Lodge)
Today is a full day of adventure and fun and we will start by having breakfast and packing our bags as we will be moving places today. Our final destination of the day will be the Pacuare Outdoor Center, home to the best views on the river of what National Geographic has as one of their top 5 most scenic on the planet. We will raft to our Pacuare Outdoor Center Lodge.
Once we arrive, we will take a 10-minute hike over two hanging bridges to the lodge, where you will be ready to relax with the view and relax to the sound of the jungle after a full day of adventure. (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 5 --- Zipline, Tarzan Swing & Waterfall Nature Hike (Pacuare Outdoor Center Lodge)
Today is another full day of adventure! But don’t worry, you will have the afternoon to relax and enjoy the lodge, but we also get in plenty of fun today. You will be experiencing our infamous Tarzan Swing and Zipline course! The swing will have you swinging hundreds of feet over the river while staying attached in a harness. We have a lower platform for those interested in adventurous swing. We will experience the Pacuare River from another level by ziplining over it. Then we are going to hike to a beautiful waterfall where we will have the chance to slide in and have some fun! This is about a one-hour hike, and it will have its vertical challenges hiking down into the canyon. During the night we will relax around a bonfire. (Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
Day 6 --- Rafting Pacuare Canyon and Travel to Caribbean Coast (Caribbean Hotel)
The day will start by rafting through the tropical rainforest and one of the most scenic areas of Costa Rica. We will pass by canyon walls that rise 300ft and pristine 200ft waterfalls that fall into the river. This is what we consider the most scenic area of Costa Rica and thousands of past guests share our same opinion.
Then we will begin our drive back to the Caribbean Coast where the forest meets the Sea. (Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)
Day 7 --- SUP Surf Lessons (Caribbean Hotel)
Today we are going to start a little bit early, so as to have plenty of energy for the SUP Surf lessons. Be ready for the adventure. (Meals: Breakfast)
Day 8 --- Travel back to the city (Studio Hotel)
It is time to say our good-byes to the coast and start the trek back to the city to be close to the airport and catch your flight back home. (Meals: Breakfast)
Day 9 --- Fly Home!
Today you will be transferred in a shuttle to the San Jose (SJO) airport in order to arrive no less than two hours prior to your flight. (Meals: Breakfast)