1. If I book a tour to the Wave (North Coyote Buttes) or South Coyote Buttes (SCB) with Dreamland, does it automatically include the required permits?

No, we do not have blanket or umbrella permits for the Wave or SCB. Our permits only cover our guides and can only be used in conjunction with our guest’s permits. The Bureau of Land Management restricts the number of people allowed in the area each day. Because of this all of our guests are required to obtain permits via lottery.

2. How do I get permits for the Wave or South Coyote Buttes?

There are two different lotteries to obtain permits for the Wave and SCB – online in advance or in person the day before. Both processes are explained HERE in our blog. Links to the government websites are also posted in the blog.

3. Can Dreamland get us permits to the Wave or South Coyote Buttes?

As standard policy, if you are starting or joining a conditional tour (one in which the final destination depends on the day-before permits), we always attend the lottery on our customers’ behalf. It is a courtesy service at no extra charge. However, we have no special standing in the lottery, we do not accept bribes to run bootleg tours, and of course there are ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEES you will win. In the case that we do not obtain permits, we require an alternate tour. Usually this is The White Pocket Tour as it requires no advance permit. The cost of permits obtained by Dreamland, are not included in the tour price and will be added to your bill at face value.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not go in for multiple dates and endlessly shift dates until a single party wins. Guests must pick a single date and accept the results. We will do one day, one draw, per purchased tour that requires a permit and you win or lose as a group. We do not split groups or accept remainder permits, and we will never under any circumstances try to help you cheat the lottery by submitting a duplicate entry alongside yours. If you should decide to subvert us and enter the lottery yourself on the same day you have arranged for us to also submit an application (illegal duplicate entry which could get our company in trouble), whether the BLM disqualifies the applications or not, you will be subject to a forced 100% cancellation fee or 0% refund for any and all tours you have scheduled with us. We have 0 tolerance for guests jeopardizing our commercial permits to slightly increase the odds of winning. We work tirelessly to make this as easy as possible for you and every other guest that day. No one does as much for their customers as we do. Please do not throw us under the bus.

4. I plan on doing a tour with Dreamland and am trying to get permits online but need some information to complete the application. What do I put in the blanks?

First of all, none of these answers are binding or terribly relevant for guided tours. Don’t let this step hold up getting the permits. The idea here is for the government to be able to find you should you go missing while hiking in this area. With a guided tour this information is not important. For the Wave, the entry and exit trailhead is Wire Pass. For South Coyote Buttes, enter Cottonwood Cove for entry and exit. If your tour goes to Paw Hole at South Coyote Buttes, don’t worry, your permit is still good for both areas. When entering a group number you do not need to include the guide when obtaining permits yourself. Just put the total number in your group. For state of the license plate put UTAH. For the license plate # enter GUIDE. When asked about the “recreation fee” enter NO. If the name of the company is required put DREAMLAND.

5. I’m travelling by myself. What are my options?

Please do not book online if you are a single. Call us to discuss your options and what tours are running during your date window. We have a two adult passenger minimum. If a tour is already booked, you can join the existing tour. If you are looking for a particular tour that is not already running on your date, we will add your information to our calendar. If that tour is booked or another single is interested, we will contact you to arrange the trip. If you wish to secure a date you may pay for two seats and if someone else joins we will refund the second seat.

6. We are travelling as a family. What tours do you suggest?

There are a number of tours we could suggest, but it all depends on what exactly interests you, ages/attention span, and the abilities of your family. Two of our most popular tours with families with younger children are the Mystical Slot Canyon and Slot Canyon/Dinosaur Track Combo. We suggest taking a look at our TOUR INFORMATION GRID. This has everything broken down at a quick glance with links to the individual pages. All our daytours are 50% off for kids 15 and under in the interest of family outdoor experience.

7. How physically challenging are your tours? How should I choose which is right for my abilities?

Overall our tours are nothing extreme, but far more active than a bus tour, for example. They are designed for the average person and only a few of them hike more than 5 miles. Some do include minor scrambling. Keep in mind that our hikes take place in the 4000-8000 ft elevation range which can take adjustment for those from sea level or close to it. The hiking/physical difficulties are listed on each individual tour page and in the TOUR INFORMATION GRID. We realize this scale is relative, but have tried to calibrate our estimates to an average person. For the sake of maximizing enjoyment for yourself and the others who subsequently join the trip, if you have known physical difficulties or are between the ages of 60-90, please be a little more conservative and carefully consider joining tours with the appropriate activity level. A guided tour will not fix your bad knees or make you young again. Physical inability can become a serious problem in the wilderness. Also while we do everything we can to moderate hiking routes to fit our groups’ abilities, sometimes groups with mixed abilities require patience and understanding on both sides and with our guides. Please be as honest as possible with Dreamland about any conditions or limitations both before and during your tour. Help us help you.

8. We are a group with varying abilities. What tour would you suggest?

Our Mystical Slot Canyon Tour is great for all ages and abilities. It’s a three hour tour with minimal hiking. We have had everyone from infants to elderly in this canyon.  Hiking difficulties are listed on the individual tour pages and can be seen at a glance on the TOUR INFORMATION GRID.

9. Do you offer pet-friendly tours? Can we bring our dog?

We do allow 1 dog on any given tour or two if they know each other and get along. The only place we tour that does not allow dogs is Toroweap. If the original booking party books in a dog then anyone who subsequently joins the tour must accept it. If anyone that subsequently joins wishes to bring a dog then the original booking party must agree. We welcome Best Friends volunteers and their furry pals. Ask for a sleepover dog! Click Ahead for more info about pet-friendly hotels in Kanab.

10. What are the costs of your tours?

The costs of our tours vary, are per person not including taxes and fees, and can be found on their individual pages. Cost and other facets of our tours can also be scanned at a glance with the TOUR INFORMATION GRID. All our daytours are 50% off for kids 15 and under in the interest of family outdoor experience.

11. Is tipping the guide customary?

In the United States tipping is not required, but it is the socially accepted norm. When a service has been provided to you, tipping of the immediate providing individual is customary. Tipping of tour guides is typically around 10% of the tour cost. Tips are never expected, but always greatly appreciated by our guides.

12. When are your tours available? What time do your tours depart?

Our daytours are available year round except Dec 21-Jan 31. Our multi-day tours both scheduled and custom run April-October. Other holidays we are closed include July 4^th and Thanksgiving Day. During our yearly tour closure, the office will still be open for inquiries and reservations, and our online system never sleeps.

Our tours are booked on-demand. You choose your departure time at booking. If you are joining a pre-existing tour, the departure time has been chosen by the original booking party. Departure time options for our tours can be seen at a glance on the TOUR INFORMATION GRID.

13. What is included on your tours?

Daytours include pickup and dropoff from local hotels, off-road transportation, natural history narration, guided hiking, photo advice, snacks, water, and lunch on tours of 6 hours or more.  Our multi-day tours include all of this plus camping equipment, camp management, three excellent meals, stargazing, sunsets and sunrises for the photographer, and lots more time outside.

14. What is the weather like there at various times of year?

You can find average monthly temperatures and precipitation for Kanab HERE.

15. What is your weather policy? What is your cancellation/reschedule policy?

These policies are all found on our Resources Page. PLEASE NOTE: Because of the constantly changing weather, targets moving over the whole region (our trucks), unpredictability of weather forecasts, the complexities of different road surfaces in different areas, the variable nature of storms as far as coverage and volume in this area, and the fact that some of the best photography weather is often on days with a chance of rain, we do not reflexively cancel tours without solid information. However, as your safety is always paramount in situations where incontrovertible evidence leads us to believe that potentially dangerous situations are probable, we will cancel tours if necessary. We will assume tours will run until departure time. We do not cancel tours until departure time as the most relevant information is at hand. Also if we know of a particular area or time that will be a problem we will often consult with all parties on the tour as to how best to go about re-routing, postponement, or cancellation. Trying to manage this on the phone hours before the tour is nearly impossible. If a party decides to cancel prior to departure time for reasons of weather forecasts, the cancellation will be subject to the standard policy. Cancellations made by us at departure will be accompanied by a full refund if no other solution can be reached. Also the information we have at any given time is often incomplete. For example, we do not know if the Wave is covered in snow or if the route is hikeable, whether roads are impassable in a given location etc….as we do not have a webcam at these remote locations. We do try to network to get better information if we can. Sometimes incontrovertible evidence is only found once the tour has begun. Guessing, followed by reflexive cancellations, we have learned, produces more poor results for everyone involved, than the strategy we take. It is very, very complex making these decisions. We are always monitoring the weather and have many years of experience managing the logistics that are affected by weather in this area. Please trust us to act in both our best interests.

16. How soon should we book?

This depends on several factors, but our best advice is to book as soon as you finalize your plans. We do fill up, and if you have a limited window of opportunity, you may miss out. The smaller your availability window and the tighter your schedule, the earlier you need to book in order to ensure availability. The larger your group, especially if it involves more than one of our trucks (>7 passengers), the earlier you need to book.

17. Am I able to book last minute?

Yes, you are able to book by phone at the last minute depending upon availability, but please don’t wait longer than necessary. Any advance notice greatly assists us in arranging employee and equipment logistics. Please be prepared to join an existing tour that may not have been your first choice. We prefer that you call rather than use the online system. We try our best to keep the reservation system as real-time as possible but it is very difficult to be 100% accurate with logistics and resources that are constantly varying. For this reason, online booking is cutoff 48 hours before departure. We may still need to adjust your choices to match availability. Options are not infinite at the last minute. We appreciate your understanding.

18. How do I reserve my date(s)?

You are able to book online or by contacting us. We do require a 50% deposit to reserve your daytour date(s) and a 1/3 deposit to reserve a multi-day tour. The remaining balance is due the day of your tour at departure. Your guide can take any method of payment.

19. How do I book multiple tours online?

Set up the first tour by using the “Book Now” links on the individual tour pages. Follow all the prompts until you get to the “Please Review Your Order” page. Then click “Continue Shopping”. You will return to the tour listings page of our reservation system and begin anew. Repeat the process and continue adding tours in this manner until you are done and then review all the tours in your shopping cart and add all the pertinent details. Then submit payment for all tours at once and you are done.

20. Can I pay via cash, Paypal, credit card, check?

If you are interested in paying by cash or check please contact us directly. You are able to book online with your credit card or you may contact us by phone to place an order. Because people have abused our policies and we have no recourse, we no longer accept PayPal.

21. Where do you pick up/meet?

We pick up anywhere in Kanab, or within a 15 mile radius of Kanab. Pickups, meetup locations, and exceptions are purely at our discretion. If you are staying outside of Kanab, usually Page, or wish to avoid backtracking, we do have several alternate meeting locations available depending on the tour route. Many people travelling through or who have just arrived opt to meet us at our location: 265N 300W Kanab UT 84741. Parking and Storage are available here.

22. What is there to do in Kanab? Should we stay there?

Kanab is definitely the place to be. It makes a great home base because of its central location. We are 2 hours or less from Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, Lake Powell, and several National Monuments. Take a look at the Community Calendar to see what events are going on in Kanab. See our Resources page for our recommendations for local hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

23. What kind of vehicles do we tour in? Do you offer ATV/Jeep Tours?

All of our tours are run in Chevrolet Suburbans or Crew Cab Silverados for comfort and safety.  We do not offer ATV or Jeep Tours.

24. What do I need to bring with me?

For Daytours bring season appropriate clothing, sunscreen, a hat, your camera, extra layers in winter, and boots or the sturdiest shoes you own.  Also bring a small pack to carry your personal belongings especially on the tours that require more hiking. For multi-day trips please reference the “What to Bring” link found on our Resources page. Water and snacks are included on all tours. Lunch is included on tours of 6 hrs or more.

25. Can we visit Toroweap, Mystical Slot Canyon, and White Pocket in a single day? Can we see the whole Western US in three days?

Unfortunately due to the remoteness of some of these areas, that tour you have in mind may not be logistically feasible as in the above examples. If you are looking for more than what you see on any tour page, contact us. We do offer custom tours, but keep in mind it may not be able to work as you have planned. Often the geographical space of the Western US is vastly underappreciated during planning.

26. Can the longer day tours be shortened? Can tours be customized?

In some cases, yes, depending upon what you are looking for. Certain tours however cannot be shortened.  For instance, it is not possible to do a White Pocket Tour in 4 hours due to the remoteness of the area.  All tours in the Paria/Vermillion Cliffs Area are full days no matter which way you slice it. Prices remain the same. Custom tours for full groups (4-6 passengers) are more feasible than highly specialized tours with only one or two passengers.

27. I want to see as much as possible in one day. What do you suggest?

We have several different tours that allow you to see much of what their particular area has to offer. These tours are: Ultimate Kanab Tour, Photographer’s Dream Tour, White Pocket/South Coyote Buttes Combination Tour * (*South Coyote Buttes permit required)

28. Do you offer sunrise or sunset tours?

Due to the remoteness of many of our tours, there is no practical way for us to offer tours with sunrise photo shoots. If you are interested in a sunrise shoot, we suggest one of our overnight tours, specially designed for photographers. Sunsets can be experienced on our Sunset Safari Tour or can sometimes be accommodated on a case by case basis by request usually during Winter or at locations near Kanab. Remote sunsets in Summer require tours not returning until midnight and remote Sunrises require departures of 3:30am, both of which are impractical.

29. What is the best time of day for photography?

This is a highly complex question that varies by the topographical nature of a place, time of year, weather, tour practicalities, and the photographer’s capabilities. While it is impossible to predict with total precision, a few trends have emerged. Slot Canyons are best from 9am to 5pm with less optimal high light penetration in some canyons for an hour around solar noon. Please note that often times the typical photography dogma of Sunset/Sunrise does not always apply here.  Examples include dealing with massive shadows in a 3000 foot gorge (Toroweap) or a sandstone bowl surrounded by 60 foot buttes (the Wave). In these cases and many others, photographs during high daylight hours are the most desirable when the sun evenly lights the area.

30. We want to do one of your overnight tours, but aren’t able to make any of your scheduled dates. What are our options?

Depending upon our schedule, we may be able to add or shift dates. Please contact us with which tour you are interested in and which dates you are considering. Custom multi-days can be arranged APR-OCT depending on availability.

31. Can it just be my group on the tour?

We reserve the right to fill the truck. There is always a possibility it will just be your group, but it is not guaranteed. Requests to make a partially filled tour private are considered on a case by case basis. Fees will apply.

32. Can you send us a copy of your brochure?

Our brochure is a simple two-sided card that is an abbreviated listing of our tours with no pictures. It is intended as a teaser for tourists passing through Kanab. We do not mail them. Our website is our most complete information source.

33. Do you offer a shuttle service? How do we get to Kanab?

We do not offer a shuttle service to trail heads, or to/from St. George. As there is no public transportation to Kanab, you must rent a car to get here.

34. How much time is spent in the car versus time at my destinations? What is the pace of the tour?

It depends on whether you are on a “sampler tour” or a “destination” tour. On “sampler” tours like Ultimate Kanab, or Photographer’s Dream, you immediately start going to each point of interest, and make many small stops along the way. These are great for kids’ attention span. “Destination” tours like White Pocket, Toroweap, or South Coyote Buttes have longer drives to and from Kanab and most of the time on the ground is spent in one or two places.  Some tours by necessity of logistics have stretches on the highway or bumping along miles of dirt roads.  The drives are always scenic and never urban.

35. What is the best time of the year to see wildflowers?

It is completely dependent on elevation. In Kanab (5200ft) it is usually the first week of May. In the Mojave Desert (1200ft) it’s the first week of April, and in Cedar Breaks (10000ft) it is in June/July. All these dates can vary by several weeks depending on the preceding winter weather.