Utah's 5 national parks are spectacular and offer great opportunities for outdoor recreation including camping, hiking, canyoneering and river rafting.

If you are new to a particular park, or to a kind of activity, it can be overwhelming knowing where to go and how to participate. That's when a guide can prove invaluable. A good guide can take you directly to the best spots – you don't need to search and hope. And the guide will help you with basic skills, make sure you are safe and help you know about appropriate clothing and gear.

Often, the guild will also take care of transportation so you don't need to worry about driving or directions.

For Utah national park tours, I recommend a company called Southwest Adventure Tours. I know the owner, Jason Murray, and he runs a top notch outfit. His Mighty 5 Tour hits the best spots in each of our parks, and is great for people who want to hike. (The hikes can be intense or mild, as appropriate for participants.)

SWAT also offers a popular Grand Circle Tour, which takes participants to the 5 Utah parks plus Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde, and also touches down at Lake Powell. It packs marvelous adventure into 10 days.

Most of their tours begin in Salt Lake City or Las Vegas.

Read customer reviews from actual participants.

– Dave Webb