Amazing flight! The entire crew does a great job Lou is an experienced pilot and very pleasant They will email you after you have paid and will pester you about confirmation but now I can see why they have to do that. Today everything went very smoothly, I had made reservations at Devils Garden Campground inside Arches National Park where there is no electricity and with record highs I decided to take a spot at the Sun Outdoors Canyonlands Gateway where there are full hookups to be able to leave out pup in the RV, yesterday was near 100 to hot to be boondocking Personable and friendly people, if I had to do it again I would come here 25 easy stars to the crew read more

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Lou and Sandra are amazing! We were scheduled to take a hot air balloon ride with Canyonlands Ballooning and had a car issue the night before our scheduled flight. We thought we would have to miss our balloon flight as we did not have a ride to the launch site. Lou contacted us in the early morning prior to the flight and offered a ride from one of his drivers. We had an epic flight at Sunrise with a champagne toast upon landing and couldn't be more grateful to Lou and his team for accommodating us. If you are visiting the Canyonlands area of Utah, I highly recommend taking a hot air balloon ride with Canyonlands Ballooning...they really care about their client's experience! Thank you Lou and Sandra! read more

Canyonlands Ballooning - Balloon from below - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Moab, Utah

My wife and I debated about stretching and doing this - since it costs more than we were hoping to spend on a morning excursion in Canyonlands. I couldn't be more thankful that we did. We left with a lifelong memory. Lou and his wife run this operation and seem like good people - Lou piloted our balloon and I enjoyed hearing his story. read more

Canyonlands Ballooning - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Moab, Utah

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My kids gave me a gift of a balloon ride on Canyonland Balloon. This gift was the best ever because it was with Lou (the Pilot) and Canyonlands Balloon. A hot air balloon ride is a joy in and of it self because of the dramatic process of watching the balloon inflate, lift off and then rising quietly. What is special about flying with Canyonlands Balloon is flying over the landscape surrounding Moab. Lou is a competent pilot with many years of experience flying balloons. in addition he is extremely personable as well as knowledgeable about the area pointing out land marks and offering advice about areas to visit. The flight ends with a Champagne or cider toast and lasting memories. I would highly recommend Conyonlands Balloon and their competent flight crew. read more

This team is top notch! They care about you having a wonderful flight in a safe environment. It was too windy for us to go the first and second day. The second day we even made it to the launch site and had to cancel due to winds. On the third try we were up up and away. We saw spectacular sights of arches national park that people rarely see. It seemed an effortless flight to us and we would do it again without hesitation. Lou the owner came along and narrated as jimmy piloted the balloon. Lou's wife Sandra was great at communicating to us every step of the way. She kept us up to date on everything we needed to know or do. Thank you Lou and to all your team, we loved our flight. Diana read more

Canyonlands Ballooning - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Moab, Utah

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What can I say that hasn't been said already? Believe the hype. Lou is a first class pilot with an obvious passion for ballooning and for the Moab area. His crew is warm, friendly, and helpful. Everything about our balloon ride could not have been better. Read the other reviews left here. Aside from a weird fluke, I can see that Lou has made a similar world class impression on a bunch of other clients. Deal with Canyonlands Ballooning directly and you can't go wrong. This is a brilliant way to spend a morning in Moab. Incredible scenery, a knowledgeable tour guide and pilot (Lou knows exactly how to make that balloon do what he wants it to--as much as balloons can be controlled, anyway), and an amazing memorable experience. High caliber experience throughout. You won't regret it! read more

We had a fantastic first time adventure! The experience was flawless. The landing was so smooth it was almost unbelievable. The perspective from the air of the rock formations and wildlife were unsurpassed! Thanks Lou! read more

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Finding a crew that loves their work made this a first class experience! I was getting nervous our Sept. 17th ballooning date loomed closer; nearly cancelled but went because this was something my husband chose to do along with booking my sister and brother-in-law to go with us. I HIGHLY recommend Lou and Canyonland Ballooning for a unique and fun experience in Moab! read more

Lou pointed out many unique landmarks (some in the nat'l parks) and navigated our hot air balloon down the side of a cliff to see petroglyphs up close! His knowledge of the landscape around us and experience with flying definitely made my first experience on a hot air balloon absolutely incredible, and one I will never forget.With celebratory champagne, puppies to pet, and views like no other, I would highly recommend booking with Lou and Sandra (: read more

A week before traveling to Utah for vacation we were planning on arriving in Salt Lake City and staying in Park City, head on over to Moab, travel onward over to Durango, Colorado, and then head on back to Park City before coming back to Southern California. A week or so before leaving, we spent most of the day making reservations for our excursions. We looked around the different available excursions and decided to go hot air ballooning and river rafting in Moab. We did the river rafting a couple years ago with Moab Adventure and had a great time so we thought we would do it again. Actually a couple years ago, we did the Moab Rafting ~ Full Day Colorado River, Moab Slickrock Hummer Safari, Colorado River Sunset JetBoat Tour, Dinner & Night Show Tour, and the Arches Sunset Bus Tour. All of the trips were great and well-organized by Moab Adventure so we thought we would just stick with what we knew, know and trusted and planned the half day rafting this time and try the hot air balloon ride since it was new and they didn't have it a couple years ago. We booked the Hot Air Balloon Ride reservation right through their website and we received a confirmation in the email that said it was paid and we went about our business to plan the other excursions at our other stops. About an hour later, we get a phone call from Canyonlands Ballooning. She states that even though we have a confirmation, they do not have any availability. We said but we have a confirmation and it was paid and she said that they do not have any availability. I hang up and I tell my friend who made the reservation and she said not to worry, when they went to the website it showed that there was room for two so not to worry. A little while later, we do in fact get an email from Moab Adventures stating that there is no room in the balloon for us. What a very disappointing way to start our vacation and we haven't even left yet. Disclaimer: I did contact Canyonlands Ballooning and let them know that for the past couple weeks, it was my intention to blog about this trip since I know that there is a EVO Social Media Conference in Park City, Utah every summer and I thought it might be good to help spread the word about Moab and to suggest to moms to extend their trip in Utah when they come to the EVO Conference, bring the kids and family, and drive on over to Moab and check it out while you are so close. Moab is a drive from Park City but well worth it in my opinion. Red Cliffs Lodge is a beautiful place to stay and we are looking forward to going back again. Canyonlands Ballooning response when I said that I was going to be blogging about this trip and including this, she stated that she hoped that we wouldn't include them in it because it wasn't their fault. I do not agree with her statement. I did not have any problems with Moab Adventure with any of the excursions we booked a couple years ago, everything went off without a hitch. In my opinion, what happened was like booking a flight with a travel agent and getting a confirmation and the airline calling the agent and saying they have overbooked. That would not be the travel agent's fault, that is the airline's responsibility. Special thank you to Cindy McDonald at Moab Adventures! I really believe that you truly wanted to help. I hope that some day in the future Moab Adventures can start their own hot air balloon rides so that they wouldn't have to count on somebody else that could potentially cast a dark shadow on their good name. read more

I booked this adventure about three months before our trip. Found the website very informative & easy to use. I found the communication before the flight on point. They day of the flight we met at the Shell station north of town. That is where we met Dave our driver. Signed the liability papers and then were off. There was six of us in our party. Three other parties with smaller numbers. They all went in the second van. We got to the launch site and the ground crew was just starting to set up. The set up was cool to watch. Before they turned on the burners Lou, owner & pilot, explained what was going to happen. Once the balloon was up the ground crew helped us in the basket. It is sub divided into five sections. Four that the passengers go in and center one where Lou goes. They put four people per section. Dave took our photos with the balloon up and us in basket but still on ground. Great family photo that we will cherish. The flight is determined by the wind. We were able to go over the devil garden portion of Arches. Lou can't land in the park so I can't imagine the challenge to get close but not too close. The entire experience was magical for me. The landing was great. Don't know if my mother in law would agree. We were about to land and about 8 feet off ground. Then out of no where the wind picked up and we were up up and away. You could tell that was not the plan! Lou was a bit upset but did a great job telling us all it would be fine. Another 15 minutes in the air fine for me. The second landing spot was not as smooth as the first one but Lou did a great job. Bounce, bounce, skid, over! So fun!!! Ground crew was there to meet us. A toast and then we were back in the van. Dave offered to take us to see some ancient cave drawings on the way back to Moab. What a treat! Our flight miles were less that the road miles to get back to Moab. We didn't care. Not one bad thing I can say. I would recommend a baseball hat. When the burners are on the top of your head can get hot. Lou and his crew are top notch. We always felt safe. I can't wait for my next balloon ride but they will have a lot to live up to. Lou and his team are top notch. Thank you for the wonderful family memories. read more

This balloon ride was just fantastic. A little on the rustic side (had to climb in to balloon basket while it was on its side) but much fun for all - even our 4 year old! Sandra and Lou Bartell were the most gracious hosts, answering all our annoying questions before the ride. Lou flew the balloon with the confidence that 20 years of experience gives a man. The views were spectacular on this 1 hour (+/-) ride. Each rise is a bit different sue to the weather conditions. We would recommend this tour to everyone with a bit of an adventurous spirit. The champagne toast at the end (and bubbly apple juice) was a nice touch! read more

Canyonlands Ballooning - Picture of balloon shadow over the Moab canyons - Hot Air Balloons Near Me - Moab, Utah

There are many wonderful activities to enjoy in Moab but one of the "must do's" is a balloon ride to witness the beautiful desert rub the sleep from it's eyes when warmed by the rising sun. The vistas are spectacular and provide a very unique perspective of Arches National Park, the Salt Valley, and The cliffs of Canyonlands. Lou, Jimmie, and the entire staff were superb and welcomed our group warmly. They were prepared and efficient and very knowledgeable in every aspect of ballooning. We felt safe and cared for and give Canyonlands Ballooning our highest recommendation. It was definitely worth the price!! read more

We had the best time today with Lou and his crew! This other reviewer needs to chillax- booking is tricky when you have people reserving from different places. As for the actual balloon ride- it was awesome! My husband and I are in our honeymoon and have never been in the area. This balloon ride ended up being more than we thought it would be. Lou is a genuinely nice guy who isn't tired of people, like you see a lot of in these situations. The ground crew is a sweet group of guys! We had a blast! A nice surprise ending to the trip as well! read more

My family and I just got back from a trip with Canyonlands. From the lady that we dealt with in the office, the ground crew of 5 great guys and especially the pilot Lou, everything was fantastic. My family felt as safe as can be. It was by far the best thing that we did while we were in Moab and Moab is full of wonderful things to do. I HIGHLY recommend this wonderful family owed company. read more

We're a family of 6, with attitudes ranging from "Let's go!" all the way to "I'm afraid of heights" and "I'm just afraid". That was the challenge our pilot Lou faced when we arrived at the Moab airport for our maiden balloon flight. Lou and his crew did a great job calming nerves as they went about their business inflating the balloon in preparation for the flight. Once the balloon was fully inflated and the air heated, we climbed into the basket, ready for anything. We quietly floated away from the airport, interrupted only by the blasts of propane to keep the balloon airborne. The winds took us higher and further from the airport and Lou became part pilot-part tour guide as he described the local geography and pointed out those points of interest that we only knew previously from Google maps. Watching the sun rise from a balloon is something to behold. Lou expertly navigated the wind currents, making our flight as smooth as possible. When it came time to think about a landing spot, Lou worked to maneuver the balloon to land near a road where his crew could get to us quickly. He also knew we were going to land at about 10 mph, so he gave us instructions to prepare us for the basket tipping that was to occur. Once we landed - exactly as Lou explained- he treated us to a champagne/sparkling cider toast. The flight was so smooth, so peaceful and serene, it is easy to understand why Lou has a passion for ballooning. He truly enjoys giving first timers their initiation into balloon flight. In fact, the entire experience was first rate - from making reservations to the pickup and transit to the airport to the flight and the recovery and subsequent travel back to our vehicle. I guess the best way to sum up how wonderful our experience was that the family member who said "I'm afraid" before the flight was the first person afterwards to state "I want to fly again!". read more

The best part of my entire trip! Beautiful way to see canyonlands. I was nervous to go but so thankful I did. Great service and just spectacular experience. You won't be disappointed. read more

Wow, we had a great flight. We met the van for a ride to the launch site and watched the balloon inflate. The crew was fast and professional. Our pilot was knowledgeable about the area and happy to answer all of our questions. We flew over beautiful canyons and could see the scenery in a way you can't from the road or on a hike. Thank you for a memorable morning. read more

When flying with Lou you will be with an experienced aviator who has aircraft experience and years of balloon aviation background. He and his crew are warm and friendly, as well as confident and professional. There's no better way to start the day than flying with these guys! read more

Returned from a trip to Utah, covering six great parks in 7 days, with 7 adult family members / photography friends and without a doubt, this was the most amazing, memorable part of the trip (and that is saying a lot, given what we covered !!). Lou is a great pilot and made even the first time ballooners feel at ease - would highly recommend, and would do it again in a heartbeat, next time in Moab !! read more

Having always wanted to take a hot air balloon ride, my partner and I looked forward with great anticipation to our first. I can say without hesitation that we had a great experience and can recommend Canyonlands Ballooning without reservation. We were picked up at the meeting spot with a friendly member of the launch team who shuttled the group of ten of us out to the airport in a clean and comfortable transport van. When we arrived the pilot, Lou, and his launch team were in the last stages of filling the colorful balloon with hot air in preparation for launch. We boarded the basket, the crew slipped the tethers and in seconds we were ascending effortlessly skyward. Lou had coordinated our launch with a fellow pilot friend of his so that we could experience a flyby of a small engine plane that was out on a sky dive jump mission. Minutes later we watched as two sky divers jumped (120 mph terminal velocity) and then thankfully saw their canopies open.. The trip was everything you could ask for -- see Arches and Canyonlands from above! Only thing we missed were the dinosaur tracks which were filled with rain water from the thundershowers the night before. And once you've landed and are back on dry land, the glass of champagne (or sparkling juice) is a nice wrap-up. Treat yourself to a first class hot air balloon experience and join Canyonlands Ballooning. It was a fantastic experience!!! read more