Grand Staircase-Escalante

Weather: Clear, 40F

Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument is phenomenal. Sun-drenched Utah backcountry spreads out well beyond the visible horizon from the road, whether you’re traveling along the The All-American Road: Scenic Byway 12, or on Highway 89.

This area boasts a mixture of colorful sandstone cliffs soaring above narrow slot canyons; picturesque washes and seemingly endless slickrock; prehistoric sites and abandoned old Western movie sets, among many other treasures. This area is also remote with less services than national parks, so ensure you're prepared to keep yourself safe, and this area Forever Mighty.

Plan Your Trip Explore the Town of Escalante

Discover Grand Staircase-Escalante Region

Things To Do

Explore the Regions

Where To Stay

Hotels & Lodging

The quaint towns of Escalante and Boulder (at the north entrance of Grand Staircase) host several boutique hotels, glamping options, RV parks, retreats, and cabins. On the south end of Grand Staircase, visitors enjoy similar accommodations in Kanab.

Lodging in Escalante & Boulder Lodging in Kanab

Camping

Due to its size, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument offers several camping options, from primitive and remote sites to campgrounds with flush toilets, water, hookups and more.

Explore Grand Staircase Camping

Quick Tips for Visiting Grand Staircase-Escalante

Know Before You Go

Voyagers find a vast and pristine backcountry that affords excellent opportunities for solitude and unconfined wilderness recreation, along with great scenic driving opportunities and endless camping options, both developed and primitive. But wherever you travel in this magnificent landscape, whether a drive down remote desert roads or a hike up lonely canyons, you will be rewarded at the end of your trip with vivid memories and a yearning to return.

Much of the sweeping Grand Staircase region is quite remote. Very few trailheads can be reached on paved roads.

The Escalante Canyons area is the most popular area of the monument, especially among hikers. Active waterfalls, arches, riparian oases, sculpted slickrock and narrow canyons are part of the appeal of hikes through the Escalante’s backcountry.
The Grand Staircase area is more remote and less visited. It is spectacular and contains the most extensive network of slot canyons in Utah.
These two areas are separated by the 1,600-square-mile Kaiparowits Plateau, which features unique sedimentary rock formations containing an unbroken record of fossils spanning 30 million years.

Come Prepared for Heat, Flash Floods, Freezing Temps

Visitors to the backroads should carry plenty of water (at least one gallon — 4 liters — per person, per day) and be equipped to get themselves out of any difficulty they might encounter. Summer temperatures can range over 100° F (38°C) and winters can drop well below freezing at night. Perhaps most importantly, sudden heavy rains may make this road impassable — even for high-clearance, 4WD vehicles.