Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a large protected landscape in southern Utah designated in 1996 and originally set at roughly 1.9 million acres. It protects a long, rugged swath of desert cliffs, plateaus, canyons, and badlands between the Grand Canyon region and Capitol Reef National Park.

The monument contains extensive sandstone cliffs and canyon networks spanning hundreds of square miles, with popular day-hikes and backcountry routes around features such as slot canyons, waterfalls, and hoodoo fields. Notable on-foot highlights include slot canyons accessible from short trailheads, multi-mile canyon hikes, and scenic overlooks along graded and unpaved roads that cross the unit.

The monument was created by presidential proclamation in 1996 to protect the area’s scenic, scientific, and cultural resources. Since designation the area has been managed for a mix of recreation, scientific study, and conservation, with ongoing paleontological work in several formations.

The monument sits in a remote portion of southern Utah, mainly within Kane and Garfield counties, with nearby towns including Escalante and Boulder. It occupies a transitional landscape of high desert plateaus and deep canyons on the Colorado Plateau; the nearest larger cities are Cedar City and St. George, with long driving distances on two-lane and unpaved roads to access most trailheads.

• Access and roads: Much of the monument is remote and crossed by long dirt roads that can become impassable after rain; high-clearance or 4WD vehicles are often required for many routes.
• Best time to visit: Spring and fall offer the most comfortable temperatures for hiking; summer can be extremely hot and winter brings cold nights and occasional snow at higher elevations.
• Paleontology: The area preserves extensive fossil-bearing rock layers from the Mesozoic and Paleozoic eras and is an active site for paleontological research; sightings of fossil sites are controlled by land managers.

What to See #

• Kaiparowits Plateau: A broad, elevated block of sandstone and shale that dominates the central portion of the monument and contains extensive Late Cretaceous strata where numerous dinosaur fossils and vertebrate remains have been found.
• Escalante Canyons: A network of steep-sided canyons carved by the Escalante River and its tributaries, featuring sandstone cliffs, narrow slot sections, and perennial pools in some side canyons.
• Devil's Garden (Escalante): A popular hiking area known for hoodoos and fins of weathered sandstone; routes here include short loop hikes and longer backcountry traverses on unpaved access roads.
• Calf Creek Falls: A waterfall and creek with a well-used trail and picnic area; the hike to the lower falls is about 5.5 km round trip and is one of the monument's more accessible day hikes.
• Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons: A set of widely visited narrow slot canyons - commonly called Peek-a-Boo and Spooky - reached by short hikes from roadside parking near the town of Escalante.