COVID Info: Visitor Centers may be closed or have reduced hours. Permits are still required for all overnight trips. Human Waste must be packed out throughout the Monument.
Best time to visit: Year Around
Ideal For: Hiking and backpacking
Where to stay: Town of Escalante
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is one of my personal favorite places in the country. Make no mistake - the attractions here are "national park" worthy, but the infrastructure is not. Almost all attractions can only be accessed via dirt roads. Spring and early summer have the best weather and the least amount of rain. Monsoon season is late summer which brings occasional heavy rainstorms. Winters are cold and summers are hot.
Useful Info:
Dogs - the general rule for dogs in national monuments is that they must be leashed and are only allowed on paved areas, which includes parking areas, roads, and front country campgrounds. Dogs are not allowed on monument trails, even when leashed.
The most common attractions here are slot canyons. They are really cool but potentially dangerous during rainstorms.
Slot canyons often have pools of standing water in them. Wear shoes that you are ready and willing to get wet.
Some basic climbing abilities and good physical fitness/upper body strength is needed in some of the slot canyons. There are sometimes obstacles to climb over or under and narrow sections to squeeze through.
Most of the dirt roads in the region are accessible to all types of vehicles, but they may become impassable after rain or snow.
There are pit toilets along the Hole-in-the-Rock Road at the Devils Garden and Peek a Boo Slot trailhead.
Attractions:
Highway 12 - One of the prettiest drives in the country... It runs between Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks and it gives you a chance to see all of the Grand Staircase. The stretch of road between the towns of Escalante and Boulder is especially cool as it climbs up a narrow ridge that has huge dropoffs to canyons below. There are many places to pull over and take photos along the road.
Coyote Gulch - Best seen with at least one night of backcountry camping, or preferably two. As of right now, there is no lottery for backpacking permits. Permits can be obtained in person at the Escalante visitor center, and note that all human waste must be packed out. Reaching the trailhead requires about 30 miles of dirt road driving down "Hole in the Rock Road" which branches off from Highway 12 near the town of Escalante. There are a few trailheads that you can park at - I have used the "Hurricane Wash" trailhead which is the most common and easiest to reach in a car. The entire gulch is mind-blowing with towering walls that come way out over the creek below. Read more about Coyote Gulch here.
Peek-a-boo and Spooky Slot Canyons - These two are the most famous slot canyons in the region. They can be seen together on a loop hike or separately as an out-and-back. Peek-a-boo is famous for it's small overhead arches and Spooky is really dark and narrow for hundreds of meters. There are sections of both slot canyons that are really narrow, requiring you to walk through them sideways while carrying any bags in your outstretched arms.
The entrance to Peak-a-boo requires a scramble up a 10-foot high rock face, and there are sometimes pools of water at the entrance so wear shoes that can get wet. Spooky Gulch is much longer than Peak-a-boo and it's more narrow. There is a 7-foot boulder in Spooky which needs to be down-climbed to complete the loop. Both slot canyons can get crowded, so try to arrive as early in the morning as possible to beat the crowds. For more information on the hike and finding the trailhead, click here.
Zebra and Tunnel Slot Canyons - Zebra is the prettiest slot canyon in the region. It’s quite short but features striped patterns on its walls which are really cool. Nearby Tunnel Slot has a cool rock roof, but its not as spectacular as Zebra. Both slots often have deep water, so wear shoes and clothes that can get wet. The trailhead is off of the "Hole in the Rock" road near the town of Escalante. For more info on the hike and finding the trailhead, click here.
Devils Garden - This area has colorful hoodoos and small arches that you can climb around and explore. It's a fun spot for all ages and a great option if the slot canyons seem a little too intense. The parking area is right next to the hoodoos. There is also a pit toilet here - the only one in the area. Devil’s Garden is 100% worth stopping at, and can be seen in as little as 20 minutes. The trailhead is off of the "Hole in the Rock" road near the town of Escalante. For more info on the hike and finding the trailhead click here.
Little Death Hollow - Little Death Hollow is a really impressive canyon. It starts out wide with very tall walls before converging to a single file slot canyon that goes on for miles. It’s harder to reach than the others but the lack of crowds make it worth the effort. This is also a great spot for backpacking. The hike is off of the "Burr Trail" road accessed from the town of Boulder, UT. Read more about it here.
Calf Creek Falls - This a cool waterfall and a nice hike. The trailhead is well-marked off of Highway 12, in between the towns of Boulder and Escalante. The hike is about 6 miles roundtrip with the endpoint at Lower Calf Creek Falls cascading into a green pool. The waterfall can be a nice place to swim for kids and adults during summer. Read more about it here. There is also an Upper Calf Creek Falls which is a separate hike - it’s pretty cool but Lower Calf Creek Falls in the better option.
Cosmic Ashtray - Yet another great option and well worth the hike. The dirt road is mostly passable for all vehicles, but small cars may consider parking before the sand gets too deep, and hiking on the last bit of road. The Cosmic Ashtray isn’t easy to find, so it’s best to use a GPS enabled hiking map like AllTrails to find it. Read more about the hike here.
Reflection Canyon - A stunning viewpoint on Lake Powell that has become pretty famous in recent years. Reflection Canyon is remote and the hike is long, hot, and dry. Reflection Canyon is really hard to find, so use a GPS enabled hiking map like AllTrails and consult it often while hiking. The dirt road to get here gets really rough towards the end, so it’s best to have an off-road capable vehicle. I don’t recommend this drive for small cars. I think Reflection Canyon is best seen with one night of backcountry camping (permit required), but a very fit person who starts the hike at dawn could probably make it a day-hike. Read more about Reflection Canyon here.
Hole in the Rock - If you drive all the way to the end of Hole-in-the-Rock road, you will reach this giant canyon that runs down into Lake Powell. It’s a fun hike down to the lake if you have the time, but the road is very rough to get here. Read more about it here.
Where to Stay:
The small town of Escalante is the best place to set up base camp for exploring the region. Most of the attractions mentioned above are on the "Hole in the Rock" road which begins right near the town of Escalante. There are a few rustic hotels in town, and also a few campground/RV Parks and places to buy food and supplies. From here, most attractions mentioned above can be reached with an hours drive or less.