|
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, created in 1996, covers 1.9 million acres of land on the Colorado Plateau in the spectacular canyonlands of south-central Utah.
The monument, the first to be administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), showcases millions of years of geologic history. This dramatic, multi-hued landscape contains a unique combination of archaeological, historical, paleontological, geological, and biological resources.
The monument is divided into three distinct regions: the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau and the Canyons of the Escalante.
The Grand Staircase is composed of a series of cliffs and terraces that constitute geological "steps" that ascend northward across the western portion of the monument.
The Staircase offers a variety of eco-systems and wide geological and biological diversity.
In the Canyons of the Escalante, the Escalante River flows off the southern flank of the Aquarius Plateau, winding through a vast maze of interconnected canyons.
This magical labyrinth is one of the scenic wonders of the West. Even though Spanish explorer and priest Father Silvestre Velez de Escalante never saw the river, his is the namesake given by the Powell survey crew that named the Escalante River in 1872.
The Kaiparowits Plateau is a vast wedge-shaped mesa with deeply-incised canyons that rises above the surrounding canyonlands. The isolated, rugged plateau is refuge for wildlife, rare plants and adventurous hikers or horseback riders who are ready to handle profound solitude and uncompromising wild country. Kaiparowits is a Paiute name meaning "Big Mountain’s Little Brother."
Visitors can view 500 year-old pinyon and junipers, as well as prehistoric dwellings, examples of ancient rock art, world-class fossils, millions of years of geologic history, and hundreds of living species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles.
Highways 89 and 12, provide access and outstanding views along the monument's northern, southern and western boundaries.
The monument is extremely remote and most of its interior roads are primitive. Visitors should have good maps, appropriate types of vehicles, extra gas and water before venturing into the interior.
Developed campgrounds are found along the perimeter of the monument along Highways 12 and 89, and BLM operates two developed campgrounds within the monument. Calf Creek campground off Hwy. 12 between Escalante and Boulder has 13 sites and is also the trail head for Lower Calf Creek Falls.
Deer Creek campground has six sites and is located seven miles east of Boulder along the Burr Trail. White House campground, off Hwy. 89 between Kanab, Utah and Page, Ariz., has five sites and is a trailhead for the Paria Canyon Wilderness.
Backpacking and dispersed car camping are allowed, but a permit must be first obtained from one of the visitor centers in Kanab, Cannonville, Big Water or Escalante.
The monument also operates an information desk at Anasazi State Park in Boulder.
Be alert for scorpions, rattlesnakes, cactus, quicksand and poison ivy. Flash floods can occur after summer thunderstorms.
Gnats and deerflies can be troublesome in May and June.
Mountain biking and off-road vehicles are permitted only on designated roads and trails within the moument. Horses are allowed everywhere within the monument where terrain allows.
The monument is about 290 highway miles south of Salt Lake City and 250 miles east of Las Vegas.
Outdoor Activities |
