Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, utah
Attractions Guide

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is massive and very remote, located about half-way between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

The larger town within the park is Escalante, which is a great hub point for exploring the park. South of Escalante along BLM 200 (Hole in the Rock Road) is where you'll find a majority of the area's greatest hikes. The road is a dirt washboard and is a bit rough, however it can be driven along slowly with almost any car.

Along Highway 12 between Escalante and Boulder (northeast of Escalante) is one of the park's most popular hikes, the 5.5 mile (8.9 km) round-trip Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail, which winds alongside Calf Creek through a beautiful canyon with an impressive waterfall at the end.

Zebra & Tunnel Slot Canyons

South of Escalante along BLM 200 (Hole in the Rock Road) is where you'll find a majority of the area's greatest hikes. The road is a dirt washboard and is a bit rough, however it can be driven along slowly with almost any car.

The first slot canyon trail you'll encounter is the 6.6 mile (10.6 km) round-trip Zebra/Tunnel Slots Trail, which combines the Zebra Slot Canyon and Tunnel Slot Canyon by making a loop. Be prepared to get wet with this trail as there's lots of water in these slots, and make sure to know the proper hiking route before you take on this trail.

Devils Garden

The next attraction you'll encounter heading south along Hole in the Rock Road is the bizarre Devils Garden, which contains multi-colored hoodoo formations, two of which form the unique Metate Arch.

Peek-a-Boo & Spooky Slot Canyons

Continue much further down the road to the area's most popular slot canyon trail, which combines the Peek-a-Boo Slot Canyon and Spooky Slot Canyon. The round-trip trail length is approximately 4.8 miles (7.7 km) with most vehicles, or 3 miles (4.8 km) total if you have a 4x4 or high-clearance vehicle and park at the closer trailhead.

The optimal hiking route for this trail is to start with Peek-a-Book Canyon, and once you exit the slot canyon turn right (east) and walk over the rock hill to the large sandy area of Spooky Gulch Top, where you'll now traverse Spooky Gulch Canyon and then turn right (west) upon leaving the canyon to reconnect to the trail which leads to the parking area.

Further south into the national monument along Road BLM 200 is the incredible Coyote Gulch trail, which has several options for hiking. When hiking the Coyote Gulch Trail it's strongly recommended to bring a rope just in case you may need to use it for support on the ascent/descent to the Coyote Gulch canyon.

Parking at the Moki Stairs Sneaker Route near the water tank off of Road you can hike approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) round-trip to see the breathtaking Jacob Hamblin Arch, which is located inside the gulch. This parking area is located off of Road BLM 270, which is accessed via Road BLM 200.

Coyote Natural Bridge & Black Lagoon

You can add on an additional 5 miles (8 km) round-trip if you'd like to continue along this gorgeous gulch creek trail for a serene walk to another massive arch, the Coyote Natural Bridge and the stunning hidden Black Lagoon, both of which are highly recommended. This route is approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) round-trip.

Escalante River & Stevens Arch

The full route following the Coyote Gulch to the confluence of the Escalante River passes tiny stunning waterfalls and the striking Cliff Arch, before offering views of the massive Stevens Arch, which sits above the Escalante River. This full route is approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) round-trip, returning up Crack in the Wall from the Escalante River and then walking along the desert back to the parking lot.

In order to see Stevens Arch up-close you'll need to cross the Escalante River. Note that it's also possible to do this route backwards if you like by starting at the Crack in the Wall.

Also notable is the 2.7 mile (4.3 km) round-trip walk from the Moki Stairs Sneaker Route Trailhead (also known as the Water Tank Trailhead) to Sunset Arch, which is located directly to the south of the trailhead.

Near the very end of Hole in the Rock Road (BLM 200) is the trailhead for the grand Reflection Canyon, which is quite a long journey along an unmarked trail to reach. The round-trip length for this trail is approximately 15-18 miles (24-29 km) depending on the route you take.

Just be sure that before you venture out to see Reflection Canyon that the water levels in Lake Powell are at their lowest, otherwise the iconic canyon may not look as it is suppose to, or the formations may even be completely submerged underwater.

You can also reach the canyon much easier (but more expensively) by renting a boat on Lake Powell and parking it within the tiny inlet that's located on the west side of the entrance to Reflection Canyon, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) west of the entrance. This hike has a round-trip distance of approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) to the viewpoint.

Another hike to consider is to the strange Cosmic Ashtray formation, for which the trailhead is located at the end of Spencer Flat Road which connects to Highway 12, southeast from Escalante. This large navel-like formation is filled with vivid brown waters and is very unique. The round-trip distance for this hike is approximately 8.4 miles (13.5 km).

Another amazing sight is the breathtaking Golden Cathedral, the trailhead for which can be found near the end of Egypt Road (BLM 240), which spurs off of Hole in the Rock Road (BLM 200). This beautiful formation can be found by hiking through Fence Canyon to the Escalante River and then into Neon Canyon which leads to the Golden Cathedral.

Unfortunately it can be very challenging to hike the proper route and find the Cathedral, so be sure you know exactly where you're going beforehand. Also be prepared to cross rivers and get very wet. The round-trip distance for this hike is approximately 9.2 miles (14.8 km). You'll also need climbing gear