Plan your visit to Grand Staircase-Escalante
The American Southwest is legitimately one of my favorite areas on this planet . There is something magical about the red landscape dusted with sage brush and filled with a rich history that made this country what it is today.
You may have heard of Grand Staircase Escalante in recent months in the news. It has made headlines as part of the controversy of the Trump administration revoking the protected status of certain public lands to allow practices such as drilling for oil. I had the great fortune to visit Grand Staircase Escalante this past fall prior to its size being drastically reduced. I highly recommend making the trip down to the area to explore and take in a bit of the wild west history sooner rather than later. Below are some of the highlights from our time in the area.
Where to Stay in Grand Staircase-Escalante:
While there are many options falling in the categories of hotels, B&Bs, camp grounds and resorts, we opted to stay 
on BLM land just outside the town of Escalante, Utah. BLM stands for the Bureau of Land Management, which is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of The Interior…long story short BLM Lands are public lands that are free to stay on, all they ask is that you pack out what you pack in and register at the visitors center in town so that they know you are out there (for your own safety and to monitor traffic)
We Spent 2 nights out on BLM land in this area and the views were beyond incredible. Not only did we get to look off into a painted desert- the sunrise, sunset and night sky were incredible.
Night one we drove down Whole in the Rock Road and then veered off onto a side road to set up shop, tucked within the pinon pines. This turned out to be a most excellent spot as it was close to town and easy to get back in for the adventure we had the next morning (more on that later)
Night two we took the recommendation of someone we met in town to go out to Spencer Flat road (103) Which provided us with an INCREDIBLE view, and a bit more privacy than we had the night before.
The biggest recommendation I can give in finding a spot is to go for higher ground and not to camp where water has obviously been at any point in time…no matter how dry it currently is. Flash floods are a very serious thing in the desert. Even if the skies are clear near you the water can come rushing in from miles away without warning.
Where to eat in Grand Staircase-Escalante
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has a few towns within it. We stayed near the town of Escalante, UT as it was close to a lot of the things we wanted to do. To be honest, you don’t have a lot of options when it comes to dinning in the small town of Escalante. There is a small grocery store where you can pick up the staples and cook back at camp
and MAYBE a handful of eateries. We had spent a bit of time at Escalante Outfitters which is essentially a catch all on the main drag in town. Think of it as a combination gear shop (legit gear), cafe/restaurant, camp ground and visitor center. This place pretty much had everything we had gone looking for and they were able to point us in the direction of anything else we needed.
We did end up eating here and they most definitely did not disappoint. They have pretty decent pizza (though let it be known, this is far from a NYC thin crust if that is your jam) a great craft beer selection and slamming baked goods that are made locally.
What to Do in Grand Staircase Escalante
There is a lot of history surrounding the area, plenty of outdoor activities and art based events.
- Calf Creek Falls Not far from Escalante there is a great easy trail that leads to Calf Creek Falls.
Calf Creek Waterfall This is a must see and a true gem of Grand Staircase-Escalante. The route is about 6 miles round trip, but has minimal elevation gain and leads to a beautiful oasis featuring (you guessed it!) Calf Creek Waterfall. Be sure to sign in and out of the book at the trail head and to pick up a trail guide when you start. You will see beaver dams, the remaining signs of the Fremont tribes that once inhabited the canyons such as Fremont-style rock art, granaries and pithouses. The trail is incredibly calming as you walk through fields of sage bush and wind through the canyon along the river.
2. Canyon Tours– There are several slot canyon hikes in the area of varying size and difficulty. Due to the dangers of hiking in canyons, I would highly recommend going with a guide company if you are unfamiliar with the safety precautions required. There are several tour companies in the area and all have great reviews. Plan ahead of time if possible because they all book up rather quickly (We booked the night before and were only able to get in with 1 because of large groups in town). We had a most excellent time with Escape Goats and they will have a post dedicated exclusively to that experience very soon.
As you drive into town from the east this will be on the right hand side of the road as you enter. It is a bit of a roadside museum that does a nice job of sharing the history of Escalante, the migration of Mormon families that created the town and the challenges they faced to get there due to the harsh terrain. This was very interesting to me as I love history and had little to no knowledge of this topic prior to visiting the center.
4. Scenic Drives
It’s gorgeous down here!!! Take a drive along route 12 and you will find yourself winding through canyons, climbing into forest and dipping back into painted valleys. Between the wild flowers and high mineral content of the soil it looks as though a unicorn exploded across the landscape. You will not be disappointed!
If you stick on route 12, the road is well paved and has pull offs with restrooms at scenic lookouts. Please be aware that while most of the dirt roads don’t necessarily require 4 wheel drive, many do become impassible at points due to mud or water if it has rained recently.
5. Escalante Canyons Art Festival (Everett Ruess Days)
While we didn’t get the opportunity to experience this festival first hand we certainly heard an awful lot about it. Every September Escalante host the Escalante Canyons Art Festival (Everett Ruess Days). The festival celebrates the beauty of the desert and includes The Plein Air Painting Competition. This allows artists six full days to paint in the National Monument and then turn in their final work for a juried competition
If you are unable to make the festival itself there are several art galleries in town to take in some beautiful paintings and art work.
Get out there!!
As always the best way to find “the good stuff” is to talk to the locals. Don’t be afraid to chat with folks when you dip into local eateries! they are more than happy to share what they love about their little piece of the world.
Comment below with your favorite tips about Escalante or other areas within Southern Utah!