One Day at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument: Some of Utah’s Best Hikes outside the Big 5 National Parks

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument sits along Scenic Highway 12 between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef. It offers some of the best hikes in the state outside of Utah’s infamous Big 5 National Parks. It is definitely worth spending a day in Grand Staircase Escalante.

Before visiting I had high hopes for Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument after researching the area.

We decided to detour through Escalante to try a few of the highly-rated hikes. Even with high expectations, the area’s beauty impressed me. Grand Staircase Escalante definitely lives up to the hype.

History of Grand Staircase Escalante

The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument spans nearly 1 million acres. Due to its rugged terrain and remote location, it was the last area of the continental US to be mapped.

In 2018, the White House administration reduced the protected area of the National Monument from 1.88 million acres to 1 million acres, essentially opening the area back up to other uses such as mining.

The official White House statement stated the area no longer needed protection. The new boundaries were “confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected”.

Why is it named Grand Staircase Escalante?

The Grand Staircase Escalante is named for the nearby river and its stair-shaped cliffs.

The Escalante River has carved canyons and gorges over time. The unique sandstone shapes including slot canyons attract hikers and backpackers from all over the world.

The monument is named for the cliffs that step up in elevation from the south to the north.

Grand Staircase Escalante Monument has five different levels of steps or cliffs that have eroded revealing distinctively different colors of stone. The last step on the staircase ends at the Grand Canyon.

The Grand Staircase is visible from some of the viewpoints in Bryce Canyon National Park. To plan your trip, check out our Bryce Canyon National Park blog.

How far is Grand Staircase to Bryce and Zion National Park?

Grand Staircase Escalante is a great addition to a Utah National Parks road trip. We loved our time in this area and would recommend spending at least a half-day at the National Monument.

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is conveniently located between Bryce Canyon National Park and Capitol Reef National Park along scenic Hwy 12.

Grand Staircase Escalante is located 46 miles from Zion National Park and only 22 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park.

Capitol Reef National Park is less than 70 miles from the town of Escalante and even closer to the National Monument via Scenic Highway 12.

Capitol Reef is my favorite National Park out of the Utah Mighty 5 because I never hear anyone talk about it. I love cheering for an underdog. The hiking is amazing, it’s far less traveled and they have fresh fruit pies in a National Park.

Know Before You Go to Grand Staircase Escalante

There are a few things to know before you go to Grand Staircase Escalante:

• Download offline maps and guides before you arrive.
  • There is no cellular service in most areas of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.
• Hike Early
  • Trails at Grand Staircase Escalante are popular and trailhead parking is limited. I recommend arriving by 9 am to ensure parking. Plus you’ll avoid the midday heat.
• Fuel Up.
  • There is a lot of driving so be sure to arrive with at least half a tank of fuel.
• Pack Food.
  • The lunch options are very limited outside of town and driving to town and back is a waste of precious daylight. Bringing a variety of food is a great way to ensure the trip isn’t cut short by hunger.
  • My favorite portable foods are tuna pouches, nuts, protein bars and fruit.
• Bring Water.
  • Grand Staircase Escalante is very dry and dehydration is never far away when hiking. Drink at least 1L for every two hours of hiking in Utah and even more in warm weather. We travel with a 6-gallon water jug to refill our bottles and hydration bladders. There are multiple places to refill water jugs in the town of Escalante.

Camping at Grand Staircase Escalante

We chose to boondock or camp for free on public lands at Grand Staircase Escalante. In this area dispersed camping, aka boondocking, requires a free permit from the Bureau of Land Management within the national monument.

On our way into Escalante, we stopped at the regional BLM office but it was closed due to COVID. We did find a few good maps posted on the outside of the building. Along with a sign that advised us to continue to use the public lands despite the office being closed.

They didn’t have any big ‘Welcome to Escalante’ signs for photo ops but they had a giant lizard statue.

What is boondocking on BLM land?

Boondocking is also called dry camping or dispersed camping but it simply means camping without electric, water, or sewer connections. 

Pippi, our motorhome, has solar panels and large storage tanks for fresh water and wastewater so the lack of connections doesn’t affect our quality of life.

For full details about our solar modifications check out RV Solar Installation: How we power our home with sunshine .

BLM campsites are free for everyone, usually with 14 days stay limits to protect the land and prevent permanent residents from dominating the available spots. 

Free Camping at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

Based on previous research and confirmation from the BLM posted information about free camping at Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, we chose to camp along Hole in the Rock Road.

If you are only staying one day at Grand Staircase Escalante, Hole is the Rock is an easy in-and-out free camping location for the night.

The road continues 56 miles and leads to several popular trailheads including several slot canyons.

Be sure Read This Before You Hike any Slot Canyons at Grand Staircase Escalante.

The wind was strong the day we arrived and the majority of the area was sandy. We did our best to find the least dusty spot and chose a lovely spot on a small cliffside overlooking the nearby valley. We were surrounded by scrubby grasses on three sides which kept the dust to a minimum. While staying here we watched giant dust clouds beating up other campers in less ideal spots.

Needless to say, we were really thankful for our views and protection from the dust. An added bonus was the cell reception at our campsite since most of the Escalante area is a dead zone.

Is there a grocery store in Escalante?

There is a regular grocery store in Escalante. It is small but has a great selection of groceries at reasonable prices.

While in Escalante, we also visited the local grocery store, Griffins Grocery & General Merchandise. During our visit, their hours were only noon until 6 pm on Monday- Saturday. However, I am not sure if the hours were normal or limited due to COVID.

Griffins is a small shop compared to our usual supermarket experience, but they had very fair prices and a decent selection. We were able to restock our pantry and refill our supplies of fresh produce without breaking the bank.

What to do in One Day at Grand Staircase Escalante

What to do when visiting Grand Staircase Escalante varies based on your interests and abilities. We love to hike so we chose several popular trails in the area.

With one day at Grand Staircase Escalante, a few of the best options are hiking or scenic drives to explore the area.

One day at Grand Staircase will allow time to:

• Drive Scenic Highway 12
• Hike a slot canyon on Hole in the Rock Road
• Hike a trail in Escalante Canyon- I recommend either Lower Calf Creek Falls or Escalante Natural Bridge
• Drive Burr Trail Road and sing in the Singing Canyon

Hiking at Grand Staircase Escalante

Hiking is the top activity at Grand Staircase. If you are limited on time I would focus on hiking one geographic area. The top contenders are Escalante Canyon or Hole in the Rock Road slot canyons.

Escalante Natural Bridge or Lower Calf Creek Falls are the highest-rated trails in Escalante Canyon.

Hole in the Rock Road is well known for its slot canyons. After driving the long dirt road, you’ll find multiple trails including Spooky Gulch, Peek a Boo, Zebra and Tunnel.

Scenic Drives at Grand Staircase Escalante

In addition to hiking, I would also recommend driving around the National Monument on your trip. The Monument is located along Scenic Hwy 12 so you’ll naturally be doing some driving.

The two best scenic drivers at Grand Staircase Escalante are:

• Scenic Hwy 12
• Burr Trail Road

Utah Scenic Highway 12

Scenic Highway 12 in Utah connects Bryce Canyon National Park to Capitol Reef National Park and pass straight through the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Highway 12 runs a total of 123 miles from the town of Panguitch to Torrey Utah.

This drive has been rated in the top 5 scenic drives in the US by multiple agencies. The road winds through beautiful red rocks and into the Dixie National Forest. Expect narrow shoulders and winding hairpin turns.

The summit of the drive is at 9,000 feet elevation with very cool temperatures.

Within Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, the drive along Highway 12 is very scenic with several overlooks with interpretative signs.

RV Driving on Hwy 12 in Utah

The drive on Scenic Hwy 12 from Bryce Canyon to Escalante is a steep curving road and should be approached with caution in an RV.

We made the beautiful drive along Hwy 12 in our 37′ Class A motorhome towing a sedan without any issues. However, Kevin is a really confident driver after many years of driving our motorhome.

Driving Scenic Hwy 12 in an RV is possible but I wouldn’t recommend it for less experienced or nervous drivers.

Burr Trail Road

If you have one day to spend in Grand Staircase Escalante, you should definitely drive the Burr Trail Road. The drive is breathtakingly beautiful down into the canyon.

Along the scenic drive through the canyons, there are several walking paths available along the roadside. If you aren’t looking for a longer hike, don’t worry there are several short paths available.

Singing Canyon on Burr Trail Road in Grand Staircase Escalante

On Burr Trail Road, we walked a quarter of a mile into the Singing Canyon. It was completely shaded and is great for warm sunny Utah days.

Singing Canyon is named for its acoustics.

Best Hikes in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

If you want some longer hikes, Grand Staircase Escalante has some great options.

Hiking is the most popular activity in Grand Staircase Escalante with waterfalls, narrow slot canyons, arches, and sculpted slick rock for variety.

A few of the most highly rated hikes in the area are:

Hiking Escalante Slot Canyons

Slot canyons are a big hiking attraction in Escalante. Slot canyons are narrow cracks in the sandstone created by erosion. Hiking a slot canyon is a very unique, cool experience but isn’t ideal for those with mobility issues or claustrophobia.

For full details about Peek-A-Boo, Spooky, Zebra and Tunnel Slot Canyons check out this post.

Hiking Grand Staircase Escalante Canyon Area

With limited time in the area and slightly uncertain how much hiking my knees could handle, I chose two moderately difficult trails in Escalante. But based on my research both seemed unique enough to justify the effort.

During our exploration of the area, we had no cellular signal which made navigation and spur-of-the-moment plan changes challenging. It was a great reminder of how much we rely on our phones to research throughout the day.

After this experience, I decided to buy a Pro license for the AllTrails app. My Pro license allows me to download offline maps in preparation for hikes without a cellular signal.

Hiking Lower Calf Creek Falls

Lower Calf Creek Falls was 7 miles out and back (3.5 miles from the start to the end of the trail and then 3.5 miles back along the same path).

At the end of the trail was a spectacular waterfall. It was worth the trip. The hike itself was sunny and sandy with a few scenic overlooks.

The trail was fairly busy for our morning hike but crowds were increasing when we finished in the early afternoon. We saw all types of people hiking this trail including small kids and people carrying camp chairs. Once we arrived at the falls we saw why.

The rocky walls around the sandy beach provided great shade and combined with the mist from the waterfall the air temperature dropped at least 15 degrees.

Lower Calf Creek Falls is a place you’ll want to spend a while.

One couple hung their hammock between two trees and were having a photoshoot complete with wardrobe changes.

As usual, we found a rock in the shade to enjoy our lunch and indulge in people-watching before heading back to the car.

Hiking Escalante Natural Bridge

The next morning, we got an earlier start because the Escalate Natural Bridge trailhead parking lot fills quickly during the summer.

I am not certain if we were the first people on the trail but we didn’t see any other people until we reached the end of the trail. At that point, we saw backpackers who had clearly slept in the backcountry the night before.

The Escalante Natural Bridge trail was our first experience with river crossings. And we started big, this 5.5-mile hike required 12 river crossings.

How to hike over river crossings

As river crossing rookies, we didn’t have a solid plan of attack on how to hike over the river crossings.

There are three options for crossing rivers on a hike.

• Option 1: Hike in sandals or water shoes.
• Option 2: Walk thru the water with your shoes on and hike in wet socks and shoes.
• Option 3: Remove shoes and walk in water barefoot, then put shoes back on before continuing.

We saw many hikers wearing hiking sandals or water shoes but I knew I would have blistered feet from sand rubbing my wet feet if I wore my beloved Chacos.

I considered wearing my waterproof hiking boots in the river. The river levels ranged between my knee and ankle but the water would have flowed over the top of my boots and soaked my socks at every crossing.

However, Kevin had no interest in walking the sandy trail with wet shoes, so we decided to remove our shoes for each crossing.

No other hikers stopped at the water crossings to remove their boots and socks but in hindsight, removing our shoes was the smartest plan.

There was one crossing we used rocks and a fallen tree to traverse without removing our shoes. But otherwise, we took off our shoes and socks at each crossing.

We laughed a lot. It was an adventure finding the most forgiving river bank at each crossing. We perfected our technique of removing boots and socks, wading across the river, drying our feet, and donning socks and boots at each crossing.

Can you walk in the river at Escalante Natural Bridge?

Yes, you can walk in the river along the Escalante Natural Bridge trail. It is slow walking. I would not attempt if you are on a tight time schedule or have any balance issues.

Another hiker’s online review stated she had walked through the river from crossing #3 to #4 (or #9 and #10 on the return trip). We decided to do the same as the day was warming up quickly.

The river bottom was nice and sandy in a few spots but volleyball to baseball-sized river rocks covered most of it. We found tree branches to use as hiking/guide sticks and laughed as we slowly made our way down the river. We saw several fish in the clear, cool water along the way.

The river walking was both physically and mentally challenging because we had to choose each step carefully. It was a nice change from mindlessly putting one foot in front of the other on the flat sandy trail. Plus the cool water on our feet felt great on a hot afternoon.

Where to get lunch when hiking Escalante

I packed sandwiches for lunch and planned to buy sides and drinks from the Kiva Koffeehouse.

Kiva Koffeehouse is the only restaurant option in the Escalante Canyon area. The only other choice is to drive 20 minutes back to the town of Escalante for lunch. I personally hate to waste daylight hours trying to find food in small towns. I’d rather pack a picnic and snacks than delay my adventures.

Kiva coffeehouse provides great scenic views of the area and a limited lunch menu. They are only open seasonally with limited hours so check their website before your trip.

Is Grand Staircase Escalante worth seeing if you only have one day?

To sum up, we loved our detour to Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and would highly recommend it even if you only have one day. But if you can spare more time, two days will allow you fit in a few more hikes.

The hikes in the area were a beautiful addition to our Utah National Parks road trip. The park was equally as beautiful as Utah’s Mighty 5 but with smaller crowds. A day in Grand Staircase Escalante is definitely worthy of your next adventure.

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