The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument encompasses a vast area of multi-hued cliffs, twisting canyons, expansive plateaus and all manner of buttes, pinnacles and mesas. It is untamed land filled with exhilarating difficult terrain. It features some terrific scenic drives, good hiking, challenging off-road 4WD exploring and plenty of photo opportunities.
The monument comprises three areas. The Grand Staircase area starts from the edge of the pink cliffs of Bryce Canyon National Park and descends successive steps of gray, white, vermilion and chocolate cliffs to the Cockscomb Ridge, a striking 20 mile long ridge of rock thrust up from the earth. The large Kaiparowits Plateau, a broad mesa carved through with narrow canyons, occupies the center of the monument. To the east is the Escalante Canyon area, through which runs the Escalante River and the canyons created by it and its tributaries.
You can explore the monument from many small towns around its border, including Kanab, Tropic, Escalante, Boulder and Page, AZ. You will find lodging and dining options in these towns as well as guide services for hiking, biking, horseback riding, etc.
To learn more about Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, select a topic of interest from the left-hand column.
