Grand Staircase–Escalante
Grand Staircase–Escalante is a vast high-desert wilderness in southern Utah, cut by winding slot canyons and high elevation slickrock plateaus—a haven for backcountry hiking, geology, and dispersed camping.
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Geography
| Continent | North America |
|---|---|
| Region | Utah |
| Subregion | southwestern United States |
| Country | United States |
| State | Utah |
| County | Kane County and Garfield County |
| Timezone | AmericaDenver |
| Latitude | 36.6 |
| Longitude | -111.5 |
| Maps |
12:58 PM LOCAL TIMEGrand Staircase–Escalante is a public lands monument of roughly 4,480 square kilometers (1,728 square miles) set between Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks in southern Utah. Characterized by tiered sandstone cliffs, deep slot canyons, open high-desert plateaus, and isolated hoodoos, it offers a remarkably varied landscape shaped by erosion, lava flows, and paleontological deposits. Popular activities include long-distance backpacking and multi-day routes like the Hogsback and Coyote Gulch, scenic drives on unpaved roads, and off-trail exploration—but much of the terrain is remote and requires careful preparation. The area is also famed for ancient rock art, fossil deposits, and as a wilderness source for nearby rivers: the Colorado, Escalante, and Paria. Visitors should come prepared for variable weather, limited services, and a leave-no-trace ethos—navigating by topographic maps and USGS surveys. Nearby trailheads connect to a network of backcountry campsites, permit zones, and scenic overlooks; explore early-morning light, sunset glow, and the sense of vast solitude that defines the landscape.
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