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Free Traveling Guides » States » Utah » Greater Utah
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
The Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument was established in September, 1996 and is now administered by the BLM rather than the NPS. This monument encompasses a road-less area of over 1.7 million acres (6885 square-km). There are two major rivers systems in this area: the Paria and the Escalante. Almost all the major attractions within the monument are located around the tributaries of these two river systems.
Grand Staircase, occupying most of the western section of the monument, is a series of uplifted sandstone cliffs that are differently colored and extend in order of increasing age between the Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. The Canyon system that is formed by the Paria River and its tributaries cuts through the cliff and can be accessed by the Cottonwood Canyon Road, which extends to a distance of 50 miles (80.4 km) between Us 89 and Kodachrome.
The Paria River narrows and the Buckskin Gulch slot canyon are the most visited sections in this area and are situated outside the boundary of the Monument, south of US 89. Certain parts of the Monument like the Paria ghost town and movie set can be easily accessed via several roads to the north of US 89. Places with hotels, near to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, include Torrey and Bryce Canyon. Places like Canyonville, Escalante, Tropic, and Boulder have a few motels as well.
The Escalante River forms the other major canyon system in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This Canyon system was the last one to be discovered and mapped in America. It cuts through the town of Escalante and then, runs along a long canyon to Lake Powell. There are several natural bridges and arches in this region but the Burr Trail and the Hole-in-the-Rock Road are the only two paved routes to reach the interesting places. As the lower reaches of this river remain flooded, the best way to view the Monument is sightseeing by boat from the lake.
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