Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureCapitol Reef National Park
Under $25Drive and hike among sandstone cliffs, domes and natural bridges along the Waterpocket Fold near Torrey.
Photo: Steven Kevil, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFree
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, 755 W Main St · Escalante, UT
Why you should go…
This Bureau of Land Management monument, established in 1996, protects colorful rock layers, plateaus and canyons known for dinosaur fossil finds. A July 13, 2026 proclamation cut it to 181,541 acres, so check with staff which areas still sit inside it. Nearby favorites include Calf Creek Falls off Scenic Byway 12, the Willis Creek slot canyon, and the unpaved Hole-in-the-Rock Road. The Escalante Interagency Visitor Center on Highway 12 has current road and trail conditions.
- #national monument
- #slot canyons
- #hiking
- #scenic drive
- #backcountry camping
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance.
41 mi awayMore like this