Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument Things to Do

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Lower Calf Creek Fall is easy to find. After coming down out of the Henry Mountains (if you are coming from Hanksville) you will see an entrance for Calf Creek Recreation Area. The trail head is just down the road from the parking lot, walking towards the campsites.

The trail is very nice and strolls along the Calf Creek for about three miles. About 2/3 of the was up the trail you can find some great Indian petraglyphs. This is an in and out hike for a total of six miles. The Calf Creek fall is about 125 feet high. It is a nice place to swim in the summer and around the falls does not receive much sunlight.

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One of the more accessible slot canyons in the monument Willis Creek is a perpetual water source in the dry desert. Driving up from Kanab via the Johnson Canyon road you pass Lick Gorge and Bull Valley Gorge along the way and can make exploring all of them a day long excursion. Plan a long half day if just coming to Willis Creek.

Willis has a golden glow to the rocks and is a pleasant and easy hike. There is one waterfall which needs a little scrambling to get around but otherwise the hike is level. There are several narrow sections intermingled with more open waterways and a great place for shade on a hot summer day. As with any slot canyon avoid if rain is expected in the area to avoid getting caught in a flashflood.

The road is graded dirt and in dry conditions is a fairly decent road. Check locally before driving on it. An high clearance SUV or truck would be a good idea.

There are many good slot canyons in the monument.

Those most frequently seen by new visitors are Spooky and Peekaboo down the Hole in the Rock Road, and Willis Canyon off the Glendale Bench or Skutumpah Road or the Cottonwood Narrows on the Cottonwood Wash Road.

These are wilderness hikes and should be treated with respect. First getting to them requires driving a dirt road. Always check local conditions and weather reports at the visitor's centers before heading down the roads. Then there is always a risk of flash flooding. It is, afterall water rushing through these cracks in the rock which create the canyons in the first place. Next, they are seldom sign posted as well as more well documented hikes. So get good directions, have a gps or compass and map and use them. You don't want to be wondering around in the heat of the summer. And last, be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks and hike in the early morning during the hot summer.

Hey, it's actually a great place to stop. No, they still have the ruins protected and thus not visible to the public. Just pull into the parking lot. See the museum building and imagine that this is it for miles. No cars, no horses, no groceries. It's just you, this small community and the semi-desert world around you.

Now go inside and see how these people made it work. You'll be amazed.

Heading south from the town of Escalante, the Hole in the Rock Road, leads through a desolate looking country. Soon, you begin to see the beauty that surrounds you and the hardships that faced the early natives and pioneers who crossed this area. There are lots of hikes and access to the Escalante River, but the drive is what we did.

We spent the night, when we hit a sand pit on open rock and dug ourselves into the sandstone. Waiting for the sun to set before beginning any serious work, gave us a chance to enjoy the area with short walks among the sage, cactus and rattlers (only 1). Once the sun was down, we had to use an axe to chip away the stone the surrounded our tire up to the rim of the hub. Once free, we pulled off and spent a wonderful night under the stars listening to the silence of nature.

Yes, the view we had was of Navajo Mountain off to the southeast on the far side of Glen Canyon, which we only knew about from the maps, not from what we could see.

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Roundtrip distance to the falls is 5-1/2 miles. While little elevation change is encountered, most of the trail is sandy, and can be very strenuous walking, particularly in warm weather. It's well worth the trip. If you liked Zion Canyon National Park, you'll love Calf Creek. It's a more personal version of Zion.

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Alongside Hwy 12, by Grand Staircase is this park. It is not all that big, but does have some good hikes into the interior to see the petrified wood. Only about one mile is worth seeing, while the rest is for viewing the landscape of mountains. It is located right close to Escalante, the town. Admission is $5.

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From the south end off Hwy 89 is this site. I suggest you do not try to make the drive unless you are risk taker, and do not worry about creek washes and the road hanging on side of hills, and steep and winding driving. I got stuck in sand and nearly tore up the transmission getting out and up a steep hill. It is about 35 miles east of Kanab, and 30 miles west of Page if you want to see it. There is not set any longer. Burned and not to be seen; just a plaque explaining the old time fame around here for movie making. The mountain views and color are splendid, though.