Fodor's Expert Review Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument
Outside Bryce Canyon National Park
Nature Preserve/Wildlife Refuge
In September 1996, President Bill Clinton designated 1.7 million acres in south-central Utah as Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument. The three distinct sections—the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante—offer remote backcountry experiences hard to find elsewhere in the Lower 48. Waterfalls, shoulder-width slot canyons, and improbable colors all characterize this wilderness. One of the best access points from Bryce is along Scenic Byway 12, which straddles the northern border of the monument—the Hogback section, between the small towns of Escalante and Boulder (which offer outfitters, lodging, and dining), is particularly spectacular.
