Encompassing Escalante

Beautiful sunrise landscape at alstrom point

Trail History

At nearly 1 million acres, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument embodies the frontier spirit of the West. Grand Staircase-Escalante's monoliths, slot canyons, arches, and mosaic badlands present a cornucopia of geological wonders. Grand Staircase-Escalante has earned its nickname "the Science Monument", from the discovery of countless fossils and a variety of previously unknown dinosaurs. Escalante is a geological wonderland, packed with towering cliffs, winding canyons, and vast plateaus. It remains one of the most remote and scientifically valuable landscapes in the U.S., known for its dinosaur fossils, slot canyons, and rugged wilderness.

Trip Description

The plan for this trip is to explore and encompass some of the remote areas of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. You’ll begin your trip from the town of Escalante, Utah, and fuel up before heading South on towards Coal Bend, Horse Spring, and Death Ridge canyons, to name a few. Then, you’ll stop to witness Grosvenor Arch and The Cockscomb geological layers. As you head south, you can opt to check out the Paria Ghost Town as an additional tangent. I highly recommend hiking some of the slot canyons in the area including the Cottonwood Narrows, Cottonwood Hoodoo and Hackberry Trails along the route.

From the Old Paria Townsite area, you’ll turn east towards Big Water for any needed provisions, then North to see take a hike into the nearby Hoodoos and Mushroom Rocks. You’ll continue northeast into the Nipple Bench Badlands and can explore a spectacular view at Nipple Bench overlook. From the Badlands, you’ll meander Southeast towards the Big Smokey Coal Fissures and climb over 1,600 feet to take advantage of the views going up once you’re on top.

You’ll can opt to stop at Alstrom Point to take in all the magnificent views there and along the way, and camp if needed. Then, you’ll turn north to witness the Metate and Mono Arches. You’ll explore down Hole in the Rock Road, where you can stop to look at tons of points of interest, including Jacob Hamblin Arch and Coyote Natural Bridge, before heading North—where you started the journey in Escalante—to round out your incredible adventure.

Things to Note:

I would consider most of the trails/hikes range from Easy to Moderate, I would recommend bringing a couple gallons of spare fuel and water in case we decide to venture further than anticipated. Utah is remarkable place.

Croton Rd is a very rocky and bumpy trail which has shelf sections, if you wish to take the optional easier route I would recommend Smokey Mountain Rd instead which parallels Croton Rd.

**Be prepared for varying types of roads and unpredictable weather conditions.

As always, expect the unexpected. Adventure is subject to change.**

Off-road Miles

300 +/-

Trip Duration

To allow enough time to explore all the POI's I would recommend at least 1 week for this journey.

Trail Difficulty

Easy to Moderate: Various dirt and rocky roads, some of which are graded annually. Left Hand Collet Canyon does have some rockier and tight sections but nothing overly technical and certainly worth it. Keep in mind that erosion can change the trail conditions at any time so go prepared.

Vehicle Recommendations