Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
The Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument located in southern Utah is a nature reserve by the type of National Monuments. It was proclaimed by President Bill Clinton in September 1996 and was the first National Monument managed by the Bureau of Land Management ( BLM), an agency under the auspices of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The monument is 7689 km ² is currently the largest of its kind in the heartland of the USA. It is located in southern Utah in one of the loneliest parts of America, and is surrounded by the National Park Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area of the Lake and Powell as well as the Dixie National Forest. The Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument includes an impressive range of spectacular natural wonders between the desert and the mountains.
A rocky landscape of colorful mountains, slopes, plains and valleys - this is the Grand Staircase- Escalante NM The monument is geologically essentially divided into three parts. From the west we first find the area of the " Grand Staircase ", a cuesta landscape which forms the ascending to the north " Grand Staircase ". The Grand Staircase is intersected by the Paria River, the landscape often cut along with its tributaries, while a wide range of geological wonders formed. Further east, joins the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau to the driest and most inhospitable region of the monument. The boundary between these two parts of the monument is formed by a part of the distinctive formation of Cockscomb ( cockscomb ), an impressive mountain fold that runs from north to south through Utah. In the east, joins the Kaiparowits Plateau, the area of the Escalante Canyons to a despite the extreme dryness caused by the force of the (few) water over millions of years formed landscape, which contains some of the most beautiful canyons worldwide.
The Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument is at its northern edge by the Utah State Route 12 - opened ( Capitol Reef NP Bryce Canyon NP). Along this road are with Boulder, Escalante, and the town of Bryce Valley (including Tropic ) at the same time the most important places with a small tourist infrastructure. On the southern edge of the monument of U.S. Highway 89 ( Kanab - Page / Lake Powell) constitutes another means of access. Here is in an acceptable distance to the National Monument with the Kanab - next to Lake Powell tourism oriented Page in the southeast - the only place far and wide with extensive lodging, campgrounds, restaurants, some shopping, hospital, etc.
The other roads in the National Monument are - all of them unpaved - except for the first section of the Burr Trail in the northeast at Boulder. Although some more of leading by the National Monument north-south routes ( Cottonwood Canyon Road, Skutumpah Road, Hole in the Rock Road) are well secured and also for a car passable. However, can fail on these harsh slopes already a bit exhausting and adventurous longer trips. After rain, most unpaved roads are impassable even for four-wheel vehicles for some time. By far the largest number of the aforementioned " main streets " branching slopes are hardly suitable car.
Visitor centers are located along Highway 89 in Kanab, near the junction to the House Rock Valley Road about 40 miles east of Kanab (only in high season) as well as in Big Water. On Highway 12, there are two Visitor Center in Cannon Ville ( main season) and Escalante. Here you get cards and the necessary information about the road conditions as well as tips and hints to best practice activities and, if necessary, hiking permits ( engl. Permits ).
A first and certainly one of the most beautiful impressions of this National Monument to Win at driving on the Highway 12 between Boulder and Escalante. In this section, you pass through areas with " at first sight " the most impressive scoring rock formations of the monument. On this road the only marked and developed walking path is ( Lower Calf Creek Falls) National Monuments and the same Campground. A second smaller Campground is located in the northeast on Burr Trail.
But in order to get to know the diversity and the hidden beauties, walking is a must. Despite its relative brevity, many of the walks are strenuous and sometimes a little dangerous; not least because of the heat of the day, the risk of flash floods (English: flash floods ) in narrow canyons, also called slot canyons, the rocky terrain with significant height differences and the fact that the paths are usually not expanded. Departure for the starting points (English trailheads ) are mostly long and tiring due to the road surface. Not infrequently, a four wheel drive vehicle is necessary.
In addition to the landscape as such, especially the usually very secluded slot canyons are well worth a hike. Water has close and very tight crevices considerable depth here cut into the rock to cross the sometimes is a real challenge.
The Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument offers for nature lovers even have change for several days, but you should not miss to include the neighboring regions in the vacation planning. In addition to the legendary Bryce Canyon National Park and the beautiful Capitol Reef National Park Kodachrome Basin State Park is worth a visit. The opportunities for hiking are almost inexhaustible, the views of the National Monument fantastic and the colors of autumn leaves is indescribable. There are beautiful campgrounds, pretty lakes and abundant wildlife.