Grand Staircase Escalante

Our travels took us to Escalante via Scenic Byway 12 from Capitol Reef.  This is such a beautiful drive that takes you through Dixie National Forest.  We had driven this in 2016 during our first trip to The Mighty Five. This time we were pulling a 6,000 lb trailer.  I was starting to have flashbacks as we climbed to an elevation of 9,592 feet. 

Needing a break from gripping the steering wheel, I noticed a sign for a rest area and decided I would stop.  As I pulled off the highway, entering the rest area, I noticed a car in front of a gate, which is closed.  Looking past the gate, I saw a building and a parking lot which one can access a little further up.  I continued driving up the now gravel road.  As I approached the second gate, I noticed this too was closed.  Now I am a 45 foot long truck and travel trailer with no option but to back out of this closed Rest Area, 230 feet directly onto Highway 12!  Thankfully there was little to no traffic and only one person watching as I backed my way out.  My wife had to stand in the middle of the road assisting me as I slowly backed my way out, as I could not see onto the highway.  After successfully navigating our way back onto the highway, my wife looked at me and said no more rest stops.  

After arriving and getting settled at the Escalante Cabins and RV Park , where we would stay for three nights, we decided to head downtown for dinner.  We would start at 4th West Pub for a margarita and home-smoked craft salsa and tortilla chips. You can taste the smokiness in the salsa, which was a nice touch.  It was a beautiful evening so we decided to enjoy their outdoor patio as we discussed our day.  From the patio, we could see our next destination for the evening, Escalante Outfitters for pizza and beer.  Things were more active and a bit chaotic here.  They offered outdoor and indoor seating with no host to assist with seating.  It was first come, first serve, and very much a free-for-all.  We had ordered our pizza and beer, as we were told, before grabbing a table.  After standing around, we were able to grab a table on their outdoor patio.  This was not the case with the table next to us, where we witnessed a little feud with someone who had been waiting.  As we enjoyed our dinner, I could watch passing traffic on highway 12 from my seat.  Here I watched an RV drive by with their sewer hose dragging beside it.  It was a memorable evening.    

When you visit the Town’s website, you are welcomed by the following statement on their homepage, “Welcome to Escalante City, a small ranching town nestled along Utah’s Scenic Byway 12. With only 850 residents, we are still the largest town for 70 miles in all directions. We pride ourselves on bringing a unique charm to our corner of Southern Utah”.  A true and accurate description.  

The next day we headed to the visitor center across the street to pick up some maps and then headed to the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. FYI, there is a $10 entrance fee. 

We hiked the Petrified Forest Trail to the Trail of Sleeping Rainbows.  It was on this trail where we saw many pieces of petrified wood.  I was pretty impressed as this was my first experience seeing petrified wood in such large pieces blanketing the landscape.  We also enjoyed the views of Wide Hollow Reservoir as we made our way back to the parking lot.  In all, it was about a 1.75 miles hike which we enjoyed very much, certainly worth the $10 fee.  As we were leaving, we decided to drive through the Wide Hollow Campground to check it out should we return to this area again.  This is a small campground with 20 sites, only three sites have water and electricity. 

Next, we decided to take an adventure to Devil’s Garden.  Located 12 miles off Highway 12, a dirt road with washboard ruts the entire journey will take you to the trailhead.  It is a long 12 miles as you navigate deep into Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.  As soon as you turn off Highway 12 you enter BLM land and can see campers darting the desert landscape.  It was an eye-opening sight.  

As we made our way to the Devil’s Garden Parking lot, I had to wonder how many people get lost out here and how long would it take to get assistance if something happened.  This area is very remote.  When we arrived, and before hitting the trail, I read the park sign describing the area.  I then read “You Could Die Out Here”.  No joke!  We set off cautiously through the rock formations nearby, while I nervously kept watch on the parking lot to ensure we did not get lost.  

During the hike, we came upon Metate Arch, which I had seen in the literature from the Visitor Center.   The landscape is simply beautiful, as is much of the landscape in UT.  The rock formations, colors, and quietness is quite an experience.  

After an hour of walking through the rock formations, we set up chairs to enjoy our picnic lunch under a tree providing the only shade we could find.  

Our final day in Escalante took us to the town of Boulder, where we hoped to dine at Hell’s Backbone Grill and Farm.  We enjoyed this restaurant during our first visit to Boulder and dreamed of dining here again to enjoy their amazing biscuits and thick cut bacon. Unfortunately, it was closed due to Covid. 

Instead, we took Burr Trail Road out to Long and Singing Canyon.  (I will write another blog about our unexpected experience at Singing Canyon). We continued another 6 miles to where the pavement ended and a gravel road began.  If we had continued an additional 14 miles we would have entered Capitol Reef National Park.  That would be quite an adventure given the proper vehicle.   

We ended our day in Boulder with a stop at the Burr Trail Outpost, a gift shop that also serves coffee and baked goods.  However, my wife had another plan, one last stop before arriving at the campground for the evening.  She found the Kiva Koffeehouse when researching the area.  This coffee house sits right off Highway 12 on a cliff and blends in with the canyon walls.  What a great stop!  We enjoyed iced coffee and scones outside while taking in the views.

There are so many off-road trails to explore in Escalante and with a proper vehicle, one can spend several days exploring deep into the desert terrain.  As I had to rely on my truck to tow our trailer out to California and then back to New Hampshire, I was reluctant to explore the many off-road options.  

On my list for when we return: Anasazi State Park Museum, Calf Creek Falls and Escalante River Trail.

How about you?  Have you taken one of the many off-road trails within the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument Park?  Please share your story in the comments below.