Explore Escalante
The Heart of the Grandstaircase in Southern Utah
Visitor Information
Escalante is the second largest city in Garfield County. With a current est. population of 950, the town is a classic " Mormon Village" as defined by Lowery Nelson in 1923 and again in 1950.
The latest publication on Escalante is the Architectural History of Escalante, Utah by Dr. Larry Barnes and Dr. Jerry Roundy. It's available at Gallery Escalante or on-line at Blurb. A walking map of the historic houses is available to guide you to the many homes referenced in the softcover book.
At 5,900 foot elevation, the winter days are warm and the nights cold. Clean crisp air makes for gorgeous landscape photography all throughout Garfield county and 96% is federally owned, so access is only limited to your abilities and the weather. You'll need to dress in layers. Some winter days can get warm (50-65) but once the sun goes down or it's cloud covered, prepare for cold (20-35). Oh yes, we get our cold snap sometime in January and then bring a book (or pick up a good used book at the Thrift Shop). If you're staying at the Wild West Retreat you can curl up on the sofa in front of the wood stove. Jenifer will deliver your breakfast basket each evening so you have total privacy in their historic barn.
Getting Here By Air
Escalante Municipal Airport is paved and lit for small planes and is located just outside town. There are two shuttle services available to pick you up and a complimentary phone is located in the Pilots' Lounge. Bring your tiedown straps, hooks and spaces are free. Fuel is available at Page, AZ or Bryce Canyon City, UT. Rainbow B&B, Wild West Retreat, and Slot Canyon Inn offer complimentary shuttle service with your room reservations.
Getting Here By Car
Leave Salt Lake City or Las Vegas Airports and travel on I-15 to SR20 north of Cedar City/South of Beaver. SR 20 will bring you into the Sevier Valley (20 miles). Turn right (south) onto SR89, Utah Heritage Highway. You'll travel south into Panguitch where you'll find gas and goodies. Turn left at the only stop light in Garfield County. About 10 miles later you'll find yourself at SR 12 - Utah's only All American Highway.
Watch for places you might like to stop on your return trip. Red Canyon is a nice afternoon photo session place. Lossee and Casto Canyons are fun places to explore, again afternoon photo places.
You'll travel up to the top of the plateau. There you'll find Bryce Canyon City, Ruby's Inn and a variety of services. Continue on SR 12 past the turnoff and down the hill to Tropic. This will be one of two last opportunities for gas and goodies until you reach Escalante. And once you leave Tropic, the road is pretty much your own. Watch for Deer, Elk, and Rabbits as it gets dark.
Wander through Cannonville and Henrieville. (We'll bring you back here on day trip No. 2) Pass "The Stump" and drive on up the mud hills called "The Blues". Just before you reach the top you'll see Escalante's mountain and Powell Point. Most of the time it's a perfect postcard shot and there's space to pull off and photograph. The Blues can be a great photo spot when there's a dusting of snow. The ridges create a wide area of Black and White patterns.
Driving on through Upper Valley, watch for deer and elk even in the daytime. Horses and cattle pastures are sometimes occupied in the winter. Many nice winter roadside vignettes are scattered along the road. Be careful of the shoulder - it's really soft there. If there's lots of snow on the meadow you'll almost always see a golden eagle or a bald eagle. The ravens hang around waiting for any hand-outs.
At about mile post 54 you're on home stretch. Watch for bunnies, the grassy shoulders can be full of bunnies. The stone house on your left just before Main Canyon Rd. turnoff is one of the originals built in the late 1800's. The Main Canyon turnoff is where we'll take you for adventure No. 1, it's also the entrance to Slot Canyon Inn. Barker Reservoir and 50+ alpine lakes are available for fishing. For excellent guided experiences visit Steve's Site
The next turnoff is for Wide Hollow Reservoir and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. The Rock Shop is also on that road. Camping, fishing and hiking with ranger programs in the summer. Escalante City is just 1.5 miles. You'll pass the Grand Staircase Interagency Office and come into Escalante. Gallery Escalante is in the first block, along with Broken Bow RV Park, Cowboy Blues Restaurant and the Circle D Motel. Escalante is only 10 blocks long, if you get to the High School without finding your destination turn around.
Driving Around:
During wet weather stay on the paved roads. The gravel roads might look okay when you start, but many of them deteriorate into clay slick red goo and you get to wait hours for help (sometimes overnight). As the cell phone service here doesn't include the Canyons of the Escalante, don't chance a cold overnight in the car.
During dry weather, please be respectful of others, dust from the gravel roads is thick and slowing down is the right thing to do.
ATV/Jeep/Rv
Click here to see our
"Treasure Map" - You are welcome to download and/or
print a copy. Please honor copyrights by not selling even one
copy.
Want to rent an ATV and Explore Escalante? Visit our local ATV rental company here.
Want to rent a jeep? Visit Broken Bow RV Park or Escalante Jeep Rentals.
Escalante, Utah
is named after Father Escalante. His Spanish Exploring Party, the first white men to enter and traverse the Great Basin, crossed the Colorado River at a point about forty miles downstream from the mouth of the Escalante River.
The settlement of Escalante began in the spring of 1875. A number of the Mormon Church brethern from Panguitch desired to change their place of residence to a country where the climate was more mild, and chose "Potato Valley", Escalante's first name.
Geology
Escalante is at the heart of hundreds of miles of sandstone labyrinths with unusual rock shapes and slot canyons.
Travelers can access the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest, and Glen Canyon National Recreations area from Escalante.