Travel Guide Grand Staircase Escalante-National Monument

Bordered on the west by Dixie National Forest, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument lies on the Colorado Plateau, covering an area of 7,500 km² between Bryce Canyon to the southwest, Capitol Reef to the north and Glen Canyon to the southeast. Scenic Drive 12 crosses the area for 100 km, from Cannonville to Boulder, via Escalante. The route continues through Dixie National Forest to Torrey, with a pass at 2,900 m, near Boulder Mountain, the main peak of the Aquarius Plateau. Here you'll come across a variety of landscapes, from the peaks and terraces of the Grand Staircase to the glowing canyons of the Escalante River and the Kaiparowits Plateau.