Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Photo Gallery
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is located in Southwestern Utah covering some two million acres, an area the size of Delaware. It is separated into three distinct districts, the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau and the Escalante Canyons. The monument is named for the series of topographic benches and cliffs that, as its name implies, step progressively up in elevation from south to north. Escalante Canyon was named after Franciscan missionary Silvestre Velez de Escalante. We visited here in April 2023 on our spring scenic tour of eastern Utah.
The BLM sign marking the entrance to the National Monument along Johnson Canyon Road
Driving up Johnson Canyon Road into the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Interesting Rock formations along the lower part of Johnson Canyon Road
A grand view heading up into the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Crumbling remains of one of the outdoor sets for the TV series Gunsmoke starring James Arness.
Compare my photo to this photo taken a few years ago... the sets may vanish altogether before long.
Rocks inscribed with ancient Indian writings and "cowboy glyphs"
A vintage billboard for the Jensen & Brooksby store & garage from the 1930's.
Another grand rock monolith along Johnson Canyon Road
Interesting swirls in the sandstone carved by natural forces millions of years ago.
More interesting swirls in the sandstone
More picturesque relief in the sandstone carved by wind and water eons ago
Distant snow-capped mountain ranges within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
We reached the snow level as we neared the top of the paved section of Johnson Canyon Road
We drove a little beyond the pavement offroad to where the snow was still visible alongside the road
Additional photos from the web of other picturesque districts of the Escalante region in other parts of Southwestern Utah which we will not have time to visit.
Another part of the Escalante canyons where the road winds thru narrow canyons.
A formation in another section of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument known as Devil's Garden featuring hoodoos, natural arches and other rock formations
Sunset brings out the color on a natural sandstone arch in the National Monument
Remarkable hoodoos in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
This famous section of the Escalante Canyons called "The Wave" only accessible after much hiking
The erosive force of the wind formed this fragile wave out of sand that petrified 300 million years ago
