Escalante UtahATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Escalante, Utah.
1. Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
DRAMATIC DESERT LANDSCAPES
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument offers rugged trails and dramatic landscapes ideal for photography enthusiasts, hikers, and drone hobbyists. Visitors can explore petrified forests and striking rock formations within this vast protected area. The monument is known for its remote wilderness experience and stunning geological features that showcase millions of years of Earth's history.
2. Scenic Byway Route 12
ALL-AMERICAN ROAD
Scenic Byway Route 12 is a breathtaking drive that connects Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks through the Escalante region. The route offers spectacular vistas of colorful rock formations, deep canyons, and high desert landscapes. This All-American Road is considered one of the most scenic drives in the United States and provides access to numerous hiking trails and viewpoints.
3. Calf Creek Falls Recreation Area
DESERT OASIS WATERFALL
Calf Creek Falls Recreation Area features a stunning 126-foot waterfall that cascades into a refreshing pool surrounded by desert landscape. The moderate 6-mile round-trip hike follows Calf Creek through a scenic canyon with ancient pictographs and diverse plant life. Despite requiring some effort to reach, the falls offer a rewarding desert oasis experience that visitors consistently recommend.
4. Devil's Garden
OTHERWORLDLY ROCK FORMATIONS
Devil's Garden showcases a collection of fantastical hoodoos, arches, and unique sandstone formations accessible via a short walk from the parking area. Visitors can wander among the striking geological features and photograph these natural sculptures up close without strenuous hiking. The garden's otherworldly landscape offers excellent sunset photography opportunities and is perfect for families seeking an impressive natural setting without difficult terrain.
5. Peekaboo Gulch
VIBRANT SLOT CANYON
Peekaboo Gulch is one of the most popular slot canyons in the Escalante area, known for its tight passages and stunning light effects. The canyon features vibrant orange and red sandstone walls that twist and curve in fascinating patterns carved by water over millennia. Accessing Peekaboo requires moderate hiking abilities and sometimes scrambling up a short steep section at the entrance, but rewards visitors with a magical canyon experience.
6. Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
ANCIENT FOSSILIZED TREES
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park preserves an impressive collection of colorful petrified wood specimens dating back millions of years. The park offers several hiking trails that showcase these ancient fossilized trees along with panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Wide-Hollow Reservoir within the park provides opportunities for fishing, boating, and bird watching to complement the geological attractions.
7. Coyote Gulch
MAJESTIC DESERT CANYON
Coyote Gulch is a magnificent canyon system featuring natural arches, a perennial stream, and towering sandstone walls. The gulch offers multi-day backpacking opportunities as well as challenging day-hike options for experienced hikers seeking desert solitude. Its combination of flowing water, verdant vegetation, and dramatic geology creates one of the most photogenic landscapes in the Grand Staircase region.
8. Spooky Gulch
NARROW SLOT ADVENTURE
Spooky Gulch lives up to its name with extremely narrow passages that sometimes require hikers to turn sideways to navigate through the darkness. The slot canyon's tight confines and limited light create an atmospheric experience unlike any other in the region. Often visited in combination with nearby Peekaboo Gulch, Spooky provides a more technical canyoneering challenge that rewards adventurous visitors with unique photographic opportunities.
9. Escalante Outfitters
GEAR SHOP AND EATERY
Escalante Outfitters combines a well-stocked outdoor gear shop with a highly-rated restaurant serving delicious food in a casual atmosphere. The establishment offers a lovely patio for al fresco dining featuring unique pizza creations and fresh salads made with quality ingredients. Beyond retail and dining, the outfitter provides valuable local information, trail maps, and sometimes guided experiences for visitors exploring the Escalante region.
10. Ofland Escalante Drive-In
NOSTALGIC CINEMA EXPERIENCE
Ofland Escalante Drive-In offers a charming outdoor movie experience under the desert stars each evening. Visitors can enjoy films from classic cars parked in front of the screen, creating a nostalgic cinema atmosphere. The concession stand provides snacks including free popcorn to complete the authentic drive-in theater experience.
11. Cosmic Ashtray
SURREAL DESERT FORMATION
The Cosmic Ashtray is a unique geological formation resembling an enormous ashtray carved into the desert landscape. Reaching this remote attraction requires challenging navigation across sandstone terrain with no established trail, making it an adventure for experienced hikers. The surreal circular depression with its striking orange sand bottom surrounded by white sandstone walls creates an otherworldly scene that rewards those willing to make the journey.
12. Dance Hall Rock Historic Site
PIONEER HISTORICAL LANDMARK
Dance Hall Rock Historic Site preserves a natural amphitheater where Mormon pioneers of the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition gathered for social events in 1879-1880. The remarkable acoustic properties of this sandstone formation allowed travelers to enjoy music and dancing during their difficult journey to establish settlements in southeastern Utah. Visitors today can explore the site via a short hike and imagine the determination of these early settlers while enjoying the same desert vistas they encountered.
13. Hole-in-the-Rock
HISTORIC PIONEER PASSAGE
Hole-in-the-Rock is a narrow crevice that Mormon pioneers remarkably modified in 1879-1880 to create a passage for wagons descending to the Colorado River. The site represents an extraordinary feat of determination where settlers spent six weeks widening the natural crack to create a steep wagon road down a 1,200-foot cliff. Visitors can hike to the historic passage and gain perspective on the incredible challenges faced by early explorers of this rugged region.
14. Zebra Canyon
STRIPED SANDSTONE SLOT
Zebra Canyon features distinctive striped walls created by mineral deposits that give this narrow slot canyon its name and unique photographic appeal. The relatively accessible hike makes it a popular destination for visitors seeking to experience the beauty of slot canyons without extreme technical challenges. Water often pools in sections of the canyon, requiring wading during certain times of year and creating beautiful reflections of the striated walls.
15. Bryce Canyon National Park
ICONIC HOODOO LANDSCAPE
Bryce Canyon National Park showcases the world's largest collection of hoodoos—odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion. Located near Escalante and accessible via Scenic Byway 12, the park offers spectacular viewpoints and hiking trails that descend among the colorful formations. Sunrise and sunset transform the landscape with dramatic lighting effects that highlight the orange, red, and pink colors of these natural amphitheaters.