local adventures
Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument and the surrounding area offers an endless list of things to do. Escalante Outfitters is in the prime location for exploring Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument, Bryce Canyon National Park, the Escalante arm of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Boulder Mountain (Dixie National Forest), and Capital Reef National Park.
We are 50 miles East of Bryce Canyon, 60 miles West of Capital Reef, and the Grand Staircase is on our door step. All places offer a wide variety of hiking and scenic driving. The canyons of the Escalante offer endless exploring and you can go for days without seeing anyone.
To plan your hiking / backpacking / camping / canyoneering / driving adventure, visit our store for all the books, maps and gear you need. Many local guide services offer trips from short day hikes to extended technical overnight trips. For more information on local guides services, check out our list of Things to Do below. And, of course, feel free to contact us for more information!
“I’d rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than any city on Earth”
Steve McQueen
things to do
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Turn your vacation into a learning experience while visiting “out of the way” locations and discussing your surroundings. Tours will cover ecology, geology, paleontology, zoology, archaeology and can be catered to focus on your interests.
Tours are a half day, $65 per person.
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Stay with us and spend a day (or two) fly-fishing the hidden lakes and streams around Escalante. Our guide will take you on an adventure not easily forgotten. We are permitted to fish on the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument as well as Dixie National Forest. This equates to thousands of acres of wilderness flecked with high mountain lakes and meandering streams. Anglers could spend a lifetime exploring just the lakes in Dixie National Forest.
During the spring we target Brown Trout and native Colorado Cutthroat trout in the high deserts streams. Because these streams originate at ten thousand feet and descend to the desert floor in three to four miles, they nurture a borage of insects at all different times of the day. Anglers can experience tiny morning mayfly hatches backed by Stone flies emerging right before lunch time. These streams are serene and wild.
As the summer sets in and the ice clears off the lakes on the Aquarius Plateau, we venture to the mountain with float tubes and five weights in search of more cutthroats, tiger trout, and giant brookies.
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Peek a Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons
These are the most popular slot canyons in the Escalante area, also known as the Dry Fork Slot Canyons. This hike is 26 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock-Road, then 1.7 miles on Dry Fork spur road. Peek-A-Boo Gulch is a fun slot that requires some scrambling. Spooky Gulch is very narrow, not for the claustrophobic.—3.5 miles round trip, moderate to strenuous.Devils Garden
Devil’s Garden Outstanding Natural Area is an excellent place for an afternoon of exploring along Hole-in-the-Rock Road. Hike among sandstone hoodoos, domes, slots and small arches. It is a perfect place for an afternoon picnic.— Variable distance, tables and pit toilets, easy.Zebra and Tunnel
Zebra and Tunnel are popular slot canyons off of Hole-in-the-Rock road in Upper Harris Wash. Both slots can be wet and cold, especially after flash floods, so you need river shoes. Zebra is particularly beautiful when the sunlight bounces off its red and white striped walls. This is a moderate day hike.Calf Creek Falls
Great hike for kids and families. Start at Calf Creek Campground, 15 miles east of Escalante. This hike takes you through a beautiful redrock canyon where beaver dams, pictographs, granaries, and an amazing 126-foot waterfall can be found.—$5 day use fee, 6 miles round trip, easy to moderate.Escalante River Natural Bridge
A great summer hike that requires multiple river crossings. The hike begins 14 miles East of Escalante where Hwy 12 crosses the River. From there you head upstream for 2.5 miles. The natural bridge will be visible on the South Side of the Canyon.—5 miles round trip, moderate. -
Hell’s Backbone
Hell’s Backbone Road was completed in 1933 by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), allowing vehicle traffic between Escalante and Boulder for the first time. Hell’s Backbone Bridge, a must-stop for photography, allows travelers to pass above Sand Creek with dizzying views of the spectacular BoxDeath Hollow Wilderness Area. Gravel road – 44 miles one way. Closed in winter.Hole-in-the-Rock
Follow the route of the last major wagon train on the American frontier. The unpaved Hole-in-the-Rock-Road starts 5 miles east of Escalante on Hwy 12 and reaches the historic Hole in the Rock after 57 miles. 4WD recommended for last 10 miles.Burr Trail
The Burr Trail is paved for the first 30 miles. This spectacular drive includes an easily accessible slot canyon, locally known as “Singing Canyon” in the amazing Long Canyon. There are stunning landscapes to hike in the Circle Cliffs, Wolverine Canyon, and The Gulch. Wolverine Loop is recommended 4WD. -
Escalante, Utah has some of the clearest night skies in the country! You can always find a great spot to set up your camera and find an unobstructed photo of the Milky Way. There are plenty of places here where you can pitch a tent and just stare at the sky. We have a scenic lookout only a few miles out of town on Highway 12 where you can park your car and get beautiful shots any time of the year.
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Looking to beat the heat? We are just minutes away from the Aquarius Plateau – offering higher elevations, mountain lakes, great campgrounds and amazing hiking/biking trails.
Boulder Mountain
Boulder Mountain has some great undiscovered mountain biking trails.The Great Western Trail goes through our section of the mountain. Crossing huge aspen groves, mountain lakes and amazing views!There are IMBA sponsored trails on Dixie National Forest and Escalante Petrified Forest State Park – stop in our shop for a detailed map of where to go.
