Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument

Last month in Our Backyard we took a slightly bumpy ride down Hole-in-the-Rock Road (HRR) as part of our tour of Utah's Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument.

While there are many interesting options along HRR, there's a lot more to see in Escalante Country. Join us once again for a sampling of the other enticements this previously little-known area has to offer.

Take natural arches, bridges and windows, for example. In the first category (in addition to the previously mentioned Steven and Metate, and many without names) there are such attractions as Boynton (a.k.a. Bowington), Broken Bow, Carrot-top, Cedar Wash, Cobra, Horizon, Keyhole, Saddle, Sam Pollack, Starlight, Sunset, Wagon Box, Window, Wind, Woolsey, Jacob Hamlin (quite large), Phipps (even larger), Laminite (larger still, and quite unusual) and Grosvenor (which takes my award for most photogenic of the lot. Details in a moment.)

Natural bridges include Maverick, Coyote, Escalante (quite large), one in Dave's Canyon, the matched pair in Peek-A-Boo Canyon featured last month, and a bunch of others without formal names. There also are numerous windows scattered around. Escalante resident Jens Munthe has located 630 rocks with measurable holes in them. His books on the subject are available at P.O. Box 80 in Escalante, Utah, 84726.

Kodachrome Basin State Park is directly adjacent to the monument, and more than worth the trip should you find spectacular red rock formations of any interest. Camping is available in Kodachrome.

A park within the monument is Escalante State Park, which features a fine collection of petrified wood along a brief nature trail. It sits just west of the town of Escalante.

Also within the monument's boundaries is one of the many Cottonwood Canyons. I can think of four others in Utah, but this one is very special. It runs almost due north and south, flanked by Cockscomb on the east and Hackberry Canyon on the west. Stuffed with stunning, otherworldly scenery, this place easily surpasses its like-named competition, while seeing comparatively little traffic.

If you have the good fortune to travel this particular byway (under dry conditions only, please) consider doing it both ways. I've never seen a single road that had so many different looks, depending on which direction you drive or the time of day.

The Cottonwood Canyon road can be reached from the south by turning north off Utah Highway 89 at a point 46.7 miles east of Kanab, or 10.6 miles west of Big Water on the same road. To reach it from the north, Take Kodachrome Basin State Park road south, then east from Cannonville, continuing east beyond the well-marked turn into Kodachrome. It's almost 10 miles of decent dirt road to the top of Cottonwood Canyon.

Looking in the right place at the right time, you'll find a charming slot canyon that nearly parallels the road for some distance just to the west. In the past there have been cairns to simplify access to the slot, but lately they have been removed.

At the top of Cottonwood Canyon, there's a turn east. Slightly more than one mile on this road is my personal favorite in the Magnificent Arch Sweepstake: Grosvenor Arch, named for Gilbert Grosvenor, founder of National Geographic magazine and the man who sponsored the expedition that found the arch.

The sun doesn't properly illuminate this double-arch masterpiece of nature until midday, at best, making this a fabulous late afternoon photo opportunity. There are now picnic tables and pit toilets there, thanks to the ubiquitous BLM.

A portion of the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument that has long been administered by that same BLM is Calf Creek Recreation Area. The entrance to this true wonderland is at the bottom of the hill between Escalante and Boulder, Utah, along Utah Highway 12, some 16 miles east of Escalante and 11 miles south of Boulder between mile posts 75 and 76. There are a smattering of picnic and camp sites along Lower Calf Creek and, most importantly, a trailhead.

The walk to lower Calf Creek Falls is slightly less than three miles. This is a delightful and highly photogenic moderate, up-canyon walk with a lovely pool and stunning falls at the end. For sunlight on the falls, this needs to be shot in the mid to late morning, depending on the time of year.

There's also an Upper Calf Creek Falls, but fair warning, it is not a Sunday stroll. The walk is shorter than to the lower falls, but a lot more physical. To get there, take Utah Highway 12 north from the recreation area entrance and turn left at the second dirt road on the left (west) after mile post 81. Look for a white splash on an otherwise dark rock. Enter to the left of the rock, complete a short drive and start walking. It may not be far on the way down, but it's more than far enough coming back up a very steep hill.

For those who prefer their explorations by auto, Escalante Country offers a number of splendid experiences. Not the least of those is a stunning route called Hell's Backbone Road. One end of this 38-mile adventure starts just east of downtown Escalante and the other is a couple of miles southwest of the village of Boulder. Along the way it loops to the north of the Death Hollow Wilderness Area and, at its top, travels across the wildest looking country imaginable. When conditions are clear and dry, the road is easily passable for most vehicles. When spring showers or early winter snows have visited the area, this route should be studiously avoided. It is closed in winter, and rightfully so.

The high point - quite literally - of the drive is the bridge that crosses the Backbone some 14 miles in from the Boulder (east) entrance. The most difficult decision to be made from here is which way to look first.

At least two spurs jut off the loop-like road, each to campgrounds. Posey Lake and Blue Spruce are both well-maintained United States Forest Service facilities. A one-mile trail begins at campsite 14 at Posey, climbing some 400 feet to an abandoned fire lookout with fine views of the area.

Another outstanding drive heads east out of Boulder toward Waterpocket Fold and Capitol Reef National Park, which is the eastern border of the monument. That road, the Burr Trail, passes through some truly impressive country before reaching Capitol Reef's western border. A number of dirt roads intersect the Burr along the way, giving those who want to try some exploring away from the growing crowds a place to do so.

The Burr Trail travels some eight miles up the length of Long Canyon, a very photogenic experience.

The list of places to visit in Escalante Country goes on and on, but space for this article does not.

In conclusion, here are three other places that bear mentioning. The town of Escalante has some interesting and rather old buildings, including an in-progress structure I call Hodge Podge Lodge. A walk through the residential part of town also is apt to turn up a surprise or two.

In the town of Boulder, Utah, the Anasazi Indian Village State Historical Monument offers a look back in time to the earliest settlers in that part of the world. The park's ruins represent the highest altitude at which remains of the Puebloan Culture have been found.

And finally, there's an old movie set called Paria. The dirt road leading to it - in just five very pretty miles - is 13 miles west of the south entrance into Cottonwood Canyon along Utah Highway 89. The set was built for a film called Sergeants Three, starring Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and friends. The terrain to the east of the set as you enter is magnificent.

All told, there's a great deal to see and do in Escalante Country, and it's practically in our backyard.