Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a really cool place to visit in Utah, but not as many people know about it as they do about Zion, Bryce, and Arches. It has waterfalls, rivers, lots of rocks, and amazing canyons.

I’ve been to Escalante many times, and I love it! I’ve gone camping, hiking, backpacking, and even floated down the river in a raft.

If you’re going to Escalante for the first time and want to do some hiking, here are five great trails to try. These trails are all easy to do, so you don’t need any special hiking gear. Just bring the things you usually bring when you go hiking and a camera!

 

1. Lower Calf Creek Falls

• Length: 6.7 miles roundtrip
• Elevation gain: 866 ft
• Trail type: Out & back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Dogs allowed: On-leash

 

The trail to Lower Calf Creek Falls is a really cool hike in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It’s easy to find because it starts right on the main road. The trail is about 6.7 miles long, and it takes you through a big, beautiful canyon.

Most of the trail is flat and easy to walk on, so it’s perfect for people who are new to hiking. At the end of the trail, you’ll find a really tall waterfall with a big pool underneath. The water is super cold, so be careful if you want to swim! Even if you don’t want to swim, the waterfall and the colorful rocks around it are really amazing to see.

 

2. Upper Calf Creek Falls

• Length: 2.1 miles roundtrip
• Elevation gain: 606 feet
• Trail type: Out & back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Dogs allowed: Yes

 

If you want a shorter hike that still has a cool waterfall, try Upper Calf Creek Falls. This trail is a little bit farther up the river from Lower Calf Creek Falls. You’ll walk on rocks for about one mile. At the end, you’ll find a really nice waterfall and a clear pool to swim in.

The trail is hot and sunny, so bring lots of water and wear a hat. The trail isn’t always easy to follow, so look for signs or markers to help you stay on the right path.

 

3. Escalante River to the Natural Bridge

• Length: 4.4 miles to Escalante Natural Bridge 
• Elevation gain: 291 feet
• Trail type: Out-and-back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Dogs allowed: Yes

 

If you want to explore Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a hike to the Escalante Natural Bridge is a good place to start. The trail starts near a place called Scenic Byway 12. You’ll have to cross the river a few times, so be ready to get your feet wet and sandy!

On this hike, you’ll see lots of cool things. First, you’ll see a natural bridge made of rock. Then, you’ll find pictures carved into rocks that people made a long time ago. After that, you’ll see a big arch in the rock, and you might even be able to see a cave where people used to live on the other side of the river.

 

4. Golden Cathedral & Neon Canyon

• Length: 9.1 miles roundtrip
• Elevation gain: 1,581 ft
• Trail type: Out & back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Dogs allowed: On-leash

 

This hike is a little bit harder because it’s long and you have to climb up a lot of hills on the way back. I’ve done it twice – once as a whole day hike and once as the start of a river trip.

It can be easy to get lost on this hike, so make sure you have a map or a GPS on your phone and look around carefully. The trail is 9 miles long, and it starts with a big, steep hill going down. After that, it’s mostly flat until you get to the river.

On the way to the river, you’ll see beautiful red rocks all around. Look for piles of rocks that mark the trail. These piles will help you stay on the right path.

When you get to the river, you’ll need to walk through the water and cross to the other side. The water isn’t usually very fast, but it can change depending on when you go. I recommend wearing special shoes that you can get wet in.

After you cross the river a few more times, look for a place on the left side where the canyon gets narrower. This is the entrance to Neon Canyon. This is where the hike gets really cool! The canyon is very tall and narrow, and there are big rocks everywhere. It makes you feel really small.

At the end of Neon Canyon, you’ll find a special place called the Golden Cathedral. It’s a big cave with two holes in the roof. When the sun is in the right place, the light shines through the holes and makes the cave look really beautiful.

When you’re ready to go back, follow the same path you took to get there. You’ll have to cross the river again. Be sure to start your hike early and bring a flashlight, just in case it gets dark before you finish.

 

5. Peek-a-boo Canyon and Spooky Canyon

• Length: 5.7 miles
• Elevation gain: 633 ft
• Trail type: Loop or out & back
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Dogs allowed: No

 

Escalante National Monument has some really cool narrow canyons that you can explore. Peek-a-boo Canyon and Spooky Canyon are short hikes from the trailhead.

When you start the hike, you’ll follow some piles of rocks down into a dry riverbed. Turn right and walk a little bit, and you’ll find Peek-a-boo Canyon on your left. It’s a narrow canyon that’s easy to walk through. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the end.

Instead of going back the way you came, turn right when you exit Peek-a-boo and walk on a ridge for a little while. Then, turn right again and follow a sandy area until you find Spooky Gulch. This canyon is longer, darker, and narrower than Peek-a-boo, and it’s a little harder to walk through.

The rocks in these canyons are really cool and make great pictures. The best time to visit is when the sun is shining brightly. If you feel scared or uncomfortable in Spooky Canyon, just turn around and go back through Peek-a-boo instead.

 

6. Willis Creek Slot Canyon

• Length: 4-5 miles (out-and-back)
• Elevation gain: 816 feet
• Trail type: out-and-back trail
• Difficulty: Easy
• Dogs allowed: Yes

 

Willis Creek Canyon is another cool place to explore in Grand Staircase-Escalante. It’s a wide canyon, so it feels more open than the narrow canyons like Spooky Canyon. The best time to hike here is early in the morning when the sunlight looks really cool inside the canyon. It’s also a good place to go on hot days because it has some shady spots. But don’t go there during the late summer when it rains a lot. The rain can make the canyon dangerous because of flash floods.

The trail to Willis Creek starts on a dirt road called BLM500. You’ll need a car that can drive on dirt roads to get there.

 

7. Coyote Gulch

• Length: 11.5-17 miles roundtrip
• Elevation gain: 2,775 feet
• Trail Type: out-and-back trail
• Difficulty: Hard
• Dogs allowed: No

 

Coyote Gulch is one of the most famous hikes in Grand Staircase-Escalante. It’s a long and difficult hike, so it’s not for everyone. If you want to do it in one day, you’ll need to be ready to climb a lot, walk in the sand, and cross the river. It’s much better to spend two nights backpacking along the river and explore the canyon slowly.

To hike to Coyote Gulch, you need a special permit. The trail starts near some water tanks on a place called Fortymile Ridge.