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Utah: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

121 images Created 8 Jun 2011

Hike wonderfully wild desert and slot canyon scenery in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah, USA. Drive mostly via dirt roads (often impassible when wet). These photos by Tom Dempsey are from recommended hikes to Lower Calf Creek Falls, Zebra and Tunnel Slot Canyons, Willis Creek slot, Cottonwood Wash Narrows along Cottonwood Road #400, Bull Valley Gorge, Rimrock Hoodoos, and the Cockscomb. See Heritage House, an 1895 Queen Anne-style Victorian home in Kanab, a town known for USA’s first all-woman town council (1911) and "the greatest earth on show."

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  • Red-orange and white stripes decorate rocks in Halfway Hollow (along trail to Zebra Slot Canyon), in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Directions to unmarked trailhead for Zebra and Tunnel Slot Canyons: From Escalante town, drive 6 miles east on Highway 12, turn right on Hole-in-the-Rock Road, drive 7.8 miles to the third cattle guard and park on west side of road. Hike east on well-trodden but unmarked path, 5 miles round trip to Zebra Slot, plus an optional 3 miles round trip to Tunnel Slot (750 feet gain over 8 miles), using map from GSENM Visitor Center or canyoneeringusa.com.
    1303UT-2113.jpg
  • See a human-sized natural arch  along Lower Calf Creek Falls trail 6 miles round trip (600 feet gain), in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Directions: From the town of Escalante, drive 15 miles east on Scenic Byway 12 to Calf Creek Recreation Area day-use parking and campground.
    1303UT-2129.jpg
  • Hike Lower Calf Creek Falls trail 6 miles round trip (600 feet gain), in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The beautiful cascade drops 126 feet (38 meters) from sandstone cliffs stained with fascinating patterns of desert varnish. Directions: From the town of Escalante, drive 15 miles east on Scenic Byway 12 to Calf Creek Recreation Area day-use parking and campground. More about desert varnish: Manganese-rich desert varnish requires thousands of years to coat a rock face that is protected from precipitation and wind erosion. The varnish likely originates from airborne dust and external surface runoff, including: clay minerals, oxides and hydroxides of manganese (Mn) and/or iron (Fe), sand grains, trace elements, and usually organic matter. Streaks of black varnish often occur where water cascades over cliffs, but wind doesn't sculpt its shape. Varnish color varies from shades of brown to black. Manganese-poor, iron-rich varnishes are red to orange, and intermediate concentrations are shaded brown. Manganese-oxidizing microbes may explain the unusually high concentration of manganese in black desert varnish, which can be smooth and shiny where densest. The panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    1303UT-2215-2217pan_Calf-Creek-Falls.jpg
  • Desert varnish streaks canyon walls along Lower Calf Creek Falls trail in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Manganese-rich desert varnish requires thousands of years to coat a rock face that is protected from precipitation and wind erosion. The varnish likely originates from airborne dust and external surface runoff, including: clay minerals, oxides and hydroxides of manganese (Mn) and/or iron (Fe), sand grains, trace elements, and usually organic matter. Streaks of black varnish often occur where water cascades over cliffs, but wind doesn't sculpt its shape. Varnish color varies from shades of brown to black. Manganese-poor, iron-rich varnishes are red to orange, and intermediate concentrations are shaded brown. Manganese-oxidizing microbes may explain the unusually high concentration of manganese in black desert varnish, which can be smooth and shiny where densest. Hike Lower Calf Creek Falls trail 6 miles round trip (600 feet gain). Directions: From the town of Escalante, drive 15 miles east on Scenic Byway 12 to Calf Creek Recreation Area day-use parking and campground. The panorama was stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    1303UT-2255-2258pan_Calf-Creek.jpg
  • Hike Lower Calf Creek Falls trail 6 miles round trip (600 feet gain), in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The beautiful cascade drops 126 feet (38 meters) from sandstone cliffs stained with fascinating patterns of desert varnish. Directions: From the town of Escalante, drive 15 miles east on Scenic Byway 12 to Calf Creek Recreation Area day-use parking and campground. More about desert varnish: Manganese-rich desert varnish requires thousands of years to coat a rock face that is protected from precipitation and wind erosion. The varnish likely originates from airborne dust and external surface runoff, including: clay minerals, oxides and hydroxides of manganese (Mn) and/or iron (Fe), sand grains, trace elements, and usually organic matter. Streaks of black varnish often occur where water cascades over cliffs, but wind doesn't sculpt its shape. Varnish color varies from shades of brown to black. Manganese-poor, iron-rich varnishes are red to orange, and intermediate concentrations are shaded brown. Manganese-oxidizing microbes may explain the unusually high concentration of manganese in black desert varnish, which can be smooth and shiny where densest.
    1303UT-2215-p1.jpg
  • Hike Lower Calf Creek Falls trail 6 miles round trip (600 feet gain), in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The beautiful cascade drops 126 feet (38 meters) from sandstone cliffs stained with fascinating patterns of desert varnish. Directions: From the town of Escalante, drive 15 miles east on Scenic Byway 12 to Calf Creek Recreation Area day-use parking and campground. More about desert varnish: Manganese-rich desert varnish requires thousands of years to coat a rock face that is protected from precipitation and wind erosion. The varnish likely originates from airborne dust and external surface runoff, including: clay minerals, oxides and hydroxides of manganese (Mn) and/or iron (Fe), sand grains, trace elements, and usually organic matter. Streaks of black varnish often occur where water cascades over cliffs, but wind doesn't sculpt its shape. Varnish color varies from shades of brown to black. Manganese-poor, iron-rich varnishes are red to orange, and intermediate concentrations are shaded brown. Manganese-oxidizing microbes may explain the unusually high concentration of manganese in black desert varnish, which can be smooth and shiny where densest. The panorama was stitched from 5 overlapping photos.
    1303UT-2227-2231pan_Calf-Creek-Falls.jpg
  • Hike Cottonwood Wash Narrows, a sandstone slot canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Families enjoy this easy walk 3 miles round trip with 340 feet gain. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water, and between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) then drive 25 miles to Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1556.jpg
  • The orange-red and white "Candyland" towers along Cottonwood Road are upturned layers of Entrada Sandstone Formation. Hike Cottonwood Wash Narrows, in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Families enjoy this easy walk 3 miles round trip with 340 feet gain. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water, and between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) then drive 25 miles to Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1569.jpg
  • The orange-red and white "Candyland" towers along Cottonwood Road are upturned layers of Entrada Sandstone Formation. Hike Cottonwood Wash Narrows, in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Families enjoy this easy walk 3 miles round trip with 340 feet gain. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water, and between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) then drive 25 miles to Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1570.jpg
  • Hike the Cockscomb, a striking monocline (geologic fold) in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The Cockscomb is the northern extension of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau stretching over 100 miles north from the Grand Canyon. Directions to the easiest Cockscomb ascent: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water. Between mileposts 17-18 on H89, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) and drive 12 miles to where a side road turns east over the Cockscomb (a quarter mile south of Hackberry Canyon parking lot). Park at the bottom of the steep road and walk 3 miles round trip to the crest, gaining 950 feet.
    1303UT-1475.jpg
  • Hike the Cockscomb, a striking monocline (geologic fold) in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The Cockscomb is the northern extension of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau stretching over 100 miles north from the Grand Canyon. Directions to the easiest Cockscomb ascent: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water. Between mileposts 17-18 on H89, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) and drive 12 miles to where a side road turns east over the Cockscomb (a quarter mile south of Hackberry Canyon parking lot). Park at the bottom of the steep road and walk 3 miles round trip to the crest, gaining 950 feet.
    1303UT-1481.jpg
  • See Yellow Rock above Hackberry Canyon from atop the Cockscomb, a striking monocline (geologic fold) in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The Cockscomb is the northern extension of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau stretching over 100 miles north from the Grand Canyon. Directions to the easiest Cockscomb ascent: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water. Between mileposts 17-18 on H89, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) and drive 12 miles to where a side road turns east over the Cockscomb (a quarter mile south of Hackberry Canyon parking lot). Park at the bottom of the steep road and walk 3 miles round trip to the crest, gaining 950 feet.
    1303UT-1495.jpg
  • Hike the Cockscomb, a striking monocline (geologic fold) in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. At left is Yellow Rock above Hackberry Canyon. The Cockscomb is the northern extension of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau stretching over 100 miles north from the Grand Canyon. Directions to the easiest Cockscomb ascent: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water. Between mileposts 17-18 on H89, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) and drive 12 miles to where a side road turns east over the Cockscomb (a quarter mile south of Hackberry Canyon parking lot). Park at the bottom of the steep road and walk 3 miles round trip to the crest, gaining 950 feet. The panorama was stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    1303UT-1492-1493pan.jpg
  • Hike the Cockscomb, a striking monocline (geologic fold) in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The Cockscomb is the northern extension of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau stretching over 100 miles north from the Grand Canyon. Directions to the easiest Cockscomb ascent: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water. Between mileposts 17-18 on H89, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) and drive 12 miles to where a side road turns east over the Cockscomb (a quarter mile south of Hackberry Canyon parking lot). Park at the bottom of the steep road and walk 3 miles round trip to the crest, gaining 950 feet. The panorama was stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    1303UT-1466-1468pan_Cockscomb_Yellow...jpg
  • Sandstone pattern on the Cockscomb, a striking monocline (geologic fold) in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The Cockscomb is the northern extension of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau stretching over 100 miles north from the Grand Canyon. Directions to the easiest Cockscomb ascent: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water. Between mileposts 17-18 on H89, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) and drive 12 miles to where a side road turns east over the Cockscomb (a quarter mile south of Hackberry Canyon parking lot). Park at the bottom of the steep road and walk 3 miles round trip to the crest, gaining 950 feet.
    1303UT-1478.jpg
  • Webbed sandstone pattern, Cottonwood Wash Narrows, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Families enjoy this easy walk 3 miles round trip with 340 feet gain. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water, and between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) then drive 25 miles to Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1517.jpg
  • Webbed sandstone pattern, Cottonwood Wash Narrows, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Families enjoy this easy walk 3 miles round trip with 340 feet gain. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water, and between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) then drive 25 miles to Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1521.jpg
  • Sandstone comet pattern, Cottonwood Wash Narrows, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Families enjoy this easy walk 3 miles round trip with 340 feet gain. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water, and between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) then drive 25 miles to Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1524.jpg
  • Red mud dries and cracks into a tesselated pattern. Hike Cottonwood Wash Narrows, in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water; between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road and drive 25 miles to the Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1506.jpg
  • Hike Cottonwood Wash Narrows, a sandstone slot canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Families enjoy this easy walk 3 miles round trip with 340 feet gain. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water, and between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) then drive 25 miles to Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1509.jpg
  • Hike Cottonwood Wash Narrows, a sandstone slot canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA. Families enjoy this easy walk 3 miles round trip with 340 feet gain. The Cottonwood Wash Narrows slice through the Cockscomb, which was uplifted 65 million years ago as part of the East Kaibab Monocline, a major feature of the Colorado Plateau. Directions: On Highway 89, drive 10 miles west of Big Water, and between mileposts 17-18, turn north on Cottonwood Canyon Road (#400) then drive 25 miles to Cottonwood Narrows North Trailhead sign (located 12.5 miles southeast of Kodachrome Basin State Park).
    1303UT-1515.jpg
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