Getting Around the Area
Partners is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to raising awareness and resources in support of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument’s scientific, interpretive, and educational programs.
Two paved roads provide access to the Monument: Highway 89 on the south and Highway 12 on the north. Five secondary roads of varying character traverse the Monument from north to south.
Highway 89
Paved two-lane highway, 72 miles between Kanab and Page, AZ. Views to the Vermilion Cliffs and Kaiparowits Plateau. Access to: Grand Staircase, Paria town site and movie set, Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness.
Highway 12
Paved two-lane highway, 68 miles between Tropic and Boulder, UT. Panoramas of vast slickrock "oceans" and scenic canyons cut by the Escalante River. Numerous roadside overlooks and wayside exhibits. Access to: several small towns rich in pioneer heritage, Escalante Canyon country vistas, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Calf Creek Recreation Area, Escalante River, Anasazi Indian Village State Park.
Paria River Valley Road
Dirt and gravel surface, 5 miles. Access in dry weather only; extremely slippery during inclement weather. Short excursion to Paria River Valley setting among technicolor badlands landscape. Access to: Old Pahreah town site, western movie set locations.
Johnson Canyon - Skutumpah Road
Paved and graded/dirt surface, 46 miles. Upper section, 22 miles, can become impassable when wet. Traverses Grand Staircase steps. Views to Pink Cliffs. Access to: Old Pahreah town site, western movie set location.
Cottonwood Canyon Road
Graded dirt and gravel surface, 46 miles. Dry weather only; becomes extremely slick and treacherous when wet. Much of the route follows the Cockscomb, a major flexure of the earth's crust that divides the Grand Staircase and Kaiparowits Plateau regions. Access to: Round valley, Cockscomb, Cottonwood Narrows. Grosvenor Arch, Kodachrome Basin State Park.
Download the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Travel Brochure and Map.
Before setting out on unfamilar roads, always check the current road conditions and the latest advisories and cautions.
