From Denver to Escalante, yonder out West to find the perfect escape in Southern Utah. For adventure-seeking Denverites, a long-weekend getaway to Moab is common practice, but with the ever-increasing crowds the Utah-Colorado border attracts, it’s time to take your adventures a step further with a visit to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Known for its rugged and remote landscape, Grand Staircase is named for its series of plateaus that “step” down from Bryce Canyon National Park toward the Grand Canyon National Park. The seemingly empty outdoor playground spans 1.9 million acres where canyons give way to rushing waters and where eroding sand and wind shape its many slot canyons — this incredible landscape beckons both the adventurous and newly curious.
This area is divided into three distinct regions: the Grand Staircase, Escalante Canyons and the Kaiparowits Plateau. Each region presents its unique landscapes, from towering cliffs and deep canyons to colorful slot canyons and rolling plateaus.
Due to its remote and rugged location, the area is not home to many lodging options. In fact, mostly what you’ll find are campgrounds, dispersed camping and a few roadside motels and cabins. But just minutes from the town of Escalante rests one of the best glamping spots in Utah.
Located off the beautiful scenic byway 12 in Bryce Canyon Country, Yonder Escalante is a 20-acre desert oasis that bridges modern lodging and luxurious amenities with the outdoors and the spirit of the old American West.
Discover below what makes Yonder Escalane a must-visit for any Denverites looking for a rugged adventure without leaving the comforts of home behind.
Lodging options
At Yonder, its minimalist, low-slung desert dwellings come in several shapes and sizes. From refurbished vintage Airstreams and artisan-crafted cabins to RV sites and places to pitch a tent, there is truly something for everyone.
Stay in one of the 10 vintage Airstreams, restored to perfection with a modern design, kitchenette and plenty of room to roam around in. Or curl up in one of the cozy custom-designed cabins simplistic in design but filled with thoughtful details like a portable lantern for late-night trips to the bathroom, a fire starter kit and a hat rack.
Deluxe RV sites include water, sewer and full electrical hookups. Plus, campsites include water and electrical hookups as well.
New Deluxe Cabins
For an even more elevated experience, Yonder added Deluxe cabins that provide chic, spacious accommodations, en suite bathrooms, private gated outdoor areas with fire pits and two-car parking for the ultimate elevated nature experience. These are the resort’s first accommodations with en suite bathrooms.
Spa-like bathrooms
The best part about “glampgrounds” is direct access to running water, toilets and showers. Personally, I would prefer to just pee in the woods or dig a hole than use a campground’s bathroom facilities. But the bathrooms at Yonder Escalante are the exception to the rule.
There are two spa-like bathroom facilities that greet you with tranquil music, light and airy furnishings and every bath amenity you can think of. Rinse off in their heated greenhouse-inspired open-air rain showers fully equipped with shower essentials. Dry off with their Dyson hairdryers and white fluffy towels, because would it really be glamping with them?
Go to the movies
Originally a drive-in movie theater, Yonder still captures the nostalgia of summer nights at the movies. Just a short walk from your accommodations is the Drive-In where guests can reserve one of the restored classic cars for viewing, grab some popcorn and candy from the airstream concession stand and sit back and enjoy cult classics like Back to the Future and Breakfast Club.
On-site dining
For those guests who didn’t bring their full kitchen with them in the RV, Yonder provides on-site dining options with their grab-and-go general store and the food truck serving breakfast burritos and sandwiches, plus dinner options.
Each cabin, Airstream, campsite and RV site offers a private fire pit for cooking meals. If you don’t feel like prepping food yourself, the store sells DIY meal kits that include a protein (I personally loved the local NYstrip steaks), two sides, bread and dessert — vegetarian options available.
Other on-site amenities
Because the desert gets hot, cool off in their 40-by-30-foot lounge pool and 30-by-10-foot jetted hot tub for guests to luxuriate, play and soak. Or enjoy a shaded retreat with a drink in hand at the end of the day at the Lodge, which serves as the meeting place for all guests with comfortable seating, firepits, and complimentary daily breakfast snacks and drinks.
Things to do at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Yonder beyond into Utah’s Slot Canyons
Known for its slot canyons, Grand Staircase is a landscape with many hidden slot canyons, of which local experts don’t know how many are actually inside the monument because there are too many to count. Harris Wash, known for its Navajo sandstone, is one slot canyon worth trekking through — guided by Utah Canyon Outdoors. Their tours are led by locals who know the best spots and least crowded slots, because who wants to be stuck in a slot canyon with a bunch of tourists?
Other hiking options
Aside from hiking through slot canyons, the monument is home to only a few designated trails — Upper and Lower Calf Creek Falls. Both trailheads are located (separate from one another) along HWY 12. Signs for Lower Calf Creek are very well designated and with ample parking.
The Lower Calf Creek Falls is the longer of the two at six miles but with a minimal elevation gain of 518 ft. The trail leads to a 125-ft waterfall that plunges into a pool — ideal for cooling off in the summer.
The least crowded of the two trails is Upper Calf Creek Falls. This short 2.2-mile hike is much steeper and a bit more challenging. But the short and sweet hike leads to an 89-ft. waterfall with more varied waterfalls above.
For a more relaxed hike, try the Escalante River Trail. Cut by the Escalante River, the monument offers a flat trail that follows the bank of the river and is a bit more dog-friendly than hiking through slot canyons. While the 85-mile trail is hikeable from Escalante to Lake Powell most take the 2.5-mile route to see some arches, Anasazi ruins and a petroglyph panel.
Take a scenic drive
Yonder Escalante is situated along the scenic HWY 12 — the scenic byway that connects Bryce Canyon NP and Capitol Reef NP. Both parks make great day trips or add-ons to the drive from Denver to Escalante. Whether on your way there or heading back home, be sure to take the Hell’s Backbone — a 38-mile white-knuckle dirt road that connects the towns of Escalante and Boulder. It’s the perfect add-on to a road trip from Denver to Escalante.
A few details:
- Driving time from Denver to Escalante: 510 miles (roughly an 8.5-hour drive)
- Fees: there is no entrance fee into Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
- Best time of year to go: late spring/early summer and fall/early winter