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A high-angle landscape photograph showing a vast amphitheater of orange-red hoodoos and rock formations under a blue sky with clouds.
Photo by Oleg Chursin via Unsplash

5-day itinerary

Bryce Canyon & Grand Staircase-Escalante Highlights Tour

5-day tour of Utah's Bryce and Escalante landscapes

Length
5 days · 9 sights
Pace
Moderate
Estimated cost
$432 per person
Based in
Bryce Canyon & Grand Staircase-Escalante

Day by day

  1. Day 1: Arrival in Escalante and Lower Calf Creek Falls

    Arrive in Escalante and hike to the monument's best-known waterfall.

    • 12:00

      Arrival in Escalante

      Arrive in Escalante on Scenic Byway 12 and check in. Stop at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center for road and trail conditions.

      About 60 min

    • 14:00

      Lower Calf Creek Falls

      Drive about 15 miles east on SR-12 to the Calf Creek Recreation Area, then hike the sandy trail, roughly 6 miles round trip, to a 126-foot waterfall in a canyon of varnished Navajo sandstone. Look for Fremont pictographs and granaries on the cliffs along the way. Day-use fee.

      About 4 hours

    Meals:
    Breakfast at En route; Lunch at En route; Dinner at Escalante
    Where to stay:
    Stay in Escalante for three nights; lodging ranges from motels and cabins to campgrounds.
    Getting around:
    Calf Creek is about 25 minutes east of Escalante on SR-12.

  2. Day 2: Petrified Forest and Hole-in-the-Rock Road

    A state park by town and the start of the historic backcountry road.

    • 09:00

      Escalante Petrified Forest State Park

      Hike the Petrified Forest Trail above Wide Hollow Reservoir, a short climb past logs of colourful petrified wood. Day-use fee.

      About 2.5 hours

    • 12:00

      Lunch in Escalante

      Lunch at a cafe in town.

      About 60 min

    • 14:00

      Hole-in-the-Rock Road and Devils Garden

      Drive about 12 miles down the graded Hole-in-the-Rock Road, the route of the 1879-80 Mormon expedition, to Devils Garden: hoodoos, small arches and slickrock fins that are easy to wander.

      About 3 hours

    Meals:
    Breakfast at Escalante; Lunch at Escalante; Dinner at Escalante
    Where to stay:
    Escalante.
    Getting around:
    Hole-in-the-Rock Road is gravel and washboarded; passable for cars to Devils Garden in dry weather, but impassable when wet.

  3. Day 3: Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch

    A morning in the slot canyons off Hole-in-the-Rock Road.

    • 08:00

      Drive to Dry Fork Trailhead

      Drive about 26 miles down Hole-in-the-Rock Road and the Dry Fork spur. High clearance is helpful on the last stretch.

      About 60 min

    • 09:00

      Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch

      Hike the roughly 3.5-mile loop through both slots. Peek-a-Boo starts with a climb up a 12-foot wall; Spooky Gulch narrows to shoulder width, so leave large packs behind. Do not enter if rain is forecast anywhere upstream.

      About 3.5 hours

    • 14:00

      Late Lunch in Escalante

      Late lunch back in town.

      About 60 min

    Meals:
    Breakfast at Escalante; Lunch at Escalante; Dinner at Escalante
    Where to stay:
    Final night in Escalante.
    Getting around:
    Allow about 75 minutes each way between Escalante and the Dry Fork trailhead.

  4. Day 4: Kodachrome Basin and Bryce Canyon

    West along Scenic Byway 12 to Kodachrome Basin, then the Bryce rim at sunset.

    • 09:00

      Kodachrome Basin State Park

      Drive about 45 minutes west to Kodachrome Basin near Cannonville and walk among its white and red sandstone chimneys on the Panorama or Angel's Palace trail. Day-use fee.

      About 2.5 hours

    • 12:30

      Lunch near Bryce

      Lunch in Bryce Canyon City or Tropic.

      About 60 min

    • 14:00

      Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive

      Drive the park road south to Rainbow Point at about 9,100 feet, then stop at the viewpoints on the way back. Park entrance fee.

      About 2 hours

    • 18:00

      Sunset at Inspiration Point

      Watch the amphitheater's hoodoos change colour from Inspiration Point.

      About 60 min

    Meals:
    Breakfast at Escalante; Lunch at Bryce Canyon City; Dinner at Bryce Canyon City
    Where to stay:
    Stay in Bryce Canyon City, Tropic or the park lodge.
    Getting around:
    Escalante to Bryce Canyon is about an hour on SR-12.

  5. Day 5: Bryce Canyon Hoodoos and Departure

    A morning hike below the rim, then a final stop on the way out.

    • 07:30

      Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden

      Descend Navajo Loop from Sunset Point through Wall Street, then connect to Queen's Garden and climb to Sunrise Point. The combined loop is about 3 miles with around 600 feet of climb back to the rim at 8,000 feet. Part of Navajo Loop can close for rockfall; check at the visitor center.

      About 3 hours

    • 11:00

      Mossy Cave Trail

      On SR-12 east of the park entrance, a short walk to a small waterfall fed by a pioneer irrigation ditch and a mossy alcove.

      About 1.5 hours

    • 13:00

      Lunch and Departure

      Lunch in Tropic or Bryce Canyon City before driving on.

      About 60 min

    Meals:
    Breakfast at Bryce Canyon City; Lunch at Tropic; Dinner at En route
    Where to stay:
    Departure day.
    Getting around:
    Salt Lake City is about 4 hours north via US-89 and I-15; Las Vegas about 4 hours southwest.

Practical information

Spring (April to May) and fall (September to October) are the best seasons for Escalante and Bryce Canyon. Daytime temperatures are mild in Escalante, while Bryce, at 8,000 to 9,100 feet, stays cool and can see snow into May. Summer is hot in Escalante's canyons and brings afternoon thunderstorms with a real flash-flood risk in slot canyons. In winter, Bryce stays open with snow on the hoodoos, but the backcountry roads can be impassable. A car is essential. The nearest major airports are Salt Lake City (about 4.5 hours to Escalante) and Las Vegas (about 4.5 hours); St. George and Cedar City have small regional airports. Scenic Byway 12 links Escalante, Kodachrome Basin and Bryce. Hole-in-the-Rock Road is graded gravel that most cars can drive in dry weather, but it turns impassable when wet, and the Dry Fork spur is easier with high clearance. Escalante has motels, cabins, a few small inns and campgrounds. Near Bryce, choose between Bryce Canyon City, Tropic and the in-park lodge. Book well ahead for spring and fall. Budget for the national park entrance fee, state park day-use fees and the Calf Creek fee. Restaurants in Escalante and Tropic are few and keep seasonal hours, so carry snacks and lunch supplies. Pack sturdy shoes, layers, sun protection and at least a gallon of water a day per person. Check flash-flood forecasts at the Escalante visitor center before entering any slot canyon. Fuel up in Escalante or Bryce Canyon City before long drives, and expect no cell signal on Hole-in-the-Rock Road.

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