Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Staircase-Escalante The Grand Staircase Staircase-Escalante History Grand Staircase Regions Paleontology

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument covers a rugged region of legendary proportions and encompasses a vast array of dazzling topographical features ranging from high cliffs and deep terraces to plateaus, rivers and colorful canyons. The “Escalante” half of the title refers to the Escalante River Canyons. The “Grand Staircase” part of this national monument’s title refers to the cliffs and terraces that stretch across Utah from Bryce Canyon National Park to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument sprawls for an astounding 1.9 million acres. To learn more about the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, visit www.ut.blm.gov/monument.

The Grand Staircase.

The “Grand Staircase” was named by geologist Clarence Dutton in the 1870s who likened the massive geological formation springing from the base of the Grand Canyon to a giant staircase with each layer forming steps. Dutton divided the steps of the “Grand Staircase” into five layers (Pink Cliffs, Grey Cliffs, White Cliffs, Vermilion Cliffs, and Chocolate Cliffs) with the lowermost rocks being the oldest and the uppermost rocks being the youngest.  [Top]

Grand Staircase-Escalante History.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument exploration dates back relatively recently. Captain James Andrus was the first white settler to navigate the area in 1866 while leading a cavalry group to the Escalante River. Amazingly, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument land is so remote that it was the last place ever mapped in the continental United States. The remote ruggedness of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has resulted in an unspoiled haven for scientific activity drawing paleontologists and biologists to geologists, archeologists and historians. To learn more about the history of the Grand Staircase and Escalante regions, visit www.utah.com/playgrounds/escalante_history.htm.  [Top]

Utah’s Grand Staircase Regions.

Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is divided into three major regions: The Grand Staircase, The Canyons of Escalante and the Kaiparowits Plateau. The stunning Kaiparowits Plateau forms a triangular shape covering more than 50 miles near Escalante, Utah. Bordered by Lake Powell on its southeastern end, by the Paria River on the western edge and by the Straight Cliffs on its northeastern end. To learn more about the regions, go to www.utah.com/nationalsites/grand_staircase.htm.  [Top]

Grand Staircase-Escalante Paleontology.

The Grand Staircase-Escalante region in Utah has been home to spectacular paleontology finds. In 2001 and 2002, two ceratopsid dinosaurs dating back 80 million years were found in the Wahweap formation just below the Kaiparowits formation at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. In 2002, a 75-million-year-old Gryposaurus monumentensis (hook-beaked lizard) was discovered by a volunteer in the Grand Staircase near the Arizona border. The Utah area continues to be one of the most exciting geologic sites in the world and many of the spectacular fossils recovered here are on display at the Utah Museum of Natural History. For more details about paleontology finds in Utah’s Grand Staircase region, visit www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/grand_staircase-escalante/programs/paleontology.html.  [Top]