Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah

**Saulius** · 8-Sep-2004, 22:19

Well I am going to embark on a trip to Grand Staircase-Escalante, Utah this coming weekend and will be there about 5 days. It was a last minute thing and I'd appreciate any tips and information anyone could provide. I did search the archives and did see where QT Luong suggested getting some publications written about the area, but I can't order them and receive in time before leaving. As I have never been to this area any and all recomendations are welcome: roads to take or not, possible good locations for photographing, tips on what to bring, etc. etc. Thanks in advance.

**Saulius** · 8-Sep-2004, 22:31

Couple more things: I will be driving a four wheel drive vehicle, and I don't mind and actually enjoy hiking so getting to a remote spot with gear in tow isn't really an issue. Thanks.

**phil sweeney** · 9-Sep-2004, 04:26

Fillup the tank and hit the Burr Trail. Utah is an incredible!

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**Pete Caluori** · 9-Sep-2004, 06:19

The Grand Staircase is awesome, but you're talking about a lot of country that's not easy to navigate through. When you get to Utah stop in a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) office, there's one in Escalante and inquire; they will be able to offer pointers and have maps available.

As has been recommended the Burr Trail and the road to Hole in the Wall, will put in in very scenic areas. Have a great trip and be careful, especially in the canyons. Carry plenty of water and don't forget to keep the gas tank full.

Regards, Pete

**Jim Rhoades** · 9-Sep-2004, 07:29

Are you a flatlander? If so, some of the trails that the locals use will give you vertigo. Dirt roads 8 feet wide and 3,000 feet down. You have to really like vertical terrain. If it has just rained four wheel drive will only get you stuck a lot deeper.

**Michael E. Gordon** · 9-Sep-2004, 10:07

You'll wander aimlessly in the GSENM without some form of guidebook. IMO, it is not a shoot-from-the-car kind of place, so you'll need to get walking. Check out the Falcon guide, Michael Kelsey's "Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau", or Rudy Lambrechtse's "Hiking the Escalante". You should be able to find all of them in Utah.

Good luck, have fun.

www.mgordonphotography.com

**Kerry L. Thalmann** · 9-Sep-2004, 10:08

Saulius,

I recommend the book Photography the Southwest, Volume 1 by Laurent Martres. It has about a chapter and a half on the Grand Staircase - Esclante National Monument (the Southern section is covered in the "Around the Paria" chapter), as well as more info on the surrounding area. For details on the book, go to the publisher's web site at:

http://www.phototripusa.com/

You can follow the links on the main page to a table of contents listing and an online sample chapter covering Capitol Reef National Park (which borders Grand Staircase - Escalante NM to the East).

Since you don't have time to order the book online, there is a list of retail outlets that carry the book on the web site. I'm not sure which direction you're coming from, but if you'll be passing through any of the National Parks in the area, they should have the book in their gift shops. Also, the author sells prints of his work at a few galleries and businesses in the Boulder/Esclante area. A listing of these businesses, with links to their web sites, can be found at:

http://www.phototrip.us/m_locations.html

You might try calling a couple to see if they also sell Laurent's books and have Volume 1 in stock.

Finally, for inspiration, you might want to check out some of the authors online galleries at:

http://www.phototrip.us/index.html

Hope that helps,
Kerry

**Guy Tal** · 9-Sep-2004, 11:45

Good advice from Michael Gordon. If you can't stop by a bookstore before leaving - visit the Hills and Hollows market in Boulder. They have a decent selection of books.If coming through Torrey, you will find a couple of bookstores in town as well as at the Capitol Reef visitor center.

Guy
Scenic Wild Photography

**Brian Ellis** · 9-Sep-2004, 15:24

Too late for you for this trip but in case you go back, or in case others are interested, there is a "Photograph America" newsletter on Escalante. I subscribed to this service for quite a few years, one comes out each month and by now there's one on virtually all of the better known areas for photography and some not so well known areas. I believe you can purchase back issues by contacting the photographer who publishes them, Robert Hirchman, P.O. Box 86, Novato, CA 94948, phone 415-898-3736.

**Claire Curran** · 9-Sep-2004, 19:00

If you plan to concentrate on the Hole in the Rock Rd, almost everything of photographic interest, except for Devil's Garden, is a hike, some of it a major hike. Plan on camping out there if you travel some distance on the road because the road is very washboardy and it can be slow going. It can take you 2 to 21/2 hours to travel 40 miles back to Escalante. Stop at the BLM office on the south side of Escalante and get info. Some of the rangers are pretty well informed. Get Michael Kelsey's book, "Hiking the Colorado Plateau" wherever you can find it. It is the Bible for the CP.

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