The Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument is in south central Utah, at the south edge of Boulder Mountain/Aquarius Plateau, and west of Capitol Reef National Park. Utah State Route 12 traverses the northern and portion this glorious area. The Escalante National Monument was established by the great President Bill Clinton near the end of his second term. The small town of Boulder occurs on the southeastern foot of Boulder Mountain, at the northern edge of the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument.
The Escalante River is dominated by Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii) Riparian Forest with river terraces dominated by Great Basin Sagebrush Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. July and August temperatures, which can be extreme in the lower elevations of Utah (below 5,000 feet), but relief comes when swiming or wading through the cool waters of the Escalante River. Spring and summer finds the water to be fairly cold.
The photographs in the following pages were taken over several years of driving (4-wheel drive) and hiking, almost exclusively during the summer months. Places hiked include Escalante River, Death Hallow, Deer Creek, The Gulch, Calf Creek (Upper Calf Creek Falls), Kodachrome Basin, and Hell's Backbone.
All photos copyrighted by David L. Magney 2003-2005.
