Nearly 1.9 million acres of slot canyons, slickrock domes, arches, waterfalls, and dinosaur-fossil badlands stepping down from Bryce's rim toward the Grand Canyon — the largest national monument in the lower 48 and one of America's last-explored landscapes. Highlights range from drive-up overlooks to legendary backcountry like Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slot canyons and Lower Calf Creek Falls.
| Category | National Monument |
|---|---|
| Nearest town | Escalante / Kanab / Boulder / Big Water |
| Top activities | Lower Calf Creek Falls hike (126-foot waterfall), Peek-a-Boo and Spooky slot canyons off Hole-in-the-Rock Road, Scenic driving on Byway 12, Cottonwood Canyon, and Hole-in-the-Rock roads, Zebra Slot and Devil's Garden, Visitor centers in Escalante, Kanab, Cannonville, and Big Water |
| Best time to visit | April-May and September-October are ideal for canyon hiking; summer brings dangerous heat and flash flood season, winter can close dirt roads. |
| Entrance fee | Free (day-use fees only at a few developed sites like Calf Creek Recreation Area) |
| Permits | No entrance permit; free self-issue permits required for overnight backcountry trips. Most interior roads are unpaved and impassable when wet — high clearance recommended, check conditions at visitor centers. |
Visitor tip: Stop at a monument visitor center (Escalante Interagency is the best) before any backcountry day — staff post current dirt-road and flash-flood conditions, which change everything out here.
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