Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument covers nearly 1.9 million acres of canyon country east of Cannonville and is one of the largest protected areas in the contiguous United States. The monument takes its name from the geological staircase visible from its northern edge — successive rock layers stepping down from Bryce Canyon in the north toward the Colorado River in the south — and from the Escalante River canyon system that threads through its interior.
The landscape is extraordinary and genuinely overwhelming in scale: slot canyons, arch formations, dinosaur fossil beds, ancient Anasazi sites, and vast stretches of slickrock with no trails, no facilities, and minimal signage. Navigation requires topographic maps and experience. Kanab and Escalante are the two most practical gateway towns with visitor centers. From Cannonville, the eastern side of the monument is accessible via Cottonwood Canyon Road (unpaved, impassable when wet) south toward Page, Arizona — one of the great scenic drives in the Southwest when conditions allow.