Coyote Gulch is an incongruous oasis in the Utah desert, with abundant flora lining its walls in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Day hikers and backpackers alike flock to this canyon ...

Hotspots for hiking include the striped Zebra Canyon, Harris Wash, Coyote Gulch, and the hoodoos of Devils Garden, accessed via Hole-in-the-Rock Road, which heads southeast from Escalante toward ...

Within 15 minutes, we reached the confluence of Coyote Gulch and the Escalante River. About a half-mile upstream, we came upon a patch of blue sky splashed on a towering red cliff.

Hiking along the Escalante River (and sometimes through it), you'll see petroglyphs, an arch, a cliff dwelling and the namesake natural bridge. The trail is 4.4 miles.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is 1.87 million acres of canyons, cliffs and rugged landscapes offering an abundance of adventures like hiking, off-roading, camping, and scenic drives.

Spooky Gulch in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA© Serge Yatunin/Shutterstock Peek-a-boo slot canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA© Christoph ...

west of Escalante, on Utah 12. The office also sells Trails Illustrated’s Canyons of the Escalante ($9) and Wasatch Publisher’s Hiking the Escalante ($7.50).

A landscape near Coyote Gulch in Utah's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The trail to this canyon is no longer protected land. Utah State University researchers warn pollinators ...

Our destination was Coyote Gulch, where we planned to establish a base camp and explore not only the gulch but parts of the Escalante River, which flows into Lake Powell.