BLM · Utah

Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument

The Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM) is a United States national monument protecting the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante in southern Utah. It was established in 1996 by President Bill Clinton under the authority of the Antiquities Act with 1.7 million acres of land, later expanded to 1,880,461 acres (7,610 km2). In 2017, the monument's size was reduced by half in a succeeding presidential proclamation, and it was restored in 2021. President Trump again cut out most of the monument by proclamation on July 13, 2026. The land is among the most remote in the country; it was the last to be mapped in the contiguous United States.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Official page at Bureau of Land Management ↗
DesignationNational Monument
Managed byBureau of Land Management
StateUtah
Size181,425 acres
National Conservation Lands idNLCS000852
Center point37.78° N, 111.37° W
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 32)

Boundary map

4 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.07 inches of precipitation, 15.7 inches of snowFebruary: 1.05 inches of precipitation, 10.8 inches of snowMarch: 0.91 inches of precipitation, 6.7 inches of snowApril: 0.51 inches of precipitation, 2.3 inches of snowMay: 0.72 inches of precipitation, 0.4 inches of snowJune: 0.38 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 1.11 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 1.73 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 1.58 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.44 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowNovember: 0.56 inches of precipitation, 3.5 inches of snowDecember: 0.79 inches of precipitation, 11.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.4°F averageFebruary: 34.1°F averageMarch: 41.7°F averageApril: 47.7°F averageMay: 56.4°F averageJune: 66.6°F averageJuly: 72.4°F averageAugust: 70.4°F averageSeptember: 63.0°F averageOctober: 51.5°F averageNovember: 39.5°F averageDecember: 30.2°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Boulder, 9 miles from the center point at 6,650 feet, station USC00420849 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 12 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 52 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

1 federal campground sits inside the boundary and 8 more are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

Show 1 more

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-11-01
  • Prescribed
    Escalante Municipal Piles Rx

    21 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Upper Valley Piles Rx

    24 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Flake Mountain Rx

    41 mi from the center point

  • Prescribed
    Mud Springs Broadcast Rx

    45 mi from the center point

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 3 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Guidebooks for Utah

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Hiking from here to Wow: Utah Canyon Country
    Kathy Copeland, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking Utah's high Uintas
    Jeffrey Probst, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 100 classic hikes Utah
    Julie K. Trevelyan, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands And Arches National Parks
    Bill Schneider, 2023
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Salt Lake City
    Greg Witt, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument?

181,425 acres.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument?

The Bureau of Land Management.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

What state is Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument in?
Can I camp at Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument?

Rules vary by unit. The BLM page has the current camping rules. The federal campgrounds within ten miles are listed under Where to camp.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.782° N, 111.370° W. Old Spanish National Historic Trail is 15 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Bureau of Land Management

Is there a fire near Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Escalante Municipal Piles Rx at 21 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

Which national parks are near Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument?

Old Spanish National Historic Trail (15 mi), Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (15 mi) and Capitol Reef National Park (21 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument?

The National Register has 3 listings within 15 miles, including Boulder Elementary School and Coombs Village Site.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the BLM National Conservation Lands layer.
  • States and territories: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons and coarse outlines of the territories and outlying islands. A place is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area. A boundary that touches no outline is listed under the nearest one.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.