We love to do a bit of the backroads for scenic driving when we travel and during our June 2025 trip the backroads took us to Grosvenor’s Arch in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah We were on our way to Toadstool Hoodoo hike and Wirepass Slot Canyon Hike so it was fun finding this arch along our way. We had driven the backroads of Escalante in 2020 when we found Spooky and Peek-A-Boo slot canyons so we hoped there would be places to see along the way.
Location
The Road Less Traveled
After breakfast we drove our rented Jeep to Scenic Hwy 12, past the towns of Tropic and Cannonville then through the Kodachrome Basin State Park. Shortly after Cannonville and into the Kodachrome Basin we found ourselves on bumpy dirt roads with gorgeous, expansive views. We were glad we had a Jeep as in a couple of places there was water over the dirt road and the road had a few ruts.
Grosvenor’s Arch
We followed the Cottonwood Canyon Road and shortly after saw a sign pointing to Grosvenor’s Arch. We decided to check it out. It was amazing. This beautiful sandstone double arch, basically in the middle of nowhere, would have went unseen by us if there hadn’t been a sign! For being off of a dirt road, the Arch itself and the area around it were well maintained. The Sign at the site informed us that we were in The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument area of Utah.
Grosvenor’s Arch is named after Gilbert Harvey Grosvenor who was the National Geographic president and editor of the National Geographic Magazine. This is one of the largest arches within the Escalante area.
Continuing On
We continued to follow Cottonwood Canyon Road till we reached Hwy 89 where we turned towards our next destination of Toadstool Hoodoo Trail. This area was quite remote and also beautiful. We passed through so many different rock formations. As we came closer to Hwy 89, the rocks became less prominent and the land more dessert like with tumbling sage bushes and sandy terrain. It was fun driving through the different landscapes and seeing a part of the United States we haven’t seen before. The drive took us a little over two hours from our cabin to Hwy 89
Conclusion
If you have the time and a 4×4 vehicle, this is a pretty route to take which will show you some beautiful southwestern landscape you wouldn’t otherwise see. Grosvenor’s Arch and the backroads of Kodachrome Basin State Park and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a unique and fun experience when in Utah. Follow me for my next post on the Toadstool Hoodoo Hike.
Planning for Our Utah Trip
While planning for our trip to Bryce Canyon I referred to the Falcon Guide Book, Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. If you click on the link you can buy it through Amazon. I also bought a map, Bryce Canyon National Geographic Map, but you can also picked up from the lodge and it worked fine for the basics although not as extensive for hiking.
I also like the Falcon Guide Book for Escalante, Hiking Grand Staircase Escalante and Glen Canyon Region also from Amazon. Again, I used the National Geographic Grand Staircase Escalante Map for this as well. In Escalante especially, we lost GPS service for quite a bit of our time here. Although there are well marked signs, the map was a good tool to have.
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Click on the Below Links for More Utah Fun!
Bryce Canyon National Park
Mossy Cave Trail-Bryce Canyon June 2025
Hiking the Navajo and Peek-A-Boo trail in Bryce Canyon, Oct 2020
Sunrise and Sunset at Bryce Canyon, Utah, Oct 2020
Escalante National Park
Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons, Oct 2020
Zion National Park
Riverside Walk and The Narrows, Oct 2020
Emerald Pools in Zion, Oct 2020
Canyonlands National Park
Dead Horse Point State Park, Oct 2020
Elephant Hill Road, Canyonlands, Oct 2020
Hike the Joint Trail, Canyonlands, Oct 2020
Jeeping the White Rim Road, Canyolands Sept, 2020
Aztec Butte, Canyonlands, Sept 2020
Grand View Point and Grand View Hike, Sept 2020
Mesa Arch in Canyonlands, Utah, Sept 2020
Capitol Reef National Park
Arches National Park
Sunset at Arches National Park, Utah, Sept 2020
Ten Great Arches at Arches National Park, Utah, Aug 2016
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Looks like beautiful scenery Lori, but you are right, make sure you are in a 4 x 4 to tackle the roads. Happy Monday. Allan
We had no major 4 wheeling but I would have been more than nervous driving it in a car! The ruts!! Have a fantastic week, Allan! Lori
Oooh cool! Escalante is such a gem. I need to rent a 4×4 sometime and get out into some of these backroads. Thanks for sharing!
It’s a great spot for Jeeping! Didn’t do as much “Oh my gosh” 4x4ing as in Colorado but still a lot of fun! When we were in Utah in 2020 we did a lot of 4 x4ing in Canyonlands and it was a blast. Thanks for reading! Lori
Utah is one of my favorite spots
I can see why!!!
We didn’t have enough time to visit Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument when we were in Utah a couple of years ago. This makes me want to go back now. The Grosvenor’s Arch looks beautiful.
Escalante is really unique plus we saw very few people. Utah is so amazing with such interesting places and parks. This is our second time in this area and we specifically tried to check off our bucket list for this area and Bruce Canyon instead of going to all the parks like we did last time.
I love that part of Utah. Sounds great!
It is definitely unique and a wonder to see!
Love your selfie at Grosvenor’s Arch!
Thanks!