Disputed - but undisputably beautiful!
Some folks (maybe yourself) come to Kanab to visit The Grand Staircase - others get here and wonder “What the heck is the Grand Staircase / Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument / GSENM???” and “Why in the world is it managed by the BLM?” (The Bureau of Land Management, the original BLM!)
I live in Utah, and admit I was a bit baffled by the Grand Staircase when we first started hanging out in Kanab.
And then one beautiful summer day we made the short drive out to the LeFevre overlook and I had an ah-ha moment!
As we climbed the steps to the overlook, walked across the shaded pavilion and then stood at the edge, I finally got it.
It really is a staircase, this vast, remote swath of southern Utah is a giant geological progression of layers or steps.
See our short video clip explaining the staircase as viewed from LeFevre overlook Here.
The LeFevre overlook is on 89A, 7 miles southeast of Fredonia, on your way to North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
This land is among the most remote in the country. It was the very last to be mapped in the contiguous United States. Kanab itself was deemed the most remote town in the country at one time due to its distance away from any railroad.
Grand Staircase–Escalante is the largest national monument managed by the BLM. Nearly 1,004,000 acres. Check out the GSENM website Here
The creation of the GSENM Caused an uproar 25 years ago at its creation - and again 4 years ago at its reduction. For better or for worse, it can still be a touchy subject in these parts.
There are three main regions to the GSENM and four separate visitor centers. Visitor centers are located in Kanab, Escalante, Big Water, Cannonville, each with a different theme, look and feel.
Click Here to see My blog post all about the Big Water Visitors Center and dinosaurs!
Kanab is the only town of any size around the monument and makes a great base camp for exploring. Let us know how we can help you with your next Grand Adventure!
