Grand Staircase National Monument — What We Saw, What We Read

Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument (GSENM) is the largest national monument in the United States --roughly the size of Delaware. It was the last area in the lower 48 states to be mapped and remains an unspoiled location where you can be sure you'll be far from crowds. Grand Staircase is also home to The Wave in the northern section of Coyote Butte, one of the most photographed areas in Utah. Just follow the link and take a look, chances are that you've seen it before. Anyhow, in order to hike to The Wave, you need to enter the daily lottery at the GSENM Visitors Center or enter the lottery online 4 months in advance of the time you're planning on visiting. 20 people per day are allowed to visit --10 permits are issued online and 10 are issued to walk-ins at the visitor center the day before the hike.

The day we played the lottery there were at least 75 other hopeful people who showed up to enter alongside us. We knew our chances were slim (roughly 2%) but we tried anyway. Alas, we didn't win...Though a little disappointed, we're grateful that such a system is in place to protect sensitive areas like The Wave from over exposure. So far on our journey we've seen graffiti, etching, drawing, and other obvious signs of vandalism in every national and state park we've visited. We're not sure why people have an insatiable proclivity for writing their initials in stones and trees, but it happens.

Anyhow, with the free time we now had we decided to do a different hike in the GSENM area and explore Paria Canyon, the longest slot canyon in the world! We started at the White House trailhead, located near Kanab, Utah and went for out-and-back hike. The trail follows the Paria River and we crossed it many, many times. Initially, we searched for shallow areas or rocks we could use to hop across the river but, eventually, we started plowing through the river, resigned to the fact that our shoes would dry eventually. It was a warm and dry day and after about 4 miles we stopped for lunch and decided to turn around and head back. For anyone who has the appropriate gear and time though, there are campsites further along the trail and it can be stretched out into a multi-day backpacking trip. Overall, we were happy to have had the opportunity to check out Paria Canyon!

Crossing the Paria River. By this point we had stopped looking for a dry route across.

On our drive back from Paria Canyon, we took a detour just before our campground to visit the Best Friends Animal Society sanctuary. The sanctuary covers 3,700 acres and is home to around 1,500 animals. In addition to rehabilitation, training, adoption services, and animal care, they also provide visitors with opportunities to tour the grounds or even volunteer. We jumped at the chance and registered as volunteers. The next morning we arrived before the sun peaked over the surrounding mountains and plateaus. Our assignment was at Dog Town where we would be walking pups from 1 to 7 years old on beautifully maintained trails on the sanctuary grounds. Over the course of three hours, we walked five pairs of dogs. The grounds are open and therefore frequently visited by wildlife. As we walked, deer roamed the trail (which was not particularly appreciated by a few of the dogs we walked). As the hours passed, the view of the white cliffs opened up before us. It was a particularly unique and rewarding experience to visit this incredible place. When we are finally situated and ready to adopt a pup we will be coming back to Best Friends!