Grand Staircase Escalante UT-12 Self-Driving Tour in Utah booking from $10.00

Grand Staircase Escalante UT-12 Self-Driving Tour

Overview

Recommended: Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!

Explore the hidden wonders of the epic Grand Staircase Escalante drive with a self-guided audio tour. Drive along the Hogback (the ridgeline), learn about the hidden mysteries of this giant geologic staircase, and discover the long-buried secrets of the Fremont and Puebloans. This self-guided tour allows you to explore UT-12 with maximum flexibility and value.

Here's how it works: Within 30 mins, we'll send you two things: a unique password and an app. Download the app onto your phone, enter the password, and download the tour. When you arrive, go to the first stop, launch the app, and follow the instructions! Stick to our recommended route and speed limit for the best experience.

No expiration — The tour comes with lifetime validity!

This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check pandemic rules and opening hours before your visit.

City: Utah

Sat 19 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $10.00

Make a reservation

Sat 19 Oct

Starting at $10.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Offline use: No cell signal or wifi required. Offline GPS Map & route. Stop-to-stop direction.

Private tour in your/rental car: No group. Take breaks for photos/ snacks/hikes. Go at your own pace

Don’t miss a thing: Full itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated hidden stories, video, text

Flexible schedule: Use any day, any time. Travel over multiple days or on next trip. Never expires.

Good value: Buy just one per car. Don’t pay for each person. Save money compared to a bus tour.

App on your phone: A link to download the Action Guide app. Password for your tours. Preview at home

Easy to use: Stories play automatically by GPS. Hands-free. Get HELP all day: Call, Chat or Email.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it works: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a text/email with instructions. Download the app (while in good wifi/signal) and use your unique password to access your tours. To begin touring, go to the Starting Point and launch the app. The audio starts automatically. Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience. Please note that no one will meet you at the starting point.
Good value Purchase only one tour for the entire vehicle instead of taking the bus and paying for each person. You will see a significant saving. Connect your phone to car speakers by a wire or bluetooth. Enjoy the tour by listening together as you drive.
Flexible Schedule: Once the app/tour is on your phone, you can use it any day and at any time. You can use it over multiple days. And, also use it on your next trip here. This tour never expires.
Preview the tour: You can use it before the trip at home (highly recommended), use it during the trip, and use it after you come back.
Don't miss a thing: You will get everything with the app - a complete itinerary, travel tips, professionally narrated audio stories, story script, images, videos, deep dives, hidden gems, exciting locations, recommendations for hikes, adventure, activities, treks, and stop-by-stop direction.
Private tour: You can use it in your car or rental car. No worries about groups or crowds. Start the tour app on your phone. And it will direct you step by step. You can stop for as many breaks as you like. Take a break for Instagram photos, and take a break for lunch/snacks. Go on a hike. The tour will wait for you and start when you start again. You can even do the tour over multiple days. Go at your own pace.
Easy to use: The stories play themselves as soon as the GPS is activated. It requires no use of your hands at all. You can get HELP by calling, chatting, or emailing any time of the day.
Offline: There is no need for a cell signal or Wi-Fi while touring. App’s GPS map works offline.
Expiration/go again: The tour will last for the rest of your life on your phone. It is available for use on any day of your next trip.
Use pictures for a photo book: Create a photo book using clean (no crowd) app images of each spot to make a memorable trip. All the photos and the correct sequence is ready in the app for you to use.
Social media: Share clean (no crowd) images with friends/family.
Devices supported include iPhones with iOS 13 & above, Android phones with version 9 & above and all cellular-enabled tablets & iPads.
Face masks required for travellers in public areas

What To Expect

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument

The Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument is a United States national monument originally designated in 1996 as 1,880,461 acres of protected land in southern Utah. In 2017, the monument's size was reduced by half in a succeeding presidential proclamation.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Before you fully enter the Grand Staircase National Monument, you'll have an opportunity to detour to Bryce Canyon National Park. The two are right next to one another, so don't worry about missing out on one or the other. You'll almost certainly have time to see both!

Escalante Petrified Forest State Park

The Escalante Petrified Forest is a truly remarkable phenomenon. Long ago, this was an ordinary forest. But the trees have long since been petrified and turned completely to stone. Today, these ancient, multi-colored remnants of the forest offer clues to the distant past.

Escalante Interagency Visitor Center

The Escalante Interagency Visitor Center offers all sorts of information for enjoying and exploring the Monument and surrounding areas. It's also a great place to grab a snack or refill your water bottle before continuing your trip.

Spooky Gulch

Spooky Gulch is particularly narrow and winding, and if you’re able to make the squeeze, hiking through the gulch can be quite the experience. You won’t need any special hiking gear or experience-- just an extra hour to drive there and another hour or two to explore.

Lower Calf Creek Falls

Calf Creek Vista offers more panoramic views of the harsh, beautiful desert landscape which defines the Staircase. Don't forget to snap a few photos while you're here!

The Hogback

Your route will take you along the famous Hogback, probably the most unforgettable part of the entire monument. This winding stretch of road is full of sharp curves, steep drops, and spectacular views on either side. Drive carefully, and make sure to admire the sights along the way!

Upper Calf Creek Falls

If you'd like to hike to a perennial waterfall, you'll have the chance to take a quick detour to the Upper Calf Creek Falls Trail. This moderate, 2-mile trek ends with a beautiful 88-foot waterfall tumbling down a dramatic cliff. It's a little sandy and rocky at points, so make sure to wear good boots if you plan to make the trip.

Boulder

The town of Boulder is one of the most isolated communities you're ever likely to see. With a population of just over 200, this town isn't exactly a bustling hub. In fact, it didn't even have electricity until 1947! Many of the residents here are descendants of the first pioneers to settle in the area.

Dixie National Forest

As you drive, you'll pass through Dixie National Forest, home to some of the oldest evidence of human activity in the entire region. Anthropologists have reason to believe humans lived here as far back as the Ice Age! Besides the history, of course, it also makes for a beautiful change of scenery.

Larb Hollow Overlook

Larb Hollow Overlook is the last viewpoint on you tour, so be sure to make it count! The land stretches on for miles beneath this overlook, making it perfect for photos or simply for taking in the majesty of this one-of-a-kind place. You'll also pick up some facts about how wind, rain, and erosion created such a striking landscape.

Capitol Reef National Park

At the end of your Grand Staircase-Escalante tour, you'll find yourself right near the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park. One of Utah's "Mighty Five" national parks, Capitol Reef is something you can't miss if you're in the area. Boasting rich history, dramatic desert scenery, and even a seemingly impossible orchard, this park really has something for everyone.

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (13)

IrishAyes295

Oct 2021

Great information, but not frequent enough sound bites. Many large rock features that screamed for explanation were not commented on.

Response from Host

Oct 2021

Thank you so much for the feedback! I’d love to get more details from you, because we can definitely add more stories! Would you mind sending us an email with whatever features you can remember needing explanations? (Any amount of detail will be fine). More than happy to continue adding and improving the tour. Thanks again!

lindahP6176VJ

Aug 2021

It took some time to understand how it works but we figured it out. The narrator was interesting and informative. We were able to see many amazing views and learn about the history and unique features of this part of our country. Please start out with plenty of gas in your car, just to avoid concern about that. My husband and I are senior adults. We traveled with just us in one vehicle. Here are my opinions: Adults are likely to enjoy this if they have a whole day with low need for entertainment and physical activity. There were certainly places to get out and move around but you didn’t really know when and how much till you got there. As we listened for the next piece of information on the route, there were significant lags of time. Because we plugged the phone in and listened to the tour guide through the car speakers, we weren’t listening to the car radio. Maybe if two phones were present, one could have music or something else on between the narrator’s commentary, though actual cell and internet service along the way came and went. If someone were to do the tour with school age children, I am advising that there are long periods of driving with only a few towns or roadside facilities where you can stop for food, drinks, shopping or bathrooms. I would not recommend it with very young children unless they are great for long stretches in their car seats. We only saw one roadside park at Cannonville that had a very small play area for kids. Mostly it was several hours in the car with many points of interest explained. Of course, any stops on the way were optional and added to the time to complete the route. Depending on your base (ours was Torrey), remember to add in the time to get to/from the starting/ending point as part of the day’s travel. We had a good day. It was very nice to know we were getting in a lot of highlights of the area, since this is our first and likely only trip here.

Response from Host

Aug 2021

Thanks so much for such a detailed review! We’re so glad you had a good day at the Grand Staircase, and we appreciate all the time you’ve taken to provide so much information for other visitors! We’re always working to make our tours better, so we take your feedback about the in-between stretches very seriously. We’ll make sure to look into this when performing our next update! If you’d like to try more tours like this one, you can find them over at ActionTourGuide.com.

deborahdG7813DM

Aug 2021

Drive was great just very long. Everything says it is 2 - 3 hours but it is much longer than that. You will do stops and photos along the way and that made our drive about 7 hours which included a lunch stop. We also had a 2 hour drive from hotel to start that is not included in the 7 hours. The drive is recommended which is why I gave it a 4 but would have like to have know the true length. Liked the info provided by the narratives, they were great. Will do this again but will do more research to understand a better length of the drive. The drive and the scenery was beautiful. There are a lot of small towns with restaurants in the first part of the drive but the second part is very sparse. We at at Circle D in Escalante and will do a review on them which will be very good also.

Response from Host

Aug 2021

Thanks for your feedback! We will definitely look into revising our time estimate for the Grand Staircase, as we generally base these off of driving time alone. We’re so glad you enjoyed this beautiful region, and we hope you’ll keep us in mind for future excursions! You can find our complete tour catalog at our website: ActionTourGuide.com.

Grand Staircase Escalante UT-12 Self-Driving Tour

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