A unique inn at the Gateway to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Southern Utah's Canyon Country
115 West Main St./PO Box 575, Escalante, Utah 84726 * Toll-Free 1-866-455-0041 * Fax +1 (435) 826-4388 * Email info@VagabondBnB.com
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Winter Sports and Activities abound in and around Escalante, including cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, back-country snow boarding & skiing, ice climbing and more.
Escalante sits at the base of Boulder Mountain and the Aquarius Plateau. The plateau has elevations over 10,000 feet, and there is an ubundance of some of Utah's finest snow. The area is very undeveloped, and far from the maddening crowds. So, if you want to get off the beaten track and away from the crowds, this is the place to be!
Left: At Bryce, looking East towards the Aquarius plateau (in the background, left) and the Kaiparowitz Plateau (background, right). Escalante lies just down the gap between the two plateaus.
Right: On top of Boulder Mountain (the Eastern side of the Aquarius plateau) looking out across Capitol Reef National Park towards the Henry Mountains. Spectacular views can be had from all over the Aquarius Plateau!
Lots of snow up on the Aquarius Plateau!
Another feature about the area is that Escalante is nestled at the base of the plateau, so it is much warmer and has less snow than up on top. Thus, in a matter of miles you can go from feet of snowpack to dry ground. This is great for accomodating a variety of different activities, from hiking to skiing!
There are opportunities for unbelievable snowshoeing & cross-country skiing here! From wide open fields, to airy aspen-groves, to evergreen forests, to nice rolling plateau to steep downs, you have it all. All except the crowds, that is!
There are some pretty steep slopes around here... so if you want to pick up a little momentum, there is plenty of opportunity to do so (only if you want)! You just have to put a little more energy into getting back up than you would at a ski-area.
Boarding, local style... (Aquarius Plateau)
Little ice climbing has been done here, but there are one or two frozen falls which people have investigated. There is definitely some intriguing potential. Let us know your experiences and feedback if you do any here!
There is an abundance of wildlife in the winter... with great opportunities for viewing.
The nice thing is that once you come down off of the plateau to Escalante, there is usually no, or minimal snow on the ground. We have had some fantastic hikes in the area. Of course, one needs to take extra precautions about flowing water, muddy roads, etc.
Here are a few pictures from a hike above Escalante Canyon (about 5 miles outside of town) that we did in February (these were taken the same day the above snow pictures from the Aquarius Plateau were taken)
And here is another picture from Harris Wash in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument taken on an early morning "sunrise" hike in November or December of 2003 (I camped up higher by the blues... it was a little chilly, but had a great time!)
Its even possible to climb here in the winter! We've done a little. The weather is often nice enough to get out for a while. It can get a little chilly,but definitely lots of potential. Let us know your experiences!
Left: Eric bouldering about 5 miles out of Escalante in the winter. Right: scouting out a potential crack climb at the same location in winter...
There are a number of different camping and lodging opportunities. Escalante Outfitters has traditionally closed its cabins in the winter, but are looking at the possibility of opening them up. Let us know if you are interested in staying here!
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