US-UT-Grand+Staircase-Escalante+National+Monument+--+Toadstools+Trails

Also, see Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
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Kane County
=Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument= =Toadstools Trails= Kanab, UT 84741 Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument website Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument map Toadstools Trails webpage

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Grand Staircase-Escalante NM -- Toadstools Trails
Coordinates: 37.1086078, -111.8834898 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Toadstools Trails
A land of balanced rock formations which look like mushrooms, The Toadstools is an enchanting wilderness area accessed via an easy to moderate 1.5-mile round-trip hike.

Located in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, this precious area is a great place to play and explore. You can stretch your legs on the jaunt from Kanab to Lake Powell or stick around and try to discover the more than a dozen toadstools beyond the largest, and first, one. This hike is free, unlike many destinations in the area, and makes for fun and interesting photos.

From the trailhead, follow the trail north through a wash towards the northern rim of the small canyon. You will come upon the first toadstool, a giant red one that you will have likely seen in guidebooks and on posters.

Climbing on the rocks here is easy and fun, and kids love the sprawling desert environment. Be sure to continue your hike past this impressively balanced rock, because you will find more mushroom patches along the trail. Towards the end of the hike, you will come to a lone white stem with a red cap and breathtaking views of the Paria River Valley. And beyond this, even more toadstools. So. Many. Toadstools.

Return the way you came, but don’t go back in a hurry. The longer you stay in this natural playground, the more you’ll seem to get out of it. This hike is short and mellow, leaving you with lots of energy left to explore other destinations along Highway 89 between Kanab and Lake Powell. From Toadstools Trails webpage

About Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument encompasses 1.9 million acres of spectacular wilderness. The vast and varied landscape offers unparalleled opportunities for scientists and visitors alike to experience the effects of millions of years of geological history. Reaching from the town of Escalante at the northeast end to Kanab in the southwest, the monument covers an area roughly the size of Delaware and was the last region in America to be explored. Grand Staircase-Escalante is the first national monument managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) instead of the National Park Service (NPS).

Geology Sixty million years ago most of southwestern Utah was covered by lakes, and over eons, the lake sediment hardened into rock. The ‘staircase’ was formed when the area now known as the Colorado plateau lifted, causing the layers of sedimentary rock below to fan out. The exposed layers revealed a four-billion-year timeline of geological history; the lower, chocolate steps are located to the south in the Grand Canyon region, while the upper, geologically youngest layer makes up the pink cliffs of the Grand Staircase to the north. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is divided into three topographically distinct regions: the cliffs of Grand Staircase; the central, fossil-rich Kaiparowits Plateau; and the dramatic Escalante Canyons.

Climate and Geography Grand Staircase-Escalante is comprised of remote, rugged landscape and contains nearly double the total combined acreage of all of Utah’s national parks. The two major rivers in the region are the Paria and the Escalante. Explorers should be aware of environmental threats such as extreme temperatures, sudden storms, flash floods, deep water in slot canyons, quicksand, slick rock, and steep cliffs.

Biology The fauna and flora found in Grand Staircase-Escalante are as varied as the landscape. The 1.9 million acres are home to 200 species of birds, including the endangered (and rarely sighted) Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon; nearly 60 species of mammals; dozens of reptiles and amphibians; and several types of fish. Fremont Cottonwood trees thrive in the moist soil of the Escalante River Canyon area, while pinion pine, juniper, and sagebrush are common in the Grand Staircase region. Utah’s state flower, the Sego Lily, can be found throughout the monument boundaries.

Recreational Activities Camping, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, off-roading, and photography are popular activities. Visitor centers are located in Kanab, Escalante, Cannonville, Paria, and Anasazi State Park. Visitors must keep in mind that this is mostly undeveloped territory, and the BLM recommends camping only in established campgrounds. There are no facilities, so campers are responsible for properly disposing of waste and litter.

Most hiking routes are not well marked, although there are several oft-used and well-worn paths. Lower Calf Creek Falls is a moderate-to-difficult 5.5-mile round trip hike along a developed trail, and there are several major trailheads with access to the Escalante River. Challenging hikes through the cliffs and slot canyons include Death Hollow, The Gulch, and Twenty-mile Wash. Backcountry hikers are required to obtain permits for overnight hikes at Escalante Interagency Visitor Center.

Some of the more accessible areas for day-trippers are the Devil’s Garden Natural Area and Grosvenor Arch. Vehicles can tour Utah Scenic Byway 12 or U.S. Route 89 for magnificent, changing vistas. There are also a number of partially-paved or dirt and gravel roads, including Hole-in-the-Rock Road, Cottonwood Canyon Road, Johnson Canyon/Skutumpah Road, Pahreah Townsite Road, and Burr Trail. Top sites in the monument and surrounding region include Calf Creek Falls, Canyons of the Escalante, Burr Trail, Anasazi Indian State Park, Escalante State Park, Johnson Canyon, Bull Valley Gorge, Grosvenor Arch, Kodachrome Basin State Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park.

History The earliest humans known to occupy the area were the Basketmaker people and the Anasazi Indians, beginning around 500 A.D. The Fremont, Hopi, and Paiute also briefly occupied the area. The Escalante River Canyons presented a barrier to exploration until the Powell expeditions in the mid-1800s. In 1941 the NPS began studying the Escalante River area, the last in America to be discovered and mapped. The region was declared a national monument in 1996, under executive order by President Bill Clinton. From Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument website



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