Canyons of Escalante RV Park

Campground in Escalante, UT • 28 RV Sites

Canyons of Escalante RV Park in Escalante, Utah, occupies a privileged position at the edge of one of the most remote and geologically spectacular landscapes in the American West, serving as the primary gateway community for travelers entering Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from the north. Family-owned and genuinely embedded in the small-town character of Escalante—population under 800—the park offers a warm, personalized alternative to chain campgrounds for visitors pursuing serious backcountry exploration across Utah's canyon country interior. The park provides full hookup sites with water, electric, and sewer service alongside clean restroom and shower facilities built to the standard that multi-day backcountry travelers need after long days on remote trails. An on-site dining option covers the practical concern of meals without requiring a longer drive, and the park's staff functions as an informal visitor center, with deep local knowledge about current road conditions, trailhead access, permit requirements, and the flash flood forecasts that every canyon country visitor needs to monitor carefully. Escalante sits at 5,800 feet elevation on a high Colorado Plateau mesa rimmed by the grand geological staircase—a series of stepped cliffs dropping south through pink, white, and grey limestone and sandstone layers from Bryce Canyon's rim to the Arizona Strip below. The surrounding terrain is a labyrinth of slickrock domes, narrow slot canyons, arched alcoves, and cottonwood-lined drainages that hide Ancestral Puebloan ruins, natural bridges, and swimming holes visited by only a fraction of Utah's park tourists. Wildflowers carpet the canyon rims in spring, and fall light transforms the sandstone into rich amber and rust tones that make October one of the most visually rewarding months in the entire Southwest. Bryce Canyon National Park lies approximately 45 miles to the west, and Capitol Reef National Park anchors the landscape roughly 70 miles to the northeast, making Escalante a logical midpoint on any multi-park Utah itinerary. The monument itself conceals premier destinations including the famous slot canyons of Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Gulch, the vast Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness to the south, and Calf Creek Falls—a 126-foot cascade plunging into a turquoise swimming hole reached via a 6-mile round-trip trail from a BLM trailhead east of town that remains one of Utah's most rewarding family hikes. Canyons of Escalante RV Park operates seasonally from spring through fall, with peak visitation concentrated in May, September, and October when canyon temperatures are comfortable and the combination of wildflowers, fall color, and lower tourist volumes creates ideal backcountry conditions. Summer brings intense afternoon heat in the canyon depths and significantly elevated flash flood risk in the slot canyons, making shoulder-season timing important for guests planning technical routes. Advance reservations for spring and fall are strongly recommended, as Escalante's limited lodging inventory and the monument's draw fill available accommodations quickly during optimal visitation windows. The park's small size relative to the monument's enormous scale means staff can offer genuinely individualized guidance, a meaningful advantage for first-time canyon country visitors navigating unfamiliar terrain and permit systems that can be confusing without local orientation.

Campground rules and policies

CHECK IN
- Check-in time begins @ 2:00p.m.
- We will accommodate early check-ins if possible. The early check-in fee is $10.
- While each park attempts to accommodate your exact spot request, the on-site manager has the ultimate decision for spot placement.
- On Site Facilities available for registered guests only.CHECK OUT TIME FOR RV & TENT SITES is 11:00 am.
- You will be charged an additional $10 after 12:00, and the full price after 2:00.LATE CHECK-IN PROCEDURES:
- Late check-ins are accepted.
- Please stop by the office to view the park map to help locate your site.
- Late arrivals - please respect neighbors and set up as quietly as possible.QUIET TIME IS: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Late arrivals please set up as quietly as possible.Speed Limit & Traffic
- The speed limit in the park is 5 MPH.
- ALL ROADS ARE ONE-WAY.
- Please exit at the rear of the park.
- No continuous ATV/UTV riding allowed in the campground.
- Use campground roads to access the campsite and trails/roads only.No Hammocks allowed.Occupancy
- All rates are based on two-person occupancy.
- Extra people are $5.00 per person/per night.
- All sites should accommodate one hitched vehicle.
- Space is limited and detached vehicles may need to be parked away from the site so as to not impede traffic.
- All additional vehicles will be charged $5.00 per vehicle/per night.
- Children 7 & under are free in RV & Tent sites.Pets
- Dogs are not to be left unattended either outside or inside your site/cabin.
-- Ultimately, it is each pet owner's responsibility to manage their pet and their pet's safety. Thank you for your understanding.
- No aggressive, threatening, or disruptive behavior from any breed of animal will be accepted. Any animal that is creating an unwelcoming environment in our park will be asked to leave with their owners, with no refunds available.Family Friendly
- Our RV Park is family-friendly.
- Please keep alcoholic beverage consumption to a minimum and be respectful of your neighbors.
- Loud or obnoxious behavior will not be tolerated.
- Illegal drugs are absolutely not allowed.Trash
- Help us keep our place nice for all our guests by picking up your trash (including cigarette butts) and keeping your site appropriately clean.
- We have a dumpster available for your convenience.General
- Laundry hours are 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. Begin the last load by 8:30 pm.
- Please, no running of generators. We have electricity!
- RV/Trailer must fit the site as per site specifications. If the vehicle(s) exceed the approved max length, they will be turned away without a refund. Please verify the length of the rig and site are compatible.
- Vehicle repair/maintenance is not allowed in the campground.
- Washing vehicles, ATVs, and RVs on park property are not allowed. There is a car wash in the center of town!
- Campfires in the designated fire pits only. Fire pits are available in RV sites 26, 27, & 28 / all tent sites / Cabins 1, 2, 3 & DC-B).
-- Ground fires are not permitted.
-- Firewood is available for purchase at the office.
-- Absolutely NO collecting firewood from the property is allowed.
- BBQ grills and stoves are not allowed on picnic tables. They will melt.
- Please dispose of charcoal, ashes, and cooking grease in designated metal trash cans, not on the ground.
- You are liable for the actions of your pets, children, and guests, and are financially responsible for any damage done to park facilities resulting from your actions.
- Use of firearms and or fireworks is strictly prohibited.
- Wi-Fi is available as a courtesy to all guests and intended for basic web browsing and emails only.
-- Please refrain from activities that are data-intensive, such as downloading/streaming, as this will affect the quality of service for all. Illegal web activity will be investigated and may lead to prosecution.Note
The campground, its officers, and its employees are not responsible for accidents, injuries or damage due to fire, theft, acts of nature, or personal negligence. I agree to hold harmless Canyons of Escalante RV Park, its officers, and its employees for any and all liabilities of loss or damages to personal property, valuables, and injuries to a person, friends, family members, or guests of the registered campers arising from the use of the campground and its facilities.