Hole-in-the-Rock Road in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a fun and exciting 56 mile (one way) dirt road from Highway 12 that takes you through the heart of the monument. From Escalante you’ll head south all the way to the Hole in the Rock where Mormon pioneers in 1879, looking for a route through this rough and rugged canyon filled terrain blasted a hole in the rock with dynamite & pick axes and lowered their ox & mule train down to the Colorado River and across what is now Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. They were headed all the way to Bluff and they believed this was a short-cut.

There are beautiful and strange geological formations like Devil's Garden, Dance Hall Rock, Sooner Rocks, Davis Gulch (where Everett Ruess disappeared), tons of slot canyons like Peek-a-boo & Spooky, The Volcano (Cosmic Ashtray), old home sites and cabins, and a whole lot more. It can be dirty, dusty, muddy, bumpy, and the weather can be crazy but it's beautiful and remote and rugged and worth every second of the amazing drive. For detailed maps, information, mileage, history, and more, check out Michael Kelsey’s book on the Colorado Plateau.

The road itself is a 2WD road until towards the end, but it can be quite washboardy and jaw shattering if it hasn’t been graded in a while. And sometimes there are large potholes filled with pools of water. Every road that goes off of the Hole-in-the-Rock Road though, is a High Clearance Road that can be impassable when wet. Many of them are 4WD recommended. I’ve driven quite a few of them including the road to the Egypt Area, Harris Wash, Willow Gulch, and more and they can be steep on slickrock or have patches of sand.

The entire road follows the Fiftymile Mountain/ Kaiparowits Plateau/ Straight Cliffs to your west while you’ll occasionally get views of the Henry Mountains to your east. And all the while, Navajo Mountain is to the south.

The last bit of the road requires patience, 4WD, and high clearance. It gets pretty rough right after Dance Hall Rock. Towards the end though, the crowds drop off, the views become more dramatic, and the possibility of adventure awaits. After Sooner Rocks there’s the mysterious Cave Point and Griffen’s old cabin and corral. Both are to the west. You’ll also pass Willow Gulch with Broken Bow Arch and slot canyons.

Near the end of the Hole-in-the-rock Road is Davis Gulch, where Everett Ruess Disappeared after carving his enigmatic NEMO 1934 into the sandstone. Listen to my History Series about his life and disappearance!

There are endless adventures in this fantastic place and if you have the right gear, attitude, and strength, you’ll have an amazing time. Pick up a Michael Kelsey book or talk to people that have explored it and you’ll be beyond surprised.