The Grand Staircase, from the Kanab side.

A real geological feature rather than a marketing name. Between the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon the land rises in a series of enormous cliff steps, each one a different rock and color, named the Chocolate, Vermilion, White, Gray and Pink Cliffs. Kanab sits on that staircase beneath the Vermilion Cliffs, which is the red wall visible from most of town.

The monument covers close to 1.87 million acres of BLM public land. It was established in 1996, reduced in 2017, and restored to its full original extent by proclamation in October 2021, which is the boundary that stands today. The western part of the monument comes down toward Kanab, which is why the town works as a base for it.

Kanab is the western gateway. Start at the BLM Kanab Visitor Center on US-89 just east of the US-89A junction for the current road report and maps, then head out on Johnson Canyon Road or the paved US-89 corridor. Most of the monument's western roads are unpaved, have no services, and want dry weather and, past the pavement, high clearance. There is no fee to drive or to hike for the day.

Graded dirt and sand, and it changes with the weather rather than with the season. Johnson Canyon Road is the friendliest of them, and everything branching off it asks progressively more of a vehicle.

Not reliably, and not at all in most of the drainages. Download maps before you leave pavement, tell somebody your route, and carry more water than the day appears to need.

The first stretch north from US-89 is paved and any car will manage it, and for many visitors that easy drive between the cliffs is enough on its own. Past the pavement it turns to dirt, and continuing north over Skutumpah toward Cannonville is a long unmaintained route that wants high clearance and a dry forecast.

The clay turns slick and roads that were firm two hours earlier become genuinely difficult. This applies across the whole area, including House Rock Valley Road on the permit side. Recovery is slow and expensive because there is nobody nearby and cell coverage drops off quickly once you leave the highway. Check conditions the same day rather than relying on how it was last week.

The Johnson Canyon side, the old movie set ground, and the country north toward Skutumpah in dry conditions. The deeper monument routes are full day commitments with the right vehicle.

Not for day use on the roads and most trails. Overnight travel and some specific canyons run their own systems, so check current requirements with the land managers before planning a night out.