The Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM) is a United States national monument protecting nearly 1.9 million acres of land in southern Utah. It is divided into three geographical sections, from west to east: the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante (Escalante River).
The Grand Staircase stretches south from Bryce Canyon National Park, through Zion National Park, and into Grand Canyon National Park. It is spectacular and contains the most extensive network of slot canyons in Utah, along with lots of colorful scenery.
The 1,600-square-mile Kaiparowits Plateau rises thousands of feet from the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s Lake Powell to the south. It features unique sedimentary rock formations containing an unbroken fossil record spanning 30 million years. This area is the highest, wildest, most arid, and most remote part of the monument.
The Canyons of the Escalante is a collective name for the erosional landforms created by the Escalante River and its tributaries—collectively known as the Escalante River Basin. Active waterfalls, natural arches, riparian oases, sculpted slickrock, and narrow canyons make hikes through the Escalante backcountry especially appealing.
There are no official entrances into the monument, but several visitor centers surround the area. The main visitor center is located at 755 W. Main St., Escalante, UT 84726 (Tel: 435-826-5499).
We did not visit the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument this time. However, while driving along Highway 89, we saw a series of majestic rock formations, and I quickly captured some photos from the car. I thought to myself that we should visit them in the future.
大階梯-埃斯卡蘭特國家紀念區（GSENM）是美國國家保護區，保護猶他州南部近 190 萬英畝的土地。它由西向東分為三個地理區域：大階梯 (Grand Staircase)、凱帕羅維茨高原 (Kaiparowits Plateau)和埃斯卡蘭特峽谷(Escalante)（埃斯卡蘭特河）。
大階梯從布萊斯 (Bryce) 峽谷國家公園向南延伸，穿過錫安 (Zion) 國家公園，最終進入大峽谷 (Grand Canyon) 國家公園。它非常壯觀，有猶他州最廣闊的狹縫峽谷區，景色絢麗多彩。
凱帕羅維茨高原佔地 1600 平方英里，從格倫 (Glen) 峽谷國家休閒區的鮑威爾湖 (Lake Powell) 向南綿延數千英尺。它有獨特的沉積岩地層，蘊藏著跨越 3000 萬年的完好化石記錄。這裡是整個保護區內海拔最高、最荒涼、最乾燥、最偏遠的地區。
埃斯卡蘭特峽谷是埃斯卡蘭特河及其支流（統稱為埃斯卡蘭特河流域）侵蝕地形的統稱。奔流的瀑布、天然拱門、河岸綠洲、雕塑過的光滑岩石和狹窄的峽谷，使得穿越埃斯卡蘭特腹地的徒步旅行格外引人入勝。
保護區沒有正式入口，但周圍設有多個遊客中心。主遊客中心位於猶他州埃斯卡蘭特西大街 755 號 (755 W. Main St., Escalante, UT 84726)（電話：435-826-5499）。
這次我們沒有去大階梯-埃斯卡蘭特國家紀念區。而是當沿著 89 號公路行駛時，我們看到了一連串雄偉壯麗的岩層，我趕緊在車上捕捉一些它的身影。我心想，以後有機會，應該來探訪一下。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument
- Life Utah Elevated: Grand Staircase–Escalante
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