Nearby Things to See & Do - Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks - page 111

Over such a vast area, weather conditions vary greatly, but it's safe to say that sum-
mers are hot. As with most parts of southern Utah, spring and fall are the best
times to visit.
GETTING THERE The national monument occupies a large section of southern
Utah—covering an area almost as big as the states of Delaware and Rhode Island
combined—with Bryce Canyon National Park to the west, Capitol Reef National
Park on the northeast edge, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area along the
east and part of the south sides.
Access is via Utah 12, along the monument's northern boundary, from Koda-
chrome Basin State Park and the communities of Escalante and Boulder; and via
U.S. 89 to the southwestern section of the monument, east of the town of Kanab,
which is about 80 miles south of Bryce Canyon.
INFORMATION&VISITORCENTERS The national monument remains a very rugged
area, with limited facilities, poor roads, and changeable weather. To put it bluntly,
people die here, so we strongly recommend that before setting out, all visitors con-
tact one of the monument's visitor centers to get maps and other information, and
especially to check on current road and weather conditions. Also see the monu-
ment's website, www.ut.blm.gov/monument .
Visitor centers include the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, on the west
side of Escalante, at 755 W. Main St. (Utah 12), Escalante, UT 84726 ( & 435/
826-5499 ), open daily 8am to 4:30pm from mid-March through mid-November,
and Monday through Friday the same hours the rest of the year. You can also get
information at the Bureau of Land Management's Kanab Visitor Center, 745 E.
U.S. 89, Kanab, UT 84741 ( & 435/644-4680 ), open daily 8am to 4:30pm.
The CannonvilleVisitorCenter is open daily from 8am to 4:30pm, mid-March
through mid-November only, at 10 Center St., in Cannonville ( & 435/826-5640 ), east
of Bryce Canyon National Park. The BigWaterVisitorCenter is along U.S. 89, near
the southern edge of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, at 100 Upper Revolu-
tion Way, in Big Water ( & 435/675-3200 ). It is open daily from 9am to 5:30pm April
through October and daily 8am to 4:30pm the rest of the year.
FEES,REGULATIONS&SAFETY There is no charge to enter the monument; however,
those planning overnight trips into the backcountry must obtain free permits at
any of the visitor centers listed above. Regulations are similar to those on other
public lands, but damaging or disturbing archaeological and historic sites in any
way is particularly forbidden. There are also several areas where dogs are forbid-
den; check with one of the visitor centers.
Water is the main safety concern here—either too little or too much. This is
generally very dry country, so carry plenty of drinking water. However, thunder-