Escalante Canyon

Location: Delta & Montrose Counties
Size: 2290 acres
Designated: 1992
Land Manager: Bureau of Land Management

Escalante Creek has cut a 1300-foot deep canyon revealing a geologic cross section representing over 600 million years of deposition and erosion (from the Precambrian to the Cretaceous).  The rare Sclerocactus glaucus (Uintah Basin hookless cactus) and Astragalus linifolius (Grand Junction milkvetch) are found at this site.  Hanging gardens in the canyon walls harbor Mancos columbine (Aquilegia micrantha) and Eastwood monkeyflower (Mimulus eastwoodiae).   High-quality plant communities, including Great Basin grasslands, saltbush barrens, pinyon pine - Utah juniper woodlands and a saltgrass meadow occur throughout the canyon.