Dog Friendly Grand Staircase Escalante
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is a more remote spot compared to its neighbor Bryce Canyon but it offers more dog friendly options. This spot offers several unique hikes and is about 30 minutes away from Bryce Canyon. We stayed in Cannonville but the towns we also visited around the area were Escalante, Utah & Tropic, Utah.
An Easy Hiking Option
Devil’s Playground is a great dog friendly spot which is less of a hike and more cool rock formations to climb and relax in the shade. Just be aware that Hole In Rock road you take there is a very bumpy riveted dirt road. Once you arrive, the parking lot is right next to the rock structures and there is a bathroom as well.
It was pretty windy during our visit which blew the sand around quite a bit. The corgis wore their eye protection (Doggles) just to be safe. We spent an hour just taking pictures, resting in the shade and walking in the structures. This is a very cool spot to get some great pictures with minimal walking.
An Advanced Hiking Option
The famous Zebra Slot Canyon was hands down our favorite hike of our road trip. Because we have so much to share on this hike alone you can check out our post on all things Zebra Slot here.
Food and Drink Recommendations near Grand Staircase-Escalante
We stopped at Kiva Koffee for a late lunch and coffee break while waiting for the weather to cool down so we could do Zebra Slot (see separate post). Dogs are allowed at their outdoor tables and they have the BEST views you will ever find at a coffee shop so well worth the drive. It should be noted that the drive here from the Cannonville area is pretty windy with quite a few decent inclines and declines.
For dinner, we stopped at the dog friendly patio at Escalante Outfitters where they are known for their pizza. This is right on the main street in Escalante and a good stop after emerging from a day of hiking. The patio is not very large but we were able to order pizza & beer to go and sit in a shaded picnic area just next to the building instead.
Another dinner stop brought us to Showdowns dog friendly patio in Tropic, UT which is also in the same area. They have a nice open patio and a large fire pit area. The restaurant itself is in a cute barn and the corgis relaxed listening to live music.
In Conclusion
Zebra Slot Canyon and Devil’s Playground were both awesome spots that we’d highly recommend. For food and drinks, there aren’t a ton of options in these towns near Bryce Canyon but those we found were dog friendly.
For more dog friendly travel options, make sure to check out our posts here!