Not far from the small village of Escalante in the State of Utah a fascinating colourful landscape extends across several plateaus. Due to an unusual geological phenomenon that is similar to several steps, it is known as the Grand Staircase. This Nature Reserve is one of the most recent parks in the United States its inauguration having taken place in 1996.

The history of this natural region is as multi-layered as the rocks and walls of the land itself and it covers a wilderness of approximately 690,000 hectares. It has five different vegetation zones and thus boasts a remarkable variety of indigenous trees and plants and is divided into three vast areas: the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau and the Escalante Canyons.

The region is also of great importance from both a cultural and historical point of view as it contains traces of the ancient Native American Fremont and Anasazi Indians.

Above the rock walls on the Kaiparowits Plateau archaeologists discovered even older traces of human existence and also objects that date back to Prehistoric times.

The scenery is indeed similar to a huge and magnificent ‘grand staircase’ and is, without a doubt, a truly natural wonder of the world.