Escalante is in Garfield County, about 130 miles (around 3 hours) from Zion’s south entrance. It’s actually closer to other parks – Bryce Canyon is roughly 1 hour east on Hwy 12 (about 50–60 miles), and Capitol Reef National Park is about 90 minutes north. Many visitors use Escalante as a base for exploring Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (which starts just outside town) and these nearby parks. Note that the drive to Zion involves winding canyon highways, so allow extra time for the trip.

The town of Escalante has a surprisingly lively restaurant scene for its size. Popular spots include Escalante Outfitters (a pizza pub/cafe), Big Bubba’s BBQ, Chihuahua Garcia Mexican Grill, Nemo’s Cafe, plus coffee shops and bakeries. For example, our tiny-home neighborhood listing notes that “Escalante has lots of restaurant options – Nemo’s, Escalante Outfitters, Big Bubba’s, Chihuahua Garcia … are some local favorites”. There are also a couple of small grocery stores (Escalante Mercantile and food markets) for supplies.

Yes – pet-friendly vacation rentals are available in Escalante. Just like the Zion-area homes, Escalante properties often have a pet fee and rules. For example, one Zion Stays cabin in the region allows dogs for a fee (again following crating/supervision rules). We’ll help you find a pet-friendly listing when you book – many families and hikers bring their dogs.

Yes. Even though Escalante is remote, our Escalante Escapes homes offer Wi-Fi. In fact, the Barrel Cactus Loft listing shows “Wireless Internet” and a laptop-friendly workspace. So you can upload your canyon photos or stream music. (That said, cell phone data may be limited, so Wi-Fi is nice for staying connected to the web.)

Our Escalante rentals generally allow 3:00 PM check-in and require 11:00 AM check-out. (This matches our Escalante Escapes tiny-home example.) As with the other locations, you’ll get exact instructions with your reservation. In summary: afternoons for check-in, mid-morning for check-out.