Grosvenor Arch — Attraction in Bryce Canyon City

UNIQUELY BEAUTIFUL... and it's FREE! My partner took me here as a surprise, and I was blown away. According to the web: "Grosvenor Arch is actually two sandstone arches towering 150ft/45m above the ground located in the north western corner of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument." If you are a professional photographer, you will get some amazing pictures. If you're not, you will STILL get great photos. I am a decent picture-taker, and only two of these are Photoshopped. (Yes, that's my finger in the picture...) The entire feature is more than just the arch, as well. This site is a little remote: you have to go down a bumpy dirt road for 10 miles to reach it, and it's very much worth it. There is a paved path from the parking area almost all the way to the arch. There are also picnic tables and a (fairly clean) restroom. This site is less than 30 minutes from Kodachrome Basin State Park, and both can be easily visited in a day. When we were there, it was not crowded; maybe 6 other people were there (and they were leaving, after fixing a flat tire). After that, we had the entire area to ourselves. You may not have heard of Grosvenor Arch - it rivals any single arch in Arches...

The entire cottonwood canyon road is open yesterday (December 28th) but unfortunately Google map does not have the correct address for the entrance on the South side near route 89. I was told it is east of the toadstool trail stop. We drove to the point according to Google map and found the gate closed and thought that end was closed so we drove all the way back to the Kodachrome's entrance. We drove about 17 miles to the arch. It was a bright shiny day and we had some great pictures. The road is OK but I would not recommend a small 2 wd to go through. There is a frozen Creek with running water and a small car may get stuck. There are some icy and snow covered sections in two switch backs that small car might have some difficulty going through. We had an Acura 4x4 and had no problem. The road condition was great yesterday and we could even drive 40 mph in some sections. Pay attention to the potholes though if you tend to drive fast. The arch is OK for the first time and we would not go again for sure. The entire drive is highly touted but according to the person drove through and we mem at the arch parking lot, it was not that spectacular, so...

The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a vast, rugged landscape that feels like the edge of the world. We didn’t have time to explore the entire monument (it’s over a million acres, after all), but we did make a stop at Kodachrome Basin State Park. The park is named for its vibrant colors, which reminded early visitors of Kodachrome film. We ventured onto a dirt trail to reach Grosvenor Arch (4x4 helps), a stunning double arch that’s worth every bump and jolt along the way. The arch is named after Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, the first full-time editor of National Geographic, and it’s easy to see why it inspired such admiration. The two arches rise dramatically from the desert floor, their pale sandstone glowing in the late afternoon light. The area around Grosvenor Arch is rich in Native American history, with the Paiute and Navajo tribes once calling this land home. According to legend, the arches were created by the gods as a bridge between the earth and the sky. Standing beneath them, it’s easy to feel a sense of...