Currently I am a huge fan of Escalante, but I think it takes a certain mindset to enjoy it to its fullest. First you want to go when it is not hot. The heat will take all the fun out of this area. Second realize that this is a roughing it adventure so you have to bring in your own food. The only restaurant is over an hour away and it is only a Subway. Third realize that you need a 4x4 vehicle to really enjoy this place for many of the road to get to the cool places get rough in spots. Fourth realize that camping in a tent or in the back of your car is really the best way to go. The hotels (which are not deluxe) are so far away over washboard roads that if you can tough out a night in the back of your car or in a tent you'd be smart. Most the most highly rated hikes are down Hole in the Rock road. (Zebra, Tunnel, Neon, Peek a Boo, Spooky Gulch, Devil's Garden, Grosvenor Arch, Hole in the Rock) which is ok but not one you want to travel an hour in each direction too many times to get to a hotel. What is great about the park though, is that if you can find a pull off ( which there are quite a few) you can park and camp for free anywhere you would like. This makes for a super affordable trip, with awesome adventures. Just go prepared. Drop pins where you car is at on your phone, use a compass, watch those Carins, don't go into any scary slots without a buddy, make sure you let someone not with you know where you will be each day, a GPS device would be super smart for most instructions give GOS corridinates, make sure you take in plenty of food and water, take in ropes and Webbing, realize you will have no cell service so do your research before you go, I would also buy a heated thermos that plugs into your car for the trip. That way you can easily use your car to make oatmeal, coffee, hot chocolate, cup of noodles, warm up soup and have a hot meal with little effort.
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