You may wonder why I am reposting this article. On July 13, 2026, there was a new executive order reducing Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument from about 1.87 million acres to roughly 182,000 acres. That is a cut of about 90 percent, removing close to 1.69 million acres of protected land. Grosvenor Arch is no longer inside a protected area. That view is only one of several disruptions to our national public lands — the same order also shrank neighboring Bears Ears National Monument.
When we visited Utah’s five national parks, we found ourselves with some extra time on our way from Bryce Canyon NP to Arches NP. So, we stopped at the ranger station at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. We asked the ranger if there were any hikes or recommended sites to visit. She suggested we drive to Grosvenor Arch.
We drove Scenic Byway 12 in Utah, one of the country’s most beautiful and scenic highways. You pass through desert lands and highlands, hot and cold, with an almost obligatory stop at every curve. We turned down Cottonwood Canyon Road into the monument until we reached the impressive double arch at Grosvenor Arch.
This double arch was named after Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor, president of the National Geographic Society. These are sandstone arches standing about 150 ft (45.7 m) above the ground, and the largest of the pair spans roughly 100 ft (30.5 m). A short paved path leads right to the base, so you can stand beneath the sandstone and take in the scale for yourself — for now, on land whose protected status has just changed.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Grosvenor Arch, Landscapes, National Monuments, One Step, and Utah. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Posted for Pepper’s One Step at a Time #18.
Sources:
- The Washington Post — Trump again dramatically cuts size of two national monuments in Utah — https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/07/13/trump-again-dramatically-cuts-size-two-national-monuments-utah/
- Deseret News — Trump signs order shrinking Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments — https://www.deseret.com/politics/2026/07/13/trump-sign-order-shrinking-bears-ears-grand-staircase-escalante/
- The Salt Lake Tribune — President Trump shrinks Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2026/07/13/president-trump-shrinks-bears-ears/
- KUER — Trump slashes Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante by 90% — https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2026-07-13/trump-shrinks-bears-ears-grand-staircase-escalante-utah
- Utah News Dispatch — President Trump shrinks Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante — again — https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2026/07/13/president-trump-shrinks-bears-ears-and-grand-staircase-escalante-again/
- Wikipedia — Grosvenor Arch — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grosvenor_Arch
- Bureau of Land Management — Grosvenor Arch, Utah — https://www.blm.gov/visit/grosvenor-arch
- Visit Utah — Grosvenor Arch — https://www.visitutah.com/places-to-go/parks-outdoors/grand-staircase-escalante/hiking/grosvenor-arch
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Cath Moore
stunning rock formations. Thank you so much for sharing.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you for your comment.
Anita
Beautiful images, Egídio, such impressive formation. A real loss that it’s no longer protected.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Anita. I am hoping that some judge will come along and question that executive order. It’s happened with other similar orders.
Steve Schwartzman
In 2024 after we drove from Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef via the route north and then southeast on Highway 24, I realized I’d made a mistake in not taking Highway 12. I didn’t even know about Grosvenor Arch, which your pictures give me an incentive to visit someday.
Egidio Leitao
We were also coming from Bryce to Capitol Reef, but with some extra time, we decided to stop on the spur of the moment. The walk to the arch is easy. It is right by the parking lot.
Pepper
What an amazing place! Thinking we need to plan a road trip through Utah. 🤔
Egidio Leitao
It is a beautiful place and worth a visit. Be mindful of the weather in Utah. It can be pretty hot.
Amy
Wow… the Grosvenor Arch is magnificent!
Egidio Leitao
We thought so, too. Thanks for writing.
Toonsarah
That’s a really impressive formation, I wish we’d known about it years ago when in that area!
Egidio Leitao
It was indeed, and so was the drive around that area. That byway is very scenic and was the reason we were very late getting to our destination. 🙂 Thanks for writing.
Terri Webster Schrandt
Looks amazing, Egidio! Maybe I can visit this on our route home at the end of the month. Thanks for the suggestion.
Egidio Leitao
You’re welcome, Terri. Thanks for your comment.
Anne Sandler
Amazing photos Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Much gratitude for your comment, Anne.