Time to Check-In: Yonder in Escalante, Utah

It’s time to check in!

It’s time to check in to Yonder in Escalante, Utah! Yonder is the perfect glamping getaway with unique amenities nestled in the heart of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, a short drive from several national parks, national monuments, and endless hikes! This 20 acre property opened in 2020 and offers a variety of accommodation types and unforgettable amenities that will elevate your glamping trip to Southern Utah. Yonder has been featured by numerous publications including Travel and Leisure highlighting the beautiful architecture and highlighting why Yonder is the ultimate glamping getaway! Thank you again to Yonder for kindly hosting me. Note that all opinions are my own throughout this blog.

This post will include the following:

• Location
• When you should visit
• Lodging options & pricing
• Amenities
• Where to drive and hike in the area
• Where to eat in the area
• and more!

Location

Located in Escalante, Utah, Yonder is located in an incredible area. The property sit on the grounds of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, one of the largest national monuments in the USA national park system at roughly 1.87 million acres. There are countless hikes, slots canyons, and unique landscapes to explore throughout your stay.

Escalante is a great central location for the two nearby national parks only 50 minutes (46 miles) minute drive to Bryce National Park and 90 minutes (70 miles) to Capitol Reef National Park.

When should you visit Yonder in Escalante, Utah?

Yonder Escalante is open March 1 – November. The spring and fall seasons offer cooler weather for exploring the nearby national parks, national monument, state park, and other unique rock landscapes in southern Utah.

Lodging Options & Pricing

What makes Yonder such a special property is that they offer the best of both worlds for campers, RVers, van lifers, and glampers. They offer 100 different lodging spaces including 22 modern Scandinavian styles cabins, 10 remodeled airstreams, and 68 RV spaces. Over the 2021 winter, the airstreams received a stunning new update with the white shiplap details and it looks amazing!

Each accomodation style starts at the following prices and varies based on demand:

• Tent Site / Van Life: $69+
• RV Site / Deluxe Site: $129+
• Cabin: $299+ (handicap accessible is available for the same price)
• Airstream: $319+

Amenities

• Drive in movie theater with completely restored vintage cars every evening at 8pm + a throwback concession stand
• Lodge / clubhouse
• Food truck (new in 2022!) with breakfast from 7am-11am daily and dinner available 4pm-8pm Friday-Sunday
• Spa quality bath house
• Dyson hair dryers
• Heated outdoor showers
• Fire pits with the first bundle of wood provided at all sites
• Pool and oversized hot tub
• Complimentary coffee, tea, fruit, etc in the morning
• Grab and go meals
• Gourmet meals with a s’mores kit that you can cook by the fire

Where to Drive & Hike in the area

Here’s a list of various hikes in the areas listed with hiking and driving distances. A majority of the hikes are great for all ages and skill levels.

• Scenic Drive on Highway 12: If you are driving towards Boulder for dinner (see below) or Capitol Reef National Park, make sure to drive during the day for some epic views on both sides of the highway as you drive on the top of the cliff in the middle of the national monument. This is a beautiful scenic drive if you don’t have time to stop and hike in this area.
• Escalante Petrified Forest State Park Nature Trail: 1.9 mile hike & min drive from Yonder, $10 entrance fee, check it out on All Trails
• Upper Calf Creek Falls: 2.1 mile hike & 35 min drive from Yonder, check it out on All Trails
• Lower Calf Creek Falls: 6.7 mile hike & 35 min drive from Yonder, check it out on All Trails
• Escalante Natural Bridge: 4.4 mile hike & 20 min drive from Yonder, crosses the river 4+ times, so wear the appropriate shoes), check it out on All Trails

Down the Hole in the Rock road, this is a dirt road and the following hikes are reachable in a 2WD vehicle in most conditions.

• Zebra & Tunnel Slot Canyons: 6.6 mile loop hike & 30 min drive from Yonder, check it out on All Trails
• Devil’s Garden: 1.0 mile hike & 35-45 min drive from Yonder, check it out on All Trails
• Peekaboo & Spooky Slot Canyons: 6.0 mile loop hike & 60 min drive from Yonder, this hike is very popular and can get narrow in some sections, check it out on All Trails

Where to Eat in the area

• Yonder: On site they offer a variety of snacks, meal kits, and more!
• Esca-latte Restaurant: Grab your coffee, tea, pizza, delicious pizzas and salads, this spot is one of the best in town and I highly recommend a stop here!
• Escalante Mercantile aka “The Merch”: a grocery store and bakery offering a variety of easy grab and go options for you to pick up on your way to your adventure that day
• Nemo’s Drive Thru: Craving a burger? You’ll want to stop at Nemo’s for a delicious and affordable burger and fries.
• Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm: A 40 minute drive to Boulder (on the way to Capitol Reef National Park), you’ll definitely want to have dinner at this farm to table restaurant. They won a James Beard Award (2022) for Outstanding Restaurant, offer delicious local and seasonal american cuisine, and are women-owned. As of 2022, they have been open for 23 seasons and are currently open for dinner from 4PM-9PM Monday-Saturday and 4PM-8PM on Sundays.

You’ll definitely want to stay at Yonder Escalante on your next trip to Southern Utah! Once you are there, you’ll already wish you had more time to explore this hidden gem as it’s very common to visit the national parks over this huge national monument.

With wanderlust,

Haley