Escalante, Utah
17 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 2002. It stands in the Escalante census division. It lies in ZIP code area 84726. It stands on Pine Creek. The Survey maps it on the Escalante quadrangle. 786 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 5,820 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Escalante
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 2 records
Hole-in-the-Rock Traillisted 1982- Escalante Historic Districtlisted 2013
Surveyed buildings and structures 1 record
- Escalante River Bridge, Spanning Escalante River at State Route 12, 9.5 miles east of Escalante, Escalantefederal building survey, 11 photographs
Population over time
2 figuresEscalante fell from 797 to 786 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 797 | |
| 2020 | 786 | -11 (-1%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
6 surveys from 17 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1886 USGS Escalante quadrangle1:250000, 5 printings
- 1956 USGS Escalante quadrangle1:250000, 5 printings
- 1960 USGS Escalante quadrangle1:250000
- 1964 USGS Escalante quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1980 USGS Escalante quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
- 2002 USGS Escalante quadrangle1:24000
Photographs
8 of 16 photographs shown, 1936Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Lange, Dorothea, photographer, 1936. Library of Congress
Every photograph of Garfield County
Fires near this place
40 since 1994Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 40 fires within 5 miles of Escalante between 1994 and 2020, burning about 7 acres in total. 35 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 35 |
| Debris and open burning | 3 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 September 2000 | Natural | under an acre | Cedar City Field Office | BIG FLAT 4 |
| 26 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Utah Division Forestry Fire State Lands | WIDE HOLLOW |
| 17 September 1995 | Natural | under an acre | Cedar City Field Office | HOLEINROCK |
| 9 August 2012 | Natural | under an acre | Cedar City Field Office | SAWMILL |
| 8 August 1999 | Natural | under an acre | Cedar City Field Office | DECIEVE |
| 31 August 2012 | Natural | under an acre | Cedar City Field Office | SALT BRUSH |
| 31 August 2012 | Natural | under an acre | Cedar City Field Office | GRIZZ |
| 30 August 2012 | Natural | under an acre | Cedar City Field Office | TAG |
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 14 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 14 workings within 5 miles of Escalante: 9 past producers, 5 occurrences. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gypsum-Anhydrite, Manganese. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Hamet | Manganese | Occurrence | Psilomelane, Pyrolusite | |
| Van Hamet | Manganese | Past Producer | ||
| Escalante | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Occurrence | Anhydrite, Gypsum | |
| Escalante | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Occurrence | ||
| Escalante-Alvey-Gypsum | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Occurrence | Anhydrite, Gypsum | |
| Escalante-Alvey-Gypsum | Gypsum-Anhydrite | Past Producer | ||
| Utah Dept Highways Pit No 09044 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Utah Dept Highways Pit No 09045 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Utah Dept Highways Pit No 09046 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Utah Dept Highways Pit No 09047 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
39 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Escalante in 39 storm reports between 1997 and 2025: 33 flash flood, 4 hail, 1 flood, 1 heavy rain. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1997 | Hail | Escalante | $7,000 | no account filed |
| June 2025 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | The USGS Escalante River gauge (ESCU1) spiked to 2491 cfs as the flood wave moved through. |
| August 2023 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | The Escalante River at Escalante gauge was at 583 cfs. |
| October 2022 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | The Escalante at Escalante river gauge peaked at 518 cfs with a flood wave around 7 p.m. |
| July 2022 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | A thunderstorm moved along Birch Creek near state Route 12, east of the town of Escalante. Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor rainfall 1-hour estimates were around 1 to 1.5 inches in the vicinity of Birch Creek, near the confluence with the Escalante River. A video from social media showed that this resulted in flash flooding on Birch Creek into the Escalante River. |
| September 2022 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Nearby thunderstorms with moderate rainfall resulted in 3-hour Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor accumulation estimates of around 0.25 to 0.75 inches. The Pine Creek near Escalante stream gauge spiked to a peak flow of 228 CFS at 7:15 pm MST. |
| September 2022 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | A thunderstorm moved through portions of the Escalante River drainage basin, producing moderate rainfall, with widespread 3-hour Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor rainfall estimates of 0.50 to 1.00 inches in upstream tributary areas. This generated a flood wave that propagated downstream, resulting in the Escalante near Escalante river gauge spiking to 804 CFS at 9:50 pm MST. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | A video from social media showed significant flows on Alvey Wash, with at least several inches of water and debris flowing across Cedar Wash Road. Location is approximate. |
| July 2021 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | A video showed flash flooding at the confluence of Birch and North Creeks into the Escalante River. |
| July 2021 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Several reports of flash flooding in and around Escalante, including Birch Creek. Storm spotters reported logs and trees floating in the Escalante River just north of Escalante. Time of event coincident with time of first report. |
| August 2021 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | The Escalante River near Escalante gauge indicated an increase in flow of 1440 CFS, corresponding to a rise of over 5 feet. |
| September 2021 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | The Escalante River gauge near Escalante rose from 375 CFS to a peak of 1840 CFS. |
| July 2020 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | The Escalante River at Escalante gauge reported an increase in flow from about 10 cubic feet per second to 548 cubic feet per second in less than 30 minutes. |
| June 2020 | Hail | Escalante | - | Quarter-sized hail was reported in Garfield County. |
| August 2019 | Heavy Rain | Escalante | - | The Buck Flats RAWS recorded a rainfall total of 1.34 inches in less than an hour, leading to flash flooding around Escalante. |
| August 2019 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Pine Creek Road was washed out in several places from flash flooding. |
| August 2019 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding occurred in and near Escalante, and along the Escalante River. The Escalante River went from 1 to 2273 CFS with the peak flood wave. |
| September 2017 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding was reported across many tributaries of the Escalante River. |
| July 2017 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding occurred along the headwaters of the Escalante River, including along Birch Creek and Upper Valley Creek. |
| September 2016 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding was reported along the Escalante River, with readings at the river gauge increasing from under 50 cfs to over 1500 cfs in a short period of time. |
| July 2014 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Pine Creek, a tributary of the Escalante River, experienced a flash flood due to heavy rainfall. Flows on Pine Creek reached 1000 cfs before the creek flowed into the larger Escalante River. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding occurred along the Escalante River and its tributaries, with the Escalante River gauge rising from near zero to 746 cfs in a short period of time. |
| July 2013 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding was reported along the Alvey Wash and other smaller tributaries of the Escalante River. |
| September 2013 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | The Escalante River gauge near Escalante rose from near zero cfs to 2200 cfs in one hour. |
| August 2012 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding was reported along the Escalante River, where it runs adjacent to State Route 12. Some water crossed over the road west of the city of Escalante. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Heavy rain caused flash flooding along Alvey Wash. |
| August 2011 | Hail | Escalante | - | Hail with a diameter of 0.75 inches was reported in Escalante. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Personnel from the Grand Staircase Escalante-National Monument reported flash flooding along Alvey Wash. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding occurred on the northern tributaries of the Escalante River, especially on North Creek and the North Fork of Birch Creek. This flooding eventually made its way down the Escalante, with a gauge along the Escalante quickly increasing to 1700 cfs. Note that flash flooding also occurred further downstream in Kane County. |
| October 2010 | Flood | Escalante | - | Flooding occurred across many drainages in Garfield County, including Calf Creek and the Escalante River. The Escalante River, which typically flows below 10 cfs, reached a peak of 1300 cfs on October 5th. In addition, the Dirty Devil River, which normally flows at 10 to 20 cfs, reached a peak of 6300 cfs on October 6th. |
| July 2010 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Flash flooding was reported along Calf Creek and in surrounding drainages at the headwaters of the Escalante River. |
| August 2010 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Heavy rain caused flash flooding in Alvey Wash, North Creek, and many other washes in the area. |
| August 2008 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Heavy rain caused flash flooding along the Escalante tributaries of Pine Creek and Wide Hollow drainages, north of Escalante. The Escalante River gauge rose to 1088 cfs. |
| July 2008 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | A flash flood occurred at Alvey Wash near Escalante due to heavy rain. |
| September 2006 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Large flash flood along the Escalante River and headwaters entering Lake Powell. Hydro gauges show Deer Creek and Boulder Creek gauges increasing from near 0 cfs to 2000-3000 cfs within minutes. |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | Heavy downpours brought another flash flood to the Gulch area east of Capitol Reef National Park. |
| August 2001 | Hail | Escalante | - | A severe thunderstorm dropped 1 inch to 1.5 inch hail on Escalante...along with brief heavy rain. |
| June 2004 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Flash Flood | Escalante | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder Town | 13.5 miles | 19 | |
| Widtsoe | 21.3 miles | 16 | |
| Widtsoe Junction | 21.6 miles | 14 | |
| Henrieville | 25.2 miles | 15 | |
| Osiris | 25.8 miles | 17 | |
| Tropic | 27.3 miles | 15 | |
| Cannonville | 27.7 miles | 16 | |
| Bryce Canyon City | 30.1 miles | 15 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Escalante | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q483705 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1440956. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.





