Geologic Formations of GSENM

Studying the geology of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is like reading a history book of the Mesozoic Era, its ancient environments, plants, and animals. Though the Monument’s rock layers are predominantly from the Mesozoic, there are layers on top and bottom that formed in the Cenozoic and Paleozoic Eras, respectively. Altogether, the rock layers of the Monument reveal sediments and fossils deposited over 270 million years of geologic time.

The following information will focus on the “Grand Staircase,” a series of five colorful cliffs rising from south to north, gaining over 5,000 feet of elevation.