The Devils Garden is a protected area within the National Landscape Conversation System of the United States. It is also part of the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument (GSENM).
The Devils Garden is located about 17 mi (27 km) by road southeast of Escalante, Utah.
The Devils Garden is situated at an elevation of about 5,200 ft (1,550 m) above sea level. The area measures only about one square mile (2.6 square kilometres).
The unpaved Hole-in-the-Rock Road road heads southeast into the National Monument beginning at its intersection with Utah Scenic Byway 12 about 5 mi (8.0 km) east of Escalante, UT. After traveling about 12 mi (19 km) along the Hole-in-the-Rock Road there is a road to the right leading to the Devils Garden area.
Who are these guys? They still have no name.
The formations in the Devils Garden were created, and continue to be shaped, by various weathering and erosional processes.
Some of the rock layers are composed of a harder caprock material which resists the effects of weathering and erosion. Those caprock layers will remain intact much longer than other less resistant layers which weather and erode away below and around them leaving behind the current Arches and Hoodoos.
Metate Arch is located near the center of the Devils Garden.
Four pictures above: Metate Arch is a slender caprock Natural Arch located near the center of the Devils Garden. Many Hoodoos of varying sizes and shapes are scattered throughout the Devils Garden, with a particular group of prominent Hoodoos that look like (human) beeings or dwarfs. They don't have an official name.
The sandstone layers of Devils Garden were formed more than 166 million years ago during the Jurassic period's Middle epoch.
There are no marked trails but many well-worn footpaths lead to the most interesting formations in the Devils Garden area.
Since the Devils Garden is part of a protected area, visitors must not disturb any plants, animals or the delicate biological soil crust. Climbing on or over the natural arches is not permitted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Picnic tables and toilet facilities are available. Water is not available and there are no other services provided.
Primitive camping is allowed at some points along the Hole-in-the-Rock Road but not at the Devils Garden area or parking lot. A free camping permit is required in advance to camp within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National monument.
