Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young hiker climbs onto a rock in Singing Canyon, along the Burr Trail Road in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune The walls of Singing Canyon are so high that the interior can be a shady retreat on a hot, sunny day in the desert.

Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune Boulders sit between the towering cliffs of Singing Canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A tree glows in the mouth of Singing Canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Erin Alberty | The Salt Lake Tribune A young hiker hops the rocks in Singing Canyon, a roadside slot in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument..

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Do you dream of seeing one of the famed slot canyons of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument — but without a hot approach through the open desert? Singing Canyon is your answer. It's a great option for families with young children, adults of limited mobility, or anyone visiting the area when time is short or temperatures high.

Directions •Singing Canyon is on the spectacular Burr Trail Road, between Boulder and Capitol Reef National Park. From Boulder, it is about 11.5 miles east of Highway 12 (and a little over 5 miles east of the Deer Creek Campground turnoff, which you will see to the north). From the top of the extraordinary switchbacks out of the Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Park, it is just over 22 miles to the west. The turnoff is on the north side of the road at GPS coordinates 37.864849, -111.30048.

Hike • Follow the footpaths northwest into the lush, green grove of trees. You soon will find yourself beneath towering cliff walls on either side of you. The walkable part of the canyon is very short — only a fifth of a mile or so — but you can explore the trails through the surrounding grove, take refuge from the sun, shoot photos and play for awhile. My family enjoyed about an hour here.