Scenic Driving Utah: Exploring the State's Most Spectacular Back Roads

by Christy Karras

Overview

Pack up the car and enjoy 28 drives through the scenic grandeur of the photographer’s paradise, rock hound’s nirvana, and geologist’s dream world that is Utah. Offering more than 1,500 miles of riding pleasure, this indispensable highway companion maps out short trips for exploring the Beehive State’s scenic byways and back roads. Discover Utah’s long and vibrant history, myriad outdoor recreational activities, and breathtaking scenery—including the fantastic rock formations of the Colorado Plateau; the Middle Rocky Mountain region, Utah’s northern mountain wonderland; and the forbidding yet fascinating Basin and Range region, with its treeless vistas, cracked earth, and huge dead sea. Along the way, stop and discover Native American rock art, picturesque small towns, canyon and alpine hiking trails, and the state’s mining, Pony Express, and Mormon history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493035861
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2019
Series:	Scenic Driving
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	1,031,328
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Christy Karras has written about the arts, outdoors, and travel for publications including the New York Times, Salt Lake Tribune, and Seattle Times, and revised and updated Scenic Driving Utah, 2nd edition (FalconGuides). She is the co-author of Motorcycle Touring in the Southwest and Motorcycle Touring in Pacific Northwest (GPP Travel). She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Overview Map xxv

Map Legend xxvi

The Scenic Drives

1 Utah's Desert Southwest: St. George to Little-field, Arizona, Loop 1

2 Zion Park Scenic Byway: Hurricane to Mount Carmel Junction 12

3 Kolob Fingers Scenic Byway: Zion National Park's Kolob Canyons 21

4 Kane County Drive-About: Long Valley Junction to Glen Canyon Dam 26

5 Plateau Playground: Cedar City to Parowan 38

8 Highway 12 Scenic Byway Drive 1: Red Canyon to Escalante 50

7 Highway 12 Scenic Byway Drive 2: Escalante to Torrey 60

8 Highway 24 Scenic Byway: Loa to Hanksville 68

3 Bicentennial Highway: Hanksville to Blanding 78

10 Bluff and Monument Valley: Blanding to the Navajo Nation 89

11 Indian Creek Scenic Byway: Monticello to Needles District, Canyonlands 97

12 Round About Moab: Shafer Canyon, Dead Horse Point & Arches 106

13 Colorado River Scenic Byway: Moab to 1-70 119

14 A Fishing Oasis in the Heart of the Desert: Fish Lake to Loa 127

15 Beaver Canyon & the Sevier River Valley: Beaver to the Sevier Valley 134

16 Historical Sites & Wide-Open Spaces: Eureka to Delta 145

17 Nebo's Mountain Majesty: Payson to Nephi 154

18 Huntington & Eccles Canyons-Lakes, Stones & Desert Bones: Huntington to Fairview & Scofield 161

13 Indian & Nine Mile Canyons-Natural History Meets Ancient Art: Duchesne to Price & North to Myton 172

20 Flaming Gorge-Uintas Scenic Byway: Vernal to Manila & Dutch John 184

21 Mirror Lake Scenic Byway: Kamas to the Wyoming Line 194

22 Touring Timpanogos: Provo to Heber City, via the Alpine Loop 200

23 West Desert Ramble: Fairfield to Tooele to Dugway to I-80 208

24 The Two Cottonwood Canyons: Salt Lake City to Brighton & Alta 220

25 Ogden River Scenic Byway: Ogden to Monte Crista 227

26 Bear River Bird Refuge: Brigham City to the Refuge 234

27 Logan Canyon's Lively Hills: Logan to Bear Lake 243

28 Northwest Railroad Trail Expedition: Snowville to Grouse Creek to Golden Spike to Corinne 252

Appendix: More Information 266

Index 275