Driving Through Southern Utah

   Southern Utah is a wonderland of scenic beauty, a road tripper’s dream with constantly changing vistas and little traffic. We started in St George and traveled along Route 9, US 89, Scenic Byway 12, Route 24, Route 95 and US 191, a total distance of about 400 miles not including the extra miles spent touring the parks. It took us ten days although we could have spent much more time. This route passes through Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Glen Canyon and Natural Bridges. The national parks are the highlights of the trip but it would be a fantastic drive even without them.

Road Conditions – the roads are mostly two lane in good condition but not very smooth. There are plenty of places to pull off to take pictures or enjoy the views. Gear down on the steep sections. There are several long hills with 9 – 10% grades which last for a few miles. Southern Utah is sparsely populated so there may not be cell service along the road. Small towns with gas stations and other services are spaced less than fifty miles apart except for the section of Route 95 which may not have any services from Hanksville to Blanding, a distance of 122 miles.

Camping – campgrounds in the parks fill early and the spaces may not be big enough for large RVs. Make reservations, arrive early in the day, stay at commercial parks or try…

Boondocking – most of the land surrounding the parks is either national forest or BLM land. The
boondocking opportunities are endless and easy to find. I’ve marked some of them with little picnic tables on the map but there are many more.
 
Click on any of the pictures below for a larger image. These are all taken from the main highways not the scenic spur roads that travel  deeper into the national parks.