State Parks & Monuments

Capitol Reef National Park
Open all year. The rugged western landscape of Capitol Reef adds to the western adventure. Capitol Reef is accessible via Scenic Byway 12 and U-24, or take the Burr Trail from Boulder. Drive the park's scenic drive, stop in at the Visitor Center and Museum, hike the trails, and visit the old log schoolhouse and the village of Fruita.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Open all year. Terraced mountains best appreciated by hiking the Hole-in-the-Rock canyon or the Burr Trail. At Lower Calf Creek Falls, an easy six-mile hike leads past beaver ponds and wetlands to a 126-foot waterfall. The nation's newest monument is largely desert wilderness. Hike the canyons, view wildlife, explore and photograph the remote areas.

Anasazi State Park
This ancient Indian village in the heart of Utah's canyon country was one of the largest Anasazi communities west of the Colorado River.

Escalante Petrified Forest State Park The steep, mile-long Petrified Forest Trail has a view of the surrounding stair-step plateaus.

Bryce Canyon National Park
Open all year. Bryce Canyon is a series of giant amphitheaters with millions of pink rock pinnacles called "hoodoos" that seem to glow at sunrise and sunset. These limestone formations in Bryce Canyon have been shaped and colored through erosion and oxidation of iron in the sediment. There's no place in the world quite like Bryce Canyon National Park.

Kodachrome Basin
Ride in a stagecoach or on horseback, mountain bike, hike, picnic or camp at Kodachrome. Unique spires and chimneys glow with color at sunrise and sunset and was named by the National Geographic Society.

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Recreation

Horseback Riding: www.boulderutah.com/bmr
Boulder Mountain Ranch offers full service multi-day horse pack trips through some of the most rugged and wild country in the great American Southwest.

Hiking: www.ecohike.com
Escalante Canyon Outfitters provide guided tours of the Escalante Canyons. Our trips are a careful blend of recreation, education and discovery.

Llama Riding & Hikes: www.redrocknllamas.com  Llama Trekking and Wilderness Hiking in Southern Utah.

Outdoor Survival: www.boss-inc.com BOSS, the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, is the oldest and largest traditional living skills / survival school in the world.

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Scenic Backway Drives

Hell's Backbone Road
Gravel and dirt road (closed in winter) / high clearance vehicles recommended
Although this is not a designated scenic backway, Hell's Backbone is one of the most dramatic roads in the world. The road makes a loop connecting Escalante with Highway 12, three miles west of Boulder. From the Posey Lake Scenic Backway, Hell's Backbone heads east, passes Blue Spruce Campground and circles the Box Death Hollow Wilderness Area. Hell's Backbone Bridge is an engineering feat. Distance 44 miles (1-1/2 hours).

Burr Trail Scenic Backway
Hard surfaced, graded dirt and gravel road / passenger car in good weather; 4-wheel drive recommended. Beautiful scenery can be found around every turn! Features access to Deer Creek Recreation Site, Long Canyon, Capitol Reef National Park, Lake Powell and Bullfrog Marina. Impassable when wet. Distance 66 miles (4-1/2 hours).

Cottonwood Canyon Road Scenic Backway
Graded dry-weather road. Do not travel this route if storms are threatening.
A photographer's dream. Features: Kodachrome Basin State Park (camping and picnicking facilities), Grosvenor Arch, Cockscomb, Paria River and views of Bryce Canyon National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Table Cliffs Plateau. Paved to Kodachrome State Park, dirt after. Distance 49 miles (2 hours).

For more scenic backways & byways in the surrounding areas...

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More to explore...

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