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Southern Utah Backways in the Zion National Park Area

All the national parks and national monuments in the East Zion area offer scenic drives through their boundaries and are sure to please.

Smithsonian Butte - The unpaved Smithsonian Butte National Back Country Byway runs from Rockville, located on the south side of Zion National Park, for 9 miles. It comes out 8 miles northwest of Hildale. (south of Hurricane) at Utah Highway 59 (AZ Highway 389) in southern Utah near Hildale, Utah. This scenic drive has great views of Canaan Mountain, the Vermillion Cliffs and Zion National Park. The road was named by John Wesley Powell. Grafton Ghost Town Pictures

Zion - Kolob Area

Kolob Terrace - The turn off for the primitive Kolob Terrace section of Zion National Park, is in the town of Virgin. Drive 15 miles, south of the main section of Zion. Watch for the small "Kolob" road sign. Follow the Kolob Reservoir Road for 21 miles to remote and primitive Lava Point.

Cedar Mountain in Dixie National Forest

Strawberry Point Ridge - A nice drive off the beaten path is the 9-mile long Strawberry Point road in Dixie National Forest on Cedar Mountain. Travel down the graded dirt road to find a view point overlooking the Markagunt Plateau. From the point, a distant view of the Arizona Strip and Zion National Park an be seen. There are many others roads that you can travel in this area as well that take off from U-14.  

Directions to Zion National Park From the North: Travel I-15 south, past Beaver. Exit on Hwy 20. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take SR-9 to Zion's east entrance. From Arizona: Travel US-89A through Fredonia, Arizona and Kanab Utah. Follow US-89 to Mount Carmel Junction. Take SR-9 to the east park entrance. From the South: Travel I-15 north. Take exit 16 and travel through Hurricane to LaVerkin. Continue on SR-9 to the south entrance of the park. SR-9 through Zion National Park is always open and is also called the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.			Zion Photo: The scenic and dirt road, Smithsonian Butte Backway begins near Zion National Park and the small town of Rockville and ends near the Polygamist town of Hildale on Utah Highway 59.
	Zion National Park Lodging Lodging and services are available in East Zion. The main road through Zion, the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway (SR-9) is open year-round, and is not a route the Zion Canyon Shuttle takes. Zion Canyon is deep inside the park. Towering 3000' walls form a slot canyon, forged by the violent rush of torrent water over millions of years. From late March to late October access through the six mile stretch of road is via the Zion Canyon Shuttle, the rest of the year the canyon is accessed in private vehicles.

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument Backways

Skutumpah Road - As long as the bentonite soil is dry on the 34 mile graded road, Skutumpah Road is an easy drive to some beautiful slot canyons.  It begins in Glendale, Utah which is about 21 miles from the east entrance to Zion National Park and 9 miles from Mt. Carmel Jct. and ends near Cannyonville where there is a Visitor Center.  There is a GSENM kiosk and map near the entrance.  When in Glendale, still on SR-9, look for the Bench Road (300 N) which is directly across from the Historic Smith Hotel and Buffalo Bistro.  The Bistro is a real gem in the desert, where Chef Ron Terry will cook you up some rattlesnake or a buffalo burger.

Johnson Canyon Road - You can also enter Skutumpah Road 11 miles east of Kanab, Utah, but the homes and such are lacking the charm of the Glendale entrance.  The initial section is called Johnson Canyon Road and is a 24 mile paved road, then meets up with dirt Skutumpah Road. 

Cottonwood Canyon Road – This 46 mile dirt road runs from the Big Water area to Cannyonville.  Like Skutumpah, the road is impassible when wet.

History of the Thunderbird