utah ride

lowbuck · 03-29-2009, 06:55 PM

A buddy & I are thinking of a trip to the canyons & parks in Utah. We have rode the Blue Ridge, Alaska, New Zealand, Labrador etc,etc. Any suggestions for that area or anywhere else in the lower 48 for a May 15th ride? We are open to anything, gravel & dirt OK. Thanks to all, remember anything is of interest.

pluric · 03-29-2009, 08:25 PM

Can't go wrong with the Moab area.

Hootowl · 03-30-2009, 07:53 AM

If you search the regional forums you'll find plenty of ride suggestions.

GB · 03-30-2009, 08:36 AM

Moved to RF: Rockies where Utah inmates may be able to give you some more pointers.

Bill Shanks · 03-30-2009, 12:19 PM

Check the Ride Reports as well, that's what they are for. Look at the map, search any area that looks interesting.

dakardad · 03-30-2009, 04:12 PM

What are your interests? Canyons, National Parks, or just allot of cool milage?

Signal · 03-30-2009, 07:14 PM

Coming from North/west/south/east?
Time to spend?

Zion/Bryce/Capital reef Highway 12 loop, with a few/multiple side trips as time allows would be my first suggestion......

JMo (& piglet) · 03-30-2009, 07:53 PM

I've just come back across Utah from Moab. Because of the snow at higher (+8000ft) elevations, I had no choice but to take in some highway too, and boy I'm glad I did - turns out I found myself on some of the best roads in Utah!

My route was as follows, and I'd recommend any or all of it!

From La Sal Junction (191/46) south of Moab, took the desert roads west of hwy 191 via Looking Glass Rock and Hatch Point to Monticello, then hwy 191 south to Blanding.

(note in the summer you could always take Lockhart Basin and Elk Ridge Road (dirt) the whole way round Canyonlands).

From Blanding, hwy 95 all the way to Hite - this is a fantastic scenic road, and there are plenty of desert trails that lead off the highway (west of the Natural Bridges Nat. Mon.) to play around on... There are also some fantastic OHV trails immediately west of Blanding too btw.

After crossing the Colorado river and a great twisty highway section, I turned onto hwy 276 towards Ticaboo from hwy 95, and about eight miles down there is great desert dirt road/trail that cuts across the desert above Bullfrog, and picks up CR-1668 where the tarmac runs out - this section you really should ride - the climb up Waterpocket Fold is awesome, then you pick up the Burr Trail which is tarmac after the park boundary, and an excellent bike route, with particularly stunning scenery around 'The Gulch', then pick up hwy 12 at Boulder.

Hwy 12 west of Boulder is stunning too (if there is no snow, you can also loop around Hells Backbone of course) - real knife edge stuff!, then you can either visit Bryce Canyon (recommended) or there is a through route on dirt roads north of hwy 12, and from Panguich you can cross the mountains via Cedar Breaks Nat. Mon. to Cedar City, or head south on 89 and hwy 9 through Zion of course...

It's all good!

xxx

03-29-2009, 06:55 PM	#1
lowbuck ^OP n00b Joined: Jun 2008 Oddometer: 2	utah ride A buddy & I are thinking of a trip to the canyons & parks in Utah. We have rode the Blue Ridge, Alaska, New Zealand, Labrador etc,etc. Any suggestions for that area or anywhere else in the lower 48 for a May 15th ride? We are open to anything, gravel & dirt OK. Thanks to all, remember anything is of interest.

03-30-2009, 07:53 AM	#3
Hootowl Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2002 Location: Bend Oregon Oddometer: 1,089	If you search the regional forums you'll find plenty of ride suggestions. __________________ Keep it Wild, Keep it Free '07 990A Parting '98 1100GS. Need Anything?

03-30-2009, 08:36 AM	#4
GB Mod Squad Joined: Aug 2002 Location: Toronto, ON Oddometer: 53,466	Moved to RF: Rockies where Utah inmates may be able to give you some more pointers. __________________ ADV decals, patches & flag? Here

03-30-2009, 12:19 PM	#5
Bill Shanks Stumbler Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Colorado Oddometer: 662	Check the Ride Reports as well, that's what they are for. Look at the map, search any area that looks interesting. __________________ "There is no point in doing it if you can't do it to excess."

03-30-2009, 04:12 PM	#6
dakardad Not waiting for anyone Joined: May 2006 Location: SLC/Boulder, Ut. Oddometer: 417	Lots to see What are your interests? Canyons, National Parks, or just allot of cool milage? __________________ I may not know where I am, but I'm not lost. But I'm gonna keep looking.

03-29-2009, 08:25 PM	#2
pluric Gimpy Adventurer Joined: Dec 2006 Location: Salt Lake Oddometer: 11,388	Can't go wrong with the Moab area.

03-30-2009, 07:14 PM	#7
Signal Cynical Idealist Joined: Aug 2007 Location: Utah Oddometer: 7,772	Coming from North/west/south/east? Time to spend? Zion/Bryce/Capital reef Highway 12 loop, with a few/multiple side trips as time allows would be my first suggestion......

03-30-2009, 07:53 PM	#8
JMo (& piglet) Dakar Dazed Joined: Apr 2007 Location: Somewhere west of Laramie... Oddometer: 2,387	I've just come back across Utah from Moab. Because of the snow at higher (+8000ft) elevations, I had no choice but to take in some highway too, and boy I'm glad I did - turns out I found myself on some of the best roads in Utah! My route was as follows, and I'd recommend any or all of it! From La Sal Junction (191/46) south of Moab, took the desert roads west of hwy 191 via Looking Glass Rock and Hatch Point to Monticello, then hwy 191 south to Blanding. (note in the summer you could always take Lockhart Basin and Elk Ridge Road (dirt) the whole way round Canyonlands). From Blanding, hwy 95 all the way to Hite - this is a fantastic scenic road, and there are plenty of desert trails that lead off the highway (west of the Natural Bridges Nat. Mon.) to play around on... There are also some fantastic OHV trails immediately west of Blanding too btw. After crossing the Colorado river and a great twisty highway section, I turned onto hwy 276 towards Ticaboo from hwy 95, and about eight miles down there is great desert dirt road/trail that cuts across the desert above Bullfrog, and picks up CR-1668 where the tarmac runs out - this section you really should ride - the climb up Waterpocket Fold is awesome, then you pick up the Burr Trail which is tarmac after the park boundary, and an excellent bike route, with particularly stunning scenery around 'The Gulch', then pick up hwy 12 at Boulder. Hwy 12 west of Boulder is stunning too (if there is no snow, you can also loop around Hells Backbone of course) - real knife edge stuff!, then you can either visit Bryce Canyon (recommended) or there is a through route on dirt roads north of hwy 12, and from Panguich you can cross the mountains via Cedar Breaks Nat. Mon. to Cedar City, or head south on 89 and hwy 9 through Zion of course... It's all good! xxx __________________ JennyDakar.com Dakar Dazed II - the Return to Dakar in 2014! Dakar Dazed 2011 - read the whole gory story here!

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