Blackeye
Senior Member
We recently returned from a little tour of the southwest. We headed out kinda late and decided to overnight in one of the casino parking lots at the CA / NV Stateline. Up the next morning to check out INTERBIKE, an international bicycle show in Las Vegas. After I did that and my wife did a little shopping, we headed up to Cedar City, UT where we overnighted in the parking lot of a big superstore that is open 24hrs.
Now the fun began as we were heading east out of Cedar City up the 14 toward Cedar Breaks National Monument. Cedar Breaks wasn’t on in our itinerary but it will be on another road trip. We stopped at Navajo Lake and rode (mountain bikes) the lake loop trail through some great single track and some glorious aspens that were “going off”! Sorry that I don’t have any pics of those trees to post but take my word, it was spectacular.
From the UT 14, we headed north on the UT 89 then east on the UT 12 past the entrance to Bryce Canyon. We skipped Bryce this trip as we have done it several times in the past. We were looking for new roads and new scenery.
The original plan was to take the road to the Burr Trail out of Boulder UT. After further review, I noted that the first several miles of the Boulder-Bullfrog Scenic Road a.k.a. the Burr Trail was paved. We decided to head north to Capitol Reef National Park and take the Notom Road along the Waterpocket Fold down to Cedar Mesa Campground where we would spend the night. Cedar Mesa is a small unimproved (free) campground. Surprisingly, it filled up shortly after we arrived. We enjoyed a great meal and campfire and spent the evening looking at the stars and watching satellites drift in all different directions.
The next morning we continued down the Notom Road to the lower end of the switchbacks on the Burr Trail. I have read about the switchback section of the Burr Trail for years and so we drove up the switchbacks and then back down them. It is really nothing more than a dirt road with several sharp turns. The road does cover a good deal of elevation in a short distance. The photos that I have seen over the years (and even the ones that I took) don’t accurately depict the topography.
Bottom line, the Burr Trail is easily doable by any two wheel drive vehicle with dry condition and in good weather.
...more to follow.
Now the fun began as we were heading east out of Cedar City up the 14 toward Cedar Breaks National Monument. Cedar Breaks wasn’t on in our itinerary but it will be on another road trip. We stopped at Navajo Lake and rode (mountain bikes) the lake loop trail through some great single track and some glorious aspens that were “going off”! Sorry that I don’t have any pics of those trees to post but take my word, it was spectacular.
From the UT 14, we headed north on the UT 89 then east on the UT 12 past the entrance to Bryce Canyon. We skipped Bryce this trip as we have done it several times in the past. We were looking for new roads and new scenery.
The original plan was to take the road to the Burr Trail out of Boulder UT. After further review, I noted that the first several miles of the Boulder-Bullfrog Scenic Road a.k.a. the Burr Trail was paved. We decided to head north to Capitol Reef National Park and take the Notom Road along the Waterpocket Fold down to Cedar Mesa Campground where we would spend the night. Cedar Mesa is a small unimproved (free) campground. Surprisingly, it filled up shortly after we arrived. We enjoyed a great meal and campfire and spent the evening looking at the stars and watching satellites drift in all different directions.
The next morning we continued down the Notom Road to the lower end of the switchbacks on the Burr Trail. I have read about the switchback section of the Burr Trail for years and so we drove up the switchbacks and then back down them. It is really nothing more than a dirt road with several sharp turns. The road does cover a good deal of elevation in a short distance. The photos that I have seen over the years (and even the ones that I took) don’t accurately depict the topography.
Bottom line, the Burr Trail is easily doable by any two wheel drive vehicle with dry condition and in good weather.
...more to follow.
