Overall Route Rating
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4.77 out of 5 Rider Rating 4.77
35 Reviews

Motorcycle Route Author

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Jan 31, 2007

Rider Reviews

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steben53
15 McR Points
April 27, 2012
I've ridden the Blue Ridge Pkwy, the Dragon,…
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Guest
October 8, 2009
The route south from Boulder UT to Escalante UT…
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Written Directions

Start in Panguitch, Utah and head south on US-89 and in about 8-10 miles you'll want to take the turn towards Bryce Canyon on Rte 12. Then just head east on Rte 12 the whole way to Torrey, UT which will be over 100 miles. I suggest you make sure you first enjoy Red Canyon with brilliant red cliffs then continue another 25 miles before turning right onto Bryce Canyon road and be sure to get lunch at Ruby's Inn. Get back onto Rte 12 and continue east for an about 3 hours through Dixie National Forest to Torrey, Utah. There are a few hotels there and you will be near Capital Reef National Park. It's a must do in the west.

Scenery

Unbelievable views of Red Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The Staircase is an incredible collection of multicolored cliffs, buttes, plateaus, mesas, and canyons. Bring a camera with plenty of memory space/film for this one!!! You'll also be passing through the Dixie National Forest.

Overall, it's a fantastic ride with many opportunities to stop hike and enjoy panoramic views. You need to plan a day of this trip to have enough time to take in all the great views which you really need to stop at!

Additional input from "hunnerbunner" (Sep 08): Red canyon, Bryce canyon, Hell's Backbone, Calf Creek and Boulder Mtn. give you a little taste of every type of scenery Utah has to offer, from red rock to slickrock to pine and aspen covered mountains.

Drive Enjoyment

Plenty of open road with hills, woods and canyons.

Additional input from "hunnerbunner" (Sep 08): A few miles of straights on either side of Escalante leave the rest of the road to writhe and twist over the landscape. Little heavy truck traffic keeps the surface in good shape, and I don't recall a whole lot of tar snakes.

Tourism Opportunities

A few small town along the way to enjoy and fill up at. I particularly recommend checking out Red Canyon and getting lunch at Ruby's Inn (see directions below).

Additional input from "hunnerbunner" (Sep 08): Hiking in Red Canyon, camping/lodging in Bryce Canyon, hiking at Calf Creek Falls, quaint restaurants in Escalante and Boulder, more camping on Boulder Mtn. A short detour in Cannonville takes you to Kodachrome Basin for more hiking and camping.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
 

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steben53
April 27, 2012
15 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
I've ridden the Blue Ridge Pkwy, the Dragon, Texas Hill country, the Sierras and the Trinity Alps of NorCal, all over AZ, CO, NM, WY, etc. I've even done the real Alps three times. I tell you that so you'll have a sense that I know what I'm talking about when I say that riding the Escalante Grand Staircase is just about the best motorcycling you can do in America. If you haven't been you need to make the effort to get out there ASAP. Guaranteed, you will never forget your first run across the Staircase. The only thing I'd mention is that you should go east out of Torrey on Hwy 20 and ride it all the way to Hanksville. That's a spectacular part of the ride too as is continuing south to Mexican Hat (just dont do that in the middle of summer!).
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8 riders found this road review useful
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Guest
October 8, 2009
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
The route south from Boulder UT to Escalante UT includes an absolutely amazing stretch of road. You ride a high ridge line with cliff faces dropping away from the road on both sides. There are several miles of tight twisties as you ride your way down to the bottom of the gorge. This is the best piece of road I have ever ridden. There may be roads that match this one, but not that exceed it.
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3 riders found this road review useful
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Guest
May 31, 2010
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
Excellent technical road!!!!! I had a blast even with 30mph winds!!! Right up front, if you have issues with heights, no guard rails, 1000ft. cliffs, or extremely narrow twisty roads with lots of rent a motor home tourist traffic, don't ride this road. Oh did I forget to mention high gusting winds, sand/gravel on the road, and slippery tar snakes. This road is NOT for a new rider! I'm making my partner an "I survived the Hogs Back" T-shirt as he put aside his fear of heights to ride this road with me. Once he survived he said he would ride it again!We started in Torrey and road north to south May 2010. Boulder Mountain summit is 9600ft. This section of road is a wonderful winding Mt. road. Shortly after Boulder you will cross the "Hogs Back", 5 little curves with cliffs on each side, and as Ken mentioned it is a "hair raiser". Then twisting though the rocks down to Escalante was lots of fun. Riding from South to North puts you on the inside of the cliffs most of the way, so it may seem a little less hairy. Bryce Canyon is a must see.
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3 riders found this road review useful