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
May 31, 2010
Excellent technical road!!!!! I had a blast even…
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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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mtedford
July 27, 2016
4 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
We left Bryce Canyon National Park enroute to Torrey, UT through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Forest. This has got to be one of the best motorcycle rides in the country. With the switchbacks, scenery, and a stretch of the road that runs along a ridge with 1000 ft drop-offs on both sides and no guard rails. Wife was having a lot of anxiety during that stretch. Truly a boss-jock motorcycle ride!
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Guest
October 13, 2008
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
we made this trip from az to sturgis, every turm was nothing short of breathtaking, 12 scenic byway and 24 scenic byway, will definately do it again.
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MotoForever
July 17, 2015
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
Well, this route is officially one of my favorite rides! I compare it to San Juan Skyway (Million Dollar Highway) and Beartooth Highway in Montana. This one has it all, but mostly, it has a fantastic variety of canyons (which Utah does SO WELL), alpine cool summits (9600ft.) with Aspen trees and amazing views, small towns with great food (must stop at Burr Trail Cafe for lunch), exhilarating overlooks (while riding!) and excellent picture taking opportunities. Each time I've ridden this road, I've met people from various countries. Red Canyon, Bryce, Capital Reef (is so close) and Anasazi ruins are right there too. So plan to take more time time that you think you'll need, take layers if you are so inclined, or simply just ride the Grand Staircase-Escalante "All-American Road". Anyway you want it, you'll have a blast.
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