Grand Canyon Scenic Drives

If you want to see the countryside from the comforts of an automobile, this area has a lot to offer.

US Hwy 89

This is the main route through the region and it provides access to many attractions and scenic wonders. South of Kanab it skirts Lake Powell, with an alternate spur crossing through the high-elevation Kaibab forest and then dropping down to the Colorado River at Lees Ferry.

North of Kanab Hwy 89 passes the access road to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and then cuts through Mt Carmel Junction (the eastern entrance to Zion Park). It continues over through forested mountains to Long Valley Junction (on the edge of Cedar Mountain, below Cedar Breaks and Brian Head) and then up to its junction with scenic Hwy 12 - Utah's All American Road.

Scenery is great no matter which direction you go.

Johnson Canyon Loop

This is a scenic backway that loops from Hwy 89 east of Kanab to Hwy 89 near Alton, north of Kanab. It cuts across forested mountains and deep canyons. The southern portion of the road is paved and can be driven in a family car. The northern portion can be rough, depending on the weather, and a high clearance vehicle may be needed.

Skutumpah Road

This rough scenic backway forks from the Johnson Canyon Road and cuts across part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, ending near Kodachrome Basin State Park (just off Hwy 12 near Cannonville). A high clearance vehicle is needed to drive this road, and four-wheel-drive may be needed in wet weather.

Cottonwood Canyon Road

This is another scenic backway that crossed part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It runs from Hwy 89 east of Kanab up to Kodachrome Basin State Park (just off Hwy 12 near Cannonville). A high clearance vehicle is needed to drive this road, and four-wheel-drive may be needed in wet weather.