Forget I-15: THIS Is Utah’s Longest and MOST FASCINATING Road
Temps are cooling off and we all get itching to see those fall colors. Why not take a road trip on the coolest and longest road in the state? When we book vacations we sometimes forget to take advantage of the beauty of our own backyard. Utah is simply gorgeous from top to bottom.
When I road trip, I get some delicious snacks and plenty of water and head out on the road to anywhere I can safely travel.
We have some gorgeous terrain in Utah and there is never enough time to see it all.
U.S. Route 89 is the longest road in Utah. It is a north-south United States Highway spanning more than 502 miles through the central part of the state. Between Provo and Brigham City, US-89 is sometimes parallel to I-15 and is used as a local frontage road or it joins I-15 for portions of the drive. But from Arizona up north to Provo and from Brigham City northeast to Wyoming it stands as it's own road.
US-89 starts at the bottom of Utah inside the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, just north of the Glen Canyon Dam. It crosses the Colorado River near Page, Arizona.
US-89 stays near the Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument and then over to Kanab, US-89 meets up with the north end of US-89A which is an alternate route south into Arizona, and then turns a sharp north and begins climbing the staircase. You can see sights like The Vermilion Cliffs near Kanab, White Cliffs, head to Zion National Park and then on into the Sevier Valley.
You can choose to connect to other state roads and check out Bryce Canyon National Park and drive through beautiful towns like Circleville & Marysvale on up to Manti, Ephraim, Mount Pleasant and Fairview. US-89 travels all though some great canyons, along rivers and shows off some of the most beautiful areas of Utah.
Another thing to check out is near the area of Thistle Creek/ Fairview junction with US-6, there is a ghost town flooded by a landslide in 1983. I definitely want to put that on my list to check out!
What are your favorite places in Utah? Let me know and I will compile a complete list of MUST-STOPS for all your road trips. Send Ideas to aaronee@townsquaremedia.com
See the Must-Drive Roads in Every State
Gallery Credit: Sarah Jones