While I waited for my steaming calzone to cool in a small-town Pizza restaurant in Orderville, Utah, and pondered my upcoming motorcycle ride in southern Utah, I studied the giant world map on wall. A sign encourages visitors to pin a map to their home. The colorful plastic balls used as needle tips reflect an impressive worldwide reach, with a density that is truly remarkable in most of the United States.
The Dixie National Forest in Southern Utah and the national parks in the region have a magnetic attraction for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. For me, the promise of great scenery and winding roads drew me to the area in my trusty BMW.
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Day 1: Zion, Massacre and Shakespeare
After a good night’s sleep in a comfortable and unique forest-themed room at the historic Parkway Motel in Orderville, I packed up and headed straight for Zion National Park. I don’t plan on going dirt roads on this tour, but my big R 1200 GS is the perfect hanger for this area just in case. I rolled south through lush farmland until turning west at the Mt. Carmel onto Highway 9.
The midweek traffic was relatively light on what is also known as Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway. The muted colors and hidden corners of the first stretch are a nice warm-up and eventually lead to Zion’s east entrance. After stopping to pay the park’s $30 entry fee (valid for a week), I quickly fell into the shadows of striking crimson cliffs and stratified sedimentary rock formations.
The landscape transforms into the striking beauty for which Zion is famous, and the road curves along the natural lines of the park’s stone majesty. After stopping to admire the giant geometric engravings on the Checkerboard Mesa, the curves become increasingly tight and interesting.
I was very excited when I spotted two mountain goats posing on two overhanging rocks. Thankfully, they held the pose long enough for me to dismount and take some pictures. Just a few miles later, I rolled through a short but impressive tunnel carved deep into the red sedimentary mountain. This trip is off to a fascinating start.
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Deeper into the national park, the traffic and tourists are denser but not too crowded to spoil the beautiful atmosphere. I drove beneath sculpted rock formations dotted with vibrant evergreens. Eye-catching colors. At times, the winding asphalt is crimson like the cliffs, and at other times it is a more traditional gray. After miles of riding, stopping and taking pictures, I arrived at Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. After waiting for an oversized RV to be escorted through the narrow aisle, it was my turn.
The tunnel, carved during the Jazz Age of the 1920s, is more than a mile long. However, it’s not the length that impresses me. There are interlaced arched “windows” along the span that frame glimpses of the majesty of the mountains I am passing. While stopping in the tunnel was forbidden, I moved at a slow pace to absorb the art of living. It’s really impressive.
I ducked out of the tunnel, flipped the visor down, and rolled further into Zion. In the distance, white-covered mountains rose to the horizon. What I consider to be snow is actually the top layer of white Navajo sandstone on towers like the Great White Throne. I resisted the temptation to take in the broad view while navigating the narrow, winding road. Regular stops have given my kicks a workout.
The western section of the park is much more developed and therefore visited by more people. I drove through the cool waters of the Virgin River and into the community of Springdale, located just outside the west entrance of the park. This bustling community stands in stark contrast to the more natural and less developed east entrance. I must say, I prefer the latter.
With Zion National Park in my rearview mirror, I aimed for the long haul on my tour. After turning north at St. George, I turn onto Highway 18. This is a road that normally runs parallel to the route of the Old Hispanic National Historic Trail through the Dixie National Forest. The ride begins with the many red and white Navajo sandstones that adorn Zion as I pass through Snow Canyon.
After a few miles on a clean, beautiful road, I came to a bleak historic site. The Mountain Meadows Memorial commemorates a massacre that took place in 1857. A four-day series of attacks were carried out by members of the Utah Territorial Militia and targeted the Baker emigrant train. -Fancher. About 120 men, women and children were killed in the tragic territorial dispute.
I headed further north through the high terrain until turning west onto Highway 56. This stretch gave me space to use the higher gears on the GS and take in a sweeping view of the road ahead. southern Utah. Finally, the sign welcomes me to
Cedar city. “Festival City” will be my much-anticipated stop for the night. After unpacking my luggage at the El Rey Inn, I ate a few slices of margherita pizza and a pint of beer at the bustling Centro Woodfired Pizzeria near the campus of Southern Utah University.
The university is host to a world-class theatrical experience, the annual Utah Shakespeare Festival, which runs from June through October. Anytime I can infuse a little Bard into my tours. , I do so with enthusiasm. In this case, I won a ticket to see Macbeth’s preview performance. I settled into my seat at the beautiful open-air theater and thoroughly enjoyed the lively performance of “The Scottish Play” in the warm Utah evening air.
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Day 2: Resting cedar and ski slopes
The second day of my southern Utah tour will include serious elevation gain, so I layer up several layers of my riding shirt under my mesh jacket in preparation for the fresh morning ride. Climbing out of Cedar City into the mountains of Dixie National Forest is quick and enjoyable. The vibrant mix of conifers beside Highway 14’s winding road is more reminiscent of a Pacific Northwest forest than one is typically found in the Southwest.
I’m glad I wore more layers. Even in late June, this mountainous area often reveals some leftover snow. I click on the heated handle for a spell in the early morning mountain shade when the temperature drops as low as 40 degrees Celsius. Deep in the mountains, I turn north onto Highway 148 and continued to climb the winding slope. (Since this part of the route is closed in winter, this trip is best done in late spring to early fall.)
Just a few miles down this stretch, I arrived at the impressive Cedar Breaks National Monument ($10 entrance fee). The Paiutes refer to the area as the “Painted Cliff Circle,” and the indigenous name is a perfect description. It’s known as a smaller, less touristy version of Bryce Canyon, which is exactly why I chose it on this tour.
It is a natural shale, limestone and sandstone amphitheater with a perimeter elevation of 10,000 feet. The road follows that perimeter, offering some breathtaking views. After taking in those views, my ride away from the monument was surrounded by still snow-covered mountains and murmuring streams.
Just off the boundary of the national memorial, I continued north on Highway 143 and came to the ski resort town of Brian Head, which sits at nearly 10,000 feet. Some of the woods near the town were ravaged by wildfires in 2017, but the unaffected ski slopes are still lush and dense. The whole ride along 143rd Street was amazing.
I left the mountains, and after a short interstate drive, I headed southeast on Highway 20. I was completely lost in the shadows when I noticed a series of metal sculptures. kind of like a tall Utah mule train. grass. The adjacent historic marker indicated that I was at the intersection of the Old Hispanic National Historic Trail. At the end of this stretch, I headed south on US 89. I passed the small town of Panguitch, then turned west on Route 143 and passed through Dixie National Forest for the final leg of the trip.
I took some serious twists and turns as I passed Panguitch Lake. The vast reservoir sits at an elevation of more than 8,000 feet. Tall trees, meandering creeks and fresh mountain air are prominent features of the rest of the trek through the national forest. I detour south on Mammoth Creek Road, and at Duck Creek Village I head east on SR 14, descend out of the mountains to US 89 and back to Orderville.
My motorcycle ride in southern Utah did not disappoint. My exploration has proven to be a rich field in both natural and human history. The variety of rides keeps it fresh and exciting, and the roads are a motorcyclist’s dream.
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