After exploring the historic town of Grafton we took a drive on the Smithsonian Butte Back Country Byway which took us up a graded dirt road.
Although it’s typically suitable for most vehicles the sharp curves and half-mile of 800 feet steep grade should not be attempted after rain or snowfall. It was only a little wet so Bill’s 4×4 made it no problem and only mudded the truck a little. But the already dirty windshield did make for some blurry photos along the way.
We pulled over for the breathtaking 270 degree view. I stood in awe repeating “Wow!” Wonder if BLM (Bureau of Land Management) will let me build a house here, a tiny house, with two stories and wrap around porch. I’d like a rocking chair on each side please.
From 4920 feet (1500 m) the pinyon-juniper woodlands stretches below to the Virgin River floodplain where the sandstone buttes of Zion National Park rise up to the north.
To the east and edge of Zion, Parunuweap Canyon contains the east fork of the Virgin River with the Canaan Mountains to the right.
Smithsonian Butte National Back Country Byway travels for 9.25 miles (14.88 km) between Rockville, Utah, on State Route 9 and Apple Valley, Utah, on State Route 59 in southwestern Utah.
WOW is the word for that panorama. Just beautiful! Envying you a friend with 4X4. Thanks for the map so I can see exactly where the beauty I’m seeing in your pictures is located.
We’ll be going off on a four day mini vacation next week to see more of beautiful southern Utah.
Oh how I would like to have our Jeep on that beautiful back road. Sounds like a very good day.
You’d like this drive.
Absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks, I thought so.
We drove part of that road last fall heading up to Gooseberry Mesa to go mountain biking. It is such beautiful country! We’ll be back in southern Utah sometime next month.
I Love that drive! Hope to meet up again in UT.
You know with the BLM maybe you could get a few years in your spot by going all Tea Party on them and claiming some ancestral heritage and all that. The Koch brothers would provide free legal counsel. Of course you would have to put up with idiots that would show up to guard you.