Burr Trail
 

Has anyone taken this Scenic Drive? Is it worth the drive?

We've taken it twice on two different trips. Once one direction, once the other way. Combined with the Notom Rd. it makes a nice fairly tame backroad adventure. Unless there's been rain, it can be done in a passenger car. Here's an account of our last Burr Trail adventure.

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/88551214

Here's some more images from a previous trip without narative.

http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/34897569

You really feel out there and you are so make sure you have plenty of water and some food in the car. The variety of rock colors displayed along the Waterpocket Fold is amazing especially for us who come from the cool green northeast. The switchbacks will give you a thrill too.

If I'm not mistaken the part of the road closer to Canyonlands is not open to an ordinary passenger auto.

While scenic, almost everything in that area is scenic.

The west side meets the famous Rte 12 at Boulder.

You've got the scenic Rte 12 to drive, Hole in the Rock road with Devil's garden and several slot canyons, Lower Calf Creek Falls.

We drove about half way from west to east. It didn't tek very long and was worth the time. We saw a girl standing beside her SUV that had gone off the road. She had called for help.

There's a very small slot canyon just off the north side. I thought it was cool until we went to some others.

Wow some really nice photos!!! Did you up to Notom Rd?

My report
From Boulder I took the Burr Trail, including the hairy switchbacks, and the long (relatively dull after the first bit!) dirt road back up through Capitol Reef NP to Hwy 12. The section through narrow red-rock Long Canyon is a worthwhile detour if you don't do the whole thing. I have an AWD low-clearance car, but there were others in 2WD cars coming in the opposite direction. Don't do the switchbacks if you're not comfortable with mountain driving.

www.utah.com/offroad/burr-trail.htm

Stinkerbell,

I've driven the Burr trail twice over the years. First time was many years before any of it was paved and in my Jeep. Awesome drive and the first time you see those switchbacks it's jaw drop time! If you go in the spring, good possibility of a water crossing in the canyon portion. That time we turned south and drove to Bullfrog on the graded dirt road. VERY REMOTE, very washboarded and dusty, and not very scenic.

Second trip the part from Boulder to the switchbacks had been paved. Made the going easier, but again I was in a Jeep. After the swtichbacks, we turned up the Notam road towards Capitol Reef. Again, past the switchbacks, I thought it was rather boring (and I live in UT and go all over all the time), heavily washboarded, dusty.

I do really like the drive from Boulder up and over Boulder Mtn through the aspens (10,000 ft.). You can see for hundreds of miles into AZ and CO.