Traveling from Bryce to Moab
 

AAA has us going 89 south to 9 west to 15 north to 70 east. how would you send us and what would you stop to see on the way?
is natural bridges worth it?

thanks for all of your help

Melissa

Well, I guess it might depend on what you're driving and how you feel about interstates vs. state highways. We made that trip several years ago, but we just took 89 north to the 70 (just before Sevier). But if you've never been to Zion, definitely go the way AAA sent you so that you get to see it. If you've seen Zion, but not Cedar Breaks, I recommend you take the 14 over to the 15. We drove thru Cedar Breaks in late June about 10 years ago and it was beautiful -- I never saw so many differnt colors of wildflowers in one meadow!
While you're in Moab be sure to visit Dead Horse Point state park.
If you're hikers, the hike up to Delicate Arch in Arches NP is very strenuous but well worth it.
And if you don't already have reservations in Moab, try the Mayors House B&B. You'll love it.

Pardon my French, but that route is silly. In fact I would even say it was ignorant, which is one reason I disregard most of these routing services. (Give me a good map and I can do better than they can.)

The best and most scenic route from Bryce to Moab is to take Utah State from the Bryce Canyon junction with route 12 and follow it all the way to Torrey. It is one of the most scenic drives you will ever see. To go otherwise is to deny yourself one of nature's most bountiful treats.

Much of the route is over the Navajo Sandstone, with its gleaming white dotted with a few green trees. Then you pass some scenic hills before descending a little toward Torrey.

From Torrey, take Utah 24 east through Capitol Reef National Park.
You can see enough from the short scenic drive to make you wish you had allowed more times for one of the best kept secrets among National Parks.

From Capitol Reef stay on Utah 24 all the way to I 70. Leave I 70 as you normally would at the US 191 exit south to Moab.

I have driven this route more than once. There will be little traffic, usually, and the route is colorful.

Tank up BEFORE you leave Hanksville or Torrey. It is a dry route any way you go at it, so have some water in reserve. Thirst builds quickly in that dry heat.

OOPS should proof read better, but the response time is so slow I cancelled out on the review step.

I meant to say, from the Bryce Canyon exit road, take Utah state route 12 all the way to Torrey.

Sorry for the fractured syntax. Its Fodors fault.

Hi Melissa. Get any half way decent map of Utah and you will see that AAA has you going first south and then west when you need to be going north and then east.

I have seen some poor routing from AAA but this one wins. If you take US 89 south to route 9 west, you actually go through Zion National Park. It is just about 100% opposite the way you need to be going.

Utah 24 route is not bad at all and the ways suggested are much shorter by quite a lot. I just don't understand that route at all.

My wife had to get to Salt Lake City under emergency condtions once and she cut over on route 20 to I 15. But to get to 70 you could make about as fast by going due north on US 89 to the junction with I 70.

Even so, going to Moab via routes 12 and 24 is shorter, and probably much more scenic. If you look at other comments on this forum you will see that others have said good things abut the Utah 12 drive to Torrey.

As others have said, this route is out of your way. That route is 430 miles and will take about 8 hours to drive. I-70 from Fremont Junction to Green River is scenic though the San Rafael Swell area.

I would do Bob Brown's Route of scenic Hwy 12, up to Torrey. Hwy 24 thought Capitol Reef National Park, I-70 and then hwy 191 south to Moab. This is the most scenic and it's 275 miles and will take about 7 1/2 hours (not counting the stops!).

To get to Natural Bridges you would take Hwy 95 south from Hanksville down to Hites Crossing past Natural Bridges. Then north on Hwy 191 to Moab. This route is 335 miles and will take about 10 hours to drive. Natural Bridges is nice but you would be better spending your time in Capitol Reef National Park and staying on Hwy 24 at Hanksville and go to I-70.

Utahtea