JoyM

Help. We are planning a southwest trip in early June. I have a couple extra days after Mesa Verde and would like to see Bryce before we head on to Zion and the GC. What is the best route to take from Mesa Verde? How about the back roads through Hite? Is it very scenic?

Photodog

If you want the "speedier" way to Bryce from Mesa Verde take US 491 South (renamed from US 666) to US 160 (passing the 4 corners monument) towards Kayenta, AZ and Navajo National Monument. Continue on 160 to jct with AZ 98 to Page, AZ where you pickup US 89W. Pass Big Water and look for milepost 18. Turn right here onto Cottonwood Canyon road. Don't take this backcountry road if wet. Passenger cars can make the 47 mile trip from US 89 to UT12 at Henrieville. Turn left onto UT 12 towards Tropic and only about 15 miles to Bryce. Cottonwood Canyon Rd takes you through breathtaking country past the Cockscomb, passing near by Grosvenor Arch and Kodachrome Basin State Park.
If you want the slower, scenic route from Mesa Verde take US 491 (old US 666) to Monticello UT. From here US 191 south to Blanding to UT95 which passes several Indian ruins on its way to turnoff to Natural Bridges National Monument. Stay on UT95 passing through Glen Canyon National Recreation area. Be sure to stop at the Hite overlook off the highway and see how much water Glen Canyon as lost. Boats can no lower reach the marina here. Take UT276 towards Ticaboo and Bullfrog Marina. Before reaching the marina pickup the Burr Trail which follows the Waterpocket Fold running through Capitol Reef National Park. Will climb up through the Waterpocket to the top. The Burr Trail comes out in Boulder, UT. Take a left onto UT 12 and follow it through more colorful canyon country to Bryce.

travellyn

You might want to pick up the CAA Indian Country map and/or the DeLorme Utah Atlas and Gazetteer if you really want to enjoy some of the more obscure roads in the area. You can drive from Mesa Verde through Cortez, then south a bit and cut along McElmo Canyon to Hovenweep NM. We did this in an old 2WD minivan last June, as well as the Cottonwood Canyon Road mentioned by photodog. We thought we would rattle our teeth out on Cottonwood Canyon Road, but Grovesnor Arch and the surrounding scenery were worth it. We really liked Hovenweep; It's worth a few hours, too. The road from Cortez to Hovenweep is entirely paved. The road west from Hovenweep is paved except for a little stretch less than 100 yards long with good gravel road. I don't know about Hite yet.

JoyM

Gee, thanks. Do you know how long the trip using Cottonwood Canyon vs. Burr trail vs. a route through Moab.

travellyn

I can only give you information about a couple of pieces of the routes you are asking about. I think Cottonwood Canyon took us over 2 hours to drive, given our pathetic shocks. It's marked as taking a little over an hour. We take 2.5 hours to drive on 160 from the Mesa Verde exit to Moab via Monticello.

travellyn

After rereading my response above, I realize that I need to make a correction; 160 doesn't go all the way to Moab. "From the Hwy 160 Mesa Verde exit to Moab" takes us 2.5 hours.