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Posted in Utah March 23, 2018 by Catherine Armstrong

The Scenic Byway In Utah You Have To Travel At Least Once

Spring is the time for scenic drives, so hop in your car and start exploring!

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/

The Potash Moab Scenic Byway starts at the junction of U.S. 191 and UT-279 (Potash Road).

This pretty scenic byway is about 18 miles long.

A few miles from the junction, the road begins to follow the Colorado River, and you'll see some spectacular river views for the rest of your drive.

At the four-mile mark, you'll reach Wall Street, a section of sheer, towering cliffs that's popular with rock climbers.

Another mile down the road, you'll be treated to some petroglyphs.

You'll find several pullouts where so you can pull your car off the road to have a look. The panels are easily visible from the road.

The Colorado River is your constant companion on this drive.

There are many opportunities to pull over and capture this beauty on film.

Watch for signs for the Poison Spider Mesa Trail (which is well worth your time if you want to explore the area a little more in-depth). Just past the sign, you'll see another pullout where dinosaur tracks are visible.

At the 10 mile mark, you'll see signs for the Corona Arch Trail. This is another trail well worth exploring, with a beautiful and impressive arch.

Jug Handle Arch is visible from the road, at about 13.5 miles.

The paved road comes to an end at the Intrepid Potash Mine, a system of tunnels and evaporation ponds that extracts potash from the soil.

From here, Potash Road is a graded dirt road. If you have a high-clearance vehicle and the road isn't muddy, you can continue on into Canyonlands National Park.

Have you driven along the Potash Moab Scenic Byway? We’d love to hear about your trip!

The next time you’re driving along Route 6 between Helper and Spanish Fork, you need to stop at this quaint rest stop.

Catherine Armstrong

Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.