Pananca, New Castle, Cedar City, Bryce Canyon, Escalante, Capitol Reef, Fruita, Mexican Hat, Monument Valley

Routes 93S – 319E – 56E – 14E – 89N – 12E - 24S – 95S – 191S – 163S

Utah! Wow!!� � This is motorcycle heaven, with back to back to back national parks with incredible empty roads.

Canyons, mountains, curves, more curves and more canyons and mountains- and then more and more!!!


93 south from Pioche, cut over to the east on the 319,l and take the 56 into Cedar City.� Grab some breakfast and coffee (Starbucks right next to the I15 overpass and a Texaco) and prepare for the famous roads of southern Utah.

What a treat!!� � The first sign of what’s to come is just a couple of miles out of Cedar City, riding east on the 14.� Sweet canyon road winding up into the mountains.�



The 14 ends (unfortunately) at Long Valley Junction, so we head North on the 89.� More gorgeous riding!� Caution:� Deer every where lurking seemingly itching to lay you and your bike to waste.� There is something evolutionarily missing from deer DNA – see the Cool People tab of this ride for my solution.�


After a few miles, we cut right on the 12 to check out Bryce Canyon National Park.� A mile from the entrance the sky turns black and it starts to pour.� We wait it out under cover at Ruby’s Inn and after a half hour it’s clear.� We ride into the famous park and are somewhat disappointed.� Bryce is not at all like Zion and other parks – it’s just not much of a ride on a bike.� No canyon walls, no twisties.� Just occasional overlooks down into the canyon. Probably great for hikers and sightseers, but not on a bike.� Ho hum, let’s get the hell out of here.� And we would have, but there are so many huge campers and rec vehicles it’s hard to get anywhere.

OK…� I was going so slow (HOW SLOW KEVIN????) …� I was going so slow that the bugs that usually lodge in my teeth or on my visor as I ride, we smashing into the BACK of my head instead.� That’s how slow!








The problem with Bryce like many national parks is that it has been turned into a museum instead of an experience.� It doesn’t seem real and you can’t get in it and experience it (not on a bike, that is) – so the experience is a picture taking experience, not a visceral memorable one.� If you did not have the pictures to look at later you would not remember the journey.� A visceral experience like Capitol Reef on the other hand is permanently stamped on your internal hard drive – hard to forget.


Things get better soon, on highway 12 toward Escalante.� After all, when a road is called “A Journey Through Time Byway Highway” how can you go wrong?� Beautiful mountain road with incredible canyon scenery on both sides.� Awesome, but the best is yet to come.� Check out the video called Utah!� for photos.





Then the real scenery begins.� The best ride you will do in your life.� Get on Route 24 and head into Capitol Reef and Glen Canyon.� Just check out the pics and the video I made called “Route 12 Glen Canyon” posted on this site.� These say it all.� After you come through Fruita – you open out on very curvy roads that are filled with TAR SNAKES – Take this as a friendly warning – on a hot day – these things are like slick ice.� I almost lost the back tire several times.� Keep your speed low on the turns and ride between the snakes as much as possible as I did.





From the 24 you head South onto Rte 95 at Hanksville.� There is no one on this road.� If I owned a Ferrari – this is the road I would take it on to REALLY see what it could do.� WOW!









I rode my Yammie FJR1300.� I love this bike (See my ode in people section of this ride)� I was taking these curves fully loaded saddles and all at 120 – 130 with nary a vibration or a hiccup.� This was a real thrill ride, and when I go off I looked at that bike and said – I am in awe – you are an animal. �

From the 95, take the 191 south to the 163 south into Mexican Hat.� The only time during the whole day that we saw police patrols was on these two roads.� So ride hard and ride safely!