Do towering red cliffs along the road get you excited? You will find them on the Burr Trail Road off Utah’s Scenic Highway 12. Plus a Singing Slot Canyon— and ever so much more. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)
I was doing research for our road trip over Utah’s Scenic Highway 12 when I came across a rave review for the Burr Trail, a narrow road that branches off from 12 in the small town of Boulder. It looked exactly like the kind of backroad adventure we like. It could take us all the way to Glen Canyon or even up to Capitol Reef National Park. We opted to explore the first 15 or so miles. The route got its start in the late 1800s as a way John Burr found for for moving cattle back and forth between their summer pasture near Boulder and their winter pasture in Glen Canyon.
We were wowed by the first few miles of the road— and then we dropped into Long Canyon. It blew our minds! I’ll start today’s post with photos of the canyon and then double back to pick up the road in.
The Burr Trail winds its way through the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)We were driving along the Burr Trail Road when suddenly it dropped into Long Canyon. It was obvious we were in for a treat. Note the neat way the left and right hand sides of the road are separated through Long Canyon.I took this photo to illustrate how the road was divided.The type of rock formations along the side of the road seemed endless.Their shapes reminded me of Tombstones. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)In addition to the fascinating formations, the colors were riotous. Peggy took this close-up of another cliff. Green trees and shrubs all through the canyon added dramatic contrast to the reds, oranges and yellows.I found these nearby. A hiking trail ran beside the cliff. Note the holes in the rock above.We’ve found these holes in rock formations throughout the Southwest. Peggy loves them but I took this particular photo.There are two interesting rock formations for the price of one here. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)I took a photo of the second formation from a different perspective.One has to love the brilliant colors of the Southwest. Burr Trail’s Long Canyon is full of them. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)Will this seemingly tiny hole (probably 50 feet high) someday become a massive arch? It’s possible. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)Yet another interesting rock formation we found in Long Canyon.Looking up led me to take this photo. We had pulled off the road to see why four cars were parked in the area. That’s a major crowd for Burr Trail Road.“Come on, Curt,” Peggy urged me to join her in finding what had captured everyone’s attention.An incredible slot canyon that towered 80 feet into the air. Peggy provides a good perspective on its size. It’s know locally as Singing Canyon because of its incredible acoustics. Peggy turned her camera up and caught this photo of the ceiling…And this. Note the deep purple as well as the orange and red colors.I focused on the slot canyons floor that was equally colorful. Turning around, there was a light at the end of the tunnel/slot canyon, and it featured a tree lit up by the sun. Peggy took a closer photo of the tree. I liked the way the trunk and limbs stood out. Several more things caught our interest outside of Singing Canyon.An ancient cottonwood that looked like it could star in a fantasy movie…The world’s largest sling shot?And a very unusual example of rock erosion.Meanwhile, Peggy was finding her own definition of strange by peering into the holes in rocks she liked. The hole had its own example of Burr Trail scenery.I’ll conclude out journey through Long Canyon with a final view of the wall that runs along the edge of the road.As I mentioned at the beginning, the Burr Creek Trail road had its own interesting rock formations. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)Even the roadside was scenic!I like the contrast of these trees and shrubs growing among the rocks alongside the road.Peggy captured this rock formation with a tree in front…And a final Boulder Trail Road photo by Peggy. Next Friday’s Post. Finally, Bryce Canyon.
Wandering through Time and Place 