 Heading southeast from the town of Boulder, the Burr Trail Scenic Backway crosses some of the most stunning wilderness in the southwest. Visitors may envision being on a cattle drive in the Old West as they retrace the path of John Atlantic Burr, a rancher for whom the road is named.
The 66-mile Burr Trail starts in Boulder and ends near Ticaboo and the Bullfrog Marina on the shores of Lake Powell. It passes through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Capitol Reef National Park, and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The road is improved on both ends with the exception of 10 miles inside Capitol Reef National Park and 11 miles south on BLM land.
This route is recommended for dry weather conditions only. Although the improved sections may be driven in wet weather, other sections can be muddy, rutted and impassable when wet. Check with the local visitor center for road and weather conditions before starting out on this backway. No services are available along the backway.
The Burr Trail travels through some striking scenery. Visitors will drive through the bottom of Long Canyon, a colorful gorge. Views of the Circle Cliffs, the Waterpocket Fold of Capitol Reef, and Henry Mountains (the location of the only free roaming herd of buffalo in the country) can be seen from the Burr Trail.
Trail heads along the backway provide access to a variety of routes. Mountain biking is another way to enjoy the area. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument maintains the small, rustic Deer Creek Campground, located 6 miles from Boulder. The closest available services are in Boulder and Ticaboo. |
Leaving the Escalante area and driving east takes travelers on the “Million Dollar Road to Boulder.” This section of Scenic Byway 12 was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and completed in 1935 (paved in 1971) providing the first year round access for automobiles to this isolated pocket in southwestern Utah. Before then, mail and supplies were carried to Boulder by mules and pack horses over Hell’s Backbone or the Boulder Mail Trail, both hazardous routes.
Fifteen miles east of Escalante, Scenic Byway 12 descends to Calf Creek Recreation Area. This Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument facility is a perfect place to wade in the creek, have a picnic, or take the six mile round-trip nature hike to Lower Calf Creek Falls. The sandy trail ends at the 126-foot falls and an enchanting grotto with a deep pool surrounded by shade trees.
