Scenic Drives USA

Smithsonian Butte is in southwest Utah 40 miles northeast of Saint George. The short nine-mile route follows Smithsonian Butte County Road between Rockville and UT 59. The county road is a graded dirt road suitable for most vehicles. Because of sharp curves and a half-mile of steep grade, large RVs and vehicles pulling trailers are discouraged from traveling the byway. Smithsonian Butte can usually be completed under dry conditions and should not be attempted after rain or snowfall. The road on the north-facing slope of Smithsonian Butte can remain covered with snow during winter.

Smithsonian Butte Back Country Byway is best driven from south to north for the spectacular views into Zion National Park. Be cautious, the turn onto the byway from NM 59 is tight. Once you’re on the byway heading north, you are treated to views of Smithsonian Butte ahead of you. To the east is Canaan Mountain and the Vermilion Cliffs. Nearly three miles into your scenic journey you’ll reach Grafton Wash Canyon. From here you can see the distant Pine Valley Mountains to the northwest; you have reached the byway’s highest point at 4,920 feet.

The byway begins heading east, winding across Wire Mesa. Soon you begin the steep descent from Wire Mesa into Horse Valley Wash. Before you is a spectacular view of the Virgin River Valley. Be cautious, though, because this portion of the road descends 800 feet in a little more than a half mile.

Once you’ve safely descended from Wire Mesa, you’ll come to a junction. You can turn left (west) and visit the ghost town of Grafton or head east and end your scenic experience in Rockville. The present site of Grafton was settled in 1862 after the original town was washed away in the big flood of 1859. The town was abandoned in the early 1900s.

Mirror Lake is 45 miles east of Salt Lake City in north-central Utah. The byway begins in Kamas and travels northeast to the Wyoming state line, a distance of 65 miles. It follows UT 150, which is a two-lane paved road suitable for all vehicles. Mirror Lake is open Memorial Day to mid-October. A portion of the byway is groomed in winter for snowmobile use.

Byway travelers can begin their scenic journey in Kamas, which is 6,437 feet above sea level. Traveling east you’ll pass through stands of pinyon pines and juniper with Beaver Creek flowing nearby. As the byway begins to climb, the pinyon-juniper landscape gives way to lodgepole pine and aspen. You’ll leave Beaver Creek and begin following the course set by the Provo River. The byway continues to climb until you reach Bald Mountain Pass at 10,715 feet. Overlooks nearby provide beautiful views of Bald Mountain, just west of you, and the vast wilderness of high mountain peaks to the east. The byway then begins its descent to end at the Wyoming state line, all the while providing spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.

A two-mile trail accessed near Bald Mountain Pass will take you to the top of Bald Mountain. The panoramic view from this mountain peak is breathtaking. Another short walking trail, this one paved, will take you to the Provo River Falls Overlook. Trails near Lost Creek Campground will lead you among many alpine lakes. The ten-mile Notch Mountain Trail will leave the byway from this area, take you along beautiful mountain lakes, and return to the byway at Bald Mountain Pass.

If you’re interested in staying overnight, there are over twenty campgrounds to choose from with a total of nearly 700 sites. The campgrounds are generally open from Memorial Day through September. All the campgrounds can accommodate tents or RVs. Most provide drinking water and comfort stations; none have hookups.