AZ 89 vs 89 A

When I checked Google maps from Kanab to Flagstaff, 89A is only 3 miles shorter....insignificant IMO. As others have stated, 89/89T is an easier route to drive. Hwy 89A goes up and down a mountain with some winding parts, and goes by the road to the Grand Canyon North Rim. Both routes are scenic.

While route 89A has grades up to the Kaibab Plateau and back down again, it the only route that provides the opportunity to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, IMO worth the effort.

I've driven both routes within the past year with car in tow. 89T is the better road of the two, only because of the narrow, twisting and no shoulder portions of 89A between Jacob Lake and the flat down by the river. However, that will not deter me from taking 89A, either direction, in the future if the weather is decent. Otherwise, 89A is comparable in road condition, surface, width and shoulder.

In my opinion, the detour for US 89 is better for RV driving than the original 89 was. The new route is called US89T. The landslide that closed 89 was in February 2013. It will reopen in Spring 2015. I would not take 89A, especially if the weather is dicey. It is a narrow road with some serious grades. 89T is a much easier drive.

I drive this route several times a year, including winter, and I prefer 89/89T hands down.

Detour Information

Hi from AZ. . . As I recall, US 89 is closed between Page & Bitter Springs (Hwy collapsed), so best bet would be US 89A from Kanab South. Road is fine, gas stations kind of far apart, not a decent restaurant till Flagstaff. be safe, Craig