Anybody driven Cottonwood Canyon Rd in Southern Utah?

Looks good from the picture but haven't done it in person.

I've been wanting to do that one for some time now. The only warning I've seen is that it can get rough if it's rained. I suspect they have some muddy/sandy low-water crossings.
:)
Lynn

Mike,

We have with our truck and large canopy (small camper). There are some nice hikes as well as some nice places to camp along the way. As long as it is dry, the road is fine for all types of vehicles (not towing) However, I wouldn't go anywhere near that road if it has recently rained (or if rain is in the forecast).....

Have a nice trip,
Steve

SteveAE wrote:
Mike,

We have with our truck and large canopy (small camper). There are some nice hikes as well as some nice places to camp along the way. As long as it is dry, the road is fine for all types of vehicles (not towing) However, I wouldn't go anywhere near that road if it has recently rained (or if rain is in the forecast).....

Have a nice trip,
Steve

Cool! Thanks, Steve. How long did the drive take you? 4 hours? 6 hours? My curiosity in this route has been peaked by recently driving the first 9 miles to Kodachrome Basin State Park.

Mike,

The first time, we took several day, camping and hiking along the way. The second time, it took about four hours, but we were just motoring along.

On edit, I now recall that we spent about a hour poking around the fossilized shell beds in the southern part of the route on the second trip. So one-way time for that trip was closer to 3 hours.

Steve

SteveAE wrote:
Mike,

The first time, we took several day, camping and hiking along the way. The second time, it took about four hours, but we were just motoring along.

Steve

Sounds great, thanks!

Mike,

Cottonwood Canyon Road is one I use frequently, as in good weather it provides a useful and scenic shortcut between U.S. Hwy 89 and Utah 12. There are some great hikes along the way, and of course the country is beautiful. Be warned however, as the road is one of those backways that becomes a trap for the unwary when it rains - See the link for the "Impassable when wet" below.

Listed below are entries are from my previous blog posts and RV.Net trip reports about this wonderful 47 mile dirt road.


Cottonwood Canyon - the Heart of Grand Staircase - Escalante

A Tale of Three Roads - Part 1

Impassable when wet

Mike,

I've driven Cottonwood Canyon Road dozens of times. The condition varies dramatically denpending on when it was last graded. If it rains or if the Paria River cuts into it can be really bad or destroyed. I have not driven it this year. Obviously it has not rained much lately so the big concern would be how bad the washboarding is. And the washboards can be so bad you wouldn't want to drive it on a pleasure trip.

It is definitely true that if that road is wet it is impassable. I was once forced to turn around on that road when it was wet in my full size Bronco. The details of that turnaround are even amazing. The mud that forms is the stickiest most slippery I've ever experienced.

You should be able to get a current road condition report from the BLM visitor centers in Big Water or Cannonville.

The views are great from that road. We have used this road to hike Hackberry Canyon, The Box, visit a BLM dinosaur discovery, visit Grosvenor Arch and more.

Rob P.

seldomseensmith wrote:
Mike,

Cottonwood Canyon Road is one I use frequently, as in good weather it provides a useful and scenic shortcut between U.S. Hwy 89 and Utah 12. There are some great hikes along the way, and of course the country is beautiful. Be warned however, as the road is one of those backways that becomes a trap for the unwary when it rains - See the link for the "Impassable when wet" below.

Listed below are entries are from my previous blog posts and RV.Net trip reports about this wonderful 47 mile dirt road.


Cottonwood Canyon - the Heart of Grand Staircase - Escalante

A Tale of Three Roads - Part 1

Impassable when wet

Eric,
I should've known that you were well acquainted with this road. :) I should've looked at your blog first before asking this question. Looks like you've had some adventures with that route. I hope I never catch myself in a situation like that. Getting stuck is not my idea of fun. :)

Axle wrote:
Mike,

I've driven Cottonwood Canyon Road dozens of times. The condition varies dramatically denpending on when it was last graded. If it rains or if the Paria River cuts into it can be really bad or destroyed. I have not driven it this year. Obviously it has not rained much lately so the big concern would be how bad the washboarding is. And the washboards can be so bad you wouldn't want to drive it on a pleasure trip.

It is definitely true that if that road is wet it is impassable. I was once forced to turn around on that road when it was wet in my full size Bronco. The details of that turnaround are even amazing. The mud that forms is the stickiest most slippery I've ever experienced.

You should be able to get a current road condition report from the BLM visitor centers in Big Water or Cannonville.

The views are great from that road. We have used this road to hike Hackberry Canyon, The Box, visit a BLM dinosaur discovery, visit Grosvenor Arch and more.
Rob P.

Thanks, Rob. Looks like you have quite a bit of experience with this road. Assuming the road is dry, do you think my truck and camper combo can safely negotiate this route?