Anybody driven Cottonwood Canyon Rd in Southern Utah?

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

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,

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,

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,

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

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

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