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| Bryce Canyon National Park |
10 |
Kodachrome Basin State Park |
14 |
| Grosvenor Arch |
22 |
Mossy Cave |
3 |
| Red Canyon |
22 |
Anasazi Indian Village |
66 |
| Petrified Forest State Park |
38 |
Calf Creek Falls |
65 |
| Burr Trail via Boulder, Utah |
80 |
Devil's Garden/Hole-in-the-rock |
57 |
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Suggested One Tank Trip Itineraries (and this just scratches the surface)!
**Very important to stay off all back country dirt roads when it has recently
rained and or snowed or is forecasted to rain or snow within the day or two**
| Day 1—Bryce Canyon National Park (3 hours+) |
| The jewel of the area, Bryce Canyon National Park is located on Utah 63, just 10 miles from Tropic. This drive will begin along a winding canyon, speckled with the green of juniper trees and the cream and orange colored canyon walls. While traveling past one of the many vast meadows, visitors may spy one of the large antelope herds that live in the area. Upon entering Bryce Canyon, visitors can enjoy a drive through the park with stops at each of the 13-viewpoints. This journey is a must do for everyone visiting the park and should take approximately 3 hours to complete. Hiking into the hoodoos is an exciting activity for the more adventurous. The park offers 11 daylong hiking trails as well as many back country trails that will take more than one-day. Information on all of these trails and other activities are available at the Visitors Center.
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| Day 2—Ghost Towns (all day) |
| There are 7 ghost towns in Garfield County. Talk with one of our Front Desk staff to give you a map and information about the towns and set out for a day of adventure on your own. Each town was once rich in history and purpose. And they are being forgotten. Relish the beauty of their surroundings and the beauty of getting there.
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| Day 3—Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (all day) |
| Make sure you are prepared with lots of film. Travel East on Highway 12 for approximately 30 minutes. There is a small parking area that lets you stop and look through a pipe to see the remains of an Anasazi Indian cliff dwelling. The remains include a grain bin. Continue on Highway 12. Notice how the scenery changes around every turn. Just before the town of Escalante, you will find the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. This park takes you back in time as you walk through many specimens of petrified wood and dinosaur tracks. Next you come to the quaint town of Escalante. Continuing on Highway 12, your scenery continues to change. Take time to stop at the overlooks. Hang on tight as you go across the Hog’s Back. And continue on to Boulder to stop at the Anasazi Indian Village State Park. Don’t turn back yet. The drive past Boulder takes you high into the vastly treed mountains. Continue on Highway 12 until it dead ends with Highway 24. Then turn around and head back for Tropic. Enjoy the ride as the scenery you just saw changes and becomes a whole different view.
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| Day 4—Museum and Preserve (3 hours +) |
| This is one place that anyone of any age can truly enjoy the wonders of nature. Take a short 12 minute drive West on Highway 12 to the Paunsaugunt Wildlife Museum. This World Class Museum is crammed full of over 400 animals from all over the world. This Museum opened in 2006 and features Butterfly collections, arrowhead collections, Indian Artifacts, true-to-life habitat scenes for the animals. And you will not see this any where else in the world. Make sure you head outside of the building to visit the Fallow Deer from Australia. They love to have visitors too. Stop by the Gift Shop for memorabilia. When you are finished here, head East on Highway 12 approximately 2 miles until you see Airport Road on your left. Take this road to the split and veer left on the dirt road. This takes you to the Elk Preserve. This preserve also opened in 2006 and features Rocky Mountain Bull Elk of all ages. They originate from World Class Trophy Genetics. There are tours via tractor drawn wagon or drive your own vehicle. These elk love visitors and will get up close to you. You can spend 15 minutes or several hours viewing this majestic creature. If you haven’t gotten quite enough wildlife viewing in your system, take a drive along Highway 22 (next intersection going East on Highway 12) to view the Antelope, and mule deer roaming. You may possibly get the chance to see the wild elk roaming.
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| Day 5—Mossy Cave (2 hours +) |
| Travel West on Highway 12 about 3 miles to a parking area on the left hand side of the road. Mossy Cave is a part of the Bryce Canyon National Park. This unmarked parking area is the beginning of a beautiful pathway to a waterfall and a cave. The trail is moderate. Pine trees, red rocks, and Manzanita brush lead you to the fork in the road—right to the waterfall, and left to the cave. The waterfall is from the drainage off the Tropic Reservoir located just a few miles above the Mossy Cave area. The cave is a water-laden cave that is covered in moss. The water is in the cave year around. Icicles abound during the wintertime. But be careful and do not try to go inside the cave as the years are washing away the insides. The water from the cave meets up at the bottom of the ravine with the water from the waterfall. This area is quiet, cool and refreshing from the summer heat. You can take some of the trails in this area that lead you to the “wall of windows” or up the river to some beautiful scenery. Plan to spend 1 to many hours in the Mossy Cave area.
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| Day 6—Kodachrome Basin State Park/Grosvenor Arch (2 hours +) |
| Head East on Highway 12 to the town of Cannonville just 3 miles away. Follow the signs. The road is paved all the way to the park. You can hike, mountain bike, or take a trail ride among the colorful, unique rock formations and cliffs. These formations are formed by volcanic activity thousands of years ago, much like what Yellowstone currently is like. The sediment from this volcanic activity resulted in the rock formations such as the Ballerina. After visiting Kodachrome State Park, head towards Cannonville, but turn left on the dirt road named Cottonwood. **VERY CRUCIAL THAT YOU DO NOT TAKE THIS ROAD IF IT HAS RAINED IN THE PASSED TWO DAYS OR IF IT IS FORCASTED TO RAIN** This is a beautiful 9 mile drive to the turn to Grosvenor Arch. You will park your vehicle and be able walk right up this huge rock in the middle of the desert by itself containing this huge arch. The white sandstone stands brilliantly against the deep blue sky.
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| Day 7—Red Canyon (2 hours +) |
| Travel West on Highway 12 approximately 15 miles to Red Canyon. This canyon is a forested red rock canyon that is famous for its tunnels. These tunnels have appeared in many tv commercials. There are many trails for hiking and mountain biking. The Bike Trail was completed a few years ago and is perfect for the bike enthusiast. During the winter, the same trail is great for the cross country skier. Butch Cassidy’s hideout is accessible along the Butch Cassidy trail. Horse rides traverse through this canyon many times a day. ATV’s are also allowed on the designated trails throughout Red Canyon. The perfect spot for photographers.
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