Fall Road Trip

Suggested route to see the best fall foliage in Southern Utah

Yankee Meadow and Kolob Reservoir Road

This scenic drive is always beautiful Summer thru Fall.

• Begin in Parowan (I-15 Exit #75 or #78) and from Main Street turn east on Center Street, which becomes Hwy-143.
• Hwy-143 climbs past the colorful Vermillion Cliffs through Parowan Canyon, to the forested heights of nearly 10,000 Feet. The maple and oak trees that line this highway make this an incredible autumn drive later in the season. About five miles up Hwy-143 is the Yankee Meadow Rd. turn-off.
• This is a nice side trip on a good gravel road. The Yankee Meadow road leads from the pinion juniper forest past the Vermillion Castle picnic area, through some incredible red rock formations and canyons to the alpine reservoir of Yankee Meadow. Here you can fish or just wonder around the lake for a pleasant morning in the pines and aspens.
• Return to Hwy-143 the same way you came in.
• Continuing south on Hwy-143, the road will wind through some intricate chimney-shaped formations and then will climb a 13% grade to Brian Head Ski and Summer area.
• Continuing on Hwy-143 is Cedar Breaks National Monument. Cedar Breaks is a large, natural limestone amphitheater about three miles wide and 2,500 feet deep. The walls are eroded in carved spires and dazzling rock formations. Small stands of Bristlecone Pines, the world’s oldest living tree species, grow along the rim. Stop at the Visitor Center to see the incredible view and hike the two mile Spectra Point Trail.
• The highway through Cedar Breaks continues south and then connects with Hwy-14. Head west on Hwy-14 and continue past the Zion Overlook through the Ashdown Gorge and into Cedar City.
• Just before Cedar City, there is a nice side trip known as the Kolob Reservoir/Right Hand Canyon Scenic Backway. The road twists and turns up the face of Cedar Mountain. The maple and oak along this backway are stunning and the view into the Cedar Valley is not to be missed.
• Best to follow the road until it turns to gravel, then turn around and return to Highway 14. Past this point the road turns to a decant gravel road that can become impassable in bad weather. If it is a good day and you are prepared and up for an adventure you can follow this route all the way to Hwy-9 west of Zion National Park.