Sunday, September 3rd. Day 6 of our road trip Utah-Nevada. We wake up in Kodachrome State Park, a small gem near Bryce Canyon. We will be in remote places for the next days so we need to do some grocery shopping and fill up the gas tank. We also need some info about a place we really want to go: Alstrom Point. Manu found this epic point of view through pictures on Google Images and research via Road Trippers. We stop at 2 visitor centers, and no ranger is able to give us some relevant info “I’ve never been there”, “I don’t know the road conditions right now”.
Before getting there at the end of the day, we have a scenic road to drive: Cottonwood Canyon Road (Road 400), it’s a 47 miles (75 km) dirt road, we take it from Kodachrome, off to Scenic Byway 12. The road isn’t drivable all year long: it can be flash flooded, there can be snow in wintertime. But today, as soon as we start driving: we love it, the sky is blue, the road is indeed dirty, an orange/red dirt. It’s narrow, bumpy: not a big deal for our huge Ford Expedition.
Car Selfie
Dirt road
Lunch picnic
A vista above the road: it sometimes seems that we are on the back of a dragon!
The scenic drive is part of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Most of Southern Utah is within a protected area: national parks for the most famous, or national monument, or recreational area. It’s not a difference of words: the more protected the area, the less susceptible it is for commercial exploitation to be allowed. Recently, the administration has decided to shrink Grand Staircase Escalante. Some places will be opened for commercial exploitation. Profit, profit, profit…
Grosvenor Arch
This beautiful double arch is a rarity, it heights at 45 meters, or 150 feet
The colors are changing, we are still in the desert
My favorite part: look at the crust bursting out of the earth. It looks cataclysmic!
We leave this scenic road and stumble upon a huge highway, well-known for any road trippers in this area: Route 89, going to Lake Powell. We stop at the visitor center in Big Water, and don’t let go of Alstrom Point. We are so close to get there! The ranger tells us he has no idea how is the current condition of the road. Still, he gives us a map, hand drawn on a piece of paper: our route to get there. It’s not precise at all. Manu is able to download the Google Map of the area, and we decide to try to follow it!
The drive lasts for 1 hour, it’s probable one of the best roads I’ve ever been on. We get to Alstrom Point for the sunset and moorise over Lake Powell. Spoiler alert, it looks like this (see below): and this is probablt the best camping spot. I’ll talk about it on the next article! Stay tuned.
Infos
- The best memories of that day: it was hot, it was spectacular, a new vista after any turns. The high clearance SUV isn’t required.
- The closest towns are Cannonville (North) and Big Water (South). It’s also fairly close to Page and Kanab.
- Hotels in the area, if you’re not a camper: Grand Staircase Inn* , Bryce Luxury Camping*. A few years ago, I slept at the Parry Lodge*in Kanab.
- Best season: We were there at the beginning of September, it’s still summer, but the storms are more frequent. Always stop by a visitor center to know more about the weather. There’s snow in winter.
- Read the road trip recap here: Nevada/Utah
▶ More info on the Scenic Byway 12
▶ If you’ve been there, tell your stories in the comments below!
