You can take a day or a week on this route and you still wouldn’t see everything. This scenic loop through Escalante, Capitol Reef, Burr Trail and Boulder takes you over The Hogsback on Utah 12, through the forest at 9600 feet up and into the dirt with 12% grade switchbacks.
We started our ride from Escalante, Utah since we were boondocking with the RV at the Hole in the Rock BLM land. However, this is also a good starting point to experience the notorious Hogsback. The hogsback is a narrow winding road with extreme drops on both sides. We heard stories about this stretch of road, but to be honest, it must be more intimidating in a four-wheeled vehicle because it was a bit anticlimactic on our motorcycles. Keep riding north past Boulder all the way to Torrey, the curves tighten up and the views expand.
Once in Torrey head east on 24 to Captiol Reef National Park. It’s worth the side trip into the park to take the scenic drive.
After the park, continue winding east on 24 to Notam-Bullfrog Road. It won’t be long until this road turns to dirt and goes on for miles. We road through areas that looked like we were on another planet. When you get to Burr Trail make the turn and prepare for the dirt switchbacks! After the switchbacks the road is paved, but WOW so much to see. This road could be weeks of adventure on its own. Check out the driving guide from the National Park Service.
On this particular day – we were about the ride, we did not take full advantage of all this route has to offer. We didn’t take many photos either, we were living in the moment, taking it all in, enjoying the ride. Whether you marathon this route into one day like we did or break it up to stop at all the vistas, take a few hikes or dive deep into the geology and history – it is worth every mile.
