US 89 North: One of America's Most Beautiful Byways

Driving through the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument along US 89 in Utah

The colors and scenery along US 89 (both in Arizona and Utah) are gorgeous.

Glen Canyon Dam

Our recent trip took us to Bryce Canyon, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Badlands National Parks.  We also visited Devil's Tower and Mount Rushmore National Monuments.

We left home on Memorial Day weekend and traveled the four and a half hours to Flagstaff, AZ, spending a couple days exploring the historic area.  We next took US 89 up to the Arizona/Utah border, passing through Page, AZ, beautiful Lake Powell, and the Glen Canyon Recreation Area.  I absolutely love the drive north on 89.  The Vermillion Cliffs, Navajo Reservation, parts of the Painted Desert, and Moenkopi Desert are absolutely gorgeous.  The land takes on so many forms--from rounded mounds that look like petrified sand dunes to canyons with steep walls colored yellow, rose, and green. Flat valley areas, home to the Navajo and Hopi people, are dotted with small ranches where sheep, goats, and horses are raised.  If you take US 89A at Bitter Springs, you will connect with the Grand Canyon Highway (SR 67) for a stunning drive across the Colorado River to the pristine, peaceful North Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

More of the glowing Grand Staircase-Escalante.

The drive through Utah on US 89 is spectacular.  We passed through portions of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument which features distant stair-step-like plateaus and cliffs of vibrant coral-orange.  The red rocks here can give Sedona a run for its fame.  It was still morning and the lighting was perfect.  The landscape was aglow as the sun touched cliff faces but couldn't quite chase away the shadows.  Along this route, a visitor can take easy detours to several famous national parks, including Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, and Capitol Reef.  Cedar Breaks National Monument and the aptly-named Kodachrome Basin State Park are also in the area.  This is simply breathtaking country.