Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway
What do you picture when someone mentions Utah? Is it Zion National Park? Is it deserts and deep canyons? Or is it the wonderland for skiing and snowboarding? Growing up, my dad has taken my family across the Southwest. We stopped by Arizona, Utah, and eventually made our way through New Mexico. When people think of the Southwest, I think they tend to think of the desert. But I’m here to show you another side of the Beehive State. And don’t worry, it doesn’t involve any bees either.
If you ever find yourself in Salt Lake City, I highly recommend driving through one of the many scenic byways that are in close proximity to the city. I find it especially helpful because once you’re out of Salt Lake City, you will be greeted by tons of red rocks and canyons. It’s good to remember that Utah is so much more than just the Mighty Five.
The first time I stepped into this side of Utah was when I attended a friend’s wedding in Snowbird last year. I had a blast at the wedding (with a few dramatic episodes here and there). All I remember was I was extremely hungover the day after the wedding. While my friends decided to convene to spend a day on Antelope Island, I set out to take a quick nap at an Airbnb and then eventually ate dinner with them. The next day, I was committed to do more exploring since the previous day was ruined by my stupid self and being hungover.
The next day, I decided to take a trip back up to the mountains. I did some quick research through AllTrails and found a few potential hikes to do. Nonetheless, I didn’t actually go on any hike but while driving towards the trailheads, I embarked on an unexpectedly scenic highway. To this day, I don’t remember exactly what route I took. I just remember passing several pullouts and I was greeted by waterfalls and alpines. The drive eventually took me above the tree line and I was met with a winter wonderland (although not everything was quite covered in powder). The drive ended up taking me all the way to Bridal Veil Falls (how many of these exists in the United States? Who knows.), which is located just a few minutes outside of Provo. I had a flight to catch in the evening so I made Bridal Veil Falls the last stop. Again, I promised myself that one day, I will return to experience this area.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I took a 2.5 week road trip down to the Southwest again. After stopping in Oregon and Idaho, it was time we made our way down to Utah. We knew we were going to be camping for a couple of days so we decided that it would make sense to stop at a larger city in case we needed to restock and whatnot. My friend had prior obligations to fulfill for her internship so I set out to explore the mountains again. This time, I returned to Highway 190 that took me all the way to Brighton and Solitude - two of the most popular ski resorts near Salt Lake City. To be honest, I had no idea where I was heading to. But I knew I only had 2.5 hours to explore this area.
Random pullout spots are always better than a predefined parking lot for scenic views.
Once again, I did some quick research on AllTrails to find a ‘destination’. This time, I was driving towards Donut Falls. I suppose October must have been a great month for people to do some last minute camping and hike before winter comes. The lot was packed. Since we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, I opted to continue driving. Eventually, I was met with all sorts of trees that were covered in the most dramatic shades of red, orange, and yellow. I knew I was going to miss larch season in Washington but I wasn’t mad at all. Even though I wasn’t able to see the larches, the trees situated along Highway 190 was unbelievable. The first time I did this drive, the sun was about to set. I couldn’t miss the opportunity to capture the colors. I parked in a tiny pullout spot and proceeded to taking pictures of the trees and the fall colors.
I always want more, especially when I’m on a road trip.
When I saw the trees, all I could think of what it would look like when the first light in the morning shines on them. So I decided to return to the drive to enjoy a tiny bit of solitude and enjoy an epic sunrise. Fine, the sunrise wasn’t as epic as anticipated. But the morning light was definitely worth waking up at 5 in the morning. Instead of stopping at the same pullout as I did the night before, I just started driving again. I passed Donut Falls one more time and found a river along Highway 190. I parked my car and patiently waited for the sun to rise above the mountains and the trees. The lighting was to die for. There’s really something magical about seeing the first light of the day.
No larches, no problem. Fall colors in Utah are just as amazing.
In case you’re curious (and decide to catch some fall colors next year and beat the crowds of larch season), I highly recommend driving through the Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway near Salt Lake City. The start of the drive is only about 20 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City. The byway is about 15 miles long but there’s plenty to stop on the way. Not to mention the hiking and camping opportunities along the way too. If you’re feeling adventurous, I’m pretty sure as you drive past Brighton, you will eventually hit Snowbird and then all the way to Provo (to see Bridal Veil Falls). This drive is actually a part of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. To see information on the several scenic byways within the national forests, be sure to check out the USFS website.
I can’t wait to come back to actually do some of the hikes in this area.