Over the past forty years, I've traveled frequently between two of Utah's most popular scenic attractions, Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon. The two parks are a mere seventy-five minutes apart in drive time, and within that short distance, there are numerous opportunities to stop, stretch your legs, capture scenic pictures, consume something delicious, and even take time for an outdoor adventure.

When the Pavement Ends

We'll begin on the eastern border of Zion National Park, with cooler temperatures at elevations rising above six-thousand feet. Here, you'll discover a great place from which to base your Zion to Bryce experience, with a multi-night stay at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. Surrounded by 4,000 private acres and bordering the park for five linear miles, this twenty-seven-year-old destination ranch is a hidden jewel that many have yet to discover. When the pavement comes to an end, your outdoor adventure officially begins as Zion Ponderosa offers relaxation and adventure in abundance. Learn more at ZionPonderosa.com.

Head East: the Belly of the Dragon

It's not uncommon to see a water passageway constructed under a road, but this unique tunnel has taken on a dramatic look of its own. Carved under Highway 89, this horizontal shaft was cut through sandstone and looks very much like the throat of some giant beast. A walk through this dragon's gullet will take only minutes, but it's worth the short detour. This brief adventure is located just one mile south of Mt. Carmel Junction on Highway 89.

A Stop for Famous Art 

You'll be enamored with a stop in Mt. Carmel to view the Maynard Dixon Legacy Museum. Dixon was an American artist who is famous for his landscape paintings of the American West. Take time to view his art and to tour his actual home and creative sanctuary.

A House of Order

A few miles north on Highway 89, you'll find the quaint but very accommodating town of Orderville, named for the efforts of this town's initial residents to live a communal life of equally shared resources. Part of the backdrop to this town is the Glendale Bench, long white cliffs that have numerous intricately carved slot canyons along the western base. Orderville's location along Highway 89 between Zion and Bryce has given rise to a more recent increase in visitor services, and it's here that I’ll highlight two possible options for your consideration. 

Energy along the Way

Perhaps the most popular dining establishment between Kanab and Panguitch along the Highway 89 corridor is Orderville's The Shop Coffee Company, so named for its location within a former auto repair shop. Baked treats, delicious flavored cold drinks, coffees, and delectable sandwiches are the hallmark items served here; my mouth waters just thinking about the menu.

Outdoor Adventure

Getting off the pavement is the modus operandi of a local guide and outfitter company called East Zion Adventures. Their crew will lead you on horseback rides, off-road adventures to scenic overlooks, and guided tours of the area's convoluted slot canyons. Learn more at EastZionAdventures.com.

Deviations

There are numerous other diversions to explore, but add Lydia's Canyon and side roads into the Grand Staircase from Glendale or Alton to your list of possible options to investigate further. The junction of Highways 14 and 89 can lead you west into Duck Creek Village, Cascade Falls, Navajo Lake, and Cedar Breaks National Monument. 

Staying on the Pavement: Red Canyon

Just two miles east of the junction of Highway 89 and Scenic Byway 12, you'll be looking up at formations rather than down. Red Canyon, within the Dixie National Forest, offers paved paths, walking trails, mountain biking trails, signature hoodoo formations, and the deep blue skies you'll also experience at Bryce Canyon. Some visitors confuse this area for Bryce Canyon itself, and it's no small wonder that they do. Nearby Casto and Losee Canyons are two additional backcountry options that deserve discovery before you ascend the Paunsaugunt Plateau and actually enter Bryce Canyon.

Learn more at UtahGuide.com.