MJR wrote:
On the way back exit interstate 70 onto highway 24 south through Capitol Reef National Park to highway 12 south through Dixie National Forest, Grand Escalante National Monument, and Bryce Canyon National Park to US 89 south to highway 9 west through Zion National Park and ending at interstate 15 south to home. I have done this route before. Allow time to stop and enjoy.
Mike R
Oh, yeah babe. That is one of the most beautiful routes in Utah! If you plan to spend a night or two in Boulder there plenty of trails paved and unpaved to explore on. And when you leave you can side track into Bryce. From there, as Mike says, a shortcut into Zion off of 89.
But I took a 40 miles dirt track, east of the Bryce cutoff, down to hwy 89 a few miles west of Glen Canyon Dam. It's a quick shot down to flagstaff and I-40 if you're in a hurry to get home.
Oh, and from Boulder there's about a 70 mile dirt track back to the north end of Lake Powell that'll knock your socks off with scenic beauty.