Scenic Drives
When you think about scenic drives, isn't the purpose to see the scenery and not the traffic? In Utah, backroads and scenic beauty are in large supply. Explore our Scenic Byways (paved routes) and Scenic Backways (gravel roads) and discover remote areas of the state.
Hwy 153 is Beaver County’s Scenic Byway. It runs up and into the Tushar Mountains and has abundant pull-offs for enjoying grand views. What about scenic backways? The 62-mile, state-designated Kimberly/Big John Backway is a turnoff from Hwy 153. This gravel road provides views of the highest peaks in the county and meanders down into the rustic communities of the Sevier River Valley and Hwy 89. Due to snow in high elevations, this route is open from July through the beginning of October.
The Pass Road in the Mineral Mountains is another Scenic Backway in Beaver County. It’s accessed by heading west from Beaver City on Hwy 21 and taking the turnoff at Adamsville. This Backway provides great scenery of the Granite Peaks in the Mineral Mountains. At the top cattle guard crossing, there’s a pull-off for a short hike to the Granite Peak Reservoir. This road has some tight turns and allows for a slow excursion to enjoy all the high desert flowers and wide-open mountainsides.