Driving Scenic Byway 24

We decided to go a little out of our way in order to take Scenic Byway 24 to get from Canyonlands National Park to Torrey.

We did not make any stops, beyond getting gas, on our drive.

The trip was 175 miles and took us a little over three hours.

The diversity of the landscape was amazing.

These beautifully colored hills are near Hanksville. 

We saw very few fellow travelers along the road.

I had read about a gas station built into a mountain, so we took the opportunity to visit it, fill up on gas, and use the restrooms. It’s only a minute out of the way.

At this point, the landscape had a lunar look to it. There is a Mars Desert Research Station, owned by the Mars Society, in the area. We did not have time to stop, but it would make for an interesting side trip.

It’s really nice to be the passenger on this drive, so you can sit back and enjoy all of the changing scenery.

You will know that you are getting close to Torrey when you are back among the red rock formations. We stayed at the Noor Hotel, which was quite nice and had an excellent location. We also loved La Cueva Restaurant, for lunch or dinner, which you could walk to from the hotel. The next day had us exploring Capitol Reef National Park and enjoying another scenic drive along National Scenic Byway 12 to Bryce.

Things to Know Before You Go

1.  Make sure you have a full tank of gas. There is a whole lot of nothing for most of the ride.
2. Make sure you have a downloaded or printed map, in case you lose service.
3. There are some lovely stops along the road, we just were not able to include them on our trip.

National Parks to Visit

Bryce Canyon National Park

Saguaro National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

Arches National Park

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