Photograph the Burr Trail Switchbacks
ScenicModerateSpringSummerYear-round
Experience the dramatic transition from the Waterpocket Fold to the high desert via a series of steep, unpaved hairpins.
Itinerary tips
- 1Ensure your vehicle has high clearance and check the weather forecast, as the bentonite clay surface becomes impassable when wet.
- 2Allocate at least three to four hours for the round trip if starting from Boulder, Utah, to account for slow speeds and photo stops.
- 3Pack a polarizing filter and a wide-angle lens to capture the scale of the zig-zagging road against the red rock cliffs.
- 4Stop at the pull-out at the top of the switchbacks for the iconic 'looking down' perspective before beginning your descent.
- 5Carry a physical map of the Grand Staircase-Escalante area since cellular service is nonexistent once you leave Highway 12.
- 6Visit the nearby Strike Valley Overlook for a complementary aerial view of the Waterpocket Fold geological feature.
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