Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The drive up Zion's western fringe onto the Kolob Plateau is usually uncrowded, and
it offers dramatic views of such red-walled mesas and bluffs as Tabernacle Dome and the
two Guardian Angels. Note that some parts of the road are unpaved, and they may be im-
passable after rains; much of the road is closed throughout the winter.
5.
Grafton
South of Rte. 9 near Rockville lurk the haunting remains of Grafton, a famous ghost town
dating from the 1850s. The settlers were bedeviled in turn by drought, flood, and hostile
Paiute Indians. By the early 1900s, even the most stalwart had moved to one of the neigh-
boring towns. The road to Grafton is unpaved, but the town's time-worn buildings and
haunting ambience are well worth the trip. Frequently filmed and photographed, the town
served as the backdrop for the bicycle scene in the movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid
.
Star Route
SMITHSONIAN BUTTE BACKWAY
Beginning at Rockville, just west of Zion Canyon, this nine-mile backway crosses the
orchardsandcattlepasturesoftheVirginRivervalleybeforeheadingsouthonagravel
road that climbs to the summit ofWire Mesa. There a turnout offers stunning views of
Zion'stoweringrockformationstothenortheastandthemassive,6,632-footSmithso-
nian Butte to the east. Swinging west and then due south, the road flattens out, ending
at Rte. 59. To take in all the views, travelers are advised to drive this route back in the
opposite direction.
6.
Zion Canyon
Returning to Rte. 9, the drive approaches the main entrance to Zion, where visitors' anti-
cipation is stirred by the looming presence of the Watchman and the West Temple. These
and the other ancient monuments of Zion were formed from sediment deposited in a suc-
cession of inland seas, rivers, and streams. The cliffs themselves, now thousands of feet
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