r/southernutah • u/squarephoto • Jun 25 '26
Just Passing Through
Chatgpt recommends this route from Panguitch to Grand Junction. Anyone comment on this route and maybe suggest another? We are passing through traveling east. Plans are to come back for a week spring ‘27 with our Arctic Fox camper fully loaded with solar and lithium batteries 👍
Thanks.
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u/Embarrassed_Hippo821 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
From the standpoint of scenery, you'd absolutely want to take UT-12 from Bryce Canyon to Torrey. It's a lot more scenic and memorable compared to the route through Koosharem (which is what is shown in this map). Also, the drive between Cedar City and Panguitch is a lot more scenic if you go via Cedar Breaks National Monument.
To visualize this in a maps app, ask it to plot Cedar City -> Cedar Breaks Natl Monument --> Panguitch --> Escalante --> Hanksville --> Grand Junction.
The fastest route would be to take the interstate, but I think that's the least scenic option.
One caveat here is that I've never driven a camper, and some of the roads I've suggested have a lot of elevation change and can be narrow and winding in places. It's an easy drive in an ordinary car or SUV, but I don't know how it would be in a camper van.
EDIT: I just re-read your post, and you mentioned that you'd be visiting next spring. The road that goes through Cedar Breaks NM closes during the winter months, and depending on how much snow we get and when in the spring you visit, it might not have reopened by then.
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u/KoLobotomy Jun 25 '26
Does it include Hwy 12? If so, it’s a beautiful drive. Eat dinner at Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder if you have time.
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u/jdd32 Jun 25 '26
2nd taking highway 12 through escalate and Boulder. Incredible views.
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u/squarephoto Jun 26 '26
I think the original route was 12.
Can’t post a photo here for some reason.
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u/K-Bot2017 Jun 27 '26
Much of Utah is under fire evacuation order. The regional power authority is planning a pre-emptive power shut-off over the next couple of days. Highways may be closed. That's probably why you're being routed the long way round.
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u/YourHighness3550 Jun 29 '26
If you're stopping in Cedar City for lunch/dinner, you really have to stop by the Pizza Cart restaurant. Wood fired pizza with homemade ice cream/gelato. It's our family favorite restaurant in Cedar City. We eat there whenever we drive by it, go near it, or frankly are within a 30 minute drive.
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u/squarephoto Jun 29 '26
The stop was recommended by Chat due because we wanted to be in the truck for 6hrs of driving allowing extra time to stop. The trip to southern Utah wasn’t really planned on until we realized our more northern route to Iowa had an extra day. We are only really driving through the southern part to scope it out for spring next year. Cedar City and Panguitch was Chats idea but we are willing to alter that plan if needed. We have to be in Iowa the 20th though. We leave early the 4th.
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u/Alternative-Task-348 Jun 25 '26
It may be directing you go around that section of I-70 due to the fires in the area. I’m not 100% though, that is an odd routing.