Exploring Zion National Park

by Greg Lightbourn

I moved to Northern Arizona just thirty miles south of the Grand Canyon in late 2021. This is a fantastic location for its proximity to amazing riding routes, and up until this past fall I had really only explored southward and westward from here by motorcycle. There are some beautiful twisty roads in Arizona and Nevada that I have very much enjoyed for both the scenery and the technical challenges which have greatly improved my skills and my confidence as a rider. I also ride regularly through the Grand Canyon National Park as it is only half an hour from home, but that was about as far north as I had explored until early October of this year. My friend Norm advised me a couple of times in September that I really should ride up to Utah before the winter to see the Zion National Park, so I took his advice and on the spur of the moment decided to head up there on the second weekend of October.

The weather was perfect. 60 plus daytime temps and dipping just below freezing at night. I booked a room in a hotel in Kanab UT for Friday and Saturday nights and set out at noon on Friday. From here, at the junction of Highways 64 and 180, after packing up my Bonneville, I rode north on 64 to pass through the Grand Canyon as I have a seasonal pass to all the National Parks. Highway 64 swings eastward in the park and dead-ends at Hwy 89. North from this junction heads towards Utah through Diné Bikéyah, the Navajo name for their traditional lands and at the sixty mile mark there is the 89a Junction. Here I turned westward to continue through Diné Bikéyah along the North Rim Park boundary of the GCNP which passes through beautiful rocky desert landscapes before winding its way north to cross the State Line into the town of Kanab Utah where my hotel was at the end of this 230 mile ride. I got into Kanab by 6 pm and was eating a great meal in a local restaurant by 7. As I rolled into town, I was very excited to see an abrupt change in the surrounding landscape of red rock cliffs and formations that were only a preview of what I would be riding through the next day!

The next day had perfect weather as well, with a frosty start but warming up to around 70 degrees and sunny. It was a 181 mile loop ride that took me through Zion National Park in the morning then north to Cedar City where I headed East along Hwy 14 through the Dixie National Forest area. Then when I got back to Hwy 89 I turned South to go back to Kanab as it was too close to dark to go and explore Bryce Canyon. That’ll be for next year!

This route was only just over 180 miles but it runs through some of the most twisty roads and beautiful other-worldly landscapes I have ever seen in person. It took a good part of the day as I had to stop often to take photos and just take it in. And the tunnels in Zion were incredible to pass through. This route is definitely a bucket list item for Motorcycle exploration on paved roads- I can only imagine how much more of it there is to see on an ADV bike- that will be for next time if the T7 that I have a deposit on ever shows up at the dealer!

So if you are ever doing the classic Route 66 MC tour make sure to swing up to Utah for a couple days of exploration- You will not regret it!

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