Burr Trail Switchbacks in Capitol Reef National Park
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- Опубліковано 6 сер 2024
- Burr Trail Switchbacks
The Burr Trail Switchbacks is in Garfield County Utah and are one of the few passages across the Grand Staircase, a geological formation which greatly vexed early stagecoach travelers crossing the plains.
At this tectonic boundary (known as a monocline or more commonly known as the “Waterpocket Fold) the western plate juts sharply above the eastern plate, presenting a largely unbroken wall-like barrier nearly 100 miles long. This generally insurmountable wall of rock is positioned within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Capitol Reef National Park, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Which encompasses the largest land area of all U.S. National Monuments, slightly larger in area than the State of Delaware).
The switchbacks and the road were named after John Atlantic Burr (He was born in 1846 while crossing the Atlantic thus his middle name Atlantic) and lived with his family in Salt Lake City before moving south to establish the town of Burrville, Utah in 1876. He established the Burr Trail across extremely rugged territory, including Waterpocket Fold, Burr Canyon, and Muley Twist Canyon as a way of moving cattle between lower winter grazing ranges on the east side of Waterpocket Fold and higher summer grazing ranges on the west.
The section of the Burr Trail within Capitol Reef National Park is still unpaved and is in a scenic but isolated section of an already remote National Park that can be reached via Utah Scenic Highway 12 or from the Notom-Bullfrog Road.
(Source www.atlasobscura.com/places/b...)
Please note: Although in dry weather the Burr Trail is easily accessible to passenger cars, wet weather may make the road impassable even for 4-wheel drive vehicles. Check with rangers or local officials for weather and road conditions. Recreational Vehicles and trailers are not recommended.
Originally, only the switchbacks were named the Burr Trail, a route used by cattleman in the late 19th century to move cattle back and forth between winter and summer ranges.
Today, the entire road from Bullfrog to Boulder is known as the Burr Trail.
To access a 16-page PDF produced by the National Park Service follow this link:
www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisi...
The Burr Trail and the Switchbacks in the Capitol Reef National Park do
offer some of the most eye-popping scenery of any drive in Southern Utah, the 67-mile Burr Trail twists and turns from the town of Boulder all the way to tiny Bullfrog, which lies at the tip of one of the many fingers of Lake Powell, within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Only an 8½-mile stretch of Burr Trail passes through Capitol Reef National Park, but it's arguably the most spectacular section. It's especially dramatic if approaching from the west from Boulder through Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. When you reach the Capitol Reef National Park border, the road becomes unpaved but is still generally (unless there's been heavy rain or snow) passable with a passenger car. It curves through juniper-dotted, red-rock countryside, offering sweeping views of the Strike Valley, the Studhorse Peaks, and-in the distance-the Henry Mountains. After about 3 miles, you'll crest the upper, western ridge of the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile-long monocline in the earth's crust, and then zigzag some 800 feet down a series of dramatic switchbacks to the lower end of the fold. From here, Burr Trail Road continues southeast past the junction with Notom-Bullfrog Road (where a left turn leads back up to Torrey) toward the small village of Bullfrog.
So well done. Thank you for sharing.
@@stephenowens1965 Thank you for the wonderful comment and viewing our channel. It is sincerely appreciated!
Thank you very much for the wonderful video! It is really helpful😊
Thanks for the great comment and watching our channel. It is sincerely appreciated!
I alway love seeinf the striking shadows cast on the sandstone. I dont get out much these days so these videos are a blessing 🙏
Thanks for the wonderfull comment and watching our video. It is sincerely appreciated.
If you can imagine . . we drove UP the Burr Train Switchbacks, so we had to stay to the right of the road (on the shelf drop off side) and I was in the passenger seat. So I had the best (terrifying) view (my husband and driver could not look at the view at all but only on the road!). And then . . a big rig (quarry truck) started coming DOWN the switchback toward us! SO, my husband had to hug the right side and hence my "view" was the precipitous drop off. I have never been so terrified in my life! I could not believe our luck that a truck would come down at the same time. It is one of the most scenic and spectacular but terrifying drives we have taken in our many overland adventures.
Thanks for the wonderful retelling of your experience and yes that had to be a terrifying. I do most of the driving and I too keep my eyes on the road when at places like the Burr Trail. One more thing...Sorry, for not replying sooner. I did "Like" your comment but some how I forgot to thank you...Sorry
Great video, it's on my list to do! What camera are you using to record the video? I can see the shadow of an antenna flopping around, what are you using for comms? Have you done the Shaffer Trail in Canyonlands NP? If so, how does it compare?
Thanks for the wonderful comment! The camera is a GoPro9. However, I have switched to a DJI Osmo Action 4 since I took this video. The antenna you see is what we use for a standard CB radio. We haven't done the Shaffer Trail trail yet. We have viewed it but I would think it is very similar to the Burr Trail Switchbacks.Well, thanks again for commenting and viewing our channel. It is sincerely appreciated!
Thanks for another great and informative vid. We had forgotten about that trail. Had planned on doing it the last time we were in Escalante but didn't make it. We are planning a southern Utah tip next year and will add this in. Thinking of doing the Overland Expo in May so maybe do it early vs fall?
Thanks again for another wonderful comment and viewing our channel. It is sincerely appreciated. If you guys do the "Switchbacks" in May let us know how the conditions are on the Notam-Bullfrog Road going North to Hwy 24 and/or the Burr Trail going South to Bullfrog. As I mentioned in the video, the Notom Road is very "Washbordie" going North. We have only been on it in the Fall so we think it's this way because of all the traffic over it during the spring and summer. The Fall, as you saw in the video, does have some nice colors in this general area especially around Boulder and North to Torrey over Boulder Mountain on Hwy 12. Anyway, you can't go wrong...Either time of the year you will have a great trip!
Beautiful photography.
Thanks Bob! We are glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting and viewing our channel. It is sincerely appreciated!
Awesome video. Been on that road, hope I can visit again. One minor correction though: washboards are not caused by 2WD vehicles, it would happen even if there was no engine at all and you simply dragged a wheel over sand. Also keep in mind, that 4WD Jeep (i.e. part-time 4WD) actually slips wheels in tight turns more than 2WD would do, 2WD is not 1WD vehicle, both wheels do work if road conditions are similar on both sides. Just like Jeep is not a 2WD vehicle (or 3WD with a locking rear diff, but you shouldn't use it in tight turns anyway). It's always a controversy, I wish I had 2WD low range on descend to avoid slipping and transmission binding, it would have worked better. Or 4WD with a central diff which is an extinct breed nowadays.
Thanks for the wonderful comment and viewing our channel. It is sincerely appreciated! As far as the 2WD vs 4WD I understand what you are saying but which causes the wash-boarding I still maintain that 2WD causes more damage. 4WD, if driven properly, for the conditions, will roll across the terrain rather than spin. Of course there will be some spinning around tight turns on both 2WD & 4WD. Anyway, thanks again for commenting and viewing our channel!
@@cactushill UA-cam doesn't normally allow links in the comments, but you can google "Washboard Road École nicolas.taberlet" for the article. Also when you drive on a sandy road in 2WD mode you don't spin wheels, maybe occasionally when you are starting (just like with 4WD), but not everywhere, yet you have ripples over long stretches where nobody stops. Also there will be no wheel slippage in 2WD in tight turns unless you lose traction, 2WD has a differential, while a part-time 4WD doesn't have one between axles, so it will slip all the time no matter what you do.
@@victor74293 I will check it out...Thanks!
This video looks like a drive through a Mayberry country lane. Drove the Burr Switchbacks 30 years ago. 4 wheel LOW, picking your way from rock to rock. Had to back up a couple of times on each switchback. From the drill marks in the rock wall it looked like they had just blasted and let the rocks fall. Then they drove a bulldozer over once to knock them down flat. NOT A SMOOTH ROAD !
Sounds like you had a much more challenging and fun ride. Thanks for commenting and viewing our channel. It is sincerely appreciated!
Stop calling those side roads “trails”. A trail is something you walk on, not drive on. Those “obligatory” signs say stay on the roads. ORV driving off roads ruin the land for wildlife, soils and archeological sites in just one pass. Ruined soils where cryptobiotic soils grow take years to recover after cows and vehicles pass even just one time. If you love the desert, respect it. The more damage you cause, the more pressure there is to ban vehicles altogether. This is public land, belongs to all of us, not just the boys with the biggest vehicles.
Thanks for commenting, Don. Sounds like you have been swinging at a lot of windmills lately. To get upset because I call a road a trail seems very petty. There are a lot of roads that have the designation of a trail. We always respect the wilderness and stay on designated roads/trails…Always!!! I agree with you that some off-road vehicles do not respect the wilderness and cause damage that can take years to recover. I am a member of several organizations that fight to keep access open to all forms of transportation on our public lands and espouse responsible use of those lands. Are you? Well, thanks for commenting and viewing our channel. It is much appreciated.
@@cactushill am I? I’m president of a group in Oregon and spend lots of time working to protect the land. I’m disabled and can’t/ won’t go off hiking trails any more. I hope you talk to your buddies about respecting, protecting the land.
@@quixote5844 You should check out the "Blue Ribbon Coalition" at www.sharetrails.org/ They advocate for all users of our public lands. Their main issue is to keep trails open for those who have disabilities and can only access the outdoor roads and trails by using motorized vehicles. It would seem we are more alike than different on our views about enjoying the wilderness. I am a "Senior" who was born when Harry Truman was President. So far I am able to still get out there and hike and enjoy our off-road adventures but I know "Father Time" has a different plan. All the best to you and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Oregon,
@@cactushill i hiked all over the west. Now I can’t. So be it. Blue Ribbon doesn’t really care about the disabled. Stop using disabled as an excuse. That’s exploitive. Does Blue Ribbon tell the ORV public to stay out of protected Wilderness? Do they confront violators and kick them out? Do they report violators to BLM or the Sheriff? I really doubt it.Too many entitled macho ORV drivers ignore Wilderness boundaries. Jeep and other ORV interests fight Wilderness legislation to make the big bucks. They only care about you when they want you to buy their products. Subaru even calls their latest rig “the Wilderness”! Taking you wherever you want to go. Your map websites call roads trails. A trail is for hiking, not driving. No wonder hikers hate you.