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Home > Archive > Sep 27, 2007

A Colorful Present
By Sharon May
Managing Editor
One of the things about Southern Utah that people who live elsewhere may not understand is the great variety of scenery in our southwest corner of the state.
They may be thinking dry desert scrabble, brittle and maybe, sage and junipers in abundance. And they’re right, of course. But they’re also wrong.
That became clear to me once again over the weekend, when I decided to go for a drive to scout out fall foliage.
I began by Googling fall colors and Southern Utah. Among the sites – and there are many, was Cedar City’s tourism bureau. I clicked on www.scenicsouthernutah.com and then went to the link “Fall Color Report.” The site is updated weekly, and a new report is available each week, listing the current percent of color change and at low, mid and high elevations, including photos.
I decided to take one of the site’s Suggested Drives, the “Best of Fall Color Loop,” beginning in Parowan. The site provided a narrative trip description and a map, although I referenced my own Dixie National Forest Map, as well.
To begin this scenic fall foliage drive, take the Parowan exit from I-15 and then take Main Street and turn right on Center Street, which turns into Hwy. 143. The route through town is well marked with signage.
Hwy. 143 enters the mouth of Parowan Canyon on a narrow asphalt road framed by golden trees, an inviting beginning to a truly spectacular drive to Yankee Meadow. This was my first visit to the area east of Parowan, and I was whispering “Wow” and “So beautiful” to myself at every turn. This loop from Parowan through Parowan Canyon and then south back to Hwy. 143 east of Cedar Breaks is one of the most gorgeous, breathtaking drives I have ever made, and I highly recommend you drop everything and head to Parowan.
As the Web site’s report for this week stated, the deep reds and oranges have yet to fully appear, but bright gold was fluttering everywhere, against a backdrop of forest green. Groves of white-trunk aspen flashed brilliant yellow, and maples ranged from crayon yellow to amber, with a worthwhile number of deep pink and maroon maples among the thick woods along Bowery Creek, which runs beside the road through Parowan Canyon.
The five miles between Parowan and Yankee Meadows is amazing country. Stunning red formations, some looking like towers of conglomerate, others like the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, rise about the road on one side, while Bowery Creek threads through thickets of color on the other side.
Yankee Meadow Reservoir is approximately five miles from the entrance to Parowan Canyon. Although the meager facilities are closed for the season – which the chilly 39 degrees warranted – camping and picnicking sites are still available, as well as fishing. The lake is rimmed with gold and yellow aspen stands and blue spruce and green pines.
From Yankee Meadow, you can return to Parowan on the same route, or you can continue past the reservoir on a narrowed Forest Road 149. The road was muddy and a bit potholed with water, but with a high-clearance vehicle, it was definitely easily passable. I wouldn’t advise tooling through the forest with snow on the ground or after a hard rain, but go now – you’ll be highly rewarded.
The road twists and climbs for another five miles, through absolutely beautiful forest. I spotted several deer – two stood on the road and peered at me for long minutes. At its crest, the road tops out above and to the east of Brian Head peak, with one of those 100-mile views of incredible exquisiteness. From more than 10,000 feet, you can see across tufted gold aspen and the red hues of Cedar Breaks to the entire valley holding Cedar City and beyond to row after bluish row of hills.
After five miles of “I hope it’s OK” muddy, rocky and steep travel, FR 149 connects with FR 148, which is wider and much smoother and perfectly fine for city-bred sedans. The route passes by Sidney Peaks trailhead – a good looking trail of about three or four miles one way – and then south through Sidney Valley to reconnect to Hwy. 143, just a few miles east of Cedar Breaks National Monument.
From here, you can head east to Panguitch Lake or west through the Breaks to Hwy. 148 and then south to Hwy. 14 and west to Cedar City. Good foliage color is all along any route in this high country.
I suspect oranges and reds and deep russets will be showing very soon. I’ll have to watch the Scenic Southern Utah weekly Fall Color Report.
On my return home, I learned my dad’s wife had left their Huntington Beach, Calif., home for Boston to do a tour of New England fall foliage. I smugly snickered to think what remarkable, colorful scenery is just 70 miles from my door to the middle of a 10,000-foot forest treasure of color.
I love Southern Utah, I really do.

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