Join me in a dreaming moment here and envision this – you’re cruising down backroads caked in red dirt (does Brooks & Dunns “Red Dirt Road” song come to mind here?). You’ve got the tunes on low, your road trip buddy is next to you, some delicious chips and snacks are scattered between you, and wild horses are cruising right next to your vehicle. There is literally NO ONE around for miles, it’s just you, your significant other, your truck and wild horses…. Come out of your dream state now, my friends. Now that is what Utah backroad cruising is all about.
The backroads of central and southern Utah provide a great place to get that “lost” feeling as the long stretches of asphalt wind through small towns, past unnamed trails, and through seemingly endless farms.

This past spring, we ditched our desks and computers for adventure. The itch was back, and we were ready to scratch it. We packed as much gear as we could into our Toyota 4Runner TRD PRO and made our way through those Utah backroads. We started in the “main” city of Moab then ventured onto some not-so-main highways, such as Highway 24, Highway 12, the ever-popular Highway 89, and, finally, Highway 9 through Zion National Park area. Each road has its twists and turns that make it special, and the endless stretches of highway beg you to stop for a minute (or an hour) to enjoy the beautiful red-rock scenery around you.
A Utah road trip is one of those bucket list things you need to do at least once in your lifetime. For every place we stopped along this route, there are thousands more epic adventures to enjoy in this area. Take an open mind with you, and don’t hesitate to “take the long way home”... Also, plan on purchasing an $80 National Park Pass that will allow you to get into the Nationa