Take in staggering scenery, canyons, mountain passes, great forested plateaus, the Navajo Nation, and Natural Bridges National Monument.
Everyone should discover the desert southwest and the natural wonders that await you across southern Utah. A little ambitious for a day’s drive, one could easily spend a whole day exploring any one of the monuments and parks along the way. Start your trip at St. George in the southwest corner of the state, head out on Route 9 going to Zion National Park. Route 9 runs right through Zion Canyon, a pretty drive, but it can get tremendously busy during peak tourist season.
There are plenty of opportunities to stop and check out other more secluded areas of the park. Then it’s up U.S. 89 to Route 12 to Bryce Canyon National Park, where you’ll have to get off the road to walk around. Read more . . .
The Moapa Valley Drive offers excellent vistas of Lake Mead. The 110-mile long Lake Mead and the 1.5 million-acre recreation area were created with the construction of Hoover Dam. It took almost 2 years of tunneling and digging to divert the river, two years to block the canyon with about 7 million tons of concrete, and some 5000 workers working around the clock to complete the project. Checking and driving out the views in the Mead area will remind you of the enormousness of projects that humans can accomplish. The drive will take you about 2-1/2 hours. 
The 2-hour Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway leads into the Ruby Mountains on Forest Road 660. This great drive is Mother Nature’s panorama at its best with mountains and desert. The 34-mile drive through the Humboldt National Forest is closed in the winter. Trace Route 227 east of Elko to the start of the byway. As soon as you are into the national forest, you’ll dead-end in Lamoille Canyon. To the right, you will see the 11,387-foot Ruby Dome. Just a short drive ahead is the Powerhouse Picnic Area. 
El Camino del Rio, the River Road, leads through canyons and mountains as it follows the Rio Grande. The 1.5-hour, 51-mile travel goes from Lajitas to Presidio on Route 170. If you make the trip in the summer, be warned that it is extremely hot. The highway is steep and has poor shoulders. Begin the journey east of Lajitas at the Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center. Here, you can get information on the 420 sq. mile Big Bend Ranch State Natural Area that surrounds the River Road.