The Burr Trail Road is a 67 mile long road that connects Boulder or Boulder Town to Bullfrog, Utah. From there drivers can take a ferry across Lake Powell to Halls Crossing. We drove the upper section of the Burr Trail Road in June of 2021, but chose not to drive on down to Bullfrog because the level of the lake had dropped such that the ferry was no longer running.
The first section – through Long Canyon – is smooth and paved. Long Canyon offers spectacular scenery with red rock cliffs towering on both sides of the road. Traffic was light, and we saw only a couple of cars in this section. We stopped and took some drone video of Long Canyon, which you can see in the YouTube video of our drive below.
Below is a map of our route on the Burr Trail Road, From Boulder Town to Notom Road. We drove north after hitting Notom Road, on to Fruita, where delicious – fresh baked pie awaited us at the Gifford Homestead (well worth the rough road).
History Of The Burr Trail Road
John Atlantic Burr was a cattle rancher who helped lay out the path of the Burr Trail. He was born to a family of Mormon immigrants on a ship while crossing the Atlantic. Needing a route to move his stock from their seasonal ranges, he worked with other ranchers to forge a trail through the rough country of the Waterpocket Fold, on through Burr Canyon and west toward present day Boulder Town. Today the Burr Trail Road is a popular back-country drive through Capitol Reef National Park and the Escalante Canyons Unit of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. The novelty of a ferry ride across water in the Utah desert, along with stunning natural beauty along the way, are some of the reasons for the popularity of the route.
Burr Trail Driving Tips
- Make sure to gas up before leaving either Bullfrog, UT or Boulder Town, Utah. There are no services along the route.
- Bring plenty of water, food and emergency supplies in case you get stranded. One gallon per person – per day is recommended.
- Cell phone service is spotty to non-existent along the Burr Trail.
- The Burr Trail Switchbacks (see our video) are not suitable for RV’s or long trailers. There is a sign warning of this at both ends of the road.
- The road can be badly washboarded south of Long Canyon where pavement ends. It’s recommended to lower tire air pressure for a smoother ride.
- Sections may become impassable during monsoon season rains and in winter. Avoid taking this route during bad weather.
- Leave No Trace. Pack out what you pack in.
- Make sure you have a full size spare and jack in case of a flat.
- Check with the Ranger’s office before traveling. The Capitol Reef National Park phone number is 435-425-3791
Below is our video of driving the upper part of the Burr Trail Road, shot in 4K with GoPro, Drone and Sony A7RIII camera.
Also you can check out our drive to the Paria Ghost Town, near Kanab, UT. Our 4K video of that drive is below.
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Peter Massey (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 216 Pages - 10/01/2014 (Publication Date) - Adler Publishing (Publisher)
