Farmington's scenic byway

FARMINGTON — If you're brave enough to leave the paved, congested and standard highways of Davis County and hit the steep dirt and uncrowded roads in the mountains, a world of beauty and spectacular bird's-eye views await you.

Especially with the brilliant fall colors of the leaves coming this month, the "Skyline Drive" scenic byway is well worth a visit.

Trucks, four-wheel-drive vehicles or motorcycles are the preferred form of travel here, but even regular cars can make this trip on dry roads. Mountain bicycles, too, will work well here.

Probably only acrophobes need not consider traveling this dizzying road, which does have a few drop-offs. Climbing almost a vertical mile, the dirt road rises almost as high as the Francis Peak radar domes (9,515 feet above sea level) on the north section and to near Bountiful Peak (9,150 feet above sea level) on the south segment.

Distance wise, the road is about 24 miles long from Farmington to Bountiful. Add another 10 miles round-trip if you also travel north to Francis Peak.

However, the dusty road itself is not especially steep and climbs only about 400 feet per vertical mile.

"The route is best known for its scenic views," says "Utah! Scenic Byways and Backways," published by the Utah Travel Council. "Vistas of the Great Salt Lake are stunning. From Francis and Bountiful peaks, the mountain ranges of the west desert are clearly defined. Vegetation is mostly scrub brush, but stands of pine and fir are sprinkled throughout the route."

The Farmington Canyon drive is one of 58 "scenic backways" in Utah. It is technically composed of three Wasatch-Cache National Forest roads.

Visitors here often agree that the scenery and vistas are "out of this world."

Some hang-gliders have launched off the mountains from near Francis Peak and believe it's one of the highest spots in the nation to fly from, based on fairly easy accessibility.

Binoculars and cameras are excellent accessories to better enjoy the views and have keepsake images. Visitors also have to plan on much cooler temperatures on the mountain skyline than in the valley below.

Weekends and holidays are the most crowded times on the byway, but weekdays can offer plenty of solitude.

Motorists should not plan on rushing through this drive. Caution should also be exercised on any blind curves as passing distance in some sections of the road is very narrow,