Deseret News | Enjoy Utah's scenic heights from your car

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Enjoy Utah's scenic heights from your car

Deseret News

Published: Thursday, March 22, 2007 12:09 a.m. MDT

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• Regarding Utah's highest unpaved roads, this presents a definition challenge. Do you consider a Jeep trail an unpaved road, or is a wider stretch of open path required?

For the open dirt road definition, the Tushar Mountains and the unpaved extension of state Route153, between Beaver and Marysvale, may be the state's highest at 11,500 feet above sea level.

Winford "Dub" Bludworth, who has hiked the highest points in Utah's 29 counties, plus 49 of the 50 states' highest peaks, has also driven many backcountry Utah roads.

He said there are four other dirt road contenders that are all above 11,000 feet:

—A rough road in Wayne County that breaks off state Route 24, climbs to the top of the Aquarius Plateau and leads to Bluebell Knoll (11,328-foot elevation).

—A gravel road that leads to Brian Head Park (11,307-feet).

—A rough road that goes to Thousand Lake Mountain, Wayne County, and approximately 11,200 feet above sea level.

—A breakoff of the Tushar road that goes around Mount Brigham and reaches 11,100 feet

Here's an unofficial list of the 10 highest paved roads in Utah

1. U-150 "Mirror Lake" highway, Summit/Duchesne counties, 10, 715 feet above sea level.

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2. U-143, to Cedar Breaks National Monument, Iron County, 10,626 feet.

3. U-14, Cedar City to Long Valley Junction, 9,764 feet.

4. Mount Nebo Loop Road, 9,353 feet.

5. (tie) U-153, Beaver Canyon to Elk Meadows and U-12, Boulder to Torrey, both about 9,200 feet above sea level.

7. U-63, Bryce Canyon National Park, 9,095 feet.

8. (tie) U-39 Monte Cristo Road, Huntsville to Woodruff and U-191, Price to Duchesne, both approximately 9,000 feet.

10. U-25, Fish Lake road, 8,850 feet above sea level.

Note: U-190, Big Cottonwood Canyon, to Solitude/Brighton is 8,755 feet above sea level; U-110, Little Cottonwood Canyon, to Snowbird/Alta tops out at 8,530 and the Power Mountain Ski Resort road is 8,250 feet above sea level.

Sources: Highway maps and Quadrangle maps.

Colorado's highest paved roads:

1. C-5, the Mount Evans Road, 14,130 feet

2. Highway 34, Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, 12,183 feet

3. C-82, Independence Pass, 12,095 feet

4. C 6, Loveland Pass, 11,992 feet

5. C-9, Hoosier Pass, 11,541 feet

6. C-149, Slumgullion Pass, 11,361 feet

7. C-91, Fremont Pass, 11,318

8. Highway 40, Berthoud Pass, I-70 to Winter Park, 11,315.

9. Highway 50, Monarch Pass, 11,312

10. I-70, Eisenhower Tunnel West Portal, 11,158; East Portal, 11,013