Burr Trail: Long Canyon to Capitol Reef

Recorded: October 30th-Nov 1st
I drove the Burr Trail from Boulder to Bullfrog in fall of 2020 to see the yellow cottonwood trees color. But weather took the color away 2 days before. However you'd never know from how beautiful the trip still was. Even though the low temperatures were breaking records all across the state just 2 days before, when I got down here it had all rebounded and I was wearing T-shirts and shorts the whole trip,
This first half of the video is the journey from Boulder, down Long Canyon to the Strike Valley Overlook at the top of the Capitol Reef Switchbacks.
The entire road can be driven in just a few hours but you're missing out on some of the greatest sights in area if you just rush through it. As you can see from the videos that an entire vacation can be made of just this road.
In part 2 we'll go down the Switchbacks to the 2nd campsite of the night into the eastern half of the trail which I thought was going to be boring and uneventful but actually had some of the most scenic views of the entire trail.
Downloadable KMZ route file to import into GaiaGPS or Google My Maps:
drive.google.com/file/d/1TuD6...

[@histolee]

Great Video Wonderful Music

[@klausdegelmann903]

Hello, I'm from Germany and have already ridden the Burr Trail 3 times during my trips to the USA and hiked to the "Strike Valley Overlook". Every time a highlight. Your film work is excellent, thank you very much for allowing me to travel virtually with you, because I think that due to Corona I will never be able to travel to the USA again. Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland

[@bprice545]

Utah is the land of the free. Of course you can travel to Utah. Come on back to my home.

[@jeepdude67]

LOVE Capitol Reef. Spent a few days last year on the Burr and it was one of the most memorable parts of our year long trip.

[@tonythai2635]

thank your videos

[@jeffreyrule8143]

Thanks for having us along. Wonderful video.

[@peterm3901]

Muchas gracias por el vídeo. Soy un español profundamente enamorado del southwest.

[@frankjacoby9460]

Thank you for your slow deliberate filming of that gorgeous geology; from an geologist the Colorado Plateau and its environs never ceases to amaze! God’s Speed!

[@exploresouthwest]

I've definitely thought about this. I want to get an easy way people can get the route tracks to drive on their own, and maybe add in all the points of interest that were passed along the way. I've seen travel bloggers that have maps like that but I'm not sure if it's a map API that involves subscription or whatever. To be honest a lot of it falls into the realm of finding time to do it in my spare time. I'm always battling with my innate laziness when I get off work from the regular 9-5. I need something that does require a bunch of overhead work to setup.

[@adventurelifewithbob2960]

Driving the Burr Trail is one of my favorite activities in Southern Utah. Be sure to visit Capital Reef while you are there. We made some wonderful videos in this area.

[@xvsj5833]

Excellent Adventure 👍 Thank you for sharing

[@jims408]

Such beautiful country... thank you for sharing.

[@NasTimeAdventures]

This is gorgeous country. I can't imagine there is a bad time to visit this place. The colours are amazing.

[@bobross9623]

Nice addition to your drive down Long Canyon. So, you got to Singing Canyon after all! The view of Peek-a-boo Arch and Capitol Reef is iconic. Thanks again.

[@tonyengland9744]

Super job nice views .thank you.

[@heathkoerschgen6262]

Discovered your channel a couple weeks back. Absolutely love what you do. I enjoy the POV driving through Utah and the Tundra love. Also, I dig your insights and narration. Keep it up! Watching from Portland, Oregon

[@Scrambler85]

Great scenery and editing. Definitely a thumbs up for the video 👍

[@thomasmaughan4798]

Been there, done that; even the slot canyon. But it was a long time ago so I loved the update.

[@enriquevblancas3736]

On my bjket list now, thanks for sharing

[@thomasmaughan4798]

By the way, those washes can fill up with water very suddenly in a flash flood. The source will usually be Boulder Mountain to the north, so if there's dark clouds over Boulder Mountain watch out for floods.

[@ka509]

Sensational!

[@NigelNaughton]

One of the coolest drives ever. Almost passed up Singing Canyon.

[@jondevlin4754]

Absolutely amazing work ... have done Burr Trail in both directions ...so beautiful ...your video really captures everything and you just reached the switchbacks ... wish I lived closer ...every road trip to southwest starts in Ottawa,CAN for me ...long road trips ... if I was forced to stay in one state only ...it would be tough but I would pick Utah...so much to see

[@BretBerger]

Bummer you missed the colors. Good production values and a stunning subject to explore.

[@donb6070]

Sing Canyon is a treat, especially in later afternoon

[@Calatriste54]

Interesting how the leaf color timing was off, but the illumination of the slot canyon proved perfect.. grateful for your travels, man..

[@billkipper3264]

The first time I ever heard of the Burr Trail was just about three weeks ago. Then a video of it (not yours) randomly popped up on my page. Then you posted yours last week. Now this one. I feel like I'm being directed to it. Kind of like Richard Dreyfuss in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I hope I don't start carving it into my mashed potatoes.

[@jeffhandlin6262]

Awesome vid, I hope you get to go back to check out the Wolverine Loop, just a cool drive besides the petrified forest. I didn't know about the Long Canyon arches so next time I get to drive this I'll have to pay more attention! Look forward to seeing the next part and things you found that I didn't!

[@jasonmellor8069]

I can’t thank you enough for sharing absolutely beautiful photos and the drone footage and information on the area.

[@xxxYYZxxx]

On my Utah trip, I enjoyed the modest Burr Trail "long canyon" in relative solitude more than the epic but traffic-jammed Zion Canyon National Park. Zion seems ideal for hikers, but I preferred Capitol Reef & Burr Trail from a road-trip angle.

[@fennessey5]

Crazy beautiful work!! Can you provide coordinates for first campsite at east end of Long Canyon? Love this channel!

[@blivieriphoto]

So beautiful. Can’t wait to see this in person very soon!! Your camping spot, I have that marked off on my map as well as an alternative if Deer Creek is full or not easily accessible. How is the area to drive on? Actually, I think I might like this spot better than Deer Creek! I wish I had more days to explore Burr Trail. Hmmm maybe I'll bug out of the last day of the photo conference to have an extra day. :)

[@jaredmathews2983]

Great video, really appreciated the video as well as the photographs. I am curious as to whether there is any cell phone reception in this area and what your back-up plan/strategy for a breakdown or other type of disabling/emergency event occurs, since it appears you are travelying solo (which is typically how I roll too).

[@leilafigo2485]

Great video! It makes me want to go back. We went there Christmas two years ago with my son and spent a month out there exploring different areas some of which we went off a couple of your videos up in the Canyonlands. It was awesome! That took that you have, could you tell me please if that is stock or do you have it outfitted some kind of special way?

[@exploresouthwest]

It's all stock. I've been meaning to get some some solid running board step rails to protect the bottoms of the doors and have a stepping point for when I have to drive my senior parents around but so far haven't gotten around to it yet.

[@timbonnette6615]

Great video and information. I'm making my way through this are November 5th of this year. I'm really curious about the footage you took with the drone. Are there areas that allow it such as what you did? Can you tell me a bit more about that area as I'd love to do the same when there. I'm always concerned about flying in the park which is not permitted vs. finding those few areas that allow it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[@StereoSpace]

"Strike valley" is a geology term. It describes a valley that forms along and follows the strike (or bearing) of a mountain range.

[@gtrpkr2487]

Great video. I just bought a 2022 4Runner TRD Pro. Do you think the factory ground clearance is enough to get through this trail?

[@hksjza70]

Is there a chance you would share a few waypoints?

[@ErikAtTheW]

Great video!! How far is the hike to the Strike Valley Overlook? Hard to tell from the maps that I have...

[@exploresouthwest]

If you have the clearance to get to the end of the road it's pretty short, only a little over a quarter mile to the overlook. And not to strenuous. just the ups and downs of going in and out wash bottoms.

[@beach3girl459]

Awesome trip, but maybe a little slower pans would be more enjoyable. Thanks!

[@salemk.3098]

did you go to devils kitchen in Canyonlands np?

[@charlesingram2988]

What kind of tent did you use on the back of your truck?

[@yanwo2359]

Great video. I prefer no background music, so its absence would greatly increase my enjoyment of the video. I know, "mute the sound." If I do that, then I have to read your interesting commentary and that distracts me from the views. I wish it were possible to have a stereo track for music and a separate mono track for commentary. Then both music haters and music lovers could both be satisfied.

[@trailcairn1717]

Excellent drone shots Pro tip... Turn down the music or just leave nature sounds I found myself turning volume up and down as you spoke 😒

[@Aikynbreusov]

Yeah, that Las Vegas tract home went from $2.5 million to $1.8 million is still $1.4 million overpriced... a 25% drop in price from a $2.5 million still puts 99.99% of the Las Vegas resident out of the the housing market.......

[@Aikynbreusov]

If i were to travel to a place like Capital Reef and Long Canyon, I wouldd only trust a Toyota Landcruiser or 4RUNNER or a Tundra....... so isolated and complete out of civilization..... I would only trust a Toyota to take me there and back....