Epic V-Twin Journeys: Utah Edition

Utah offers an array of breathtaking experiences for riders seeking adventure. From the majestic Mighty Five national parks to the rugged landscapes, Southern Utah caters to the desires of true riders. We stumbled upon all this beauty by accident the many times we have ridden to Sturgis from SoCal. Now, two decades later, we spend more time riding in Utah than we do around the Black Hills.

Zion National Park, established in 1919, spans a pretty hefty 146,597 acres. And we are going to say that Zion just could be our favorite spot of all of these listed. Mormon pioneers were captivated by the natural beauty of Zion Canyon and its surroundings, naming it after the biblical city of Jerusalem. The park’s centerpiece is Zion Canyon, a 15-mile-long and nearly 3,000-foot-deep canyon that stretches across the landscape. Beyond the canyon, the park encompasses some pretty diverse terrain, ranging from deserts to high-altitude, tree-covered forests that blanket the plateaus above. If you are interested in flora and fauna, there are over 800 native plant species, including more flowers than anywhere else in Utah, so with all this said, y’all know that Zion National Park offers a unique blend of stunning views and some pretty rad amenities.

Established in 1928, Bryce Canyon National Park covers 35,835 acres. This red-rock wonderland showcases the geological marvels created by wind, water, and snow. Renowned for its breathtaking beauty, Bryce Canyon attracts hikers, challenging rock climbers, and winter cross-country skiers. And the park is less than 40 miles as the crow flies from Zion, so both can be ridden in a single day. Perhaps nowhere are the forces of natural erosion more tangible than at Bryce Canyon. Its wilderness of phantom-like rock spires. For millions of years, water has carved Bryce’s rugged landscape. Water may split rock as it freezes and expands in cracks—a process that occurs some 200 times a year. In summer, runoff from cloudbursts etches into the softer limestones and sluices through the deep runnels. In about 50 years, the present rim will be cut back another foot. But there is more here than spectacular erosion. Unlike the early Mormons, who viewed Zion Canyon as a heavenly gift, rancher Ebenezer Bryce (yup, the namesake of this place) viewed the badlands that ran through his 1870s ranch as a bane. “It’s a hell of a place to lose a cow,” he once famously said.

Monument Valley was established in 1958 and covers 91,696 acres. An iconic symbol of the Southwestern USA, Monument Valley is a desert landscape punctuated by red sandstone formations, slender pinnacles, and massive buttes straddles the Arizona-Utah state line about 315 miles north of Phoenix, Arizona. Millions of years ago, the area that is now Monument Valley was part of a seafloor where sediments and sandstone layers accumulated. Then, over millions of years, the forces of wind and water have sculpted this starkly fantastic land. It is part of the Navajo Nation, the near 7-million hectare home of the Navajo tribe. Early Hollywood filmmakers brought Monument Valley to the world’s attention with movies like Stagecoach starring John Wayne. The region has been a star attraction for generations of travelers ever since. At the most popular stop, John Ford’s Point, browse wooden stalls where the Navajo sell jewelry, pottery, and other crafts. The sweeping, dramatic view is named after film director John Ford, who made the valley a setting for several Western movies. We have found this place to be most magical at dawn or dusk. Just watch for rambunctious road-walking wildlife on your ride.

Canyonlands was a child of the 60’s indeed. 

Established in in 1964, the 337,598 acres are vast, yet the riding is great in and around the park.

From the rim of the many mesas, you glimpse only segments of the Green River and the Colorado River, which flow together at the heart of Canyonlands. But everywhere you see the water's work: canyon mazes, unbroken scarps, and sandstone pillars. The paths of the merging rivers divide the park into three districts. The high mesa known as the Island in the Sky rises as a headland 2,000 feet above the confluence. South of the island and east of the confluence is The Needles, where red- and white-banded pinnacles tower 400 feet over grassy parks and sheer-walled valleys. A confusion of clefts and spires across the river to the west marks The Maze, a remote region of pristine solitude. On every side the ground drops in great stairsteps. Flat benchlands end abruptly in rock walls on one side and sheer drops on the other. All this and more make it a great place to witness from a motorcycle.

Capital Reef National Park came to be in 1971
and is a sprawling 241,904 acres. The unifying geographic feature of Capitol Reef is the Waterpocket Fold. For a hundred miles its parallel ridges rise from the desert like the swell of giant waves rolling toward shore. Exposed edges of the uplift have eroded into a slickrock wilderness of massive domes, cliffs, and a maze of twisting canyons. Geologists know the fold as one of the largest and best exposed monoclines on the North American continent. Travelers know it as a place of dramatic beauty and serenity so remote that the nearest traffic light is 78 miles away. And even though its 378 square miles are off the beaten track, the park still attracts nearly 750,000 visitors each year. Capitol Reef is named for a particularly colorful section of the fold where rounded Navajo sandstone forms capitol-like domes and sheer cliffs form a barrier to travel, often referred to as a "reef." Although a highway now crosses the "reef," travel is still challenging for those wishing to see the park's more remote regions. The southern end of the fold offers fine wilderness backpacking in Lower Muley Twist Canyon and Halls Creek Narrows. Along the park's northern border lies Cathedral Valley, a repository of quiet solitude where jagged monoliths rise hundreds of feet. The middle region is best known. Here the raw beauty of the towering cliffs contrasts with the green oasis that 19th-century Mormon pioneers created along the Fremont River, establishing the village of Fruita. Their irrigation ditches still water fruit trees in fields abandoned by Fremont Indians 700 years ago. Mule deer now graze on orchard grasses and alfalfa, and and park visitors can now grab some of the apples, peaches, and apricots for themselves, so leave some room in your saddlebags.

Arches National Park was established in 1929; its size totals up to 76,000 acres. Arches National Park is home to some of the most striking red rock formations in the world. Established as Arches National Monument in 1929 and later as a national park in 1971, Arches spans 119 square miles of southeastern Utah just outside of Moab. Over 1.5 million visitors on average come through the gates to see the 65 million-year-old sandstone arches, hoodoos, and canyons formed by the forces of water, wind, and temperature change.What was once the home of numerous indigenous tribes, the land now known as Arches National Park offers numerous hiking trails, panoramic views, and archaeological sites to visit and explore. But be careful where you walk in this delicate landscape. The high desert environment features plants and animals adapted to living in extreme conditions, as well as some organisms like biological crusts that are not only alive but are an essential part of the ecosystem of Arches. Here are just a few of the amazing facts about this geologic and historical treasure of a park. The national park was named after the most prominent features in the desert landscape. With just around 2,000 documented arches, the park’s geology is constantly changing. Extreme environmental conditions create fractures and holes in the rocks that will someday become new arches. The riding to Arches is just as good as the park itself, so take that into account when you're planning your trip.