Photo by Dan Zamostny
Some of the roads offer views of gorgeous waterfalls. Turning off I-15 on Hwy. 14 at Cedar City offers another stunning drive on the south end of Cedar Breaks on the Markaguant High Plateau Scenic Byway. The road passes through a summit that reaches 7,910 feet before connecting with I-89. This is a great route if you love water. Navajo Lake nestles in the old pine forest, lined with lava. The lake is somewhat unique in that its water drains through sinkholes at the bottom (although you can’t see this from the car). The nearby Cascade Falls Trail leads to a cave that gushes water and eventually finds its way into the Zion Narrows.
Roaring Springs and Ribbon Falls lie along the North Kaibab Trail the Grand Canyon about five-miles and eight-miles along, respectively.
The two waterfalls known as Upper and Lower Calf Creek Falls seem to have only recently been discovered as more visitors pour into Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Although close to Hwy. 12, they are difficult to access and still support a variety of wildlife including beavers, fish and grass snakes. The 100-foot lower waterfall runs year round.
Legendary for its extraordinary beauty, the double waterfall of Havasu Falls is like no other. With crystalline sea blue water in a desert location, the year-round falls attract visitors despite the difficulty of getting there. The falls are located at the bottom of Hualapia (wall’ a pie) Canyon within the Havasupai (hav a su’ pie) Indian Reservation is a remote area of the Grand Canyon. Nearby, Navajo Falls is on a spur of the trail to Havasu Falls. Mooney Falls is another mile beyond Havasu Falls and falls a dramatic 200-feet to its pool, and Beaver Falls is less dramatic, but more secluded series of low cascades. To reach the falls, you must hike, horseback ride, use a mule train or a helicopter. Severe flooding in 2008 closed the site and created new waterfalls. Reservations required.
Cascade Springs, north of Provo along the Cascade Springs Scenic Backway, produces more than seven million gallons of water per day that rush down the mountain face in a series of cascades and terraced pools that can be seen from paved and wood pathways. Bridal Veil Falls can be seen from a pullout along the Provo Canyon Scenic Byway as you drive by, but those who decide to step out can climb to where the base of the falls meets the Provo River to splash in an icy swimming hole. Twin Falls and Perrine Coulee Falls are also in the same area.
Yellowstone National Park has many falls worth seeking out. Union Falls spreads into a broad cascade. Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River at the head of the Grand Canyon descends over 300 feet before falling into the Grand Canyon. Upper Falls drops over 100 feet, after a short hike. In between the two falls, Crystal Falls can also be found. Tower Falls, Undine Falls, Fairy Falls and Mystic Falls are all worth a look if you have time.
Upper and Lower Mesa Falls are a set of falls that haven’t been drained for irrigation. You can access them along Hwy. 47 in Idaho as they cascade over volcanic rock.
