In Utah, summer often arrives accompanied by heat and crowds. By the end of this month, escaping both should be a little bit easier.
More than half of Utah’s seasonal roads — and all the trails, cycling routes and cool temperatures they access — are expected to be open ahead of Memorial Day, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.
On Tuesday morning, the agency opened the Cedar Breaks Scenic Byway, more mundanely known as State Route 148. It intersects Cedar Breaks National Monument while stretching between SR14 and SR143 near Brian Head.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Leaves turn with the change of the season creating a tapestry of brilliant fall colors in the Wasatch Mountains near Guardsman Pass on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021. The Utah Department of Transportation expects to open both sides of Guardsman Pass on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
By Friday, UDOT expects to be able to open two more seasonal highways. One is SR65, a 28-mile road that connects Emigration Canyon and East Canyon while passing alongside Little Dell Reservoir. The other is SR39, also known as the Monte Cristo Highway, which connects Huntsville and Woodruff in the mountainous terrain east of Ogden.
And Wasatch and Salt Lake County hikers thirsting for a trip to Bloods Lake may be happy to hear that the two sides of Guardsman Pass could open as early as May 22. That includes the extension of SR190 from Big Cottonwood Canyon and the stretch of SR224 from Deer Valley Resort in Park City.
New this summer, expect to have to pay to park at the Bloods Lake, Bonanza Flat and Empire Pass trailheads. At a meeting in February, the Park City Council proposed an initial price of $5 per hour with the possibility of moving to dynamic pricing. Park City residents in the 84060 zip code who register their license plate with the city can park for free.
UDOT opened Wolf Creek Summit near Kamas in late April. By the end of the month, just three of Utah’s nine seasonal roads will remain closed. They include SR153 Mount Holly near Eagle Point Resort, the Alpine Loop (SR92) near Mount Timpanogos and the Mirror Lake Highway (SR150) between Kamas and Evanston, Wyoming.
The seasonal roads are expected to stay open through late November, though heavy snowstorms can alter that schedule.
To check the status of Utah’s seasonal roads, visit udottraffic.utah.gov/seasonalroads.
