Cottonwood Canyon Road

"Road 400" redirects here. For other roads, see List of highways numbered 400.
View when entering Cottonwood Canyon from the south after passing over higher elevations from US-89. The road follows the Paria River for the first several miles then continues to the north along the eroded East Kaibab Monocline adjacent to the steeply dipping rocks known as the Cockscomb.
The Cockscomb at right runs along Cottonwood Canyon Road
Along the monocline - view south at a terrain transition point where the south portion of the road shifts from the major valley to an adjacent and parallel minor valley
View north at the same location with the colorful rocks of the Cockscomb on the right
Grosvenor Arch

Cottonwood Canyon Road (also known as Road 400, Cottonwood Canyons Scenic Backway[1] and K7000[2]) is a scenic 46-mile (74 km)[1] or 47-mile (76 km)[3] dirt road that traverses Cottonwood Canyon in Kane County, Utah. The drive begins in Cannonville, just off Utah State Route 12, continues southward through Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, and eventually connects to U.S. Route 89.[1]

The road was originally constructed as a maintenance road for power lines following the canyon.[4] The drive takes roughly two hours without stops.[5] There are visitor centers in Cannonville in the north, and in Big Water near the southern terminus.[3]

Scenic attractions include Navajo Sandstone walls, Grosvenor Arch, and Kodachrome Basin State Park.[3] The road allows access to hiking trails, such as Cottonwood Wash Narrows, Yellow Rock, Hackberry Canyon, and Cottonwood Canyon Narrows.[5]

  1. ^ a b c "Cottonwood Canyons Scenic Backway". blm.gov. US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  2. ^ "K700, Cottonwood Canyon Road" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Cottonwood Canyon Road". visitutah.com. Utah Office of Tourism. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Cottonwood Canyon Road in UT: adventure and beauty, not for everyone". dangerousroads.org. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b "What's it Like to Drive Cottonwood Canyon Road?". earthtrekkers.com. Earth Trekkers. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.