Smithsonian Butte National Back Country Byway

State: Utah
Length: 9.0 mi / 14.5 km
Time to Allow: 45 minutes to drive the byway.

Take in the stunning desert landscape of Southern Utah when you drive the Smithsonian Butte Back Country Byway. All nine miles between Big Plain Junction and Rockville, UT, just south of Zion National Park's southern entrance, offer gorgeous views of the surrounding geographic wonders including the byway's namesake and Zion Canyon, not to mention the historical Grafton ghost town.

Stories

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  Discovering the Smithsonian Butte Back Country Byway

  Aug 21, 2008

  Find yourself in the heart of color country with a drive down Southern Utah’s Smithsonian Butte Back Country Byway. On this route, rediscover the lands that explorer John Wesley Powell encountered in the late 1800s; the geography remains as impressive as it did in his day. Striated cliffs, scenic canyons, and imposing bluffs make up some of the wonders you’ll pass as you drive the nine-mile byway.