Southeastern Utah Tour, March 27-28 2026

It got cold enough during the early morning hours of Friday to run the heater in the camper, but I don't think it dipped below freezing. I got up at first light and had a leisurely breakfast. But I still got the camper packed up and was on the road before sunrise.

At Ely, I had the choice of going north on U.S. 93 or continuing west on U.S. 6. Brian and I had driven south along highway 93 on our trip to Zion and the Grand Canyon, and going north on U.S. 93 would more or less commit me to going through Twin Falls and taking interstates the rest of the way home. Also, the region of U.S. 6 west of Ely is marked as scenic, so I was confident that it was the better choice.

Moorman Ridge and mountains beyond

It was slightly overcast that day, so not too hot. The road there is consistent with my fly-over impressions: long stretches of arrow-straight roads crossing broad valleys, punctuated by sections of winding road that thread their way over the occasional ridge.

Big Smoky Valley

Toiyabe Peaks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Near Thousand Creek Gorge

I drove west through Eureka, and then turned north at Austin. At Battle Mountain, I got on I-80 and drove west to Winnemucca. I drove into town to take on fuel and buy some produce for dinner. Compared to the tiny railroad siding that it was in 1977, Winnemucca was almost unrecognizable. It's now a bustling city with every kind of store (that is, all the national chains) and grand casinos. In the grocery store, I was particularly impressed that an entire aisle (both sides) was devoted to distilled liquor.

From Winnemucca, I drove north on U.S. 95 and then turned off S.R. 140 to Denio. There, I took on additional fuel (at a premium) for my trek across the desert. There's not much evidence of human activity between Denio and Lakeview. Most of the area around the highway is devoted to rangeland and wildlife preserves. Even so, it possesses a stark beauty, as well as some nice highway engineering.

Steep grade signs mark the approach to the Doherty Slide, where the road loses about 1000 feet over 2 1/2 miles. It was getting late in the afternoon as I drove on toward Blizzard Gap, so I started looking for a side road that might provide a suitable camping spot.

Sunset near Blizzard Gap

Just past the gap, there's a jeep road that heads north into the BLM lands. I drove in through a wash and then found a side road that led to a wellhead and watering trough. It was a nice level spot about 1/4 mile from the highway and that was good enough. Only a few trucks passed as I was making dinner, and none went by after dark.

 

I was up again at dawn on Saturday and soon underway. I drove through Adel and on to Lakeview, where I refilled the fuel tank. From there, I took the scenic route (S.R. 31) past Summer Lake and La Pine to Bend. From Bend, I took the fastest route home -- following U.S. 26 to Portland and then taking I-5 back to Seattle.